The World Baseball Classic is squeezing Thomas Saggese out of the Cardinals' picture

For many baseball players, the World Baseball Classic is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent their home country or one to which they have a family connection. Fans watching the event this year have seen levels of euphoria from players that are generally reserved for postseason baseball, and they've even witnessed a remarkable underdog story with Team Italy making it to the semifinals. Unfortunately for one member of the St. Louis Cardinals, Italy's unexpected success may be hindering his chances of making the team out of spring training.

Thomas Saggese's presence on Team Italy could allow other Cardinals to leapfrog him on the depth chart.

When most players think of the risk involved with the World Baseball Classic when deciding whether to participate in it, injuries are usually top of mind, and for good reason. In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, All-Star closer Edwin Diaz tore his right patellar tendon, forcing him to miss the entire season. Something that likely doesn't crop up as often in players' thoughts is how participating in the event could affect their status with the major league team.

Team Italy began the World Baseball Classic with Saggese as their starting shortstop, where he likely thought he would receive his preseason reps, but his position was quickly usurped by Sam Antonacci, leaving Saggese to fight over scraps off of the bench. He hasn't done much to help his cause, going 1 for 11 with five strikeouts throughout the tournament.

The Cardinals had been working with Saggese in the outfield early in spring training to see if he could compete for the Opening Day left field job while Lars Nootbaar recovers from his heel surgery. But because Saggese has had so few plate appearances compared with players who have been around for the entirety of spring training, he may have lost his tenuous grasp on the starting position — and potentially on the major league squad altogether.

The Cardinals were on the prowl for right-handed power over the offseason, and in January, they signed outfielder Nelson Velazquez to a minor league contract with a spring training invite. Velazquez, considered earlier as a dark horse to make the roster, has taken advantage of the opportunity, hitting .333 in 39 plate appearances, with four home runs so far. Saggese has two minor league options remaining, so if Velazquez makes his way onto the Opening Day roster and Jose Fermin, who is out of options, also finds a spot on the team, Saggese would be the logical odd man out.

With so few plate appearances for Saggese in spring training, the Cardinals can only realistically look at his performance in 2025 when determining his status on the team, and it wasn't the rosiest of pictures: He hit a respectable .258, but his lack of walks (16 in 295 plate appearances) dragged down his OBP to .299.

If Saggese fails to make the 26-man roster out of camp, it's far from a death knell for the 23-year-old, who might benefit from playing every day in Triple-A Memphis instead of appearing sparingly for the major league squad. However, the Cardinals are in rebuild mode, and with that comes a season of testing the young players to see if they can perform at the highest level. Velazquez is not a part of the Cardinals' long-term future, so at some point, Saggese is likely to find a spot on the roster.

Saggese's choice to play for Team Italy could prove to be a cautionary tale for other players who are considering forgoing spring training for the World Baseball Classic. The baseball preseason might be a slog, but for players like Saggese who are jockeying for a position on the team, there's a real argument that it's for the best if they resist the allure of the international series and instead prepare on the back fields for the arduous season that lies ahead.