Shortened 2027 MLB season could allow for Cardinals top prospects to debut sooner

We all know the 2027 MLB season has question marks surrounding it right now. While we all hope there will still be a full season, it is very possible that there will be games missed next season, meaning the St. Louis Cardinals may not see games until May, June, or even later in the season.

If that's the case, could that oddly actually make it more likely that Rainiel Rodriguez, or other top prospects, are on the Cardinals' Opening Day roster?

This is something we've talked about on the Dealin' the Cards podcast before, but the legendary Bernie Miklasz brought the idea up again when we had him on as a guest this past week, and it really is an interesting wrinkle to consider if, in fact, some Major League games are missed in 2027.

Rainiel Rodriguez could fight for 2027 NL Rookie of the Year if Cardinals season is delayed

While MLB games will be missed if an agreement on the CBA can not be made prior to Opening Day, minor league baseball operates on a separate CBA, meaning that any prospects who are not on the Cardinals' 40-man roster can continue playing for their affiliates in the meantime.

Picture this scenario. The owners and MLBPA do not come to an agreement until May, and with the need for there to be some kind of spring training, game action does not occur until the middle of or late June. Perhaps they'd even use Fourth of July weekend to help launch the season. That would give Rodriguez and other top Cardinals prospects two to three months of playing time at Triple-A before the Major League season even begins.

This would also give the Cardinals' player development group extra capacity to focus on their prospects throughout their system without having the ability to work with the players on their 40-man roster. I'd have to imagine that would only help their prospects during that stretch.

If Rodriguez continues his current trajectory of destroying each level of competition he comes up against, it would be rather tempting to see a bat who is raking off pitching for months be on the Opening Day roster, as he'd actually have a head start on the rest of the competition in terms of reps for the year. He'd already be in mid-season while other players are shaking off the rust.

That also takes the pressure off those guys that comes with social media going ablaze with

The same could be true of Jesus Baez, Tanner Franklin, Liam Doyle, Tai Peete, Jurrangelo Cijntje, Mason Molina, or other Cardinals prospects who get to play baseball while MLB is on pause. Baez should fit that category since the Rule 5 draft is unlikely to take place prior to the lockout, so he won't need to be added until after an agreement is reached.

The Cardinals wouldn't need to force something like this, nor should they do it if the player isn't ready, but it may actually give them a unique window to promote talent they wouldn't have done "that early into the season" otherwise. With how the PPI bonus works, players must be on the Opening Day roster to qualify for netting their club a draft pick if they win Rookie of the Year. This is part of why, if there is a normal season, it is unlikely we see Rodriguez until the very end of the year like Joshua Baez and Leo Bernal, but if he's just that good, the calculus could certainly change.

And it definitely could change if the start of the season is much later than we had thought. Sure, it's fun to dream of a world where Bernal or Baez win Rookie of the Year in 2027, and Rodriguez or Baez win in 2028, but we all know an award like that is not a guaranteed thing for uber-talented prospects, so I certainly wouldn't be delaying Rodriguez's debut long just due to that potential benefit.

Obviously there are many months to go before this becomes a *potential* conversation, but hey, it's interesting to think about!

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