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I think Peirera is out of options, at least according to Fangraphs. I guess we will find out today if he ends up in Memphis!
Pereira is an unusual claim. Looks like a former prospect. He’s still young, but he has no options. How much playing time will he get?
Yeah. Brian said that in today’s article. I wasn’t certain. He’s been called up this season but I wasn’t sure if he had been optioned as well.
There are a bunch of draftees with Palm Beach. Also players promoted to Peoria. Weingartner, and Smith among others.
They haven’t made an announcement on Pereira, but my assumption is that when he reports, he will take Nootbaar’s outfield spot on the StL roster with Prieto returning to Memphis.
There have been about 70 transactions this week. I have laid them all out in three separate articles, the most recent covering yesterday’s 20 moves. The Roster Matrix and our team rosters are also up to date.
OF Tristan Bissetta has been transferred from the FCL to Peoria (A+).
OF Luis Pino has been transferred from Peoria to the FCL Cardinals.
OF Matthew Miura (A) has been activated from the 7-day IL.
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) August 7, 2026
Cardinals will be removing Nelson Velázquez from the active roster tomorrow to open an active spot for Everson Pereira. He is out of options, so that will require a DFA or release.
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) August 8, 2026
The Cardinals handling of Velasquez has been a bit odd this year. It’s true that he is hitting .216 so a DFA or release isn’t shocking but the path to get there has been curious to me.
He was arguably the most impressive player in spring training but surprisingly didn’t make the team which seemed to set him back mentally. He finally regrouped in Memphis and started slugging before getting the call up. I think he has some value because of his power but his inability to play the field limits his options since we already have a guy in Herrera who is a DH five or six times a week.
What is strange to me is that the Cardinals surely knew when they signed Velázquez that he was a platoon DH bat out of options but are now getting rid of him because he is demonstrating he is a platoon DH bat out of options.
With Baez probably coming up in a couple of weeks this would have happened anyway but I hope Velasquez finds a spot with someone. He deserves it.
I am not disagreeing, but I see it a bit differently.
gscottar said:
He was arguably the most impressive player in spring training but surprisingly didn’t make the team which seemed to set him back mentally.
I think we know that he is the guy since spring training much more than the one who spiked in March.
What is strange to me is that the Cardinals surely knew when they signed Velázquez that he was a platoon DH bat out of options but are now getting rid of him because he is demonstrating he is a platoon DH bat out of options.
I don’t see it being much different than the disposable pitchers that came on and then off the 40-man during the season, intended to fill short term needs. Nelson gave them more than average – 83 MLB PAs and another 163 for Memphis.
If the Cards can shore up what has been a dismal bench, I’m all for them trying it.
This may sound callous, but I hope Nelson declares FA so the young OFs at Memphis don’t lose ABs to a journeyman.
I think they signed him just as backup roster filler in case certain guys got hurt. He surprised them in Spring Training because they never planned for him to make the roster. When he did terrible his first month of Spring Training, they went back to believing he was roster filler again. Then he started hitting better and the team had a big need for a right handed bat so he got brought up and mostly has been who they thought he was. I’m not sure if Pereira will be any better but he fits better with his ability to defend: outfield positions.
I have no complaint about what Velasquez has done, but I never thought signing him made any sense. For a rebuilding team, having a depth RH DH/PH stashed at AAA seemed pointless. On the ML roster was pretty pointless too. A defense capable depth OF journeyman would have made some level of sense since we knew we were thin. I get that they may want a depth OF they can sit on the end of the bench and not sacrifice his development, but they need a defense capable one. Maybe the new guy is a better choice.
Like I said I don’t think letting him go is going to make much of a difference in how far we go this year but I think he is capable of doing some things with the right team. As jnevel said I don’t think the team expected much out of him and was very surprised at spring training.
One word of caution though is that if we are going to be a team trying to win on a low to moderate payroll then every decision matters no matter how trivial they may seem.
During tonight’s game against the Rockies, the Cardinals broke away from the broadcast to show Tanner Franklin throw a few pitches while pitching for Springfield. Every pitch he threw looked like it could be on a highlight reel.
I dont really understand the velazquez, pereira thing. To me i dont see a pennies worth of difference between them. Same position so they arent gaining nor losing anything. Maybe there is more to pereira than first glance but i doubt it.
Known vs. unknown. Pereira will get a shot with a very low bar set to exceed. Nelson finished on a 2-for-22 (.091) stretch with 12 strikeouts. Pretty much an automatic out.
The magic number for Baez may be coming soon. The Cards have played 115 games, so there are 47 left. Baez may be called up in the next week or so. Or I guess they might want Baez for Memphis’ playoffs.
I wonder why Bissette wasn’t drafted. He has power, and plays right field. He might be a good addition.
KCB said:
Pereira caught a ball last night Vasquez doesn’t get close too.
Make it two games in a row.
What a way to end it!
Everson Pereira lays out to secure the W!@HoffmannBros x #STLCards pic.twitter.com/sStxeuzk2t
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 9, 2026
The point still stands that Velazquez does not get to that ball, but I don’t think the dove was necessary. Seems like he had it without a dive and just a little lean. Still a good play though
Velasquez wouldn’t have gotten to that ball but it also should be mentioned that he wouldn’t have been in LF at the time anyway. He would have either been DH or would have been subbed out for a late inning defenesive replacement.
I know I keep griping about Velasquez but I just don’t like how they handled it. We all know that established veterans don’t really have to perform well in spring training to make the team. They are just there to get some reps and tinker with new approaches or whatever, however, for non-established players spring training is their time to prove whether they should be given a shot on the team or not. Velasquez did everything possible to make the team but didn’t get the nod then nosedived in Memphis until getting over the surprise.
Most likely he would ran out of steam eventually even if he had started in STL but that isn’t the point. If you tell a guy that this is your chance to make the team but you don’t really mean it then why say it? Maybe they should have said “hey we are going to sign you to a minor league deal and send you to AAA no matter what and maybe we will call you up if we get hit with injuries and are desperate.”
I get your concern, gscottar, but we don’t know what the Cardinals said to him, other than “You have a spring training camp invitation.” I highly doubt any promises were expressed or even implied to a 27-year-old minor league contract signee.
We also have no idea if disappointment over not making the team caused his poor play at Memphis to open the season. Just as likely, it could have been his fortune balancing out.
P.S. JJ Wetherholt made the team using the 40-man spot that Velazquez was competing for. I’d say that worked out well.
Here is the history of it, from MLB TR.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/03/jj-wetherholt-to-make-cardinals-opening-day-roster.html
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