Pagnozzi wins Triple-A job as Cardinals release seven minor leaguers
JUPITER, Fla. — The St. Louis Cardinals trimmed their minor-league camp by seven, including the release of catcher Justin Knoedler — a move that solidifies who will be the catching tandem in Class AAA Memphis and how the depth shapes up at that position.
Matt Pagnozzi, who lingered in the major-league camp until Monday, has won the backup job at Memphis. Knoedler, who played in the majors last with San Francisco, was signed this offseason to get that role — and also to be the first guy up in case of injury at the big-league level. Pagnozzi, long considered one of the better defensive catchers in the system, instead wooed the major-league coaches and earned the job. He hasn’t hit well enough in his career to merit the prospect label or even be ticketed for the majors, but his work with pitchers and work behind the plate has been good enough to outweigh what he lacks offensively as a career .208 hitter in the minors.
And, yes, he’s related. He’s Tom’s nephew.
The other six players released Tuesday morning were: C Rickey Noland, an undrafted free agent. … RHP Dylan Gonzalez, a 31st-round pick in 2007. … LHP Davis Bilardello, who went 6-1, 4.25 as a reliever in High-A Palm Beach last season and was a 43rd-round selection 2007. … RHP Ryan Bird, a free-agent signing out of an independent league. … LHP J.D. Stambaugh, a 25th-round selection in 2007 that reached as high as Quad Cities. … RHP Joshua Hester, a 17th-round selection last summer who went 2-2, 4.31 in Batavia.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
The backup to Bradon Yarbrough at AA Springfield has vaulted him to become the backup to Bryan Anderson at AAA Memphis. Given that Pagnozzi received more looks than Anderson and that the club has now said it is willing to bring up Anderson even as a spot starter when they wouldn’t consider him as a reserve before pretty much says he’s trade bait and that Pagnozzi will replace Jason LaRue in 2010.
Disagree Michael, only time little Pags spends much time at the Major League level will be as a bullpen coach.
Maybe they don’t want to bring Anderson up so he gets lots of at bats @ AAA instead of few in the majors.
Hope you are right JC on Pagnozzi. I share your opinion on little Pagz which is what baffles me on his advancement vs. Anderson stuck in Memphis. As for at-bats, Anderson was splitting them down the middle with Mark Johnson last season, so he wasn’t getting regular time last season and will be interested to see if that is the same in Memphis this season.