John Mozeliak made it apparent that the St. Louis Cardinals were about to go on a “reset” following a second consecutive season without a postseason appearance. In St. Louis, the emphasis would shift from victories to younger players for the first time in what seems like an eternity. Although Cardinals supporters may have found this change frustrating, it was a wise move for the team.
The Cardinals released stalwarts Paul Goldschmidt, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn in free agency with the goal of starting again. They also made an unsuccessful attempt to trade Nolan Arenado. That failure is underlined very clearly with Thomas Saggese, a former top prospect acquired in the trade that sent Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers at the 2023 trade deadline.
Saggese appeared to be a player prepared to make an impact at the Major League Baseball level, but Arenado’s presence prevented him from playing. He started the season at Triple-A Memphis because of this. Nolan Gorman’s injury produced a roster place for Saggese to fill in early April, and the rookie infielder has taken full advantage of his opportunity to play.
The 23-year-old has eight hits in 17 MLB at-bats this season (.471 BA) despite seeing time at three different infield spots in his six appearances. Small sample, granted, but Saggese looks like a player who belongs and should receive more playing time. Unfortunately, Mozeliak’s ill-advised reset will stop it from occurring.
Thomas Saggese deserves more playing time with Cardinals but won’t get it
Saggese only received his MLB shot due to Gorman’s injury, and is only hanging around because Masyn Winn landed on the IL just as Gorman was activated. Saggese gains more time as a result, but Winn’s injury is not regarded as serious. Saggese will probably be demoted to the bench or sent back down to Triple-A when Wynn returns, neither of which is what should be occurring.
Arenado, Winn, Brendan Donovan, and Willson Contreras line up from third to first almost every day, so when everyone is healthy, St. Louis’ infield is set. Alec Burleson takes that place most nights, so it’s not even like there are DH at-bats available. When necessary, Donovan can play in the outfield, but he doesn’t really have a cause to do so given Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar, and Victor Scott II. There are occasional days off, of course, but Saggese was sent down since he would not have many opportunities to play.
Arenado’s reluctance to waive his no-trade clause isn’t Mozeliak’s fault, but his refusal to move anyone else has caused a stalemate, especially in the infield.
Saggese is talented enough to merit consistent playing time for a squad that claims to prioritize developing its younger players. Gorman, for example, has demonstrated enough in the past to merit frequent playing time. Neither of these players will see consistent playing time once the club is healed.
Cardinals supporters can only hope that Mozeliak will quickly figure out a method to give the team’s young players more playing time. It won’t help a player like Saggese, who appears to be an MLB player, stay confined to the bench or Triple-A, but that’s exactly what will happen in the near future.
