So far in 2025, it’s becoming clear that the St. Louis Cardinals are facing the consequences of a thinning farm system.
The team didn’t manage to move Nolan Arenado over the winter to replenish talent, and now top pitching prospect Cooper Hjerpe is headed for Tommy John surgery. Still, while the system isn’t as deep as fans might hope, there are a few bright spots—one of which is now getting his shot.
The Cardinals are calling up reliever Matt Svanson to make his MLB debut, part of the return from the August 2023 trade that sent Paul DeJong to the Blue Jays. In a corresponding move, right-hander Roddery Muñoz has been optioned to Triple-A Memphis.
Looking back, dealing DeJong when they did seems like a smart decision. Despite hitting 24 home runs in 2024 with the White Sox and Royals, his chronically low batting average—consistently below .230—has limited his overall value, even with solid defense and power.
Now all eyes are on Svanson to see if the Cardinals got a worthwhile return. Strictly a bullpen arm in the minors, Svanson features a sinker-slider mix, sitting in the mid-90s.
The slider is his best pitch, and while he does rack up a few strikeouts, he mainly relies on inducing ground balls—something that fits the Cardinals’ defensive strengths perfectly.
The St. Louis bullpen has been fairly average this season by fWAR and below average in ERA, so adding a groundball specialist like Svanson could help stabilize things. He may not be a lights-out reliever, but if he can generate quick outs and keep innings short, he could help the Cardinals better manage matchups late in games.
Meanwhile, Muñoz—who’s already bounced around a bit—gets sent down after a rough start. In three outings this season, he’s posted a 10.13 ERA, though his 1.13 WHIP hints that he may have been a bit unlucky or inconsistent in a small sample. Still, Svanson now gets his shot to show whether he can help turn the bullpen into more of a strength than a question mark.
