最新杏吧原创

Ahead of an organizational 鈥渞eset鈥� expected to give their young talent major league opportunities, the Cardinals added two of their top pitching prospects and two 2024 minor league standouts to their 40-man roster ahead of the deadline to protect Rule 5 draft-eligible players.

Right-handers Tink Hence and Tekoah Roby 鈥� two of the organization鈥檚 top-rated arms 鈥� right-handed reliever Matt Svanson and outfielder Matt Koperniak were added to the Cardinals鈥� 40-man roster ahead of Tuesday鈥檚 5 p.m. (最新杏吧原创 time) roster deadline.

In a corresponding move, left-hander Drew Rom was outrighted to Class AAA Memphis, leaving the Cardinals鈥� 40-man roster at 39 players.

Hence, Roby, Svanson and Koperniak each would have been eligible to be selected by another organization in the Dec. 11 Rule 5 draft had the Cardinals not made the moves.

Ranked as the top pitching prospect in the Cardinals system at the start of 2024, Hence went 4-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 20 Class AA starts in 2024. He struck out 109 batters, allowed 1.07 walks plus hits per inning and was named Texas League pitcher of the year despite the injuries keeping him to 79 2/3 innings.

The limitations came a year after injuries limited Hence to a career-high 96 innings while splitting time in Class High-A and Class AA during the 2023 minor league season.

This year, Hence maintained a 3.14 ERA through his first 10 starts before discomfort in his chest, shoulder and back limited him, forcing early exits from June 5 and June 23 starts. Following his June 23 outing, Hence did not return to a game until July 27. The 22-year-old gradually rebuilt his workload upon his return and maintained a 1.52 ERA across 23 2/3 innings through that process before his final start of 2024, which came on Sept. 11, ended after 1 1/3 innings for what appeared to be injury precautions.

Since being selected by the Cardinals with the 63rd overall pick in the 2020 draft, Hence has maintained a 3.28 ERA in 236 innings and struck out 303 batters across four minor league seasons.

The Cardinals acquired Roby at the 2023 trade deadline from the Texas Rangers in the Jordan Montgomery deal, which also brought back infield prospect Thomas Saggese, who debuted in the majors in September, and left-handed reliever John King.

A year after a shoulder injury kept Roby to 58 1/3 innings in the regular season while in the Rangers and Cardinals systems, a shoulder injury limited the right-hander to 38 1/3 innings in 2024.

Roby went 2-2 with a 6.75 ERA across seven Class AA starts before landing on the injured list in late May. He totaled 33 1/3 innings and struck out 25.3% of the batters he faced but surrendered 10 home runs in that stretch. Six of the 10 home runs he allowed came in his first three starts of the season.

He totaled five innings in three rehab appearances during August and September with Class Low-A Palm Beach before the minor league seasons wrapped.

Roby has logged 223 1/3 innings, 269 strikeouts and maintained a 4.76 ERA in 52 games (51 starts) since making his minor league debut in 2021.

Both Hence and Roby have yet to pitch above Class AA but have each shown the promise of top pitching prospects when healthy. The roster additions keep them protected and a call away from the majors as they continue their respective development.

Koperniak, a former undrafted free agent from NCAA Division III Trinity College in Connecticut, batted .309 with a .370 on-base percentage in 122 Class AAA games this past season. The 26-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder set career highs in batting average, home runs (20), doubles (28), slugging percentage (.512) and on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) with an .882 mark. Among qualified Class AAA hitters, Koperniak ranked sixth in batting average and 13th in OPS, per FanGraphs.

The offensive success earned Koperniak honors on the International League All-Star team as a designated hitter.

Across four minor league seasons since debuting in 2021, Koperniak has a .298/.373/.461 slash line. The 2024 season was his first full season in Class AAA after playing in 99 games at the level in 2023. Defensively, Koperniak has spent most of his time in left field, where he has a .992 fielding percentage for his minor league career.

The Cardinals acquired Svanson at the 2023 trade deadline from the Toronto Blue Jays in the Paul DeJong deal. During his first full season in the Cardinals system, the righty had a 2.69 ERA, stuck out 59 batters in 63 2/3, and successfully converted all 27 of his regular-season save attempts for a Springfield (Missouri) club that set a franchise record in wins with 79.

Following the end of the minor league season, Svanson continued to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, where he was one of eight Cardinals prospects to receive an invite.

While in the fall league, the 25-year-old had a 6.75 ERA in 10 2/3 innings of relief. Svanson鈥檚 arsenal, which is sinker-heavy and includes a sweeping slider and a cutter, aided him to strike out 15 of the 45 batters he faced. His command limited walks to just two.

A former 13th-round pick by the Blue Jays in 2021, Svanson has a 3.01 ERA in 133 minor league games. He鈥檚 notched 229 strikeouts in 215 innings. He鈥檚 yet to pitch above Class AA.

With the moves to protect Hence, Roby, Koperniak and Svanson, some notable Cardinals minor leaguers left unprotected from the Rule 5 draft include right-handers Andre Granillo and Ian Bedell.

Granillo, 24, had a 3.88 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 65 innings as a reliever between Class AA and Class AAA in 2024. In 21 games (19 starts), Bedell was 3-4 with a 4.85 ERA in time at Class AA and Class AAA last season. The Mizzou product struck out 110 batters and logged 107 2/3 despite missing more than a month due to injury.