Thomas Saggese may be the Cardinals' odd man out during youth movement

St. Louis Cardinals v New York Mets | Rich Storry/GettyImages

Thomas Saggese was called up to the majors prior to the team’s series against the Boston Red Sox. Saggese was promoted to fill in for the injured Nolan Gorman, who was put on the team’s 10-day Injured List.

It’s great for Saggese to be called up, as he is one of the club’s top prospects in the system. According to MLB Pipeline, Saggese is the Cardinals’ fifth-ranked prospect. The utility infielder is known primarily for his bat and his ability to play multiple infield positions, including third base, second base, and shortstop.

In 2023, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Saggese from the Texas Rangers for Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton. Saggese then had one of the best stretches of his career, slashing .331/.403/.662 for the Springfield Cardinals en route to a Texas League MVP trophy. Saggese’s offense took a hit last year in Triple-A Memphis, as his OPS fell to .751, but he was still able to slug 23 doubles and 20 home runs in 125 games.

This spring, Saggese posted a .267/.333/.400 line in 30 at-bats across 13 games. The Cardinals sent him to Triple-A Memphis to start the year, and his .875 OPS in only four games there is promising.

Saggese has given the Cardinals every reason to believe that he will be a solid major leaguer. However, he’s being squeezed on the depth chart.

Infielder Thomas Saggese may be the odd man out in the St. Louis Cardinals’ future plans.

In front of Thomas Saggese on the depth chart in the majors is Nolan Arenado at third, Nolan Gorman and Brendan Donovan at second base, and Masyn Winn at shortstop. The club has been adamant that Masyn Winn will try and play every day at shortstop this year. They’ve also been open about wanting Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan to play as much as possible. Therefore, Saggese is being blocked at the major league level.

Behind Saggese on the depth chart sits top prospect and 2024 first-round draftee JJ Wetherholt.

The organization is high on Wetherholt, and rightfully so. He was one of the best pure hitters of his draft class, and he showed his bat-to-ball skills and his plus-hitting eye as a rookie last year. In 105 at-bats at Low-A Palm Beach, JJ slashed .295/.405/.400 with more walks (16) than strikeouts (15) and seven extra-base hits.

Wetherholt, similar to Saggese, can play multiple infield positions. This creates a squeeze on Saggese.

Now, this dual-sided pressure could be alleviated with a trade. Nolan Arenado was a product of trade rumors throughout the offseason. His departure would move Nolan Gorman to third, and Saggese could be used as a super-utility player, similar to what Brendan Donovan is doing now for the Cardinals.

Underperformance from a young player like Nolan Gorman or Jordan Walker would also free up some space for Saggese.

Thomas Saggese was once viewed as a key prospect for the Cardinals. Since his acquisition, the Cardinals have cemented Masyn Winn as their shortstop for the future, and they’ve drafted a legitimate middle infielder in JJ Wetherholt. Thomas Saggese may be the odd man out in the organization’s youth movement.

NEWS USA

Thomas Saggese may be the Cardinals’ odd man out during youth movement

Infielder Thomas Saggese may be the odd man out in the St. Louis Cardinals’ future plans.

Infielder Thomas Saggese may be the odd man out in the St. Louis Cardinals’ future plans.

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