The Cardinals have taken a shot on another out-of-options bat, claiming outfielder Everson Pereira off waivers from the White Sox.
Chicago designated Pereira for assignment on deadline day after acquiring Joey Bart from Atlanta, and St. Louis had the room to make the move without clearing a 40-man spot. The catch is simple: Pereira is out of options, so once he reports, he’ll need an active-roster spot.
Pereira, 25, originally signed with the Yankees out of Venezuela and built a prospect case on loud tools and loud power. The downside came just as quickly. Even with Baseball America placing him among the top 100 prospects in both 2023 and 2024, the swing-and-miss has been the story so far in the majors.
In 264 big league plate appearances, Pereira has struck out 37.1% of the time and owns a .172/.246/.290 line. The minor league track record is much more encouraging.
Over 738 Triple-A plate appearances, he’s launched 43 homers while posting a .269/.360/.520 slash line and a 126 wRC+. His 29.5% strikeout rate at that level is still elevated, but it’s far less alarming than what he’s done in the majors.
Teams have kept betting on the upside despite the rough major league numbers. Pereira was in his final option season in 2025, which put him on the clock with the Yankees.
At the deadline that year, New York sent him to the Rays in the José Caballero deal. After the season, Tampa Bay flipped Pereira and Tanner Murray to the White Sox for Steven Wilson and Yoendrys Gómez.
Chicago looked like a place where Pereira might finally get a real runway, especially for a rebuilding club that could afford patience. Instead, the injuries kept piling up.
He went on the injured list in early April with a left ankle sprain, returned quickly, then landed back on the IL in late April with a pectoral strain. He came back in June, only to go back on the shelf because of a concussion.
In all, he appeared in just 27 games, and as the White Sox pushed into contention, the margin for development shrank.
St. Louis, meanwhile, sits four games out of a playoff spot but has also made clear it’s looking ahead.
The club created an opening in the outfield by trading Lars Nootbaar to the Diamondbacks. That leaves Jordan Walker, Nathan Church, Bryan Torres and Nelson Velázquez in the mix, with José Fermín helping out occasionally.
César Prieto was just recalled after the Nootbaar deal, so a move there still seems possible, and Walker has missed the last two games with knee inflammation, which could send him to the IL.
For now, the Cardinals are taking a flier on the upside. Pereira could wind up in DFA limbo again quickly if the roster squeeze tightens.
But if the bat ever starts matching the minor league résumé, St. Louis would have control of him for five seasons after this year.
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