St. Louis Cardinals add James Naile to taxi squad for London trip

Charleston native James Naile is among the players that the St. Louis Cardinals have placed on their taxi squad as they prepare for their upcoming games against the Chicago Cubs in London, England.

Naile, a talented pitcher who has been performing well for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, will have a chance to showcase his skills on an international stage should he get the opportunity to play.

‘It’s pretty awesome,” said Charleston baseball coach Michael Minner, who coached Naile when he was a member of the Bluejays. “He’s such a great kid and he keeps earning opportunities. I hope he gets a chance to pitch more often in the big leagues soon. I think he deserves to be with the big club and he could help them right now.”

The Cardinals are making sure they are prepared for any unexpected roster movement with the help of their taxi squad., which also includes catcher Ivan Herrera, 23, and left-handed pitcher JoJo Romero, 26.

A taxi squad is a group of players who are not currently on the active roster but are ready to be called up to the team, at a moment’s notice. Taxi squad players typically travel with the team and are available to fill in if another player gets injured or needs to be replaced for any other reason.

The size of the taxi squad can vary, but it is usually made up of a mix of pitchers and position players who are considered to be on the brink of being promoted to the active roster if another player is placed on the injured list, designated for assignment, or otherwise removed from the active roster.

Naile was first drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2015 and was previously called up by the Cardinals last season and earlier this season. He’s been performing well in the minors this season with a 4-1 record, a 2.87 and a 7-to-2-strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The games in London are set to be a historic event, and the Cardinals will be looking to put on a strong performance against their rivals.

With Naile and the rest of the taxi squad ready to step in if needed, the Cardinals are confident that they have the depth and talent to come out on top.