The Cardinals made a quiet but intriguing move this week, claiming infielder Bryan Ramos off waivers from the Orioles. There hadn’t been any public indication that Baltimore had designated Ramos for assignment, but it looks like they tried to slip him through waivers unnoticed.
St. Louis, with an open spot on their 40-man roster following the recent Brendan Donovan trade to Seattle, didn’t hesitate to pounce.
Ramos, once a promising prospect in the White Sox system, has had a whirlwind few weeks. After being DFA’d by Chicago, he was dealt to the Orioles for cash-a move that, on the surface, seemed like Baltimore saw some value in him.
But just days later, they turned around and placed him on waivers. That may look puzzling, but there’s some roster strategy at play here.
Right now, most teams are sitting on full 40-man rosters, and with the 60-day injured list set to open next week, clubs are trying to sneak players through waivers while there’s still a window of opportunity. Baltimore, meanwhile, added more infield depth by trading for Blaze Alexander from the Diamondbacks, which made Ramos more expendable-especially since he’s out of minor league options.
And that’s a key point: Ramos is out of options. That means he can’t be sent to the minors without first clearing waivers, which makes him a tough fit for a team like the Orioles that’s already crowded in the infield. He might’ve been more useful to them as a non-roster depth piece, but the Cardinals stepped in before that could happen.
For St. Louis, the timing makes sense.
Their infield has been in flux this offseason. They’ve moved on from Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Brendan Donovan, opening up opportunities around the diamond.
Right now, Masyn Winn projects as the starting shortstop, Alec Burleson is penciled in at first, and the second and third base mix includes names like Nolan Gorman, JJ Wetherholt, Thomas Saggese, and José Fermín.
Ramos, primarily a third baseman in the majors, has also logged some time at first and second in the minors. He’s still just 22 years old and was once viewed as a legitimate prospect, but the bat hasn’t quite followed the hype in recent seasons.
Across 120 big league plate appearances, he’s slashed .198/.244/.333. In the minors over the past two years, he’s posted a .228/.314/.392 line-numbers that suggest there’s some pop, but also inconsistency.
Given his lack of options, the Cardinals will eventually face the same dilemma the Orioles did. If he doesn’t force his way into the infield mix this spring, St.
Louis may look to pass him through waivers themselves. But there’s a silver lining for them: Ramos has less than three years of service time and no prior outright assignment, so if he clears waivers, he can’t elect free agency.
That gives the Cardinals a bit of roster flexibility if they decide to try and stash him in the minors.
For now, Ramos joins a team in transition, and while he’s not guaranteed a spot, the opportunity is there. St. Louis is reshaping its infield, and if Ramos can tap into the potential that once made him a top prospect, he might just find a foothold in the big leagues.