The Cardinals will gain some additional roster flexibility. According to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, St. Louis has been awarded a fourth option on left-handed pitcher Zack Thompson.
After being added to the 40-man roster, a player can normally be assigned to the minors within three seasons. A player on the 40-man roster who spends at least 20 days in the minors during a season loses one of those years. In specific circumstances, teams may option a player for a fourth season.
If a player uses up their three option years before playing five professional seasons, he or she is entitled for a fourth option. A professional season is defined by the MLB as a period in which a player spends at least 90 days on an active MLB or minor league roster. Many players will spend several seasons with a minor league club before being elevated to a 40-man roster. Because those are considered professional seasons but not option years, most players complete five seasons before running out of options.
Thompson was St. Louis’ first-round pick in 2019. He was assigned to the Cardinals’ rookie ball affiliate that year. That league did not have a 90-day calendar, hence it did not qualify as a professional season. The epidemic canceled the next minor league season. As a result, the southpaw did not complete a full professional season until 2021. The Cardinals added him to the 40-man roster the following year. Thompson has been optioned in each of the last three years, although he has yet to complete five professional seasons.
Thompson, 27, has yet to find any success in Major League Baseball. He has a 4.50 earned run average in 52 appearances. After posting a 2.08 ERA as a rookie, he yielded 4.48 earned runs per nine in ’23. Thompson made just five MLB appearances this season. He was pummeled for 18 runs in 17 innings.
That would have made it tough for the Cardinals to justify keeping him in the Opening Day bullpen. If Thompson had no other options, he would almost certainly have ended up on waivers. Instead, the Cardinals can return him to Triple-A Memphis for one more season. He started 20 of 21 games there this season, posting a 4.90 ERA and striking out 27.4% of opponents in 90 innings.
