Cardinals Designate Caleb Ferguson for Assignment

The St. Louis Cardinals have designated left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson for assignment as of August 29, 2026. To replace him on the 26-man roster, the team has called up fellow lefty Brycen Mautz from Triple-A Memphis.

Ferguson has struggled since joining the Cardinals from the Reds at the trade deadline, recording an 8.64 ERA over 8 1/3 innings and allowing eight walks against nine strikeouts. His recent performance included just one scoreless inning in his last outing, marking only the fourth time he did not allow an earned run in nine games with St. Louis.

With trades no longer allowed after the deadline, Ferguson can only be transferred to another team through the DFA process if claimed off waivers. He has approximately $750K remaining on his contract for the 2026 season, which may deter teams from claiming him due to his recent performance. If he clears waivers, Ferguson could opt for free agency, as he has enough MLB service time to decline a minor league assignment.