New vacancies in Memphis create options for the St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have started to give fans a glimpse of the future, and the excitement is palpable. With the MLB Draft, Futures Game, and JJ Wetherholt extension, fans have been buzzing about Chaim Bloom and the player development staff. Now, another everyday opening has created a spot for future development as first baseman Bligh Madris was released and will take his talents overseas.

The move comes as the organization begins to clear out some space for their new draft picks. While Madris is heading to the Korean Baseball Organization, they also released infielder Jeremy Rivas and outfielder Matt Koperniak from the Memphis roster. These three openings at the upper level of the minor leagues will come with additional transactions, but Madris was having the best season of the trio during his age-30 season.

The Cardinals released three players from Memphis and will now replace them with high-upside prospects

Armed with one of the strongest minor league systems, the Cardinals' prospect rankings are going to get even better after the MLB Draft. The new faces in the organization have until July 27 to sign their first professional contracts, and there will be a mix of them who will be shut down for the year and some who may make their pro debuts. With Madris, Rivas, and Koperniak leaving the organization, the Cardinals' player development staff will once again have another chance to show their worth with the new openings.

The lefty-hitting Madris is the only one of the trio with major league experience, and he was putting together his best Triple-A season since he was with the Pirates, who made him a ninth-round pick in 2017. In his first year with St. Louis, Madris had his highest offensive output in terms of wRC+ and is just five homers away from his career high despite playing 30 games fewer than he did in the year he set his standard. For Koperniak and Rivas, they will look to find a new opportunity with more potential for future promotions after being blocked in St. Louis.

How Chaim Bloom and the Memphis staff will choose to fill these spots will be an interesting storyline for the rest of the month. Madris was the Redbirds' primary first baseman this year, playing 49 games at first with Blaze Jordan taking another 18 games at the cold corner. Remaining on the roster with first base experience is standout catching prospect Leonardo Bernal, who has played 13 games there but is still seen as a potential catcher of the future after winning the Minor League Gold Glove behind the dish.

With Alec Burleson entrenched at first with another great season and Blaze Jordan holding his own at the corners, there was no spot for Madris in St. Louis on the horizon. While there may be some promotions from Double-A Springfield on the way, there is no clear next man up if Burly or Jordan goes down for an extended period of time. It's an incorrect assumption that anyone can play first base, so the Cardinals are going to have put some focus on the corner infield to provide some depth and a safety net in case things go wrong.

In the outfield, Joshua Baez, Victor Scott II, and Colton Ledbetter will continue to get everyday playing time down in Memphis as they look for their promotion to the big league club. Rivas has spent more time at shortstop than second base while with the Redbirds, so Thomas Saggese and Cesar Prieto will see their playing time remain consistent in the middle infield. Behind them, Jesus Baez has been on fire and could receive another quick promotion if he stays hot in Springfield

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