The Cardinals finalized their 13-man pitching staff today by filling out their last few bullpen spots. Per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, relievers Chris Roycroft, George Soriano, and Matt Pushard have all been informed that they’ve made the team.
The selection of Pushard is arguably the most notable of the three. St. Louis selected him out of the Marlins organization in the Rule 5 Draft back in December. In order to keep Pushard’s rights, the Cardinals would need to keep him on the active roster or major-league injured list for the entire 2026 season, without optioning him to the minors. Otherwise, he would need to be placed on waivers and potentially offered back to the Marlins.
Pushard was originally signed by the Marlins as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He reached the Double-A level in 2023, then Triple-A in 2024 as a 26-year-old. In 62 1/3 innings at that level in 2025, Pushard carried a 3.61 ERA along with a 28.5% strikeout rate and a 9.0% walk rate. He has always kept the ball in the yard and allowed just 0.43 home runs per nine innings last year. The strikeouts and walks were mostly there during his seven Spring Training appearances, although he allowed two home runs in 6 2/3 innings.
Ultimately, Pushard’s minor league track record and intriguing pitch mix were enough for the Cardinals to take a flier on him. The 6’4″ righty added a mile and a half to his four-seam fastball in 2025, averaging 95.0 MPH with the pitch. He also added velocity to his slider and curveball and increased his usage of both pitches, throwing them a combined 51.1% of the time.
Pushard will be slotting into the multi-inning role previously held by Gordon Graceffo. The righty was optioned to Triple-A following Saturday’s spring game. “[We want Graceffo to] continue to build up,” manager Oli Marmol told reporters, including Bill Ladson of MLB.com. “If he is going to help us, he is going [to pitch multiple innings]. Being able to do that is going to be important.”
Graceffo briefly debuted with the Cardinals in 2024. He was up and down with the club this past season, ultimately compiling 43 innings across 26 appearances. Graceffo struggled to a 6.28 ERA, though a .353 BABIP was likely to blame. The right-hander had a sub-4.00 xFIP and SIERA. Graceffo struck out nearly a batter per inning while posting a tidy 6.7% walk rate. He was one of nine Cardinals’ relievers to earn a save in 2025.
Soriano was acquired from the Nationals straight up for fellow reliever Andre Granillo. St. Louis is his fourth organization of the offseason. The right-hander bounced between the Marlins, Braves, and Nats after a series of waiver claims and designations. He’s now found a home on the Cardinals, where he’ll look to improve on his 5.95 ERA in the big leagues.
A dazzling Spring Training likely played a role in Soriano earning a job. The fact that he’s out of options might’ve also helped. The soon-to-be 27-year-old tossed seven scoreless innings with a 34.6% strikeout rate this spring. “The stuff coming out of the hand is impressive,” Marmol said. “He did a lot of things well.”
Roycroft made his debut in 2024. He contributed 34 1/3 innings of a 4.19 ERA that season. The righty spent another partial season in St. Louis this past year, though the results waned. Roycroft’s ERA ballooned to 7.84 in 20 games. He posted his second straight season with a walk rate above 11%, while taking a step back in the strikeout department. Roycroft punched out hitters at a 14.9% clip in 2025, after notching a 21.3% mark in his first MLB campaign.
Goold relayed that Roycroft spent time this offseason working on recovering the arm slot and pitch movement that he had as a rookie. The spring results suggest the time in the lab paid off. Roycroft tossed seven scoreless frames, walking just one.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
