Cardinals annoyingly option Thomas Saggese for a different hot-hitting Triple-A bat

Thomas Saggese did everything you could have asked for after being called up by the St. Louis Cardinals, but it wasn't enough to keep him on the Major League roster any longer.

After Saggese appeared in only two games this last week following Masyn Winn's return from the injured list, the Cardinals optioned Saggese to Memphis after Sunday afternoon's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Jose Barrero, who has been on fire for the Memphis Redbirds this year, is coming up to St. Louis to take Saggese's roster spot.

Jose Barrero is going to get a shot in St. Louis while Thomas Saggese returns to everyday playing time in Memphis.

When looking at the club's current roster construction, I understand why Saggese was sent down to Memphis, but it is still an annoying reality to deal with. Saggese has done nothing but hit since he was called up to St. Louis this year, posting a 341/.364/.512 slash line with one homer and four doubles in 14 games in St. Louis. He really helped the lineup through one of their few cold stretches as a team offense this season, and his right-handed bat helped them against lefties as well.

But the Cardinals do view him as a part of their future, and so having him sit on the bench most days was not ideal for his development. I would argue that he's probably going to be in a role similar to that in the long term anyway, but I understand wanting him to play every day in Memphis for now.

It's also easier to make a move like this when a player like Jose Barrero is performing as well as he is right now. In 2025, Barrero is slashing .301/.396/.530 with four home runs and five doubles in 22 games. He has primarily played shortstop so far but has also seen time at third base and center field in Memphis. He was signed as a minor league free agent this offseason by the Cardinals and was once a top 100 prospect in the game.

I do think the Cardinals could have called up Barrero while keeping Saggese on the roster by optioning Luken Baker instead, as while he's been pretty good against left-handed pitching thus far, he's not been good enough for the role he is in. Saggese could have taken those at-bats while continuing to fill in at other spots, but that still would not have been an everyday role.

Barrero will have good utility for the Cardinals' roster, as he now gives them both a true backup shortstop and center field option. He can spell both Victor Scott II and Masyn Winn on various days while also seeing time at other infield and outfield positions.

I am very interested to see how his bat performs for St. Louis as well. He's set to face his former team, the Cincinnati Reds, this week, and he once was a bright spot of their own young core. Could Barrero be a late bloomer for the Cardinals? We'll have a chance to see how that develops this week.