Cardinals Second Half Plan For Phenoms Revealed

The St. Louis Cardinals have had to make some tough decisions.

With Jordan Walker returning, the Cardinals opted to send Thomas Saggese back down to the minors. This was the easy choice and now he will get everyday at-bars once again. There’s a lot to like at Triple-A right now centered around Saggese, Michael McGreevy, and No. 1 Prospect JJ Wetherholt to name a few.

So, how will St. Louis manage all of the talent down in the minors?

The St. Louis Post Dispatch’s Derrick Goold addressed the decisions.

"The next steps for Saggese," Goold said. "To clear a spot for Walker’s return, infielder Thomas Saggese was optioned to Class AAA Memphis. Saggese, 23, returns to the minors after he batted .133 with a .308 OPS in 14 games following his call-up from Class AAA on June 20.

"With top prospect JJ Wetherholt promoted to Memphis, the Cardinals plan to keep both Saggese and Wetherholt rotating across the infield to give them reps at second base, shortstop and third base. Continuing the development at the plate to limit chasing pitching out of the strike zone will be a key for Saggese upon his return to the minors."

The trade deadline coming up on July 31st will certainly play a role for how the Cardinals use the young guys the rest of the season. If the Cardinals trade away any veterans, maybe that opens up spots. If not, it may be a bit until these guys see consistent big league roles.