The St. Louis Cardinals organization was busy this week, announcing eight minor league moves on social media Tuesday.
That included the release of right-handed pitcher Leonardo Taveras, who signed with the Cardinals in 2016. He held a 6.02 ERA over 28 games (four starts) across Double-A and Triple-A this season.
Additionally, pitcher Chen-Wei Lin was transferred from High-A Peoria to Double-A Springfield. He’s the Cardinals’ No. 16 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
RHP Chen-Wei Lin has been transferred from Peoria (A+) to Springfield (AA).
RHP Brandt Thompson (AA) will begin a rehab assignment with Peoria.
RHP Tanner Franklin & C Sammy Hernandez have been transferred from Palm Beach (A) to Peoria.
1B/C Josh Kross (A+) has been placed on…
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) August 26, 2025
St. Louis is making moves
Taveras spent eight seasons in the Cardinals’ farm system, beginning with Rookie Ball in 2017. He finally made his Triple-A debut this season but posted a 6.65 ERA over 13 games (three starts).
Over the course of his minor league career, Taveras went 19-17 with a 5.20 ERA in 220 games (310.0 IP).
Lin was signed to a minor league contract in July of 2023. He’s steadily progressed up St. Louis’ organization since then, and before his promotion to Double-A, Lin was 0-2 with a 4.89 ERA over 12 starts in High-A this year.
While Lin’s numbers are rough, he already has major league velocity. As his scouting report notes on MLB Pipeline, he was the only player on Single-A Palm Beach in 2024 to exceed 100 mph—and he did that 12 times, even touching 101.
His numbers with Palm Beach were stellar too, as he boasted a 10-5 record with a 2.79 ERA over 22 starts. Lin wasn’t able to find the same success in High-A.
Also of note, pitcher Tanner Franklin was transferred from Single-A Palm Beach to High-A Peoria. He’s the Cardinals’ No. 19 prospect.
