The St. Louis Cardinals lost Jeremy Hazelbaker and Dean Kiekhefer to waivers on Friday, as St. Louis intended to outright both to the minors if not claimed to shore up the 40-man offseason roster. The Arizona Diamondbacks claimed Hazelbaker, while the Seattle Mariners claimed Kiekhefer.
Hazelbaker stepped up as one of the Cardinals’ unsung heroes in 2016. The 29 year-old considered quitting baseball before St. Louis offered him an invitation for Spring Training, but an impressive Spring Training performance and early injuries to others helped Hazelbaker work to the team’s Opening Day roster.