St. Louis Cardinals Send Nine Players to Minor-League Camp
With minor-league spring training games getting underway, the St. Louis Cardinals trimmed nine players from big-league camp in order to get more frequent playing time.
As teams begin playing minor-league spring training games this week, lower-level prospects and players with the fringest of roster odds are being trimmed from camp rosters around the league. The St. Louis Cardinals carried out their first set of mass cuts this spring on Sunday, sending nine players to minor-league camp. Lefthanded pitcher Jayson Aquino was optioned to Triple-A Memphis, while righthanders Trey Nielsen, Daniel Poncedeleon, J.C. Sulbaran, and Luke Weaver, lefty Corey Littrell, and catchers Steve Bean, Luis Cruz, and Alberto Rosario were reassigned to minor-league camp. The Cardinals now have 50 players left in major-league camp.
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Aquino, the only player to be sent down from the 40-man roster, is likely to start the season at Double-A Springfield, despite his assignment on paper to Triple-A on Sunday. The 23-year-old lefty gave up two earned runs in three innings this spring.
Littrell, Nielsen, and Weaver, all of whom are ranked among MLB.com’s Top 30 Cardinals prospects, figure to begin the season in the rotation with Aquino at Springfield. Poncedeleon could join them in Double-A, though there’s also a significant chance that he could head back to High-A Palm Beach after pitching in just seven games there last year following a promotion from Low-A Peoria. Nielsen and Poncedeleon were both unscored upon this spring (both received two outings with the big-league club), while Weaver gave up four runs in five innings, and Littrell gave up one run over two.
Sulbaran, who was unscored upon over three innings, will likely head to Triple-A Memphis, where he could either join the rotation or serve as a long reliever.
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The three catchers who were reassigned on Sunday were present in major-league camp mainly to help catch the mass bullpen sessions that occur during the early days of spring training. Bean, a former first-rounder, didn’t even get into any games this spring and is probably headed to Palm Beach this season. Cruz, who went 1-for-3 at the plate in three spring games, will likely join Bean in High-A. Rosario, a 29-year-old defensive specialist, is likely headed for a backup job in either Double-A or Triple-A after hitting playing in four spring games and going 0-for-2.