- Home
- 3...
3 Cardinals players who won’t be on the roster by August 1 and who should replace them
The St. Louis Cardinals wrap up their first half with a 50-46 record and sit in sole possession of the second Wild Card spot in the NL. If you said this would happen to a Cardinals fan sometime in mid-May, you would've been laughed at.
The Cardinals are right in the thick of the postseason race, and barring a massive skid right after the All-Star break, they'll be trade deadline buyers. How aggressive John Mozeliak will be remains to be seen, but improving their team is the expectation.
Not only will the Cardinals improve their team on the trade market, but they will also do so by getting injured players back. This team has played well for a couple of months now, and should only be better down the stretch if Mozeliak makes the right moves.
With that in mind, these three players won't be on the roster by the time August comes around.
3) Chris Roycroft should be replaced on the Cardinals roster by a relief pitcher acquired via trade
Something that just about every contender attempts to do at the trade deadline is add at least one reliever. Simply put, bullpens can all be improved. The Cardinals have had a ton of success late in games with Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero, and Andrew Kittredge, and can be even scarier if they add another late-game arm.
If the Cardinals do add a bullpen arm, someone is going to have to go down. This might be disappointing considering he has pitched pretty well when called upon, but he's the easiest one for the Cardinals to send down. Roycroft has a 3.80 ERA in 17 appearances and 21.1 innings of work, often appearing in low-leverage spots.
At the end of the day, other optionable guys like John King and Matthew Liberatore have pitched better and provide more value than Roycroft who is very replaceable. Adding another reliever is necessary, and Roycroft will certainly be the casualty if that happens.
2) Andre Pallante should be replaced on the Cardinals roster by a starting pitcher acquired via trade
While the Cardinals should add to their bullpen, that isn't their biggest need. The starting rotation, however, is arguably their biggest need, and one that Mozeliak really needs to address.
Sonny Gray is a solidified ace, but after him, who can they truly trust? Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson have done better than expected, but they're mid-rotation guys at best at this stage of their career. Miles Mikolas has an ERA over 5.00. Adding a No. 2 behind Gray feels like a major need, and hopefully Mozeliak comes through.
If the Cardinals do add a No. 2 starter or really any starter in general, Andre Pallante will likely lose his spot. Pallante, like Roycroft, doesn't really deserve to lose a roster spot entirely as he has pitched really well since being inserted into the rotation with Steven Matz injured, but he's a pitcher with minor league options, so it wouldn't be shocking.
By sending Pallante down, the Cardinals can ensure that he's still stretched out and ready to fill in as a starter when necessary, which can come in handy down the stretch.
1) Dylan Carlson should be replaced on the Cardinals roster by Tommy Edman
Here's the big one. Is there any way Dylan Carlson is on this team past the trade deadline? Carlson was once a highly touted prospect but after an impressive rookie season, he just hasn't panned out at the MLB level.
The 25-year-old is slashing .211/.279/.254 and has not hit a single home run in 54 games and 129 plate appearances. He's a solid defender who can play all three outfield positions, but he's provided virtually nothing as a left-handed hitter for much of his career, and has even struggled as a right-handed hitter this season.
Adding a right-handed platoon bat will presumably be high up on Mozeliak's agenda to replace Carlson, and the impending return of Tommy Edman sometime in late July should only ensure that Carlson is wearing another uniform come the deadline.
Edman has missed all season due to injury but is finally on a rehab assignment and very close to returning. He provides value in all fascets of the game, and again, should make this Cardinals team even better down the stretch.
This article was originally published on fansided.com as 3 Cardinals players who won’t be on the roster by August 1 and who should replace them.
- https://www.msn.com/en-ph/sports/mlb/3-cardinals-players-who-won-t-be-on-the-roster-by-august-1-and-who-should-replace-them/ar-BB1pZ6bl?ocid=00000000
Related
"Not every night, though" - Larry Bird recalls the other moment he told Magic Johnson that Michael Jordan was the greatest
Bird talks about the moment he said to Magic that MJ is the GOAT.
SportsNFL News: Justin Fields isn't happy with Mike Tomlin after latest decision of Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin is leaning to a final decision between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Pittsburgh Steelers are ready to begin a new era with a lot of uncertainty at the quarterback position. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are in an open competition to get the starting job after Mike Tomlin gave up on Kenny Pickett by trading him to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Steelers haven’t won the Super Bowl in more than 15...
SportsCowboys News: Fight on final day of camp, a revamped DL, Guyton injury update
The final day of Cowboys training camp in Oxnard has come to a close and the team will now head back to their headquarters
SportsEagles creating massive possibilities with offensive line, one where Lane Johnson is undersized
The Eagles have a huge offensive line with Mekhi Becton at guard
SportsMariners fire manager amid slide out of the playoff picture
On July 1, the Mariners sat atop the American League West at 47-39 and had a three-game lead over the Astros. Since then they have gone 17-25, falling five games behind the Astros and 7.5 games out of a wild-card spot in the American League.
SportsWarriors landed 'best case scenario' replacement for Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson left the Warriors at the start of the offseason, teaming up with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic on the Mavericks.
SportsJordan Chiles Bronze Medal Controversy Takes a New Turn as Latest Evidence Shows FIG at Fault
What do you do when one controversy gives way to many more? The post Jordan Chiles Bronze Medal Controversy Takes a New Turn as Latest Evidence Shows FIG at Fault appeared first on EssentiallySports.
SportsScott Servais' firing shows how desperate the Seattle Mariners are for a turnaround
The Seattle Mariners, mired in a season-wrecking slump, fired manager Scott Servais and replaced him with longtime catcher Dan Wilson.
Sports