Cardinals Face Key Roster Challenge Integrating Top Prospect Joshua Baez

The rebuilding process for the Cardinals is an intriguing one at the moment. This reconstruction, in contrast to the majority of others, does not include tanking. The 2026 Cardinals, on the other hand, are currently occupying the number one spot in the wild card position at the time this article was written. Some of you might argue, and with good reason, that the rebuild really started at the trading deadline late in the 2023 season, that they experienced a brief lull when they attempted to compete on the “pitching, pitching, pitching” premise of 2024, and that they restarted the rebuild in 2025, when it became painfully obvious that the offensive juggernaut that had been dismantled in 2022 was no longer in existence.

At this point of time, which is the middle of the year 2026, one of the most perplexing difficulties that big league baseball faces continues to… perplex. In order to assimilate a young talent onto the roster of a major league team, when is the appropriate time to do so, and what is the appropriate strategy to take?

To begin, I would like to make a distinction between a “prospect” and a depth player (sometimes known as a role player). In addition to being difficult, the decisions regarding the promotion of depth players entail a number of characteristics that are not present in the decision regarding the promotion of prospects.

When it comes to service time calculation, depth and role players typically do not come with any concerns. It is common for them to be on the elder side (for examples, see Velazquez and Torres), and many of them already have a clock that is not zero. It is fairly uncommon for teams to take into consideration when to begin their service clock for prospects, who are individuals in whom they can see the possibility of great future worth. I am not arguing that the Cardinals manipulate their practice service time (they do not appear to do so at any point in time), but they are not ignorant to scenarios like waiting until August 15 to promote Baez would preserve the possibility of a PPI selection in subsequent years if he performs as expected. In my mind, this is comparable to the manner in which they handled the initial promotion of Masyn Winn in the latter half of 2023.

It is possible for teams to be more sensitive about putting talent aside in order to add a depth or role player, despite the fact that all players need a 40-man place in order to be promoted. On the other hand, when they are ready, prospects can quite simply push someone who is at the end of the 40-man roster from their position.

It is important to note that depth/role players who are promoted are, in fact, role players. Despite the fact that they will be able to fill a specific function, the team will not be obligated to provide them with a specified minimum amount of playing time. Prospects, on the other hand, are typically not promoted until the team is certain (and willing) that they can devote a significant amount of playing time to the prospect in question. The majority of the time, organizations believe that it is preferable for a “prospect” to play every day in AAA rather than sitting on the bench in Major League Baseball. This is in contrast to role players like Fermin, Saggese, Velazques, and Torres.

When it comes to this aspect, depth and role players do not have a lot of luxury, despite the fact that everyone goes through an adjustment phase when they are promoted. As a result of the ups and downs that come with adjusting to Major League Baseball competition, there won’t be a lot of tolerance for them. If you are a right-handed batter, you will be expected to hit lefties, and the possibilities to do so may not frequently present themselves; therefore, you should make the most of them when they do present themselves. In the event that you are a prospect, the team will be ready to engage in a “develop at the MLB level” strategy and will be willing to endure the highs and lows that come with it. It is Gorman Walker. To some extent.

Exposure is a significant problem. Every single player has both strengths and weaknesses, and it is possible to make some predictions about how they will be utilized and exposed at the Major League Baseball level. However, this is not an exact science, and there are times when teams simply have to leap into the pool and hope that it is not too cold. Players that play a variety of roles and depth have an advantage in this situation since their exposure will be adjusted to capitalize on their strengths and avoid their deficiencies. Due to the fact that it is envisaged that prospects will emerge as regular contributors, they will not receive such protection. Is it possible that they are prepared to deal with this and the challenges that may accompany it?

Although this is not an exhaustive list, I felt it necessary to differentiate between the various options. Joshua Baez’s case will be discussed as a prospect, and I will not be comparing him to role players like Nelson Velazquez or Bryan Torres. I will instead give him my whole attention. When Baez is brought up, it will not be to take their position as the role that they currently play. It is possible that he may replace one of them on the 26-man roster; but, he will also replace at least one other player who is currently receiving a considerably greater amount of playing time than they will with Baez’s arrival.

Because it is simple for fans to look at a guy like Velazquez and wonder why they don’t bring up Baez, it is essential to acknowledge and accept this fact. Considering that Baez is most likely already the more capable player, both offensively and defensively, there is no reason not to bring him up. How come? For the reasons that were discussed before in this paragraph. The comparison of Baez and Velazques is a red herring, or perhaps more accurately, an apples-to-oranges conversation, because it fails to take into account the most important factors that management takes into consideration and strives to strike a balance between when they are trying to bring a prospect into the major leagues.

Cardinals are rooting for Baez to achieve success. Additionally, he has a variety of skills that are getting closer and closer to the coveted 5-tool player title. A four-tool player isn’t a horrible player either. Everyone is aware of the potential and significance of the situation. However, the success is not assured, and as a result, the risk is also immediately apparent. In the same way that there is a supporter who sees a future star, there is also a detractor who sees a future that is smaller than that of Joey Gallo. What will he do? The K-rate and the BB-rate are equally important. In what way do they interpret?

