4 Rule 5 candidates the Cardinals should add to the 40-man roster

RHP Tink Hence

Tink Hence's story is somewhat similar to Roby's in the sense that injuries have hampered his ability to become the pitcher he was projected to be. Hence, unlike Roby, has been able to be extremely effective when healthy. The issue is that he has yet to throw more than 79.2 innings in any given season, and he's entering his fifth season as a professional baseball player.

Hence started off 2024 with a bang; he pitched all of 2024 in Double-A Springfield, and he struck out 12.31 batters per nine innings this year for a 34.1% K rate. He also walked just 8.1% of all batters he faced. However, injuries once again caught up to Tink, and he missed about a month with a hamstring injury in the middle of the year. He was able to finish the year with the Springfield Cardinals, so there's hope that a fully healthy offseason will set him up for success in 2025.

Upon his return, Hence was unable to throw more than four innings due to fear of re-aggravating his leg. He finished 2024 with a 2.71 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 79.2 innings. The organization's #2 prospect is one of the best right-handed pitching prospects in baseball, but he has not been able to be healthy enough to prove his worth.

The Cardinals will absolutely add Hence to the 40-man roster this offseason. If one of the organization's best pitching prospects can stay healthy, there's even a chance Hence makes his debut in one way or another in 2025, especially considering the fact that the organization has been open about its desire to go young next year. It's not a matter of if Hence will be added to the roster. What matters most is his health and when he will see major-league innings.

RHP Matt Svanson

The Cardinals received pitcher Matt Svanson when they traded Paul DeJong in 2023 to the Toronto Blue Jays. Svanson has been utilized solely as a reliever since joining the Cardinals' organization.

He hit his stride in 2024, as he finished with a 2.69 ERA in 53 games across 63.2 innings. Svanson also led all of Double-A with 27 saves last year. He solidified himself as a reliable back-end reliever, something every organization is searching for in their bullpens.

What weakens Svanson's case to remain on the roster would be his weak underlying numbers. He struck out only 8.3 batters last year, and his 1.461 WHIP indicated some trouble with walks and hits; he walked 3.5 batters per nine innings last year. An inability to strike out batters at a high rate paired with a propensity to give up free passes typically doesn't bode well for a reliever.

The Cardinals opted to send Svanson to the Arizona Fall League. Through seven games, Svanson has a 5.87 ERA in only 7.2 innings. However, he's struck out 15 batters in that span. Svanson has also walked only two batters in Arizona; he's allowed nine hits in total. If the organization was hoping to see him improve his strikeout numbers, he's done just that in limited time at the Arizona Fall League.

With so few spots available on the 40-man roster, Matt Svanson may get squeezed out of a spot in 2024. This would make him eligible to be drafted by another team by the time the Winter Meetings come around. While he could be a player the team will regret losing, leaving a 40-man spot open for a free-agent reliever who has proven himself in the majors may benefit the team more.