The St. Louis Cardinals have lost a young pitching option after 25-year-old reliever Luis Peralta was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs, keeping the former Cardinals arm within the National League Central division.
Peralta had only just joined the Cardinals organization after St. Louis claimed him from the Colorado Rockies when Colorado designated him for assignment. However, his stint with the Cardinals proved to be extremely brief, lasting just four days. The Cardinals later designated Peralta for assignment themselves in order to open a roster spot for left-handed pitcher Jared Shuster.
Rather than clearing waivers and remaining in the organization, Peralta quickly found a new home. According to Cubs reporter Taylor McGregor, Chicago claimed the left-hander and immediately optioned him to Triple-A Iowa, where he will continue developing as organizational pitching depth.
Although Peralta never appeared in a game for St. Louis, his departure is notable because of the upside he brings as a young reliever. The hard-throwing lefty showed significant promise during his first taste of the major leagues with Colorado in 2024. In that season, he made 15 appearances out of the Rockies bullpen and posted an outstanding 0.73 ERA across 12.1 innings. He also recorded 14 strikeouts while issuing just five walks, showing the type of swing-and-miss ability teams covet in late-inning bullpen arms.
Peralta’s arsenal includes a fastball that reaches the mid-90s, giving him intriguing potential despite his inconsistent track record. While his 2024 performance suggested he could become a valuable bullpen piece, he struggled badly in 2025, finishing with a 9.47 ERA over 22 appearances for Colorado. He has yet to pitch in the majors during the 2026 season.
Even with those struggles, Peralta represented a low-risk, high-upside option for the Cardinals—a developmental project who might have eventually emerged into a useful reliever. Instead, that opportunity now belongs to the Cubs, who acquired him for no cost beyond a waiver claim and can afford to let him refine his game in Triple-A.
For St. Louis, losing Peralta may not have an immediate impact at the major league level, especially since he never pitched for the team. However, it does remove one possible internal solution for a bullpen that has been one of the Cardinals’ most problematic areas throughout the 2026 season.
The Cardinals’ relief corps remains a major concern, and the organization still appears to need reinforcements if it hopes to stabilize the back end of the bullpen moving forward. While Peralta was far from a guaranteed answer, he at least offered another live arm with upside.
Now, the Cardinals may need to look elsewhere to address that weakness. One name that could draw their attention is free-agent reliever Michael Kopech, a power arm with proven major league experience. Kopech owns a career 4.14 ERA across 184 MLB appearances and was particularly effective last season, posting a 2.45 ERA in 14 outings.
Though Peralta may develop into a useful bullpen weapon for Chicago, St. Louis has moved on in search of more immediate help. The Cardinals’ bullpen issues remain unresolved, and with the season progressing, finding reliable relief pitching could become one of the front office’s top priorities.
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