The Cardinals announced on Tuesday that they have selected the contracts of outfielder Matt Koperniak and right-handed pitchers Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby, and Matt Svanson. The team also noted that left-handed pitcher Drew Rom went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Memphis. With these moves, the Cardinals now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.
Of the new additions, Hence is the most highly regarded. The 22-year-old finished the season as a consensus top-100 prospect, ranking as high as 30th on Baseball America’s list and 46th on FanGraphs and 61st on MLB.com. He spent the 2024 season at Double-A, posting a 2.71 ERA in a limited number of innings.
Hence made just 20 starts during the season, pitching 79 2/3 innings after missing nearly all of June and July due to injury. Although the team did not specify the injury’s nature, Hence left his June 5 start early, returned briefly in late June, and then did not pitch again until July 27. His season ended early after he was pulled from a September 11 start after just 1 1/3 innings.
Despite the shortened season, Hence remains one of the most promising young arms in the minors. He struck out 34.1% of batters faced and demonstrated average or better command with an 8.1% walk rate. He sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, which can reach 98-99 mph, and complements it with one of the best changeups in the minors and a solid slider. While durability remains a concern, as he’s never surpassed 100 innings in a season, his potential could lead to a major league debut by 2025, provided he stays healthy.
Roby, 23, has also received some top-100 attention, but his stock fell in 2024 due to inconsistent performance and injury issues. FanGraphs ranked him 91st by season’s end, although he fell off most other major lists. The 2020 third-round pick, originally selected by the Rangers and traded to the Cardinals in the Jordan Montgomery deal, posted a 6.57 ERA over 38 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A in 2024.
Roby has had average ERA numbers in his career but has impressed with his raw stuff, particularly his curveball. He needs to improve his command and prove he can handle a full starter’s workload, as he’s somewhat undersized at 6’1″ and has never exceeded 105 innings in a season.
Koperniak, 26, was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He spent all of 2024 in Triple-A, where he hit .309/.370/.512 with 20 home runs, 28 doubles, three triples, five steals, an 8.4% walk rate, and an 18.7% strikeout rate. He played all three outfield positions but spent most of his time in left field.
Svanson, 26 in January, was acquired from the Blue Jays in the trade that sent Paul DeJong to Toronto. He pitched out of the Double-A bullpen in 2024, posting a 2.69 ERA in 63 2/3 innings with a 20.8% strikeout rate, an 8.8% walk rate, and a 52.7% ground-ball rate. He’s likely to begin 2025 in Triple-A and could be a candidate for a big league look soon.
Rom, who will turn 25 in a few weeks, was acquired from the Orioles in the 2023 trade that sent Jack Flaherty to Baltimore. After struggling through an 8.02 ERA in eight starts with the Cardinals in 2023, he missed the entire 2024 season following shoulder surgery. Since he cleared waivers, Rom will stay with the team as a depth option for the upcoming season. Although he has yet to succeed in the majors, he had shown potential as a back-of-the-rotation starter in the Orioles’ system before his injury.
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