ST. LOUIS – With their new front office eager to create competition on the starting staff and in the bullpen, the Cardinals claimed right-handed reliever Zak Kent off waivers and added him to their 40-player roster on Friday.

Kent, 27, made his MLB debut with the Guardians in 2025 after spending six seasons in the Minor Leagues. The 6-foot-3 Kent pitched in 12 MLB games – all in relief – after being used mostly as a starter (63 starts) in the Minor Leagues.

The addition of Kent brings the Cardinals' 40-player roster to 39, which allows the squad to fully participate in Wednesday’s Rule 5 Draft at the MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando. The Cardinals claimed relievers Wilking Rodriguez and Ryan Fernandez in Rule 5 Drafts in 2022 and 2023, but they did not select a player in the MLB po

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