Inside The Cardinals

Thomas Saggese's Role With Cardinals Revealed Moving Forward

The Cardinals called up one of the team's most exciting prospects...
Patrick McAvoy|
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-Imagn Images
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-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals recently called up one of the team's most exciting prospects for an unfortunate reason.

St. Louis recently brought infielder Thomas Saggese back up to the big leagues but the move was in response to catcher/designated hitter Iván Herrera landing on the Injured List. Saggese has appeared in two games since the news broke about Herrera being placed on the IL.

With Saggese back up in St. Louis, it's easy to wonder what his role will look like. He was red-hot down in the minors for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds slashing .420/.508/.540 with one homer and 11 RBIs in 13 games played.

Although he's back in St. Louis, his role is viewed more as depth than as an everyday option, The Athletic's Katie Woo shared.

"Thomas Saggese will provide bench depth," Woo said. "Saggese was the logical call-up, with Yohel Pozo available to back up Pedro Pagés behind the plate. While there will be a clamor to play Saggese every day, Marmol made it clear the infielder’s role is to provide depth.

"'(Saggese) was the bat that was available, but he gives you some flexibility in being able to give certain guys days off if needed,” Marmol said. “He allows for several positions.' The 23-year-old appeared in 15 games in April for St. Louis before he was optioned back to Memphis to see more consistent playing time. He’s hitting .317 with an .847 OPS over 42 Triple-A games, but his ability to play around the infield is where he brings the Cardinals the most value. Marmol wants to prioritize (Nolan Gorman’s) and (Alec Burleson’s) playing time, though there will still be opportunities for Saggese to play."

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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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