St. Louis Cardinals: Redbird Rants All-Star Break Summit

5. If the Cardinals stand pat, who in the minors would you like to see get a shot?

Josh: There are a few options for this question. The Cardinals have a decent amount of prospects right on the cusp of the majors. For me, the pick is Harrison Bader. It’s time to see what this kid can do. Bader may or may not be part of this team’s future, but we won’t know if he doesn’t get a shot.

Dr. Miles: I think the time has come to bring Mags back. I also think Marco Gonzales should practice the remainder of the year in the bullpen and, with this move, the Cardinals may not need to look outside of the organization for a trade candidate.

Tito: The obvious choice is Harrsion Bader. However, I don’t want to say too much because others might think I’m copying off their work.

Nathan: Harrison Bader tops a lengthy list. He’s arguably the organization’s best position player this season, and leads the entire minor league system in home runs. He profiles similarly on the offensive side as Paul DeJong, and we’ve seen what the rookie shortstop is capable of when thrown into the fire. Another guy who should get the call is Carson Kelly. If he does, he deserves to play.

Brendan: I wouldn’t mind seeing Sierra again. It’s true the Cardinals have multiple outfielders who should see playing time over him right now, but his speed is a game changer. He provided a real spark for this team during his first major league stint, and they might have use for a player like that off the bench down the stretch.

Shane: Based on what he’s been doing in the minors, I’d love to see Harrison Bader get a shot. He’s been tearing it up at Memphis, and I think he’s more than MLB ready. The only problem being is that the Cardinals have plenty of outfielders, including the recently demoted Jose Martinez. For Bader to get a shot, I think an outfielder (like Grichuk) is traded.

Dan: Aledmys Diaz.  He was starting to make harder contact before he went down, and we need to see how he deals with this slump to see if he can be a long-term asset for this squad.  I’ll give you a pitcher too – Jack Flaherty.  I want to reward this guy with a cup of coffee.

Christian: Carson Kelly. I know I am probably unoriginal in saying this, but the kid deserves a damn shot. The only clear potential successor to one of the most legendary Cardinal catchers of all time in Yadier Molina, Kelly has displayed the offensive potential to step up to the plate.

Despite being mired in a 10-game stretch hitting .216 (with one home run and six RBI’s), Kelly is slashing .278/.367./.441 for Triple-A Memphis this season. What better way to compliment already good hitting than by playing with and learning from Yadi on a daily basis? Honestly, depriving him of that opportunity at this point is only stagnating his growth.

Trevor: Two answers to this.  I want to see Magnueris Sierra back up. He was a really quick spark plug, and just as fast was back in the minors.  Behind Alex Reyes and Carson Kelly, I see Mags as the best prospect in the organization, even above Harrison Bader.

The other guy I want to see is Carson Kelly.  He is the future backstop in St. Louis and he needs to get his feet wet at some point.  He can learn from Yadier Molina as well.  And it is not a stretch to want him up, he is hitting the ball very well in triple-A this year.

Larry-I’m on record as saying Carson Kelly needs to be up here to learn from Yadi, take a quarter of the starts and allow Molina to maintain a higher level of performance by gaining regular rest. Sierra should definitely return in September, and Bader should be here then as well.