STL Cardinals: 2 prospects to promote and 1 to send down

The Cardinals could demote Zach Thompson

Zach Thompson won’t be demoted as a punishment. He will be demoted to get stretched out to become a starting option for the Cardinals. The lefty pitcher is currently 1-0 for the Cardinals after eight games at 9.1 innings pitched in relief. He has 14 strikeouts and a zero ERA.

Not bad!

Thompson is well-liked by manager Oli Marmol and is trusted in the role he’s developed for himself but it is easy to see Marmol and pitching coach Dusty Blake might want to work with him to have a more significant role with the pitching staff, specifically as a starter. With a nice mix of using a fastball and curveball, Thompson has a Called Strike plus Whiff Rate of 34%. This would make him a good spot starter or serve as a starting point to develop him as a starter in Memphis.

Thompson is one of the better arms on the Cardinals staff, and the team should continue to develop and better use him.