Tekoah

Roby

The first batch of cuts from Cardinals camp includes one of the more unique talents in Cijnte, a switch-pitching prospect acquired from the Mariners in the Brendan Donovan trade over the offseason. The 22-year-old ambidextrous phenom is significantly better from the right side where his fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 90’s with a plus sider. The fact that he can still operate from the left side is a nice wrinkle to have at his disposal but he’s probably going to wind up pitching exclusively from the right side at the highest level.

The Cardinals still haven’t said anything about this, but multiple sources confirmed the news to Woo. Roby, 23, missed considerable time in both 2023 and ’24, but he was pitching well this season, having gone 7-4 with a 3.10 ERA and an 87/19 K/BB in 78 1/3 innings between Double- and Triple-A. It’s possible he’d have made his major league debut down the stretch if not for the major setback.

Roby was added to the Cardinals’ 40-man roster last November after struggling last season in 10 starts between High-A Palm Beach and Double-A Springfield. The 23-year-old righty pitched well in camp this spring and will look to build off that performance in the upper minors.

Roby has struggled to stay healthy and was ineffective while on the mound last season, but there’s still a whole lot of upside here, as he showed while sitting 96-98 mph with his heater today. A strong spring would help his chances of opening up in Triple-A, rather than back at Double-A.

Hence is arguably the highest profile prospect, especially from a fantasy persepctive, that needed to be added to a 40-man roster ahead of Tuesday’s reserve list deadline to protect him from next month’s Rule 5 Draft. the dynamic 22-year-old righty made significant strides last year in the upper minors, flashing some of the best stuff of any prospect in baseball, posting a stellar 2.71 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 109/26 K/BB ratio across 79 2/3 innings (20 starts) for Double-A Memphis. He’ll open next season on the doorstep of the majors and figures to force his way to St. Louis at some point.

No real surprises here among the latest batch of cuts from Cardinals camp, with Roby representing the highest profile name. The 22-year-old righty has more diverse opinions from scouts and evaluations than most prospects, but there’s no denying that he’s likely to reach the majors at some point during the 2024 campaign.

Roby is ready to debut after suffering a back injury in late February. The 22-year-old was one of the prospects sent to St. Louis in the Jordan Montgomery trade last summer. After the trade, he posted a 3.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 19/3 K/BB ratio across 12 innings at Double-A Springfield. He will likely begin the minor league system at Double-A but could make his major league debut sometime this summer.

He could make his Grapefruit League debut later this week, and the team doesn’t seem overly concerned. The right-hander was traded to the Cardinals as part of the Jordan Montgomery trade. After coming to the Cardinals organization, he posted a 3.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 19/3 K/BB ratio across 12 innings at Double-A Springfield. While it is unlikely that the 22-year-old will break camp with the big league club, he could pitch significant innings this summer for the Cardinals.

Roby did allow two earned runs on three hits with a walk, which continued his up-and-down AFL stint. He was dominant in his first outing then couldn’t get out of the first inning last week, so Tuesday’s outing was a step in the right direction. Roby was injured for a large part of 2023 and then was traded to the Cardinals at the deadline as part of the Jordan Montgomery trade. In four starts with St. Louis’ Double-A affiliate, he posted a 3.00 ERA with a 43.2 percent strikeout rate, and a four-pitch arsenal highlighted by a plus fastball and curveball. The 22-year-old is unlikely to break camp with the Cardinals but could be a name to watch by the summer.

The 21-year-old pitching prospect was the Rangers’ third-round pick from the 2020 draft class. He has struggled in his first taste of action at Double-A Frisco this season — compiling a 5.05 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 50/21 K/BB ratio across 46 1/3 innings in his 10 starts. He’s an intriguing arm and a solid depth addition for the Cardinals.