The St. Louis Cardinals made a pair of roster moves on Sunday that had nothing to do with the major league club facing the Chicago Cubs, but they did change the look of the organization’s lower levels.
Right-handed pitcher Ryan Rodríguez and first baseman Christian Sáez were both given their unconditional release, while right-handed pitcher Jefferson Moran was moved from the Florida Complex League to Class-A Palm Beach, the Cardinals announced on X.
"RHP Jefferson Moran has been transferred from the FCL to Palm Beach (A)," the Cardinals announced. "RHP Ryan Rodríguez and 1B Christian Sáez (DSL) have been given their unconditional release."
Rodríguez, who is 18, had only pitched in 17 professional games before Sunday’s move. He debuted in 2025 in the Dominican Summer League and spent that season in 14 bullpen appearances, posting a 14.09 ERA with a 13-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 15 1/3 innings. The command issues didn’t improve in 2026, when he appeared in three games, allowed nine runs in 1 2/3 innings and walked five batters without striking out anyone.
The Cardinals signed Rodríguez as a free agent in 2024.
Sáez’s path was also limited to the Dominican Summer League. He made his professional debut there in 2024 at 17 years old and played in 36 games, hitting .177/.317/.261 with one home run, 10 RBIs, five doubles and one triple. Now 19, he spent 72 total games in the Dominican Summer League across the last three seasons and leaves the organization with a .184/.324/.272 line, a .596 OPS, three home runs and 24 RBIs.
Neither move affects the Cardinals at the major league level. Both players were still early in their pro careers and far from St. Louis, even if their time in the organization is now over.
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