St. Louis Cardinals: Which Players Will Join the Roster in September?

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Cody Stanley, C

Stanley has had some struggles at the plate this season, so he’s not necessarily an obvious candidate for a call-up. However, most teams like to have a third catcher around in September, and considering that the Cardinals have already used a three-catcher alignment at times this year, it’s almost a certainty that at least one of the three minor-league catchers currently on the 40-man roster (Stanley, Ed Easley, and Mike Ohlman) will join the club after the minor-league season is concluded.

Easley has spent the most time in the majors of the trio this season, while Ohlman has played the best (.281/.362/.429 with 11 homers at Double-A Springfield), but since Stanley is a lefthanded hitter, is a bit more polished than Ohlman, and has had some success in the big leagues this season, he looks like the most intriguing candidate to come up and join the Cardinals.

The 26-year-old Stanley is hitting .243/.306/.362 at Memphis this year with seven homers and 45 RBI. He’s actually struggled for most of the season at the plate, but his numbers were significantly boosted by a spectacular July in which he hit .354/.378/.569 with 19 RBI. He also had a pinch-hit single during his first MLB at-bat on April 26 at Milwaukee.

Next: Matt Adams, 1B