Cardinals José Fermin should be a contender for United Airlines Passenger of the Year

In what's become something of a lost season for the St. Louis Cardinals, it's no surprise that the team has had to shuffle its roster so often. Whether due to injuries, underperformance, or talent attrition by way of trades and releases, the team has needed reinforcements on a consistent basis in 2025.

Though he won't win any awards, José Fermín has been the poster boy of all the Cardinals' maneuvering this year. He was recalled from the minors on Sept. 17 when Willson Contreras was placed on the injured list, effectively ending the first baseman's season.

That seems rather harmless on the surface, until you remember that this was the fourth time in a week that Fermin was optioned or recalled by the Cardinals. In fact, since June 25, Fermin has become a regular on the drive down I-55 from St. Louis to Memphis, as he's been sent down or called up from the big league squad seven times.

José Fermin deserves travel reimbursement from Cardinals

Considering that the drive from Memphis to St. Louis is roughly four hours, it's likely that Fermin hasn't been racking up too many frequent flyer miles.

Then again, given that he was optioned or recalled four times in a six-day span from Sept. 12-17, perhaps the team was kind enough to pay a few air fares. Either way, let's just hope that for Fermin's sake, the team has a good commuter plan attached to the benefits they offer.

For what it's worth, Fermin, 26, has made the most of his scarce and scattered opportunities in the big leagues this year. Through 55 plate appearances, he's hitting .298/.389/.404, good for a 130 wRC+. He also hit his first career home run back in July.

Given that he rarely strikes out (12.7% strikeout rate), walks a bunch (10.9%), has a bit of speed (two steals), and providing average defensive value at four different positions (second base, third base, left field, and right field), you'd think the Cardinals would want to keep this guy around on a more permanent basis.

Alas, a crowded infield depth chart (prior to the injuries to Contreras and Masyn Winn) has kept Fermin down to this point.

However, given his play in the majors this year — not to mention his fantastic .300/.428/.485 slash line in Triple-A — there's a good chance Fermin is auditioning for a more regular role in 2026.