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The St. Louis Cardinals have finally answered the call from fans by promoting their No. 7 overall prospect, Quinn Mathews, to the major leagues. Mathews has been performing exceptionally well at Triple-A, and the team made the announcement official on Saturday after reports earlier in the week suggested he would be called up this weekend.
In a corresponding roster move, the Cardinals optioned relief pitcher Matt Svanson to Triple-A Memphis and designated former top prospect Tink Hence for assignment. The team announced the moves in a statement, saying, "In corresponding moves, RHP Matt Svanson has been optioned to Memphis. RHP Tink Hence has been designated for assignment."
Optioning Svanson was not a surprise, as he has struggled this season with a 7.27 ERA in 41 appearances and a -1.3 wins above replacement. He has been optioned before this season and will now return to Triple-A. Svanson had a much better rookie campaign last year, posting a 1.94 ERA in 39 appearances.
Key Analysis
The decision to designate Hence for assignment has raised eyebrows. At just 23 years old, Hence still possesses significant upside, but his career has been plagued by inconsistency and injuries. In 2024, he was the Cardinals' top overall prospect after Masyn Winn graduated, highlighting his potential. Hence showed promise early on, with a 1.38 ERA in 16 starts in 2022 for Class-A Palm Beach and a 2.71 ERA in 20 Double-A starts in 2024. However, his performance has declined since then, and this season he was moved to the bullpen, where he posted a 6.64 ERA in 19 outings before being designated.
Given his age and past success, it would be surprising if another team did not claim Hence or work out a trade. According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the designation gives the Cardinals a few days to explore trade options before the deadline. There was a time when Hence was seen as a future ace for the Cardinals' rotation, but now his tenure with the club may be coming to an end.