The Cardinals announced on Tuesday that they had signed outfielder Matt Koperniak and right-handers Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby, and Matt Svanson. The team also announced that left-hander Drew Rom went unclaimed on waivers and has been transferred to Triple-A Memphis. The Cardinals currently have 39 players on their 40-man roster.
Among today’s additions, Hence is the most admired. The 22-year-old concluded the season as a consensus top-100 prospect, rating as high as 30th on Baseball America’s list, 46th on FanGraphs, and 61st on MLB.com. In 2024, his age-21 season, he pitched at Double-A, where he had a 2.71 ERA in a limited workload.
As a result, he started only 20 games this season, totaling 79 2/3 innings despite missing practically all of June and July. The Cardinals did not explain the source of his ailment, but he left his June 5 start after two innings, returned for one inning on June 23, and did not return to the mound until July 27. Hence’s season came to an end after he was pulled from a September 11 start after only 1 1/3 innings.
Despite the shortened season, Hence remains one of the minor leagues’ most promising young guns. In 2024, he struck out 34.1% of hitters and shown average or better command, walking 8.1% of them. Hence sits in the mid-90s with a heater capable of reaching 98-99 mph, rounding up his repertoire with one of the greatest changeups in the minors and a good slider. Even after this summer, there remain some durability worries, as he has yet to surpass 100 frames in any season of his professional career. Still, he’s brimming with potential, and his Double-A performance might pave the way for a big league debut later in 2025 if he stays healthy.
Roby, 23, has had his fair share of top-100 attention, yet his stock has dropped due to weak results and personal injury issues in 2024. FanGraphs ranked him 91st in the game at the end of the season, although he had dropped out of most other significant rankings. The 2020 third-round pick, who was taken by the Rangers and sold to the Cards in exchange for Jordan Montgomery, only pitched 38 1/3 innings with a 6.57 ERA between High-A and Double-A in ’24.
Roby’s ERA has been mediocre throughout his career, but he has consistently compiled strong rate figures and attracted scouts’ interest due to his plus raw stuff across the board, particularly his curveball. Roby, who is undersized at 6’1″, needs to improve his command and prove he can manage a starter’s workload. He has never topped 105 innings in a professional season.
Koperniak, 26, signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in the summer of 2020, following that year’s five-round amateur draft. He played the whole 2024 season in Triple-A, where he hit.309/.370/.512 with 20 home runs, 28 doubles, three triples, five steals, an 8.4% walk rate, and an 18.7% strikeout rate. He played all three outfield positions but spent most of his time in left field.
Svanson, who turned 26 in January, was acquired from the Blue Jays in the trade that sent Paul DeJong to Toronto. He spent the 2024 season in the Double-A bullpen, pitching 63 2/3 innings with a 2.69 ERA, 20.8% strikeout rate, 8.8% walk rate, and 52.7% ground ball rate. He’ll most likely be promoted to Triple-A in early 2025 and might make his major league debut as early as this season.
Rom, who will be 25 in a few weeks, was acquired from the Orioles in the ’23 transaction that sent Jack Flaherty to Baltimore. He labored through eight starts with the Cardinals in 2023, posting an 8.02 ERA, but missed the entire 2024 season due to arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Because he has already cleared waivers, Rom will remain with the team as a depth option for the coming season. He has yet to achieve major league success, although he appeared to be a potential back-of-the-rotation starter in the Orioles’ organization before a shoulder injury derailed his 2024 season.
