Cardinals Making Difficult Decision Involving 24-Year-Old

The Cardinals have had to start trimming down the roster

Jul 2, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; A bucket of baseball sits on the field before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have been busy over the last few days as they have started to trim down the roster ahead of Opening Day.

St. Louis has started to send some guys down to minor league camp and continued to do so on Thursday. The Cardinals announced that they are sending 24-year-old hurler Gordon Graceffo down to minor league camp, as shared by The Athletic's Katie Woo.

"More pitching news: Prior to today's exhibition game, the Cardinals optioned Gordon Graceffo to Triple A," Woo said. "He will be stretched out as a starter for rotation depth to begin the year."

Graceffo is a guy that has been discussed for the last few years. Graceffo has been one of the team's top pitching prospects over the last few years after being selected in the fifth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft.

He made his big league debut in 2024 and appeared in two games. He allowed four runs across 7 2/3 innings pitched and struck out six batters. The Cardinals don't have as many spots to go around for young guys as expected after not trading veterans away this offseason as initially expected.

Graceffo is likely someone who has been impacted by the roster crunch because of that. Woo noted that the club is going to keep him stretched out as rotation depth. If someone were to go down with an injury or a trade were to happen, maybe we'll see him in the big leagues at some point.

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