After spending the first couple weeks with the big boys, the St. Louis Cardinals have sent three of their prospects- third baseman Zack Cox, as well as pitchers Shelby Miller and Brandon Dickson- to minor league camp for the remainder of spring training. The moves, reported by Matthew Pouliot of HardballTalk, occurred on Wednesday.
Some had wondered whether Miller, the team's top prospect and one of the elite pitching prospects in the sport, could be a potential option to replace the injured Chris Carpenter, but this move essentially puts that speculation to rest. The 21-year-old has made just 16 starts above Single-A, so there's probably some more room for development there.
The other two players, Cox and Dickson, weren't considered to be major players for the Opening Day roster. Like Miller, Cox is a top prospect and a former first-round pick, but he's also just 22 with similarly limited pro experience above Single-A. Dickson, 27, isn't as young or as well-regarded by scouts as the other two, but he does provide minor league depth.
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