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The St Louis Cardinals were off to a strong start to the season before a weekend series against the New York Mets. They were swept out of Queens and went tumbling down the NL Central standings. The Cardinals are getting Masyn Winn back just in time, but are not sending down Thomas Saggese, who was playing shortstop in his absence. MLB.com's John Denton explains why.
“The Cardinals decided to keep reserve shortstop Thomas Saggese on the active roster because of how he’s handled the bat with Winn out and his defensive versatility. Saggese, 23, has hit in all nine of his starts this season. On the season, he’s 14-for-35 with four doubles, one homer, and seven RBIs,” Denton wrote.
Winn started the season slowly, going hitless in his first five games and 20 at-bats. He got back to his normal level, going on a six-game hitting streak. Then, back spasms landed him on the injured list. Saggesse had just a .204 batting average in 18 games last season. His performance in 12 games this year has been spectacular.
The Cardinals sent down 26-year-old Michael Siani when Winn was brought up to the majors. Siani has a career .222 batting average and was a full-time player for the first time last year. He was a solid defensive centerfielder last year, not making a single error, but his defensive runs saved dipped into the negative this year.
Saggese has played second base and third base since joining the Cardinals. His versatility will help the team, especially after the trade deadline. They are expected to sell off pieces with a rebuild well underway. They let Paul Goldschmidt walk and were trying to deal Nolan Arenado before the season. If they do trade Arenado, Saggese could be the everyday third baseman down the stretch. His offense has been enough to earn that chance.
