Cardinals have ultimate bullpen cheat code who is waiting to be unleashed

The St. Louis Cardinals have a secret weapon on their hands, and his name is Cooper Hjerpe.

The Cardinals' first-round pick back in 2022 has had a number of injuries slow his path to the Major Leagues, but whenever he has been on the mound, he's done nothing but destroy opposing hitters. After starting the season on the injured list, Hjerpe took just five appearances at Double-A before earning his call-up to Triple-A Memphis, where he's been arguably the best he's ever been in his career.

In three starts for the Redbirds, Hjerpe boasts a 0.79 ERA in 11.1 innings of work while striking out 34.3% of the batters he has faced. Hjerpe's unorthodox delivery and arm angle have often drawn comparisons to future Hall of Famer Chris Sale, and while that's a major stretch to say he'll become that level of pitcher, he has always done a phenomenal job of striking out opposing hitters.

I have a hard time seeing the Cardinals giving Hjerpe starts at the Major League level this year, but he could certainly fill a major need in their bullpen right now. There's zero reason to take him off the starter's trajectory long-term, but considering where he's at in his development and his place on the Cardinals' 40-man roster, it makes perfect sense to bring him up to their bullpen this season.

The Cardinals are considering calling up Cooper Hjerpe this season

Cardinals assistant general manager Rob Cerfolio joined 101 ESPN's midday show BK & Ferrario and discussed Hjerpe's great season so far, even teasing that they hope that they are getting him ready to help the Major League team "later this year or early next season".

Outside of Justin Bruihl, the Cardinals really don't have a left-handed reliever they can rely on right now, and Hjerpe could step into that role in a meaningful way. Believe it or not, of the 54 left-handed batters he's faced this season, just two have recorded hits against Hjerpe, amassing just a .047/.226/.047 slash line while striking out 44% of them in the process. Those are just absurd numbers.

Hjerpe has far too much potential on the mound to pigeonhole into a bullpen role long-term at this point, but coming off Tommy John surgery and nearing the end of the season, it would make sense to let Hjerpe get work in against Major League hitters at the end of the year and give the Cardinals a glimpse of what he can do against them.

Hjerpe is already on the Cardinals' 40-man roster, so calling him up to St. Louis would be an easy move to make. Hjerpe could be utilized in multi-inning appearances, long relief, and high-leverage opportunities that have lefty lanes. For a team that is very much still in the playoff chase and has bullpen issues, Hjerpe is not only a weapon that they've yet to deploy, but he could be the answer to one of their biggest weaknesses.

There's not enough time left in the season to learn much about Hjerpe as a starter for Memphis, but given a full, healthy offseason, he should be in the mix to start for St. Louis. But for now, his talent is far too great to be wasting bullets in Triple-A when the Major League club needs help. Heck, considering how many lefties the Phillies have in their lineup, I would begin that this very weekend.

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