4 young Cardinals pitchers who could benefit from a bullpen role, 3 who would not

Tekoah Roby and Cooper Hjerpe could flash as bullpen arms, but only if the Cardinals don't allow that to "typecast" them as relievers.

While Quinn Mathews and Tink Hence are consistently ranked as the two best arms in the Cardinals farm system, Tekoah Roby and Cooper Hjerpe both boast really intriguing stuff and, if they can remain healthy this year, could vault themselves into that conversation in the near future.

Roby has really impressed the Cardinals this spring and is aiming to once again prove why he was one of the more exciting arms in minor league baseball prior to the injury bug in 2023. The Cardinals acquired Roby along with Thomas Saggese in the Jordan Montgomery trade at their infamous 2023 trade deadline, but Roby has consistently struggled with injuries since coming over to St. Louis.

Roby seems to have found himself once again as he grounded himself spiritually, and that has coincided with a strong camp that seems to have him squarely on the Cardinals' radar.

Hjerpe, the Cardinals' first-round pick in 2022, has also battled injuries over the past few seasons but has been a strikeout machine when he's on the mound. He won't blow you away with his velocity, but his deceptive arm angle and delivery make him a very tough pitcher to go up against. There are really smart baseball people who think Hjerpe could make a major leap in the near future.

I could easily see the Cardinals using either arm in their bullpen this year if they want to strengthen that group, but my concern would be that the club would end up seeing their success in the bullpen and leaving them there long term. Both arms deserve chances to start at the Major League level long term.

Depending on how the season plays out, I'm open to Hjerpe or Roby grabbing a bullpen spot this year, especially if they approach their innings limit toward the end of the year but want to maximize their final innings by giving them production in St. Louis. I prefer them to develop as starters this year and possibly get chances in the Cardinals rotation this year if they are pitching well, but I can see how a bullpen role would make sense depending on how things play out.