Cardinals Elite Prospect Has 'Realistic' Chance To Make Big League Debut

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't gotten off to the start they hoped for but fams still should have a lot of hope for the team.

St. Louis currently is 13-15 but has dealt with a handful of high-impact injuries and certainly could turn things around. The Cardinals have a lot of talent and are in a better spot than they were last season. It hasn't translated to as many wins as they want, but things could change.

The Cardinals' starting pitching and bullpen are in significantly better places than they were last season. St. Louis' offense has underperformed but should improve.

If the Cardinals do continue to struggle offensively, though, one player who could be an internal option and has a "realistic" chance of making his big league debut this season is No. 4 prospect Thomas Saggese, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Daniel Guerrero.

"Because of his versatility around the infield and with him being the highest-rated hitting prospect in the Cardinals’ system, the likelihood of Saggese getting to the majors this season feels realistic if a spot opens up for the 22-year-old. But it is hard to see where exactly that fit is if there isn’t injury. You expect the left side of the infield (Nolan Arenado and Masyn Winn) to continue holding down their spots unless one goes down for a significant amount of time.

"Saggese doesn’t play much first base so that leaves second base as a possibility, but even if Gorman goes out because of injury or struggles to the point where he isn’t in the starting lineup every day, you still have Brendan Donovan as your as plug-and-play utility-man. If Saggese is in the majors, he needs to play every day. You’re right in that the roster construction at the moment doesn’t bode well for Saggese unless someone goes for a significant amount of time."

A move could be surprising because the Cardinals seem occupied at each infield position, but it could help. He's young but has been great in the minor leagues. Don't be too surprised if Saggese spends some time at the big league level in 2024.