Cards claim RHP Meisinger off waivers from O's

LAS VEGAS -- With the waiver claim of right-hander Ryan Meisinger on Monday, the Cardinals added to their bullpen depth and filled their 40-man roster on the first day of Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings.
Meisinger arrives from Baltimore, where he made his Major League debut in 2018 and went on to appear in 18 games for the Orioles. He allowed 15 runs on 18 hits -- including six homers -- over those 21 big league innings. Meisinger walked 10 and struck out 21.
"It was someone that our group thought there was some upside [with]," president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. "Just continuing to add depth at the Minor League level to give us some flexibility."
That flexibility is enhanced by the fact that Meisinger still has Minor League options.

The 24-year-old fared better in Triple-A, where he posted a 2.28 ERA over 21 appearances last season. Meisinger had been in the Orioles' organization since 2015, when he was an 11th-round Draft pick out of Radford University.
In his abbreviated stint with the Orioles in 2018, Meisinger showed some promise with his slider, which produced a whiff rate of 42.4 percent per Statcast™. His fastball wasn't nearly as effective. Opponents slugged .778 against it.
Because Meisinger took the last open spot on the Cardinals' roster, the club will not be eligible to participate in the Rule 5 Draft unless another player is dropped before then. Mozeliak said the team is unlikely to make such a move.