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A 3rd major player honor for the #stlcards system as Thomas Saggese is Texas League MVP, joining Midwest League Pitcher of the Year Ian Bedell and Florida State League Pitcher of the Year Max Rajcic. Chandler Redmond and Pedro Pages are also TL All-Stars. https://t.co/uYiXwcxQjY pic.twitter.com/UuqR3tqzw9
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) September 26, 2023
I’m actually not that impressed with him. I also don’t see a full-time home for him in St. Louis either. He’d be a much better use of 140 plate appearances that Fermin/Motter/Querecuto have gotten, but I wouldn’t want him to get DeJong-level PAs.
His age is his best attribute as a prospect. If he can master AAA at age 22 next year, I think that would change my opinion, but I really wish he could handle SS.
I guess it just depends on who we have playing for us in 2024/2025 too. Right now, we have 4 guys locked in for the middle infield (5 if you count Arenado at 3B).
I dunno. Take a look at Donovan at Double-A. He was two years older, and while his numbers were very good (.860 OPS), Saggese’s were quite a bit better (.950), mostly due to a higher SLG. Donovan also can handle the bat but not SS and has turned out to be pretty valuable. Why couldn’t Saggese be similar? I do agree that 2024 at Memphis will be big for him…
The trade with the Rangers was Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton for Thomas Saggese, Tekoah Roby, and John King. So far, it looks like it was a fair trade for both sides.
Montgomery has turned out to be just what the Rangers needed to strengthen their rotation. Looking at Montgomery’s stats for Texas, it appears that he’s been pitching like a No.1 or No. 2 starter for them.
Roby at 22 years old and ranked as the Cardinals’ No. 5 prospect, and Saggese at 21 years old and ranked as the Cardinals’ No. 9 prospect, both could move up in the Cardinals’ ranking. (We’ll have to wait and see where TCN ranks them.) Reliever, John King, has been better than his stats predicted since being with the Cardinals. If Saggese and Roby meet future expectations, this could turn out to be one of Mozeliaks best trades.
Also note that Stratton has also been excellent for the Rangers. Both teams so far look to have gotten what they wanted in this trade. Time will tell if Roby and/or Saggese become good big leaguers.
Its too soon to know if Saggese’s glove will work as a top level infield UT at the ML level. His bat either for that matter. But if the stars align just right he could be positioned to make Donovan dispensable heading into 2025, or during that season. Donovan will be 28, I think, and making ARB money by then, running low on years of control. But who knows, Donnie could be an all star left fielder by then.
I don’t know much about Saggese’s defense. But, if was awarded MVP for the whole Texas league, you’ve got to think that his defense was pretty good.
But who knows, Donnie could be an all star left fielder by then.
I have been thinking the same thing. It is hard to play Donovan and Gorman at 2B at the same time, especially since they use the DH as a revolving door. Both Donovan and Edman could be full time OF’s next year.
I’d hate to see Edman go. But, you’ve got to give up something in order to make a trade, and we need pitching. Edman seems like a perfect fit for the Mariners.
Brian Walton
I dunno. Take a look at Donovan at Double-A. He was two years older, and while his numbers were very good (.860 OPS), Saggese’s were quite a bit better (.950), mostly due to a higher SLG. Donovan also can handle the bat but not SS and has turned out to be pretty valuable. Why couldn’t Saggese be similar? I do agree that 2024 at Memphis will be big for him…
The key will be if Saggese can maintain that SLG. Several of the prospect people say its due to his ability to obtimize his launch angle? I just haven’t heard of that being too repeatable as you move up.
Donovan came up with a really nice K:BB ratio too, double that of Saggese. That usually translates, like it did with Donovan. I wasn’t too high on Donovan though either so maybe I have a blind spot in what I look for in a prospect.
Edman’s not going anywhere. The Mariners aren’t giving up young cost controlled pitching for just him.
I was under the impression Donovan wasn’t going to be able to throw most of the season. Sounds like our DH if that’s the case.
I hadn’t heard that about Donovan. I was assuming he would be good to go full speed by spring training.
As for Edman, he is more valuable to the Cardinals than he would be to most other teams so I highly doubt they would trade him. We are trying to break in a rookie SS and we don’t have a lockdown CF. Edman can cover us in both areas.
Mo is going to have to trade at least one everyday lineup type player with track record. Its not likely to be Contreras, Arenado, Goldschmidt or Walker. That leaves Gorman, Winn, Nootbaar, Donovan and Edman. One or more of that group will be gone.
Agee. except Winn is not getting traded, and Nootbaar is, in my opinion, not getting traded, and Donovan is on the DL. So that leaves Edman and Gorman, and the Mariners are looking for help in the outfield, particularly CF. It looks like, either Edman or Nootbaar will go to Seattle, or nothing happens between the Mariners and the Cardinals.
Trading any one of those nine is problematic, because then we ony have eight proven everyay lineup regulars and we need nine. Depending upon which might be traded, some of the others can be shifted around, but there is still ony eight. There isn’t a good candidate to join that group as an everyday player. There will already be uncertainty with Winn’s bat and Walker’s glove. The added uncertainty of an unproven guy needing to pan out would not be welcome.
Alternatively, Mo might fill out the rotation as best he can with less than huge contract FAs and trade for what he can get with lesser trade goods, meaning anything besides the nine listed above. He should be able to improve the rotation and pen within that framework, but obviously not as much. He wouldn’t have to fill a hole in the starting nine. There is something to be said for that.
858, do you recall where you read that about Donovan? That is not my understanding.
For reference, the P-D wrote this:
“Donovan is expected to be a full go by spring training.”
Here is the article.
It is going to hurt to trade for a pitcher of value. Spare parts won’t do it.
However, I agree with those who feel Winn will not be traded. One month isn’t enough evaluation time for a prospect of his pedigree.
It would also be very risky to trade Edman, for the reasons gscottar mentioned.
I would be surprised if they trade Winn or Gorman since they have great potential and not too extensive of a look yet. Mo will still be gunshy about that I think. I agree with others that it would be hard to go without Edman as he is instant first line depth everywhere. But then, Donovan may be needed as a starting outfielder, unless Mo is going to go get a starting outfielder. There are good reasons not to trade all nine. Different people like some reasons better than other reasons. That is why I do not dismiss the possibility of trading a bronze bust. We don’t know which reasons Mo likes best or what kind of trade proposals he may encounter. Its going to be interesting.
I agree, bling. I would just add that of the four you mention, replacing a corner outfielder would be the easiest to accomplish by a considerable margin. And this assumes two of the ones they already have (O’Neill and Carlson) will be gone. Otherwise Donovan would not even have a clear starting job.
There’s always going to be an Adam Duvall type out there for the outfield that can give you 300 PAs at average production. Finding an average starter for 120 innings is much more difficult or expensive.
Saggese does give us an expendable piece in Edman for trading purposes (utility). I think he’s going to go to Miami in the end. He’s way more valuable as a starting SS than as a utility man or full-time CFer. Nootbaar can be the CFer full-time anyway. That’s where he’s most valuable.
It’s the injuries that we can’t predict and that can destroy a season.
The best laid plans of mice and men….
Outside of pitchers, do we think there are more, about the same, or less games missed due to injury than say 30-40 years ago?
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