Cardinals Cut Former No. 1 Prospect In Surprise Move

The St. Louis Cardinals are designating Tink Hence for assignment to make room for Quinn Mathews.

Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tink Hence (30) delivers a pitch during a spring training workout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's an exciting day for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Fans have been clamoring for the Cardinals to give No. 7 overall prospect Quinn Mathews a shot in the majors. He's been great down in Triple-A and finally, the time has come. It was reported earlier in the week that Mathews was getting his call to the majors this weekend. On Saturday, the Cardinals made the news official.

Welcome to the Show, Quinn!

We have selected LHP Quinn Mathews from Memphis (AAA). He will make his MLB debut as today's starting pitcher. pic.twitter.com/8tWE6ChmtD

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 1, 2026

Tink Hence Is Being DFA'd

Feb 20, 2025; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tink Hence (30) poses for a photo during media day at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

That's not all they did, though. To make room on the roster for Mathews, the Cardinals optioned reliever Matt Svanson to Triple-A and designated former top prospect Tink Hence for assignment.

"In corresponding moves, RHP Matt Svanson has been optioned to Memphis," the Cardinals announced. "RHP Tink Hence has been designated for assignment."

Optioning Svanson isn't shocking. He has a 7.27 ERA in 41 appearances in the big leagues this season and -1.3 wins above replacement. He's been optioned before this season and now he's heading back down to Triple-A. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to pitch at the level he did last year as a rookie when he logged a 1.94 ERA in 39 appearances.

The move here that is raising eyebrows is designating Hence for assignment. It's unfortunate how things have gone for the young righty. He's just 23 years old, so there's plenty of upside still there. But he's been inconsistent and has had bad luck with injuries as well. Back in 2024, Hence was the Cardinals' No. 1 overall prospect after Masyn Winn graduated from prospect status. That goes to show how much upside he has. He logged a 1.38 ERA in 16 starts in 2022 for Class-A Palm Beach in his first season getting extended time in professional baseball. In 2021, he pitched in eight games as he made his professional debut.

In 2023, he had a 4.31 ERA but made his way up to Double-A, just two steps away from the big leagues. In 2024, he had a 2.71 ERA in 20 starts in Double-A. Since then, it has been downhill. In 2025, he had a 2.95 ERA, but made just eight appearances. This year, he was transitioned to the bullpen and had a 6.64 ERA in 19 outings before being DFA'd.

Injuries were the biggest story of his career in the Cardinals' system. Now, he's being designated for assignment and it would be pretty surprising if another club didn't claim him or try to make a deal. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that the DFA will allow St. Louis a few days to explore trades before the deadline.

There was a time when Hence looked like someone who could be at the top of the Cardinals' rotation one day. Now, it seems like his time with the club could come to an end.