JUPITER, Fla. — The Cardinals did not make any major roster moves with position players over the winter but still have 12 newcomers in their major-league camp this spring.
That group, which went through the first full-squad workout on Monday, includes two of the team’s top prospects, infielder Thomas Saggese and outfielder Victor Scott II.
Four of the new players are on the 40-man roster, while the other eight received a non-roster invitation. There are 34 total position players in camp, including seven non-roster catchers, on hand to work with all of the pitchers in the camp.
Here are the 12 position players in the Cardinals’ camp for the first time, listed in alphabetical order:
Leo Bernal (NR) – One of the non-roster catchers, Bernal is a 19-year-old switch-hitter who signed as an international free agent in 2021. Like Ivan Herrera, Bernal is a native of Panama. He spent the last two seasons at Class A Palm Beach and should be in line for a promotion to high A Peoria this season, where he would be among the youngest players in the Midwest League.
Arquimedes Gamboa (NR) – Now 26, Gamboa has played in the minors since 2015 for the Phillies and Giants before signing with the Cardinals as a free agent last year. A switch-hitting shortstop, Gamboa played in 133 games at Double A Springfield, driving in 70 runs.
Sammy Hernandez (NR) – After joining the Cardinals in the trade last summer that sent Genesis Cabrera to the Blue Jays, Hernandez, a 19-year-old catcher, played in the rookie Complex League and at Palm Beach. He was drafted in the 14th round by Toronto out of high school in Lakeland, Fla.
Buddy Kennedy – One of the four new position players on the 40-man roster, the 25-year-old infielder was claimed by the Cardinals off waivers from Oakland. He has 40 games of major-league experience, all for Arizona, in 2022 and 2023. He is the grandson of former major-leaguer Don Money.
Matt Koperniak (NR) – A 26-year-old outfielder who played for Great Britain in last year’s World Baseball Classic, Koperniak has been in the Cardinals’ farm system since 2021 after graduating from Trinity College in Connecticut, a Division 3 school. He split the 2023 season between Springfield and Memphis, finishing the year with 18 homers, 85 RBIs and a .287 average.
Carlos Linarez (NR) – In camp as one of the extra catchers, Linarez has developed a reputation in the Cardinals’ organization for how well he has played defensively. Linarez, 22, a native of Venezuela, played at Palm Beach and Peoria last season. He signed as an international free agent in 2021.
Cesar Prieto (NR) – Acquired from the Orioles in the trade that sent Jack Flaherty to Baltimore, Prieto finished last season in Memphis. He has a combined .299 average in his two seasons in the minors and between the Orioles and Cardinals teams last year posted a .323 average. A native of Cuba, the 24-year-old Prieto has played second base, third base and shortstop.
Alfonso Rivas – Claimed off waivers from the Angels, Rivas is a 27-year-old first baseman and outfielder. A lefthanded hitter, he has 167 games of major-league experience over the last three seasons, spread between the Cubs, Pirates and Padres. He was two years behind Tommy Edman in high school in San Diego.
Thomas Saggese (NR) – After joining the Cardinals in August following his acquistion from the Rangers, Saggese went on to win MVP honors in the Texas League. Combined between the two organizations he hit .318 with 25 homers and 107 RBIs. Primarily a second baseman or third baseman, Saggese finished the 2023 season at Memphis. He will turn 22 in early April.
Victor Scott II (NR) – The 2023 season was a breakout year for Scott, who tied for the minor-league lead with 94 stolen bases in his first full pro season, which he split between Peoria and Springfield. The Cardinals’ fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft out of West Virginia, Scott also won a minor-league Gold Glove for his defensive play in center field.
Michael Siani – The Cardinals claimed Siani, a 24-year-old outfielder, off waivers from the Reds last September. He appeared in five games in the majors that month. Drafted by the Reds in the fourth round in 2018, Siani stole 52 bases in 2022 while playing in Double A and Triple A.
Jared Young – Another left-handed hitting first baseman, the Cardinals claimed Young off waivers in November from the Cubs. The 28-year-old Young played in 16 games for the Cubs in 2023 and has 22 games of major-league experience in his career. At Triple A Iowa last season he hit .310 with 21 homers and 72 RBIs.
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