The Paths of Griffin Roberts and Alex Reyes Meet Again

photo: Griffin Roberts (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

A major milestone was passed Tuesday evening in Palm Beach’s home loss to Daytona. In the Florida State League’s team’s 50th game of 2019, the 31-19 Beach Birds lost by a 5-2 score in a contest started by former St. Louis Cardinals top pitching prospect Alex Reyes.

Alex Reyes (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

It is quite the coincidence that Reyes, who had been the highest profile Cardinals farmhand suspended for marijuana use (in November 2015), was the starter in the final game of fellow right-hander Griffin Roberts’ comparable suspension, handed down three years later.

Having been on the roster of the Cardinals high-A affiliate at the time of his second failed test, Roberts was required to sit out the club’s first 50 games of the 2019 regular season, a penalty that is now officially complete.

In a further connection, a report has Roberts stepping into the Palm Beach rotation on Sunday – the very spot that Reyes himself had taken the last two times through.


Griffin Roberts (Joe Freiday Sr.)

The background

Roberts was selected by St. Louis with the 43rd overall selection last June as a junior from Wake Forest and received an at-slot signing bonus of $1,664,200. The pick was in Competitive Balance Round A, the Cardinals’ second selection, after first-rounder Nolan Gorman.

Expected to be a fast riser with a potential ultimate role as a late-inning reliever with a plus slider, the 22-year old was eased into action last summer, throwing just 9 2/3 innings after signing. Roberts is currently ranked 13th on The Cardinal Nation top prospect list.


The suspension

As noted, it was a second violation by Roberts. Under the Minor League program, first-time drug-of-abuse offenders are given help and only suspended if a subsequent test is also positive.

Baseball’s inconsistency in its drug stance is a point of contention for many, as marijuana is not tested for at the Major League level. Still, the rules are the rules and are emphasized with every player.

The key issue, an even more pressing matter in the area of player salaries, is that minor leaguers have no collective bargaining leverage with ownership.


Is Roberts ready?

One positive is that Roberts was allowed to pitch in extended spring training (EST) to ramp up his workload for when his suspension was complete. While he has been temporarily moved to EST (State College roster) in a paperwork move, he was already there. On Sunday, he may physically re-join nearby Palm Beach to start (per a report from Rob Rains).

I watched Roberts pitch in EST two weeks ago and he dominated the competition, albeit hitters who were younger and less experienced.

Griffin Roberts (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

On May 14, Roberts went 5 2/3 scoreless innings on 76 pitches against the Mets’ EST team. He allowed just one hit, walked two and fanned nine. His fastball was in the 89-92 mph range and his dominating slider, at 80-81, was almost unhittable.

In other words, Roberts should be ready for Florida State League hitters.

We will have to see what roster moves are made, but it would not be surprising for Roberts to take Reyes’ spot on the Beach Birds’ 25-man roster as well as in the rotation come Sunday, as the latter moves up in the system.

Until being cleared to hit while coming back from a self-induced broken finger, Reyes will have to be deployed where Cardinals affiliates are allowed to use the designated hitter. It is worth noting that Memphis is currently one player short of its 25-man limit and Sunday’s starting pitcher is listed as “TBA”.


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