The St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly preparing to make a difficult roster decision during their series against the Colorado Rockies, with 27-year-old outfielder expected to be removed from the active roster.
According to Cardinals reporter Jeff Jones, St. Louis is expected to remove Velázquez from the roster on Saturday to create room for newly acquired outfielder Everson Pereira. Because Pereira is out of minor-league options, the Cardinals cannot simply send him to the minors, leaving the club needing to make a corresponding roster move.
Velázquez, who has appeared in parts of four MLB seasons, has struggled to establish himself in St. Louis this year. The 27-year-old has played in 34 games for the Cardinals and is batting .216 with 16 hits in 74 at-bats. His most recent appearance came on August 4, when he went 1-for-4 with a double.
The Cardinals acquired Pereira off waivers earlier this week after the Chicago White Sox designated him for assignment. The addition gives St. Louis another outfield option but also creates an immediate roster crunch because Pereira must remain on the major-league roster.
The reported move would likely come in the form of a designation for assignment (DFA), although the Cardinals could potentially release Velázquez instead. As of the report, the organization had not formally announced the transaction.
Velázquez originally entered professional baseball after being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2017. He made his MLB debut with Chicago in 2022 before spending time with the Kansas City Royals and eventually joining St. Louis.
The Cardinals entered their Rockies series playing some of their better baseball recently, winning Friday’s opener 3-2 and taking three victories in their previous four games. Now, however, the club appears poised to make another roster change as it makes room for Pereira.
For Velázquez, the reported decision could mark the end of his short stint in St. Louis and leave his immediate MLB future uncertain as the Cardinals continue reshaping their roster.
