5 STL Cardinals Spring Training invitees who won’t make MLB roster

The STL Cardinals have many prospects in camp this spring. It will be fun to see what they are capable of, but fans shouldn’t count on seeing them with the Cardinals this summer.

The Cardinals have a non-roster invitee list for Spring Training loaded with catchers and pitchers. The Cardinals want to get the right mix for who will back up new catcher Willson Contreras. They also want to add to the bullpen.

The list shows what tremendous work the Cards have done to bolster their farm system. With so many Cardinals heading to play in the World Baseball Classic, the team will see more work than usual from these players.

STL Cardinals: Catcher Aaron Antonini will not make the Cards’ 40-man roster

Antonini is a 24-year-old catcher from Venezuela. Last season he split time between Peoria and Springfield in the minor league system. He was the Cardinals’ 18th-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the 545th overall selection. He played college baseball at Middle Tennessee State.

In 21 games for Springfield, Antonini hit .188/.297/.266, and .563 OPS. He had two doubles, a homer, and seven RBI.

Antonini is young and has much to work on at the plate. But behind the plate, he has loads of potential, as you can see him channeling Cardinal great Yadier Molina here:

Antonini is an exciting young player we can hope to watch in years to come. For now, he has a lot of work to do to get better at the plate. As long as he keeps working on his skills behind the plate, we could see more of him in the future.