Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Banking On Ex-Top Prospect Upside In Polarizing Move

The Cardinals made a difficult decision this week
Patrick McAvoy|
Mar 6, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals hat and gloves lay in the dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Mar 6, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals hat and gloves lay in the dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have had an interesting week so far.

St. Louis officially optioned red-hot infielder Thomas Saggese to the minors on Monday and brought up young utility man Jose Barrero. This is a decision that has gotten some flak. Saggese was off to a great start with St. Louis but hasn't been getting everyday opportunities with St. Louis with Masyn Winn and Nolan Gorman both healthy now.

The team announced the move on Monday.

"INF/OF Jose Barrero has been selected from Memphis (AAA). He will wear #27," the team announced. "INF Thomas Saggese has been optioned to Memphis."

The Cardinals sent Saggese down to get him everyday looks and now will have Barrero with the big league club. Barrero was a former top prospect of the Cincinnati Reds but things haven't clicked for him at the big league level so far in his young career. He's just 27 years old, though, and could be a solid piece for this team.

St. Louis entered the 2025 season with a surplus of outfielders and not too much depth in the infield. Barrero now will serve in that role and can play all over the place. So far in his young career, he has appeared in 139 games across four big league seasons with the Reds and clubbed four homers, 32 RBIs, nine stolen bases, and 15 doubles, and a .186/.242/.255 slash line. Much has been made about Saggese going down, but Barrero is a capable player with upside of his own. Before his promotion, he was slashing .299/.396/.517 with four homers, 13 RBIs, and five stolen bases in 23 games for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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