3 under-the-radar players the St. Louis Cardinals should promote

Luken Baker, 1B

Luken Baker has been in the organization for a while. The Cardinals drafted him in the second round in 2018, and prior to this season, he was a standard high-power, low-average slugger. So far in 2023, Baker has elevated his game to another level, hitting .318 with 10 home runs in 109 plate appearances. He also homered in four consecutive games.

Baker doesn’t possess much positional versatility, only being able to play first base and designated hitter, but the Cardinals could use his power in a pinch-hitting and occasional DH role. Baker is 26, so the time is now for the Cardinals to see if he can carve out a role on the team.

To make room for Baker, the Cardinals’ best bet is to designate Taylor Motter for assignment. The 33-year-old holds limited upside, and although Motter can play several positions, the Cardinals know what they have in him. Baker represents more potential, so the Cardinals might as well see what he can provide them.

Tres Barrera, C

Tres Barrera, a catcher the Cardinals signed in January, is having a strong season in Memphis, hitting .279 with four home runs. There were rumors during Spring Training that Barrera would compete with Andrew Knizner for the backup job, and while the incumbent Knizner retained the role, he has been one of the worst offensive players in the league, hitting .154 with a .368 OPS. 

It’s hard to imagine Barrera performing worse than Knizner, and given that pitchers complimented Barrera’s work behind the plate in Spring Training, there’s no reason the Cardinals shouldn’t swap the two and see how Barrera handles the staff.

Jake Walsh, RHP

The Cardinals just called up pitcher Guillermo Zuniga and sent down Zack Thompson so Thompson could be stretched out to join the Cardinals’ rotation in 2024. Another pitcher the Cardinals should consider promoting is Jake Walsh, who had a cup of coffee with the major league club last season. So far with Memphis this year, Walsh has thrown 9.1 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. 

In exchange, Jake Woodford should be going south to Memphis. After a stellar Spring Training, Woodford hasn’t found the same success in the regular season, with a 5.72 ERA and 6.69 FIP. However, Adam Wainwright’s impending return, which will make Woodford expendable, will take up an extra roster spot, forcing the Cardinals to send down another pitcher if they want to call up Walsh. 

be While JoJo Romero has been solid in his limited appearances in the major leagues this season, he would probably the Cardinals’ first choice to demote if they wanted to give Walsh a shot. More likely, Woodford will be optioned to make room for Wainwright, and the Cardinals will wait and see if Walsh can maintain this success in Memphis.

There’s no doubt that the Cardinals need some sort of shake-up, and given the success that Memphis has shown, it would be wise for the Cardinals to poach some talent from their farm beyond the obvious candidates.