5 St. Louis Cardinals who don’t deserve to make the 40-man roster
By Tim Boyle
Why Guillermo Zuniga doesn’t deserve a spot on the Cardinals 40-man roster
Another pitcher the Cardinals have brought from outside the organization is Guillermo Zuniga. Although much younger than Naile at only 24, the team will be reaching to believe he’s going to be someone who can contribute at the major league level.
Zuniga pitched last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Double-A team. It’s exactly where he spent the year prior. As a reliever for Tulsa in 2022, Zuniga was 4-4 with a 4.77 ERA in 52.4 innings of work.
Like too many young pitchers, he can strike batters out but he issues a ton of walks along the way. From his debut professional season in 2016 up through the end of 2022, Zuniga has averaged 4 walks per 9 and 10.3 strikeouts per 9. It’s not atrocious. It’s also not good enough.
Zuniga is a project for the minor league Cardinals’ staff to take a look at. It’s a fine addition by the Cardinals. However, his presence on the 40-man roster is unnecessary. The likeliest time they would turn to him for some innings of relief would be when everyone else is hurt. There is potential in this kid, but the Cardinals have better options. The 2023 season should be about seeing what he can do. This doesn’t require him to be on the 40-man roster. Let’s see if he can earn it.
Next. Cardinals could be a surprise destination for Shohei Ohtani. dark