Baez’s promotion was recently described as unavoidable by a Cardinal executive, and after that, the strikeouts, walks, and power output that he will contribute will be determined by the passage of time. On the other hand, I believe that there are a few important concerns that need to be answered before the “inevitable” promotion gets implemented.

Where would he play?

Some people may argue that he should be allowed to play all three outfield positions on a rotational basis, as well as some at the designated hitter position. When viewed from a mathematical perspective, it is plausible to imagine that such a rotation would provide sufficient PAs to enable him to adjust, grow, and evolve. The burdens of reacting defensively to three positions simultaneously is not a technique that is helpful to facilitating his achievement. This is because of the practical factors involved. They would be essentially throwing more difficulties in his path on top of the one primary issue he will face, which is whether or not he is able to hit Major League Baseball pitching like he does Minor League Baseball pitching. Throw in the DH penalty and the changes that come with that job. What was the point of putting impediments in his path? Will he not have sufficient?

So, where exactly is it? As a result of his own service time and contract status, Nootbaar, who is already getting close to the conclusion of his time in the Lou, will be displaced by another player, according to some people. You make a valid point. There is a good chance that this is the choice that is made, whether it is the trade deadline or the off-season. On the other hand, take a look at Baez’s story and count the number of times he has played left field. Quite a few. There would be a new obstacle for him to overcome, despite the fact that it is quite improbable that he will experience the same difficulties that Jordan Walker did when moved from the third to the outfield position. When it comes to a pennant race, are you prepared to include that idea?

On the other hand, what about CF? Although he has not been there for a very long time, he has played there quite a bit in recent times. When it comes to defense, this is a position in where instincts, reads, routes, and hops are quite important. Would he be prepared for that? It is possible that his offensive profile would be fascinating in that position, and his tolerance for ups and downs would be higher. This is because that position hasn’t really been a wellspring of offensive productivity since… Bader? From an offensive standpoint, the bar is lower, which allegedly makes the path to success easier to navigate. The question is, can he handle it defensively? I am completely clueless. It has been my experience that the defensive characteristics that players bring to Major League Baseball are frequently found to be significantly different from what is represented in scouting reports. Bader himself was a good illustration of this; a man who had doubts about his D turned out to be of Gold Glove caliber (or at least very close to it). There is also the fact that we are witnessing Blaze Jordan make plays at third base that appear to take everyone by surprise. So, until we see it, who can say for sure? But are they willing to make Baez a member of the CF team? It is possible that this would push Church into a fourth-of-the-order position, which may or may not be the best fit for him.

What do you think of RF? I see, there is still another male present. a person with the name Jordan Walker…

One more important question…

How will his profile influence the overall line-up construction?

The Cardinals’ offensive has been a somewhat tenacious unit up to this point, which has been the team’s advantage. It is not a juggernaut, but it is powerful enough that they are among the top ten in Major League Baseball in numerous crucial statistics (not power), and this is despite the fact that they have been without Nootbaar for a significant portion of the season. Strong enough to overcome some pitching that was not up to par. A low strikeout rate and a decent on-base percentage are two of the strengths of that offense. As a result, they are able to get on base, and their at-bats are performing better than the majority of other teams. Although they have some good hitters, they could use some more hitting power.

But what does he hit exactly? To begin, if he were to replace either Church or Nootbaar, he would cause the L-R-L algorithm to be disrupted, which would result in this line-up having a more right-leaning composition. It is highly probable that he would finish in sixth place, behind Nootbaar. We know from his past that he throws a lot of strikeouts as he adjusts to a new level, so you should anticipate that this will continue into the Major League Baseball. Although he does not have the same level of plate coverage as Alec Burleson, he is not very selective. He has an O-swing percentage that is comparable to Burleson’s, but he has an O-contacts percentage that is almost half of Burleson’s. Even if he does not walk a great deal, he does not refuse to stroll with a BB% of approximately 8%. The most likely contribution that he will make to the lineup is to boost the S component of the OPS while simultaneously lowering the OBP and increasing the K-rate of the lineup. The HR park factor for Busch III for right-handed batters is 78, which is below the average of 100. This could be a problem for him. In other words, Busch reduces the power of the RH generator by 22%. The price is quite high for that. What kind of impact does this have on the recipe as a whole? The question is whether this attack will continue to be tenacious and benefit from additional pop, or whether there will suddenly be an excessive number of players who strike out with runners in scoring position.

With the addition of a new batter to the regular lineup, the composition of the lineup undergoes a transformation. That Baez will have an effect on the overall production of the group is something that I am curious about. If I had to speculate, I would say that this is a mystery that is so perplexing that they would prefer to find out the answer later in the season, when the playoff place is more obviously defined.