Cardinals Phenom Complicating Trade Deadline Calculus

Will the St. Louis Cardinals give JJ Wetherholt a shot in the big leagues before the 2025 Major League Baseball season ends?

Wetherholt was drafted with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft but he doesn't look like he's been a professional baseball player for just over one year. It looks like he's been around the block for longer than that. He is thriving this season. Wetherholt recently was promoted to Triple-A and in nine games is slashing .364/.432/.879 with four homers, five RBIs, and three doubles.

The big talk of the season right now is the trade deadline, but no matter what happens, Cardinals fans should at least be excited about this guy. It seems like he's going to play a big role for years to come and now it's only a matter of time before St. Louis gives him a shot.

Right now, there isn't room on the roster. The infield is clogged up. Nolan Arenado is firmly planted at third base. Masyn Winn is the shortstop of the future. Willson Contreras is St. Louis' first baseman and Brendan Donovan was an All-Star at second base. Plus, guys like Nolan Gorman are still looking for at-bats as well.

Wetherholt's time will come, but there isn't a pathway right now. A trade deadline deal surely could help with that, but there's still five days to go until the deadline. If the Cardinals trade an infielder away and Wetherholt keeps thriving, maybe his time could come this season. If not, than 2026 seems more likely.