Cardinals release Caleb Ferguson after he clears waivers

The Cardinals released left-hander Caleb Ferguson after he cleared waivers, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ferguson is now a free agent, ending a brief and difficult tenure in St. Louis that began at the trade deadline and lasted just nine games.

The Cardinals designated Ferguson for assignment on August 29, calling up fellow southpaw Brycen Mautz from Triple-A Memphis to take his spot on the 26-man roster. The move created a vacancy on the 40-man roster, as Mautz was already on it.

What happened

Ferguson cleared outright waivers, meaning no other club claimed him during the 48-hour window. The Cardinals then released him rather than outright him to the minors or work out a trade, making him a free agent eligible to sign with any organization.

The designation came after Ferguson had pitched on three of the previous four days. His most recent outing—one-third of an inning of scoreless work—was just the fourth time in nine appearances that he had not been charged with at least one earned run in a Cardinals uniform.

Why it matters

The Cardinals acquired Ferguson from the Reds at the trade deadline, presumably to add a veteran left-handed option to a bullpen navigating the final two months of the season. Instead, Ferguson posted an 8.64 ERA over 8 1/3 innings with eight walks and nine strikeouts. The walk total nearly matched the strikeout total, a troubling ratio for a reliever expected to provide stability.

With Ferguson not performing, the Cardinals chose to use his roster spot on Mautz, a fresher arm from the upper minors. The timing also aligns with the September 1 roster expansion, when clubs can carry 28 players instead of 26. By clearing the 40-man spot now, St. Louis has flexibility to add another player when rosters expand in two days.

The designation-for-assignment process gives a club seven days to trade, release, or place a player on waivers. Once on outright waivers, other clubs have 48 hours to claim the player and his contract. If no one claims him, the original club can either release him or outright him to the minors if he has options or accepts the assignment. Ferguson cleared that window without a claim, and the Cardinals chose the release rather than an outright assignment.

Where the club stands

The Cardinals are 71-72, third in the NL Central and 17 games behind the division leader. They sit sixth in the Wild Card race, 4.0 games behind the cut line, and have lost their last game. The margin for error is thin, and the bullpen has been a recurring source of uncertainty.

St. Louis hosts the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, with Matthew Liberatore scheduled to start opposite Braxton Ashcraft. The Cardinals then travel to Los Angeles for a two-game series beginning Tuesday, with Michael McGreevy facing Eric Lauer in the opener and Mautz—the pitcher who replaced Ferguson on the roster—slated to start Wednesday against Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The September 1 roster expansion will allow the Cardinals to carry two additional players through the end of the regular season, a window that typically sees clubs promote prospects for a first look or add depth pieces for the final stretch. With a 40-man spot now open and the expanded active roster coming, St. Louis has room to maneuver without immediate roster pressure.

What we don't know yet

It is unclear whether Ferguson will draw interest from other clubs as a free agent. His track record before the trade deadline may appeal to teams looking for bullpen depth, but the recent performance in St. Louis will weigh on any evaluation. The Cardinals have not announced who will fill the 40-man roster vacancy, though the September 1 expansion gives them room to maneuver without immediate pressure.

The Cardinals also have not disclosed whether they will add multiple players when rosters expand or whether they will keep the 40-man spot open for flexibility. The club could use the vacancy for a waiver claim, a September call-up, or simply to preserve optionality as the season winds down.

What to watch

Mautz's first start in Los Angeles will be his first extended look in a Cardinals uniform during a pennant race, however distant the postseason may appear. The bullpen will need to stabilize if the club is to make any late push toward the Wild Card. Ferguson's release is a small but clear signal that the front office is willing to cut losses quickly when a midseason acquisition does not work out, even if it means absorbing the remainder of a contract and moving on within weeks of the trade.

The Cardinals now have a 40-man roster spot to deploy as they see fit, whether for a September call-up, a waiver claim, or simply to keep the flexibility open as the roster expands. The decision to release Ferguson rather than outright him suggests the club saw no benefit in retaining his rights, a stark end to a deadline deal that was meant to shore up the bullpen but instead became a footnote in a difficult season.

The timing of the release—just before the September expansion—suggests the Cardinals wanted to clear the decks before adding fresh arms for the final month. Whether that means promoting another pitcher from Memphis or claiming someone off waivers, the club now has the roster space to act without a corresponding move. Ferguson, meanwhile, will look for his next opportunity as a free agent, hoping to rebuild his value after a rough stretch in St. Louis that saw him allow earned runs in five of nine outings and walk nearly as many batters as he struck out.