Cardinals Release Two Prospects Before Cubs Series Finale

The St. Louis Cardinals kicked off the day on Sunday by shaking things up at the lower levels of the farm system before their series finale against the Chicago Cubs.

For St. Louis, the biggest stories circling around the organization are Joshua Báez's explosive MLB debut and the club's series against the Cubs in general, but the Cardinals were active elsewhere on Sunday.

St. Louis announced on X that right-handed pitcher Ryan Rodríguez and first baseman Christian Sáez have been released. On top of these two moves, right-handed pitcher Jefferson Moran has been promoted to Class-A Palm Beach.

"RHP Jefferson Moran has been transferred from the FCL to Palm Beach (A)," the Cardinals announced. "RHP Ryan Rodríguez and 1B Christian Sáez (DSL) have been given their unconditional release."

RHP Jefferson Moran has been transferred from the FCL to Palm Beach (A).

RHP Ryan Rodríguez & 1B Christian Sáez (DSL) have been given their unconditional release.
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) August 16, 2026

Ryan Rodríguez

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals fans may not know much about Rodríguez at this point in the young hurler's career. He's just 18 years old and only pitched in 17 games professionally before his release on Sunday. The young righty made his professional debut in 2025 in the Dominican Summer League. Overall, he appeared in 14 games out of the bullpen and logged a 14.09 ERA and a 13-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 15 1/3 innings pitched. Command clearly was Rodríguez's biggest issue last year and it carried over to the 2026 season.

In 2026, he pitched in just three games before his release. He allowed nine runs in just 1 2/3 innings of work. Command remained his biggest issue. He walked five batters without recording a strikeout.

Rodríguez with the Cardinals as a free agent back in 2024. Unfortunately, things didn't work out.

Christian Sáez

Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players’ hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Like Rodríguez, Sáez is a young prospect who didn't make it past the Dominican Summer League. He made his professional debut in 2024 in the Dominican Summer League and appeared in 36 games that year. He slashed .177/.317/.261 with one home run, 10 RBIs, five doubles and one triple in his first taste of professional baseball action at 17 years old.

Now, Sáez is still just 19 years old. Overall, he played in 72 total games down in the Dominican Summer League over the last three seasons. He finishes his career in the Cardinals organization after slashing .184/.324/.272 with a .596 OPS, three home runs and 24 RBIs.

With these two moves, the Cardinals aren't going to be impacted in the majors, in the slightest. These are two young guys who weren't anywhere near the majors, clearly. They were two depth prospects at the very beginning of their professional baseball careers. While they may no longer be in the Cardinals organization, hopefully things work out for both of them in baseball.

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