The St. Louis Cardinals have reached an agreement with right-hander Dustin May on a one-year contract, pending a physical, according to multiple sources. The 28-year-old pitcher aims to bolster the team's young rotation after a career-high season in 2025. The deal has not yet been officially confirmed by the club.
The St. Louis Cardinals are set to add experienced pitching depth with the reported signing of Dustin May. On Saturday, December 13, 2025, sources including ESPN's Jeff Passan confirmed that the 6-foot-6 right-hander agreed to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027. The Cardinals, who currently hold a full 40-man roster, will need to make a corresponding move once the contract becomes official.
May, 28, split the 2025 season between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, posting a 7-11 record with a 4.96 ERA over 25 games, including 23 starts. Acquired by Boston at the trade deadline, he struggled there with a 5.40 ERA in six appearances and dealt with forearm soreness in September. Despite these challenges, May struck out 123 batters in a career-high 132 1/3 innings, marking his first full workload since missing all of 2024 due to arm injuries.
A former top prospect, May debuted with the Dodgers in 2019 and contributed to their 2020 World Series title. His career has been hampered by injuries, including Tommy John surgery in May 2021, a subsequent flexor tendon procedure, and an emergency esophageal tear operation. Early in his MLB tenure, he maintained a strong 2.93 ERA through 31 appearances. May's pitch arsenal features a sweeper with 16.9 inches of horizontal break, a sinker moving 18.9 inches in the opposite direction, a four-seam fastball, and a cutter, all delivered from a low arm slot.
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom emphasized the need for rotation additions during the offseason, stating, "We will add to the group... I want to add at least one guy." May is expected to pair with young arms like Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante, Kyle Leahy, and Richard Fitts, who was acquired from the Red Sox on November 25 in exchange for Sonny Gray. This move addresses the rotation's inexperience following Gray's departure.
