Cardinals JJ Wetherholt has quote of the year regarding why he can't play in WBC

With spring rapidly approaching, St. Louis Cardinals fans are eager to see the club's top prospect, JJ Wetherholt, on the field and fighting for a spot on the Opening Day roster. But with the World Baseball Classic coming up as well, there were questions as to whether or not Wetherholt may find himself playing in the event this year during camp.

Reports surfaced this offseason that Wetherholt may end up playing for Team Korea during the World Baseball Classic, but there had yet to be any confirmation regarding his status for that versus spending his spring in camp.

Andrew Wang, who co-hosts the Dealin' the Cards podcast with me, asked Wetherholt during Winter Warm-Up if playing in the World Baseball Classic for the Korean National Team was still on the table, and Wetherholt provided the quote of the year that had the entire room laughing.

"It is not," said Wetherholt. "Unfortantely, I am not Korean enough."

JJ Wetherholt was told he was not "Korean enough" to play for Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic

Wetherholt elaborated on the comment, sharing that you need a direct parent to be a citizen in order to qualify, and while his grandmother is Korean, his father does not have citizenship. He did joke a bit that maybe his dad will have to apply for citizenship at some point, so he can play, but it is unlikely that he will be doing that this year. You can check out the full interview with Wetherholt on our channel.

Wetherholt added that it was a dream of his to play for Korea, especially with his grandmother getting up in age, so hopefully there will be an opportunity for him to do so at some point in his career.

While the Cardinals likely prefer Wetherholt to be in camp rather than away during his push to make the Opening Day roster, I do think a strong argument could be made that him playing in the World Baseball Classic would have allowed him to see better pitching and play in more competitive environments, helping him prepare for big league action this year.

Instead, Cardinals fans can look forward to seeing Wetherholt in camp, and he'll be looking to make a strong impression and win a place in their Opening Day lineup.