The Cardinals are sending another eight prospects to the Arizona Fall League, and this year’s group includes some of the most closely watched names in the system.
St. Louis has once again filled out a strong farm while Springfield pushes toward another Double-A championship, but with the big league club out of the playoff race, the organization is shifting into the part of the calendar where development takes center stage.
Most players will head into the offseason to rest up. A handful, though, will get one more chance to sharpen their games in the desert.
The Cardinals’ prospects will play for the Peoria Javelinas during the six-week AFL season, which runs from Oct. 3-Nov.
- Last offseason, St.
Louis sent eight players to the league as well, and those prospects suited up for the Glendale Desert Dogs. This time, the names are just as notable.
Among the headliners are left-hander Brandon Clarke, right-hander Tekoah Roby and outfielder Tai Peete. Clarke, ranked No. 9 in the system, is using the assignment to keep building after shoulder surgery delayed the start of his season.
Once he got back to full strength, the fastball that helped make him such an appealing trade target at the 2025 deadline came roaring back, with the southpaw showing 100+ mph velocity. Acquired in the Sonny Gray deal, Clarke has logged just 29.2 innings but has piled up 44 strikeouts.
The Cardinals want him healthy, want him refining the rest of his arsenal, and then they’ll shut him down for the year.
Roby, ranked No. 14, is also on a rehab path. He hasn’t pitched since Tommy John surgery last year, but he has moved closer to live action and his AFL assignment suggests he should be ready to take a game mound for the first time since 2025. The organization has been waiting on his return for a couple years, and now he’s set for another step forward.
Peete, ranked No. 17, brings the most pop to the group. Another Chaim Bloom trade pickup, he spent the season stacking up highlights, including two cycles and a few homer celebrations that made the rounds.
After some early-season struggles, he settled in and finished with a .296 average, 13 home runs, 56 RBI and 16 stolen bases. He also missed time because of minor injuries, and the AFL will give him a chance to keep rolling against some lively arms from around the league.
In 2025, the only Cardinals prospect who reached Triple-A after playing in the AFL was catcher Graysen Tarlow, who appeared in 10 games for Memphis after a late-August promotion. This year’s group should offer more familiar names and more attention as the fall league gets underway.
In Other News...
Willson Contreras Had Another Dugout Blowup And Cardinals Fans Know The Look
Willson Contreras is back on a rehab assignment with the Boston Red Soxs Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, but the scene that followed one at-bat looked awfully familiar to anyone who has watched him closely over the years. After appearing frustrated when he was not allowed additional pine tar, Contreras struck out and tossed his bat back onto the field, a small flare-up that immediately drew attention for the way it seemed to carry more baggage than a routine minor league moment.
When asked about it afterward, Contreras sent questions to the umpire named Gary, which only added to the sense that there was some prior friction under the surface. The full context of the exchange was not clear, but the reaction was enough to remind Cardinals fans of the look they have seen before from one of the games most intense personalities, especially when an at-bat starts to slip away from him. [Read more 🡒]
JJ Wetherholt Faces A Crucial Test In Cardinals Return Push
JJ Wetherholt is set for a key checkpoint in his recovery Tuesday, when the Cardinals rookie is expected to go through a pregame workout as he works back from right wrist tendinitis. St. Louis has been aiming to get him back during the current home stand, and the next step in that plan now hinges on how he handles the session.
Manager Oliver Marmol made it clear the workout will help determine what comes next, with a possible activation as soon as Wednesday or Thursday if all goes well. For a Cardinals club trying to keep its roster moving through a home stretch, Wetherholts return would be a welcome boost, but first he has to show the wrist is ready for the demands of game action. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Prospect Rainiel Rodrguez Is Making A Promotion Decision Harder
Rainiel Rodrguez has spent the season making every level look a little too manageable, which is exactly why the Cardinals have a decision to make as the year winds down. The 19-year-old catcher and first baseman has moved through High-A and Double-A for 115 games, putting together a .324/.413/.574 line with 27 home runs and 87 RBIs while continuing to separate himself as one of the organizations most intriguing young bats.
Rodrguezs power has already put him in rare company, becoming the fourth teenager since 2005 to reach 23 or more homers at Double-A or above, alongside Delmon Young, Bryce Harper and Juan Soto. Ranked No. 17 overall by MLB.com, he has forced the issue enough that a late trip to Triple-A is at least being discussed, even if the club has not tipped its hand on whether it plans to push him again before the season ends. [Read more 🡒]