Predicting when each prospect acquired at the trade deadline could join the Cardinals

The Cardinals acquired 10 players, though just one is currently on the major league roster? When will each one be ready to help the team?

Tekoah Roby Takes the Mound
Tekoah Roby Takes the Mound | Ben Ludeman/Texas Rangers/GettyImages
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RHP Tekoah Roby

Roby is the most highly touted prospect the Cardinals received at the deadline. According to some outlets, including FanGraphs, Roby is one of baseball's top 100 prospects. Pipeline ranks him fourth in the Cardinals system. He has the potential to pitch at the front of a rotation. Outside of Tink Hence, he may be St. Louis' best pitching prospect. He was the centerpiece of the Montgomery/Stratton return. He was selected from the high school ranks in the third round of the 2020 draft.

Four of Roby's pitches have been graded as plus offerings, and there is room for further development. Roby has exhibited strong control and excellent strikeout stuff in the past. He improved in these areas this year with Texas' AA affiliate but had trouble preventing runs nonetheless. He had cut down significantly on home runs, a problem from the year before. Unfortunately for Roby, he suffered an injury earlier this year. After being acquired by the Cardinals, he was sent to Florida to be evaluated.

Little information has been released since that time. Whether he will pitch again in 2023 is up in the air. If he does, he is significantly more likely to reach AAA by sometime next season. If he stays on the sidelines through the end of the season, his development could be slowed. However, with a prospect like Roby, caution could be the best path forward. Either way, a debut in the middle of the 2025 season seems reasonable.

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