5 Cardinals whose Opening Day roster spot is in jeopardy after Ramon Urias signing

The St. Louis Cardinals pursuit of a right-handed bat finally ended this week after they secured a former prospect of theirs, infielder Ramon Urias, on a one-year deal. While adding that bat wasn't all that shocking, grabbing a career infielder was a bit surprising.

The clearest fit for another right-handed bat was in the outfield, but now with Urias onboard, the Cardinals are committing to getting creative with that mix this season. Jose Fermin already got some reps out there in 2025, and Thomas Saggese is expected to see time at all three outfield spots in spring training. They'll need to impress out there to earn more playing time with a very crowded infield group.

The signing of Urias won't get in the Cardinals' way if they decide they want to give more playing time to youngsters. $2 million is something they can easily move on from if they need to, but I would expect Urias to at least begin the season with St. Louis, and likely stick around for a large portion of the year. Urias is a former Gold Glove winner with a career 104 wRC+ bat and has posted around or north of 1 fWAR pretty much every season. Expectations shouldn't be high by any means, but he's certainly proven more than the other names on the Cardinals' bench unit.

With that being said, I want to look at five players whose Opening Day roster spots are in greater jeopardy now with the signing of Urias. All five of these names weren't going to be able to make the Opening Day roster in the first place, and this signing only furthers that "roster crunch" for some names looking to establish themselves in 2026.

Thomas Saggese or Jose Fermin

I would be surprised if neither Thomas Saggese nor Jose Fermin does not make the Cardinals' Opening Day roster, but now the likelihood that both do has dropped, at least a bit.

It's still possible that both players make the roster, but with only two spots outside of Urias and at least one backup catcher, the Cardinals would have to feel very good about the outfield versatility both could offer the club this year.

If Lars Nootbaar is out for Opening Day, it would be easier to see how both make the roster. One of the two can fill in for Nootbaar in left field, while the other can be a right-handed bat off the bench. But once Nootbaar is back, it would be hard to roster both if Urias is still around, unless Saggese is something they feel comfortable with in center field.

Nathan Church

Nathan Church is the natural back up to Victor Scott II in center field and is off to a strong start to his spring, but with Saggese taking reps in center, I could see a world where Church begins the year in Memphis.

Church is a plus-plus defender, and so he would carry a lot of value for St. Louis coming off the bench and whenever he is able to get a start. I do expect Scott to play almost every day, so the back up center field role may not be utilized all that often. But even so, Church would still likely draft starts in the corner outfield.

Bryan Torres

Bryan Torres was added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster this offseason and has the versatility to play second base, third base, and all three outfield positions. As a left-handed hitter, though, the Cardinals already have quite a bit of left-handed options to play around with, so he'll really need to make his mark in camp to carve out a role over the likes of Fermin, Saggese, and/or Urias. The fact that Torres does have an extensive history as a utility player as well as being a stolen base threat, certainly helps his case as the 26th man on the roster.

Even so, I do think it is likely an uphill battle for Torres at this point.

Nelson Velasquez

Brought in on a Minor League deal and as a non-roster invite to camp, Nelson Velasquez carries some big league experience as a power right-handed bat in the outfield, but unless the Cardinals decide to send at least two of Fermin, Saggese, and Church to Memphis, I'm not sure how he finds a role on Opening Day.

Velasquez is certainly a name to watch in camp and throughout the year for getting a shot with St. Louis, especially since their right-handed bat addition ended up being an infielder. But even so, Velasquez likely needs to slug in camp to make a strong case for the roster, otherwise I don't know why they wouldn't go one of their young guys.