The Cardinals acquired Fermin from the Guardians on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations.
St. Louis immediately added Fermin to its 40-man roster, something the Guardians weren't likely to do this offseason. Since the 23-year-old would have been a candidate to get selected in the Rule 5 draft, the Guardians opted to deal him to St. Louis so as not to lose him for nothing. Fermin slashed .215/.336/.322 with six home runs and nine stolen bases across 330 plate appearances at Triple-A Columbus in 2022, and he'll likely stick around in the International League and join the Cardinals' top affiliate in Memphis to open the 2023 campaign.