The Cardinal will choose Jose BarreroReporter Francys Romero said the contract was ahead of Monday's match with the Reds. Infielder Thomas Saggese Triple-A will be selected in the corresponding 26-man lineup, and the card will require another deal to open up space for Barrero in the 40-man lineup.
Although Sages hit .341/.364/.512 in 44 sets this season, Major League Baseball's John Denton wrote that the Cardinal would rather have Saggese take Triple-A's daily action in Triple-A's daily action than more sporadic playtime in a crowded roster. Injuried Nolan Gorman and Masyn Winn Saggese was called to open the door in early April, and although both players have now re-actioned, Saggese's role will be lowered if he stays in St. Louis.
The situation shows that Barrero will just have the depth of the card, and his option status means that if St. Louis needs to hold the lineup again, he may face a relatively quick journey to save. Still, the choice of contract has brought Barrero to his first major league appearance since the 2023 season. In the upcoming series, Barrero may even have a chance to face his old team as Barrero spent his entire career with the Reds before he was exempted from the Rangers in March 2024.
Barrero was a highly respected prospect during his farm system in Cincinnati, reaching only .186/.242/.255 in his 447 career in the 2020-23 Grand Slams. Between this lack of production and the rise of several other red infield prospects, Barrero found himself a strange man. Last year, arriving at Texas did not result in any major league game time as there were only 188 three-set cricket appearances, with Barrero getting injured and reaching .188/.277/.346.
Barrero chose to be a minor league free agent after the season and quickly signed a minor contract with St. Louis. The scenery changes have worked so far as Barrero's bats are alive, drawing a .301/.396/.530 slash on the 96 PA in Memphis Triple-A. Barrero has spent most of his career as a shortstop, but he has extensive experience as a second baseman and midfielder, with a few games at third baseman and in the right field.
