After Thomas Saggese Demotion, Is César Prieto Upgrade Cardinals Need?

There are few things that the St. Louis Cardinals aren't doing well right now.

St. Louis took down the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night and is now 21-14 on the season and is in second place in the National League Central behind just the Chicago Cubs. The Major League Baseball season is long so anything could still happen, but this team has been fun and one of the best overall clubs in baseball so far in 2026. Overall, the Cardinals have the fourth-best record in the National League. The Atlanta Braves have the best record in the National League at 25-11. The Cubs have the second-best record in the league at 23-12. The Los Angeles Dodgers are in third place right now at 22-13.

The National League is a juggernaut in general. If the Cardinals were in the American League, they would have the third-best record behind just the New York Yankees (24-11) and the Tampa Bay Rays (22-12). The kicker is that no other team in the American League has more than 18 wins. In the National League, there are six teams with 20 or more wins. In fact, there are more teams in the National League Central with 20-plus wins (3) than the entire American League (2).

So, there's no denying the fact that the Cardinals are playing very well. It has been talked about over and over so far this season that the club could use bullpen help. Arguably, the Cardinals' top target should be Andrew Chafin after he opted to leave the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

The Cardinals could use a little more pop off the bench as well and attempted to add some on Monday by demoting Thomas Saggese down to Triple-A and replacing him with César Prieto. But is he the answer the club needs? Let's examine.

Another Look At César Prieto

Feb 17, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals infielder César Prieto (31). Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

St. Louis' bench hasn't given the club much pop so far this season. Before his demotion, Saggese was slashing .170/.228/.208 with two doubles and two RBIs in 18 games. Ramón Urías has played in 25 games and is slashing .158/.279/.316 with two homers and five RBIs. Yohel Pozo has played in nine games and is slashing .118/.118/.176 with one double and three RBIs. José Fermín is the only guy off the bench who has given the club a bit of a spark lately. He's slashing .273/.324/.424 with two doubles and two RBIs in 18 games played.

The Cardinals have been able to thrive on the backs of the starters, but what if an injury or two pops up? The bench hasn't stepped up. Prieto has been electric down in Triple-A so far this season. The 26-year-old has played in 28 games and is slashing .311/.357/.566 with a .923 OPS, six homers, 14 RBIs, seven doubles and one triple. Of course, that's in Triple-A and not the majors, but with the rest of the bench struggling, Prieto absolutely is worth a look right now.

He's a left-handed bat who can play second base, third base, and shortstop. If Iván Herrera is at catcher, the Cardinals can have Nolan Gorman as the designated hitter and Prieto over at third base. He could also give both Masyn Winn or JJ Wetherholt a day off in the middle infield. All in all, calling him up right now is the right call and hopefully will bolster the bench.

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