Blewett’s Strong Spring Not Enough

The Cardinal Chronicle
Blewett’s Strong Spring Not Enough
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

The Cardinals trimmed the roster again on Wednesday, reassigning right-hander Scott Blewett to minor-league camp, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

For Blewett, it is a disappointing ending to what had been one of the quieter success stories of Cardinals camp.

In a spring full of bullpen auditions, Blewett did about all a non-roster invitee could do. He kept runs off the board, threw strikes, and made the decision-makers take a long look. His Grapefruit League line — a 1.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 7 strikeouts against 3 walks in 6 innings — gave him a legitimate shot to force his way into the conversation. (CBS Sports)

But in the end, “good camp” and “Opening Day roster” are not always the same thing.

That is the hard truth of March baseball. Blewett’s reassignment says less about failure and more about the numbers game. The Cardinals are down to the final stages of sorting out a crowded bullpen, and every remaining decision now carries weight. With Blewett out of the mix, the path appears clearer for Rule 5 selection Matt Pushard and offseason acquisition George Soriano as the club finalizes the relief corps for March 26. 

There is no shame in the way Blewett leaves major league camp. He made a real push. He opened some eyes. And more importantly, he may have positioned himself to be one of the first names the Cardinals consider when bullpen help is needed during the season.

That is how this game works sometimes. A man can do nearly everything right and still get squeezed by timing, roster rules, and circumstance.

Blewett did not win a job out of camp, but he may have won something nearly as important: a place near the top of the call-up list.

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