Daniel Eagan didn’t just settle in after the Lars Nootbaar trade - he took off.
The Cardinals landed Eagan, Sandro Santana and Brian Curley from the Diamondbacks at the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline, and so far the return has looked strong. Eagan has been the biggest reason why, turning in a second-half surge that made him one of the more intriguing arms in the system.
The 24-year-old right-hander, drafted in the third round out of Presbyterian College in 2024, spent the full 2026 season at Double-A between Arizona and St. Louis.
His final line there included a 4.72 ERA over 122 innings, but the strikeout and walk numbers told a different story: a 30.7% strikeout rate and just 8% walks. The ERA came with a caveat, too, because he spent much of the year in Amarilla, a hitter-friendly setting that can make life rough on pitchers.
Eagan was blunt about that environment. “Pitchers kind of have that mindset that anything can leave at any moment, but there was a camaraderie on the team,” said Eagan of pitching at Hodgetown. “It was more of a Band of Brothers thing.
“If your stuff is going to tick down at Hodgetown you know it’s going to do better at other places.”
Once he got to Springfield, the numbers sharpened. Eagan said the move gave him a fresh start and a clear target.
“For me, it was the change of scenery, and it’s a new opportunity to make a good impression on new people,” said Eagan. “When I got over to Springfield, it was clear that they had a pitching identity, and it was motivating for me to get traded over and jump into the unit.”
He made the most of the change. In 34.2 innings with the Cardinals after the trade, Eagan posted a 4.15 ERA and 3.88 FIP, while striking out 34.5% of hitters and walking only 5%.
He also led all minor-league pitchers in strikeouts in the second half of the MiLB season. In six starts after the deadline, he punched out 10 or more batters three times.
Eagan also got a taste of postseason pressure with Springfield during the push for the Texas League Championship. Across two games, he worked nine innings, allowed two runs and struck out 12.
He came away with a lesson he won’t forget. “It taught me that anything can happen in a game, but during the postseason game, but what matters is your emotions.
In my first game I gave up some runs but we won the game. I would rather go out there and give up a few runs and win the game than throw a shutout and lose.,” said Eagan of his postseason experience.
He’s now spending the offseason in the Cardinals’ Fall Off-Season Program in Florida, where more than 60 players are working through a six-week stretch at the organization’s new Jupiter facility. Eagan called the setup a serious one.
“It’s been a really fun camp, and everyone is taking it seriously. People are really getting after it and getting their work done.
It’s cool to see the future of the Cardinals get together.”
The focus now is on refining the arsenal. Eagan wants more velocity on his four-seamer, and he’s also bringing back a splitter he used earlier in the year.
“I’m looking to add some velocity on the four seamer. It’s ticked down since I’ve gotten to pro ball.
I’m confident in what the Cardinals have laid for me…in terms of development in my career,” shared Eagan. “I had a splitter at the start of this past season then I shelved it for a normal changeup.
We’re kind of re-introducing the splitter as a part of my arsenal.”
That development path should put him in line for a test at Triple-A Memphis to open 2027. If the progress keeps rolling, Eagan could be in position to help the Cardinals out of the bullpen or the rotation before the year is over. He’s also part of a deep group of pitching prospects in the organization that includes Liam Doyle, Tanner Franklin, Jurrangelo Cijntje, Tekoah Roby and others.
Eagan sees that depth up close. “The pitching (in the minors) is unreal.
Tanner Franklin is so good and he has so many hard weapons that leave another pitcher in awe. Doyle is always fun to watch.
As far as hitters, Tai Peete has been scorching hot in the Fall League, and he was showing many glimpses of that with Springfield.”
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