The St. Louis Cardinals outfield situation is still a question mark with two weeks remaining in spring training.

Outfielder Lars Nootbaar, who underwent double-heel surgery this offseason, still has an unspecific timeline for his return, although he's expected to be out for at least the beginning of the regular season.

In the interim, the Cardinals have given both Jose Fermin and Thomas Saggese looks in the outfield. Saggese's move from the infield was an unexpected one considering he hadn't played in the outfield since little league before the switch.

Either Fermin or Saggese could fill in until Nootbaar returns to the fold. But, St. Louis can afford to be flexible and give opportunities to players who otherwise might not break camp.

One of those players is top 100 prospect Joshua Baez.

The No. 87 prospect in baseball (per MLB Pipeline) had his contract selected by the Cardinals on Nov. 18, 2025, and was added to the 40-man roster.

This move was mainly seen as a procedural one to protect the former second round pick from the Rule 5 draft at MLB winter meetings. However, it might end up being a fruitful decision as it pertains to the major league roster.

In nine Grapefruit League games this spring, Baez has slashed .333/.429/.667 with a 1.096 OPS and has hit two home runs with three RBIs.

Baez's solid spring came after a breakout minor league season in 2025.

The 22-year-old slashed .287/.384/.500 with an .884 OPS in 117 games across High-A and Double-A and connected for 23 doubles, three triples and 20 homers with 79 RBIs. He stole 54 bases in 63 attempts.

Baez is one of six designated outfielders on St. Louis' 40-man roster. The other five are: Nathan Church, Nootbaar, Victor Scott II, Bryan Torres and Jordan Walker. Torres currently has a minor league designation.

Including Fermin and Saggese, that would give the Cardinals eight potential outfielders on the 40-man roster.

Due to Baez' not yet having a stint in Triple-A, and the seniority in the majors players like Saggese and Fermin have on him, there's a chance St. Louis will favor the experience over Baez's solid Grapefruit League stretch.

Even still, there's a chance that Baez's spring earned  him a look in the major leagues sooner rather than later. He's projected to make his major league debut this season, according to MLB Pipeline.

FanGraphs currently projects Nootbaar to be the team's start left fielder, Scott II to stand in center field and Walker to play in right. Fermin and Church are projected to make the bench to begin the season. 

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