Infield hope JJ Wetherholt made the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster. President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom broke the news to reporters, including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. Midfielders Thomas Saggese again José Fermín and foreign player Nathan Church he will also break camp with the club, even though he is playing outside Nelson Velázquez will be assigned to Triple-A Memphis. A corresponding move will be needed to open Wetherholt’s position.
The news at Wetherholt is notable but not surprising. It seemed all winter that the Cards were planning for him to get a shot at the big leagues. They cleared their inventory this winter by trading away guys Wilson Contreras, Nolan Arenado again Brendan Donovan. That trade was part of saving money but also freeing up playing time for young players as the Cards rebuild and need to test their young guys in the big leagues.
Wetherholt was one of those big boys who needed some space. The seventh pick in the 2024 draft, he rose to the top of the majors last year. He split his time between Double-A and Triple-A, making 496 plate appearances overall. His 14.5% walk rate was excellent and almost as high as his 14.7% strikeout rate. He produced a combined .306/.421/510 batting line, which translated to a 154 wRC+. He stole 23 bases on the year. His defense at shortstop was considered worthy of him staying there as a major player but he also played second and third base.
With the 2026 season approaching and the annual top 100 list emerging, Wetherholt was in the top 10 for most of them. But at the start of the season, the Cards had a crowded field. Masyn Winn is one of the best defensive shortstops in the majors and managed for four more seasons. They had Arenado on third base. Donovan could jump the diamond but he played second place more than anywhere else.
As mentioned, the Cards clarified their roster image over the winter and opened up Wetherholt’s spot, although Wynn’s glovework is so strong that he never seemed in danger of being released for a while. There was a feeling that Nolan Gorman will take over in the third, with Wetherholt the favorite for the second gig. In camp, Wetherholt hit two home runs and struck out 20.5% in his 44 plate appearances. Despite being held to a .200 batting average on balls in play, he still produced a .212/.386/.394 line and a 115 wRC+.
That performance is enough to bolster the lineup’s expectations, so the Cards will indeed open the season with Wetherholt on the roster. By giving him an Opening Day spot, they will keep the Prospect Promotion Incentive on the table. Since Wetherholt is a consensus top-100 prospect, if he spends enough time on the big league roster to earn a full service year this season, he could earn the Cards an extra shot by winning Rookie of the Year or finishing in the top three in MVP voting during his pre-arbitration seasons.
That will be a secondary concern. On the cards, the focus is on putting together a core that can bring them back into contention. Ideally, Wetherholt will be a big part of that in the long run, though sometimes even the best prospects don’t find instant success. The Cards are likely to allow him to get more reps to increase his chances of getting acclimated to the big team.
As for other movements, Velázquez’s decision is perhaps the most surprising. In the offseason, the Cards were looking to add a right-handed complement to their outfield game, as Lars Nootbaar again Victor Scott II they are both left-handed. They did not sign any such player to a major league deal but brought Velázquez into camp as an undrafted free agent. As of last week, it seemed that Velázquez would get a spot, especially Nootbaar who was expected to start the season on the injured list.
Velázquez put up a monster .357/.449/.667 line in spring training but that clearly wasn’t enough. Maybe that’s because of list anxiety. As mentioned, the Cards need to open one 40-man spot for Wetherholt. Nootbaar will start the season on the 10-day IL but there is no indication that he will need to go to the 60-day IL. Hunter Dobbins still rehabbing a torn ACL from last year. It is unclear how long it will take him to be ready for the game.
Unless Dobbins ends up on the 60-day IL, the Cards will have to move someone to make room for Wetherholt, whether that’s through a trade or designating someone for assignment. Adding Velázquez would mean another such move. It doesn’t appear that Velázquez has any kind of opt out of his deal, so the Cards will send him to the minors and keep him around without using up a roster spot.
Photo courtesy of Reinhold Matay, Jeffrey Camarati, Imagn Images
