Victor Scott II is getting another chance to put himself back on the Cardinals’ radar, and this one will come in the Dominican Republic.
Scott will join Águilas Cibaeñas in the Dominican Professional Baseball League this winter, giving him a chance to stack up game reps after a season that left his standing in St. Louis shaky. The Cardinals shifted to Nathan Church in center field after Scott failed to make enough progress with the bat for a second straight year, sending Scott to Memphis for most of the season before a September call-up that amounted to 11 at-bats.
His path back has been a familiar one: work, adjust, try again. After a rough rookie season, Scott returned to Virginia Tech last offseason to reshape his swing and improve his contact. That effort gave the front office reason to hope, but the results never really arrived, and the Cardinals eventually moved on despite the elite glove he brings in the outfield.
Now the challenge is simple, even if it isn’t easy. Scott has to show he can hit enough in games to make his speed matter.
He’ll get that first real winter test with Águilas Cibaeñas, which announced him as an import for the 2026-2027 season and noted that he belongs to the St. Louis Cardinals, with three seasons of MLB experience.
LIDOM has long been a place where big league clubs send players for extra work, and Scott will be part of a mixed talent pool there - veterans with major league time alongside prospects from every level of the minors. The league plays 50 games through December, then finishes early enough for players to catch a brief break before spring training.
Even a strong winter probably won’t hand Scott anything in St. Louis.
The outfield picture for Opening Day looks crowded with Joshua Baez in left, Church in center, and Aaron Award finalist Jordan Walker in right. That could leave Scott fighting for a fourth-outfielder role, but without more offensive punch, even that path looks complicated.
He’ll play the 2027 season at age 26, so the door isn’t closed yet. Still, the Cardinals system has other names moving up, including Chase Davis, Tai Peete, and Josiah Ragsdale, which makes this winter feel important.
For Scott, it may be one of the last chances to force his way into the picture - or at least give St. Louis enough to consider a trade rather than an uncomfortable breakup later.
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