Checking in on the Cardinals prospects from the 2023 trade deadline

Jack Flaherty trade

Cesar Prieto: Cesar Prieto is a poor man's Luis Arraez: an unremarkable infield defender without much power but who puts the bat on the ball with remarkable consistency. The Cardinals snagged him and two other players from the Baltimore Orioles for Jack Flaherty, and he hit .270 in Memphis in his first season. He has improved substantially in 2024, hitting .315 with a 122 wRC+.

Prieto's otherworldly ability to make contact prevents him from walking much, as he has only a 3.6% walk rate in 2024. However, he also limits his strikeouts, with an 11.6% strikeout rate this season. Prieto could find his way onto the Cardinals' 40-man roster in 2024 and may receive a cup of coffee in the major leagues later in the season.

Drew Rom: Left-handed pitcher Drew Rom hasn't pitched in 2024 because of a shoulder injury, and he underwent surgery in early May. He is likely to miss most or all of the season. When he pitched as a spot starter with the Cardinals in 2023, he didn't do himself any favors, amassing an 8.55 ERA and walking 5.08 batters per nine innings. He had a solid game in his sole win of the season, pitching 5.1 innings against the Baltimore Orioles and allowing only two hits and no runs while fanning seven.

Rom obviously can't be evaluated for a missed season, but his ceiling doesn't appear especially high. The Cardinals will likely shuttle him between Memphis and St. Louis when he returns in 2025.

Zack Showalter: Showalter is the lowest-level prospect the Cardinals acquired at the deadline in 2023. The Orioles used Showalter as a starter when the right-hander pitched in their organization, but the Cardinals converted him to the bullpen after the trade and have watched him take off with Single-A Palm Beach.

Showalter has thrown 14 innings and allowed only one run this season, striking out 21 batters in that span. Of small concern is that he has given up 10 line drives, constituting 35.7% of batted balls against him. He's still a long way away from the major leagues, and it remains to be seen if Showalter can produce at higher levels, but the 20-year-old has so far shown himself to be an intriguing piece in the system.