Getty Image / Scott Kane
The St. Louis Cardinals acquired three pitching prospects and a quality hitting prospect in their recent trades with the Blue Jays and Rangers. The players were acquired in exchange for Jordan Hicks, Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton.
Prospects for Rentals
Many Cardinals fans were expecting more from moving Montgomery and Hicks. Some were expecting major league pitching in return, but that just doesn’t happen anymore. It’s just not logical for a team that’s trying to make a playoff push and looking for pitching help to unload quality pitchers. Furthermore, they wouldn’t be looking to add pitching if they had a surplus to be traded away. If a contending team’s needs were position players, that would be a different story entirely. Then, fans could possibly expect some major league pitching in return. However, pitching is in short supply, and it will take a lot to pry quality major league pitching from any team that’s contending.
Cardinals Add 3 Pitching Prospects
The Cardinals acquired Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse in a trade sending Jordan Hicks to the Blue Jays.
Robberse originally signed out of Zeist, Netherlands, in 2019. Unfortunately for the young righty, the pandemic hit, and he was stuck living in a hotel near the Blue Jay’s facility. He sometimes had to work out by himself. Undoubtedly, this slowed his development.
After that shortened season, Robberse resumed his career in Single-A Dunedin and then moved to High-A Vancouver. He posted a 4.36 ERA over 88 2/3 innings in 2021. In 2022, Robberse was promoted to Double-A and finished with an impressive ERA of 3.23 over 111 1/3 innings while striking out 97.
His fastball sits in the low-90’s but there is hope he can get it up to the mid-90’s. An increase in velocity would likely improve his strikeout rates. However, even without an overpowering fastball, he has shown excellent swing and miss stuff and a high ground ball rate. This type of stuff will likely be a welcomed addition to a Cardinals staff that is largely pitch to contact.
Imposing Figure on the Mound
Next is Kloffenstein, selected by the Blue Jays in the 2018 draft. He has had his struggles in the five years since, but it seems he may have figured some things out. The righty has greatly improved his ERA this season in Double-A.
He’s an imposing figure on the mound at 6’5″ and 245 pounds. Kloffenstein has a low-90s sinker that he runs in on righ-handed hitters. Also, he can get his four seam fastball up to 96 mph. Additionally, he possesses a mid-80s sweeper and an upper-80s cutter.
Seemingly, the Cardinals were impressed with the progress he made this past season while lowering his ERA to 3.24 over 17 starts. He’ll get a chance to impress the front office at Triple-A Memphis. At only 22 years old, he still has room to grow as well.
Cardinals Add Prospects From Stacked Rangers’ Farm
The Cardinals acquired Tekoah Roby, Thomas Saggese, and John King in exchange for Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton. Texas also received an international bonus pool slot from the Cardinals.
King is a lefty reliever who will look to earn a spot in the Cardinals’ bullpen.
Right-handed starter Roby is the highest rated of the prospects the Cardinals added. The Rangers used their third-round pick of the 2020 draft on the high schooler Roby. He was shut down with a sprained elbow in 2021 but was fully healthy for the 2022 season. The young righty held his own as one of the youngest starters in the High-A South Atlantic League at only 20 years old. Roby then moved up to Double-A Frisco in 2023.
Roby has four pitches that he throws well. He has a fastball that tops out at 96 mph with good vertical break. Additionally, he has a nice curveball in the upper-70’s, a fading low-80’s change up, and a slider that he has recently added. Roby could have four good pitches once he’s fully developed. However, his command is still a work in progress. He’s projected to become a nice mid-rotation starter if he continues to progress.
Infielder Flashes the Leather and the Lumber
Last but definitely not least is the right-handed hitting infielder, Thomas Saggese. Saggese is cut from the same cloth as current Cardinals utility men Tommy Edman and Brendan Donovan.
The Rangers drafted Saggese out of high school in the 2020 draft as well. He hit .308 in High-A last season and then hit for a .361 average in Double-A to help Frisco win the Texas League championship. Saggese continued to impress in the Texas League before being traded to the Cardinals.
Saggese is a right-handed hitter with an aggressive approach. He should have decent power once he adds more strength. Also, he could become an even better hitter if he improves his plate discipline. Saggese saw time at all four infield positions in 2022, getting most of his time at second and third base. He’s a good athlete with decent speed and an average arm. He is likely best suited for second base. Furthermore, he also has good character, winning the Texas’ True Ranger Award last year for representing the organization’s core values on and off the field. To put how good this kid could be in perspective, his production in Double-A as a 21 year old is comparable to what Jordan Walker did at 20 years old. Saggese slashed .314/.380/.514 compared to Walker’s slash line of .306/.388/.510. That’s not bad company to be in.
Cardinals Improved Farm Considerably
The Cardinals added prospects in an obvious place of need and grabbed a good position player prospect as well. The return may not have the immediate impact that many would hope, but it was a good return for rental players. The Cardinals added prospects that immediately broke into their top ten, and the other is in the top 30. Roby comes in at #4, Robberse at #6, Saggese at #8, and Kloffenstein at #23. The team did a good job of getting some value out of players that were likely to be moving on in free agency. This is likely only the first phase as more moves will be coming before the deadline and in the off-season.
