Which Players Will the St. Louis Cardinals Add to the Roster in September?
![Feb 18, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny (right) listens as general manager John Mozeliak (left) talks with chairman and chief executive officer William O. DeWitt, Jr. (center) at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports Feb 18, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny (right) listens as general manager John Mozeliak (left) talks with chairman and chief executive officer William O. DeWitt, Jr. (center) at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/791a8b0f91f1ac77349542bd212137304e685390320e3d3c08c06bab67d9a444.jpg)
Miguel Socolovich
You could reasonably argue that Socolovich should have been in the Cardinals’ bullpen for the entire second half, as he’s outperformed guys like Kiekhefer, Jerome Williams, and Sam Tuivailala. For some reason, though, the Cardinals have seen it fit to leave Socolovich in Triple-A, save for two big-league appearances in late July, so we can only assume that he’ll finally be freed when the minor-league season ends early next month.
In 51 2/3 innings at Memphis this year, Socolovich has posted a 3.14 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and .219 opponent batting average. In 3 2/3 major-league innings, he allowed just one hit (a Yangervis Solarte solo homer) while walking two and striking out five. When you also consider that Socolovich had a 1.82 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and .221 opponent batting average, yet has been passed over multiple times for Tuivailala, who has ERAs above 5.00 in both the majors and Triple-A this year, it seems like far from a sure thing that he’ll make it back to the majors in September. With that said, he’s kept a 40-man roster spot all season, so there’s no reason for the Cards not to utilize him if they don’t need to create a 40-man spot come September.
Next: Jose Martinez