Cardinals Option Báez to Memphis After He Homers in Final Spring Game

Joshua Báez pulled a seventh-inning slider from Baltimore Orioles right-hander Nestor German 416 feet to left field at an exit velocity of 109.4 mph, completing a three-game Grapefruit League home run streak. Hours later, the Cardinals optioned him to Triple-A Memphis.

The timing carried an unmistakable irony. Báez had homered on Friday and Saturday before returning from a day off to deliver his most authoritative swing of the spring against German. He finished Monday's game 1-for-3 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs scored. Across 10 spring games, he went 7-for-21 with three home runs, five RBIs, a stolen base and 16 total bases, producing a 1.179 OPS. He was one of four Cardinals players on the 40-man roster optioned to Triple-A Memphis after the game.

The move was expected. Báez, a Boston native and right fielder, had never played a game in Triple-A before this assignment, making an opening-day roster spot unrealistic regardless of his spring numbers. He excelled in 79 games at Double-A last season, and the Cardinals added him to their 40-man roster in November. That combination of experience and organizational investment frames the Memphis assignment as a development step rather than a setback.

The spring nonetheless confirmed a rapid rise. Entering 2025, Báez was unranked on MLB Pipeline's St. Louis organizational top-prospect list. He now sits at No. 4. Baseball America noted that as a 40-man roster member, Báez will have a path to his MLB debut this season if he produces in the International League.

The Cardinals' outfield situation on the major-league roster will also factor into his timeline. If a starter struggles, Báez, who heads to Memphis under Chaim Bloom's development process, figures to be among the first names St. Louis considers for a call-up.