Understandable obstacle hindering the Cardinals from promoting JJ Wetherholt
The St. Louis Cardinals are facing a challenging decision regarding the promotion of infielder JJ Wetherholt in 2025. The primary obstacle is the team's need to protect multiple top prospects from the Rule 5 Draft, which is limiting the available roster spots.
The Cardinals are required to add key prospects such as Leonardo Bernal, Jimmy Crooks, Joshua Baez, Cooper Hjerpe, and Nathan Church to the 40-man roster to avoid losing them. This significant roster protection obligation is constraining the team's flexibility for promoting Wetherholt, despite his impressive AAA performance and readiness for the majors.
Wetherholt, who is highly regarded and likely to be a future infielder for the Cardinals, is currently facing positional competition. The middle infield is crowded, with players like Brendan Donovan, Masyn Winn, Nolan Arenado, Thomas Saggese, and Nolan Gorman already on the roster.
This combination of roster protection needs and infield depth creates a conundrum that may delay Wetherholt’s immediate promotion, even though he is making a compelling case to join the big league roster in 2025.
The Cardinals cannot use the 60-day IL during the offseason to create space on their 40-man roster. To make room, they may have to remove players such as Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, Steven Matz, Roddery Munoz, Miles Mikolas, and Garrett Hampson. Protecting these prospects could result in a 20% turnover of the Cardinals' current 40-man roster.
If Wetherholt's call-up is delayed until 2026, it would not be the end of the world, as long as it is in the best interest of the player. However, the roster changes could limit the Cardinals' ability to add prospects they acquire at the deadline or players/prospects that Chaim Bloom may want to target in the offseason.
JJ Wetherholt has been impressing in the minor leagues. He slugged his fifth Triple-A home run tonight, bringing his slash line to .333/.391/.762 for Memphis, resulting in a 1.153 OPS. In 73 games between Double-A and Triple-A prior to tonight, Wetherholt was slashing .306/421/.513 on the year.
Wetherholt is considered one of the best prospects in baseball by multiple outlets. He is currently ranked within the top 15 or top 10 prospects in all of baseball, with some outlets ranking him as high as the top 5, including Keith Law and Just Baseball.
The Cardinals' player development staff, including Rob Cerfolio, will make the decision on Wetherholt's readiness for a major league call-up. The Cardinals' roster crunch may hold them back from promoting JJ Wetherholt in 2025, but his potential debut with the St. Louis Cardinals may still be imminent.
The Cardinals' challenge in promoting infielder JJ Wetherholt in 2025 is heightened by the need to protect several top prospects, such as Leonardo Bernal, Jimmy Crooks, Joshua Baez, Cooper Hjerpe, and Nathan Church, from the Rule 5 Draft. Despite his impressive AAA performance and being highly regarded as a future infielder, Wetherholt's promotion might be delayed because of MLB's middle infield depth and the obligation to protect prospects, potentially resulting in a 20% turnover of the Cardinals' 40-man roster.
