Cardinals sign ex-Cubs, Royals outfielder with 31 career home runs

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Cardinals sign ex-Cubs, Royals outfielder with 31 career home runs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The St. Louis Cardinals are clearly entering rebuild mode.

Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, and Wilson Contreras were all traded this offseason, and the NL Central club has its eyes on the future. In doing so, it's natural to take risks on players who could end up making a difference at the Major League level.

On Monday, St. Louis announced invitations for 27 players to spring training, and outfielder Nelson Velázquez was one of them, indicating he signed a minor league contract with the Cardinals.

Velázquez did not make a Major League appearance in 2025, spending the year in Triple-A with the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played 49 games with the LMB's Guerreros de Oaxaca.

Velázquez is a power hitter​

Velázquez made his debut in 2022 with the Chicago Cubs and hit a career high of 17 home runs in just 53 games the following year. He last played in the Majors with the Royals in 2024.

Now that Contreras is with the Boston Red Sox, Velázquez has an opportunity to showcase that he can be one of the sluggers the Cardinals need to help support their offensive production.

If he makes the team out of spring training, Velázquez can also serve as the club's designated hitter or primary pinch hitter against left-handed pitching.

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