# Cardinals Send 7 Players to Minors

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/cardinals-send-7-players-to-minors/
- Published: 2026-03-16T10:15:00-05:00
- Author: Eugene Tierney

### **_CARDINALS SEND SEVEN PLAYERS TO MINORS_**

#### **_36 PLAYERS REMAIN ON MAJOR LEAGUE SPRING ROSTER_**

[⌊Cardinals News Header⌉⌊Cardinals News Header⌉[

**JUPITER, Fla., March 15, 2026 **– The [St. Louis Cardinals](https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/)
announced today that the team has reduced its Spring Training roster to 36 players,
with seven players moving to minor league camp.

The team optioned pitcher **_[Ryan Fernandez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fernary01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)_**
to the Memphis (AAA) roster and re-assigned non-roster pitchers **_[Luis Gastelum](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gastel000lui&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br),
[Gerson Moreno](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=moreno002ger&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)_**
and**_ [Packy Naughton](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/naughpa01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)_**,
infielders**_ [Blaze Jordan](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=jordan000bla&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)_**
and**_ [Jeremy Rivas](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=rivas-000jer&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)_**
and outfielder **_[Matt Koperniak](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=kopern000mat&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)_**
to minor league camp.

The Cardinals currently have 29 major league roster players and seven non-roster
invitees in Major League camp.

**— STL —**

---

Again, no real surprises in the demotions.

Fernandez is a big time disappointment; he started off so strong in 2024, but just
hasn’t recaptured that initial magic. Like a lot of relievers, his shelf life was
pretty short and the Cardinals might be moving on if he doesn’t take a step back
forward this year. Just look at Naughton.

[⌊Blaze Jordan⌉⌊Blaze Jordan⌉[

Blaze Jordan

Jordan has been fun to watch. That power is real; we just need to know if it’s going
to translate to the Major League level. I never expected him to still be around 
at this point of camp, but he really doesn’t have a roster spot with [Ivan Herrera](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=herrer004iva&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)
getting DH at bats and [Alec Burleson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/burleal01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)
at first. He might end up as the Luken Baker-type that could be a decent MLB player
if he’s gets the reps he needs.

Koperniak looked like a sure thing for an MLB spot 2 years ago when he was tearing
up the minors; it just hasn’t translated to the upper level yet. His time with the
organization might be done this years.

**Prospects still in camp (2):** [JJ Wetherholt](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=wether000jj-&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
NRI – #1), [Nathan Church](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/churcna01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(#
26)

**Prospects sent down (14): **[Jurrangelo Cijntje](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cijntj000jur&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
NRI – #4), [Joshua Baez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=baez--007jos&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)(#
5), [Quinn Mathews](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mathew000qui&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-11_br)(
NRI – #6), [Jimmy Crooks](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/crookji01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-11_br)(#
7), [Leonardo Bernal](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=bernal000leo&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-11_br)(#
9), [Tink Hence](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hence-000mar&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-11_br)(#
10), [Ixan Henderson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hender000ixa&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
NRI – #17), Jordan (NRI – #24), [Hancel Rincon](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=rincon000han&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
NRI – #28), Gastelum (NRI – #29), [Chase Davis](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=davis-038cha,davis-031cha,davis-036cha&search=Chase+Davis&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)(
NRI – #30), [Pete Hansen](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hansen003pet&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
NRI – #33), [Max Rajcic](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=rajcic000max&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)(
NRI – #44), Koperniak (NRI – #50).

**Non-Roster Invitees still in camp (7):** [Scott Blewett](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blewesc01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
RHP), [Carlos Linarez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=linare003car&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
C), [Ramon Mendoza](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mendoz006ram&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
IF), [Brody Moore](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=moore-002bro,moore-000bro&search=Brody+Moore&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
IF), [Nelson Velazquez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/velazne01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
OF), Wetherholt (IF), [Andy Yerzy](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=yerzy-000and&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
C).

**Non-Roster Invitees sent down (21):** [Mike Antico](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=antico000mik&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
OF), Cijntje (RHP), Davis (OF), Gastelum (RHP), [Skylar Hales](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hales-000sky&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-11_br)(
RHP), Hansen (LHP), Henderson (LHP), Jordan (IF), Koperniak (OF), [Austin Love](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=love--000aus&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
RHP), Mathews (RHP), Moreno (RHP), Naughton (LHP), Rajcic (RHP), Rincon (RHP), Rivas(
IF), [Sem Robberse](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=robber000sem&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
RHP), [Jared Shuster](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/shustja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
LHP), [Graysen Tarlow](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=tarlow000gra&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
C), [Zack Thompson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=thomps018zac,thomps022zac,thompza02&search=Zack+Thompson&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(
LHP), [Bruce Zimmermann](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zimmebr02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)(
LHP).

**Nyrdcast Prospect Rankings:**
[1-5](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-1-5/)
| [6-10](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-6-10/)
| [11-15](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-11-15/)
| [16-20](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-16-20/)
| [21-25](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-21-25/)
| [26-50](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-26-50/)
| [Tracker](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-cardinals-prospects-the-tracker/)

**Spring Transactions:**
[March 10](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/03/cardinals-re-assign-3-to-minors/)
| [March 7, 9](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/03/cardinals-announce-more-roster-moves/)
| [March 2](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/03/cardinals-trim-11-players-from-spring-roster/)

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