Jukich, a left-handed pitcher previously in the Cincinnati Reds organization, was not a member of the Reds' 40-man roster, which made him eligible for Thursday's Rule 5 Draft. St. Louis selected Jukich with the 16th pick in the Major League phase of the draft. As a result, Jukich was automatically placed on the Cardinals' 40-man roster, and he is required to be on the team's active 25-man roster for the entire 2010 season. He may not be optioned, or designated to the minor leagues.

A press release on the Cardinals' Web site indicated that they plan to use the lefty out of the bullpen, most likely in a long-relief scenario. However, Jukich's agent Justin Sawyer told Dakota Wesleyan University Thursday that the club looks at Jukich as a versatile addition to its pitching staff. He possesses the ability to start, provide long relief or face left-handed batters out of the bullpen in late-inning situations.

Sawyer said that Jukich, who is currently playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, is excited to join the defending National League Central Division Champion Cardinals, and he is looking forward to playing for legendary manager Tony La Russa. St. Louis finished 91-71 in 2009 and lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series. The Cardinals boast the 2009 NL MVP, Albert Pujols, and pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, who finished second and third, respectively, in the 2009 NL Cy Young Award voting.

Jukich was utterly dominant during his record-setting, All-American season at Dakota Wesleyan. In 2006, he led the NAIA with 144 strikeouts, and he set or tied new Tiger records for strikeouts (144) and wins (10) in a season and strikeouts in a single game (17). Jukich was an NAIA All-America Honorable Mention selection, the GPAC Pitcher-of-the-Year and an All-GPAC First Team pick.

The lefty's success continued in the minor leagues after the Oakland Athletics selected him in the 13th round of the 2006 Major League draft. He opened his career with Class A Short-Season Vancouver and finished with two saves and a 3.24 ERA in 8.1 innings. He was then promoted to Class A Kane County for the remainder of 2006, where he finished 3-2 with an excellent 2.38 ERA in 41.2 innings.

In 2007, Jukich was 11-6 with a 4.35 ERA in 26 starts. He was traded from the A's to the Cincinnati Reds on June 12. After the trade, he was 8-2 with a 3.55 ERA for the Reds' Class A Advanced club in Sarasota, Fla. He had a 20-inning scoreless streak, and he threw seven hitless innings in a start against Clearwater in the Florida State League Playoffs.

It was in 2008, Jukich's first full season with the Reds organization, where his star really began to shine. He was selected to be the starting pitcher for the North team in the in the Southern League All-Star Game, and he earned the victory with one perfect inning. During the season, he was promoted to the Reds' top minor league affiliate, the Triple-A Louisville Bats. In 26 starts and one relief appearance for Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville, Jukich was 11-5 with a 3.90 ERA, and he was the Reds' Minor League Pitcher-of-the-Month for May.

In 2009, Jukich was 9-6 for Louisville with a 4.10 ERA as he shuffled between starter and reliever. He appeared in 29 games with 17 starts, and batters hit just .264 against him. He has continued to impress this winter in the prestigious Dominican winter league. In nine starts for Aguilas Cibaenas, Jukich is 3-2 with a 2.78 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 45.1 innings. Prior to his last start, Jukich was leading the league in ERA, which validates his readiness for the major leagues as each Dominican club features several big league players. Jukich is set to pitch again Thursday, and then make one more start before returning to the U.S.

The Cardinals hold their Spring Training in Juniper, Fla., and their exhibition season will begin against the New York Mets on March 4. St. Louis will travel north to Minneapolis to conclude spring training with a pair of exhibition games against the Minnesota Twins. The exhibitions will be the first games played at the Twins' new stadium, Target Field, on April 2 and 3.

Ironically, St. Louis will open the 2010 regular season on Monday, April 5, with a game at Jukich's former club, the Cincinnati Reds. They'll host their home opener a week later on April 12 against the Houston Astros.