3 players who could be affected by the Cardinals drafting JJ Wetherholt

There were many varying reactions to the St. Louis Cardinals drafting JJ Wetherholt. The bulk of them were positive. Some fans were begging for a pitcher -- though there wasn't a viable one available anymore by the time St. Louis was on the clock. Others began immediately identifying players who could or should be traded after the selection. The tertiary group was the most baffling to me, yet here I am catering to this minority strictly to disprove them.

JJ Wetherholt is a supreme talent at shortstop. He was, at one point, the top prospect in the draft among most major outlets. He slipped due to two hamstring injuries within a 12-month time period. There is some risk in picking Wetherholt, but the Cardinals have a talented player on their hands.

Wetherholt's calling card is his bat, but he's no slouch defensively. Some analysts have already pegged him as a player who could transition to second base to be a truly elite defender with a plus bat. Masyn Winn is the team's shortstop of the future, and he won't be moved away from one of the most vital defensive positions on the diamond. Once again, Masyn Winn is quite safe despite the drafting of a shortstop this year.

However, should Wetherholt be pushed to learn a different position as he develops, there are some players who are current major leaguers or high-end prospects in the system that may become superfluous. All of this is assuming that Wetherholt lives up to his draft stock, though. A deep farm system is a healthy one, and the Cardinals have been searching for a top-10 farm system for the last few years. They may finally have that after last year's retooling and this year's draft.

I'm not saying these situations will come true. In fact, I firmly believe that the St. Louis Cardinals will find a way to play each of these players whom I will list with JJ Wetherholt in the organization. A drafted player, regardless of whether he was most recently in college or high school, has a path that is anything but linear through the minor leagues. Wetherholt would have to get off to a hot start to his professional career to affect any of these current players.

Don't expect John Mozeliak to make any drastic roster changes after the addition of JJ Wetherholt. Instead, expect him to exercise what he always demands of his fanbase: patience.

These 3 Cardinal players could be affected by the organization drafting JJ Wetherholt.