As Cardinals continue the roster churn, would anyone be shocked to see a major move in the next three hours? This summer (heck this week) has already made last year’s non-movement an afterthought as the St. Louis front office tweaks the roster for now as well as the future.
Daniel gave us a parting gift on Pham so what’s next on the agenda? If the main goal is still clearing redundant parts, there is very little reason to keep Norris or J-Mart when younger options need a solid two month audition. One other factor to keep an eye on has to be the 40-man roster especially as more Memphis and Springfield graduates need protecting before December.
Looking to improve the overall depth across the board, Pham brought back three pieces at the AA level or higher. As with the previous deals for Voit and Tui, the Birds on the Bat see where the next wave needs to solidify the ranks. The Cards can ill afford another doughnut in the system as when Piscotty was the guy and that was about it.
The Redbirds can seemingly roll on without any problems, but this year in Springfield has certainly been an eye-opening experience. There wasn’t that big Texas League masher that had become the regular drawing power and just about any prospect from the mound was AAA-bound in a hurry. With both Andrew Knizner and Randy Arozarena blocked from regular playing time in Memphis, they are carrying the SCards but for how much longer?
All of the deals thus far have been to get younger and add more control for 2019. Will that trend continue and just how different can the front office make the top pair of affiliates look this time tomorrow?
