The St. Louis Cardinals signed right-hander Carlos Villanueva to a minor-league deal on Wednesday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Villanueva will receive an invitation to spring training.
Villanueva, 31, spent the past two seasons with the Chicago Cubs, tallying a 4.27 ERA as a utility pitcher. Last season, he was 5-7 with a 4.64 ERA in 42 games, including five starts. He started 15 games the previous season.
“He gives us that protection that we’ve discussed before as a right-handed option for the bullpen or in the rotation, if needed,” general manager John Mozeliak told the Post-Dispatch. “As we get closer to spring training, there are still a lot of arms out there, a lot pitchers to look at, and we saw (Villanueva) as having the profile for what fit us the best.”