
Minor league pitcher Chen-Wei Lin stretches on the first day of Spring Training Early Program (STEP) camp Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, at the Cardinals’ spring training complex in Jupiter, Fla.
Headlined by right-handed pitching prospect Chen-Wei Lin and outfielder Travis Honeyman, the Cardinals’ crop of prospects heading to the Arizona Fall League this year includes five right-handed pitchers, a pair of outfielders and one catcher.
The eight prospects the Cardinals are sending to the invite-only fall league will be assigned to the Glendale Desert Dogs and team up with prospects from the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Braves and White Sox. Class High-A Peoria hitting coach Elvis Rodriguez will serve as Glendale’s hitting coach for the fall league, which begins Oct. 7 for Glendale with a game against the Salt River Rafters.
Here’s a look at each of the eight prospects the Cardinals are sending to the fall league:
RHP Chen-Wei Lin
The 6-foot-7 righty with a fastball that touches triple digits has held a 6.02 ERA in 46 1/3 innings across 16 starts during a season hampered by injuries. Lin, who had a 2.79 ERA in 116 innings in Class Low-A in 2024, missed the first month of this minor league season because of an injury and was sidelined for nearly two and a half weeks between July and August.
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When healthy this year, the 23-year-old has struck out 29.2% of the batters he’s faced and produced a 50% ground-ball rate, per FanGraphs. Lin was promoted to Class AA Springfield (Missouri) near the end of August to join the affiliate’s rotation ahead of its postseason appearance.
OF Travis Honeyman
After injuries slowed him during his final college season in 2023 and kept him limited to 20 games in 2024, Honeyman appeared in 82 games for Class Low-A Palm Beach and Class High-A Peoria this season despite missing time amid two IL stints. Honeyman’s above-average bat-to-ball skills and advanced approach at the plate helped him to a .287 batting average and .411 on-base percentage between the two levels.
The 23-year-old, who Baseball America describes as having above-average raw power, slugged .367 with 10 doubles and three homers in 289 at-bats. Honeyman, the Cardinals’ third-round pick in 2023, received time at all three outfield spots this year but remained primarily in center field.
RHP Darlin Saladin
A breakout starter a season ago, Saladin made 26 appearances (13 starts) in High-A this season, where he posted a 4.85 ERA and totaled 94 2/3 innings. The 22-year-old opened this season in Peoria’s rotation before moving into a bullpen role after he had a 7.18 ERA through his first eight starts. He held a 3.69 ERA and kept opposing hitters to a .199 batting average in 63 1/3 innings in the new role.
Despite the improvements, Saladin ended Peoria’s season with a 19.8% strikeout rate, his lowest strikeout rate in a season since 2023. He will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter if he is not added to the Cardinals’ 40-player roster.
RHP Tyler Bradt
In a season spent in Class High-A and Class AA, Bradt owns a 2.73 ERA and has tallied 67 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings in 36 outings. A 16th-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft, Bradt has sported a 1.56 ERA in his first 17 1/3 innings in Class AA. The 24-year-old’s success in his promotion up the Cardinals system includes keeping Texas League hitters limited to a .169 batting average.
C Graysen Tarlow
The Cardinals’ 19th-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft has appeared in 51 games in Class High-A and Class AA this year. He’s slashed .296/.390/.333 while receiving limited playing time at the two levels after batting .167 with a .454 on-base plus slugging percentage in 30 games a season ago. Defensively, the 24-year-old Tarlow has thrown out 10 of the 68 base-stealing attempts against him.
RHP D.J. Carpenter
Back on the mound after missing the previous two seasons because of an arm injury, Carpenter logged 37 innings of relief and held a 5.35 ERA. Carpenter, 25, struck out 41 batters and had a 1.86 WHIP in 36 outings in Class High-A. He missed over a month between July and August because of an injury but ended the season with a 3.38 ERA in his final eight innings of relief.
He is eligible for December’s Rule 5 draft if not added to the 40-player roster.
OF Miguel Ugueto
Acquired in the Class AAA phase of last December’s Rule 5 draft, Ugueto batted .259 with a .288 slugging percentage and slugged .347 in 56 games across Class Low-A, High-A and Double-A. The 23-year-old outfielder received playing time at all three outfield spots. The bulk of his playing time came in right and center field.
RHP Randel Clemente
Clemente, who is also Rule 5 draft-eligible this winter if he isn’t added to the 40-player roster, has appeared at three levels of pro ball this year and maintained a 4.24 ERA across 51 innings as a reliever. The 23-year-old has struck out 33.2% of the batters he’s faced this year while using a pitch mix that features a cutter in the upper 80s mph and a fastball that touches 98.5 mph, per Statcast.
Since he was promoted to Class AA in early August, the 23-year-old has posted a 6.75 ERA and totaled 12 innings across 10 relief outings.