ST. LOUIS -- Right-handed pitcher Preston Guilmet, who last appeared in the Majors in 2015, has signed a Minor League contract with the Cardinals that includes an invitation to big league camp as a non-roster invitee.
Guilmet pitched most recently in Japan, where he posted a 3.62 ERA in 28 games (four starts) for the Yakult Swallows of the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization. Guilmet struck out 57, walked 15 and finished with a 1.17 WHIP over 54 2/3 innings.
Guilmet becomes the second player the Cardinals have signed this offseason who spent last season pitching in Japan. Last month, the club reached a two-year agreement with starter Miles Mikolas.
"We've always had this internal debate about understanding performance in Japan and how it translates or how you calibrate it to expectations here in the Major Leagues," president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said last month. "But we do feel like there have been so many players that have come over here in the last decade that it's no longer a small sample size. So our confidence has just increased throughout the years on this."
Guilmet began his professional career in 2009 after being taken by the Indians in the ninth round of the MLB Draft. He debuted for Cleveland four years later and went on to have short stints with Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Milwaukee.
In total, Guilmet has made 19 appearances in the Majors and has posted an 8.22 ERA and 1.48 WHIP over 23 innings.