Young slugger's fit on the Cardinals roster is puzzling entering the 2025 season

The St. Louis Cardinals are the only team in the MLB to not spend money on a free agent and appear geared toward starting the Spring Training season with their current 40-man roster along with a few non-roster invitees. Much of the starting lineup seems set, with only a couple of spots open depending on any late offseason moves, so that leaves power-hitting prospect Luken Baker without a specified role heading into the 2025 season.

What is Luken Baker's role for the 2025 Cardinals?

While the power-hitting prospect has shown a consistent ability to hit with thump, he has been blocked at first by superstar Paul Goldschmidt for the entirety of his St. Louis career to this point. In his six years in the minors, Baker has averaged 21 homers per year, including a career-high 33 home runs in only 84 games as a 26-year-old in Triple-A in 2023. Beyond his raw power, Baker also increased his walk rate to a great 15% and only struck out 20% of the time, leading to a .334 batting average and a phenomenal 1.159 OPS. His success that season was rewarded with his major league debut late in the Cardinals' lost season, but he still only received 86 inconsistent at-bats in his 33 games.

Going into 2024, Baker had no spot on the Major League roster, as the team felt it better for him to receive everyday at-bats in Memphis despite showing he could handle minor league pitching. His power and plate discipline remained steady, but he saw a significant drop in his batting average as he hit .231 for the year. When the Cardinals saw their playoff chances drop next to zero and made it clear Goldschmidt would be departing after the season, fans clamored for Baker to get a real shot against major-league pitching, and he was eventually called up for a late-season audition for the future job. As was the case in the previous year, the team seemed hesitant to give him consistent playing time, and he only received 40 at-bats in 21 games.

As of now, Willson Contreras' willing switch to first base clouded the playing time for Alec Burleson, and the spillover effect drops down to the almost 28-year-old Baker. Even if the Cardinals finally make a trade centered around Nolan Arenado, Baker is still going to be the odd man out with a potential infield lineup of Contreras, Brendan Donovan, Masyn Winn, and Nolan Gorman. The backup infield spot would most likely go to utility man Thomas Saggese, who can also play first base, with Burleson filling in as a platoon bat either at first or in the outfield. With each of those six players holding more value or future potential than the aging prospect, Baker might see himself spending another year in Triple-A rather than sitting on the bench in St. Louis.

If Baker were to crack the roster out of the exhibition season, the Cardinals would have to be aware that this season is the last option year he has remaining on his rookie deal. Despite being an older prospect at this point in his career, it would not be surprising to see another team around the league take a chance on Baker if the team were in need of clearing up a roster spot. Looking at the current 40-man roster, it is tough to argue that the first baseman has much value beyond power potential and could be at a real risk of losing his spot if the Cardinals were finally able to add a player to their major league roster. Baker is obviously aware of this possibility, as it was reported in December that he was fielding interest from teams overseas. While nothing was ever concrete on the Asian rumor front, it would not be surprising to see someone with Baker's offensive potential being an attractive target for a team in Korea or Japan.

With the complete lack of activity around the St. Louis Cardinals' offseason, Luken Baker's present and future roles with the team are cloudy at best. The big first baseman has shown a consistent ability to mash Triple-A pitching and has little left to prove in Memphis. As the team gets ready to head down to Jupiter, Baker will look to demonstrate his potential, but he may be playing for a spot with another organization before the team breaks for St. Louis.