Cardinals' Ramón Urías Signing Will Have Real Impact on JJ Wetherholt

St. Louis Cardinals minor-league infielder JJ Wetherholt is approaching "super prospect" territory, to the point where the club has to make its roster decisions with him in mind.

Based on everything we've read and heard a couple of weeks into spring training, it would be shocking if the Cardinals sent Wetherholt to Triple-A to begin the regular season. There are incentives these days for teams to promote their star prospects from day one, and the Cardinals aren't going all-in on making the playoffs, which makes it easier to let him take his lumps if he struggles.

So with all that in mind, why did the Cardinals reportedly agree to terms with another infielder on Saturday in former Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros Gold Glover Ramón Urías? In part, it has to be due to the club thinking it will help Wetherholt's development, and we'll get into why.

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What Urías signing does for Wetherholt

Ramón Urías — Sep 28, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Ramon Urias (29) is greeted by teammates after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

There's an on-field and an off-field component to Urías' fit with Wetherholt on the Cardinals' roster, and both sides of the coin make perfect sense. Let's break them down individually.

Presumably, Urías will serve as something of a backup to both Nolan Gorman at third base and Wetherholt at second, which works out well because both younger players are left-handed batters. Eventually, the Cardinals will want Wetherholt to face tough lefty starters in this league, but if at any point this season they want to protect him, Urías can help with that.

But perhaps more importantly, Urías immediately becomes the most experienced infielder on a team that just traded away All-Stars Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan. It cannot be overstated how much veteran guidance matters to a rookie, and Wetherholt now has an example to follow when it comes to preparation and mentality.

Someday, the Cardinals expect Wetherholt to be a far better player than Urías has ever been in his career. But the effects of having the latter on the roster should only be beneficial to the former.

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