The St. Louis Cardinals have accomplished a lot this offseason, adding three starters via free agency to bolster their starting rotation after a dreadful 2023 season.
But even with the rotation addressed, the Cardinals are far from through this winter. There are other areas of the club that still need improvement. John Mozeliak should be busy in the coming weeks.
One area the Cardinals could address is the outfield. Not to add to their mix, but rather to clear up the positional logjam.
The Cardinals are already receiving trade interest for a few of their outfielders.
Here are three players that shouldn't be on their roster by the end of the Winter Meetings.
3. Cardinals who shouldn't be on the roster: Tyler O'Neill
The Cardinals have held out hope for Tyler O'Neill to develop into a star for quite some time.
However, their patience for the young outfielder has not been rewarded. O'Neill has struggled to stay healthy for much of his career, and he hit the injured list three times in 2022.
And when healthy, O'Neill has proved to be a very streaky performer. His defense is solid, as he already has two Gold Gloves. But his bat has been streaky.
This past season, O'Neill hit just .231 with nine home runs and 21 RBI, and he found himself on the injured list twice, which limited him to just 72 games.
The young slugger's potential is off the charts, but he has never reached that potential. Meanwhile, sluggers like Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia have become stars with the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers, respectively. They were let go while the Cardinals held onto O'Neill and others who have yet to reach their potential.
Cardinals fans' patience has run out, and with teams already calling with interest in O'Neill, it might be time for the Cardinals to cut ties.
2. Cardinals who shouldn't be on the roster: Dylan Carlson
Dylan Carlson is yet another player who has struggled to remain healthy. After a strong rookie season in 2021, Carlson has regressed significantly.
Like O'Neill, Carlson is an elite defender, but his bat is somewhat of an issue. This past season, the 25-year-old hit just .219 with five home runs and 27 RBI, while also posting a poor OPS mark of .651. Injuries also limited him to 76 games during the regular season.
As such, the Cardinals were forced to improvise with their outfield and use Tommy Edman in center field, which ultimately proved to be worthwhile. With Edman now patrolling center field, it's going to be hard for the Cardinals to find opportunities for Carlson.
Carlson had drawn some interest from the New York Yankees at the trade deadline when the Cardinals were looking for controllable pitchers. The two teams were reportedly close to making a deal happen, but it ultimately fell through at the end.
Perhaps the Cardinals could revisit talks with the Yankees and see if they can get something valuable in exchange for Carlson. Bullpen help is on the Cardinals list, and the Yankees have some bullpen pieces they could look to move.
1. Cardinals who shouldn't be on the roster: Jose Fermin
Fermin was acquired last offseason from the Cleveland Guardians. Due to injuries, Fermin saw plenty of opportunities with the big-league club in 2023, serving as a utility infielder.
However, his time with the organization may be limited. Masyn Winn was called up late in the season and took over the starting shortstop position for St. Louis. With Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman both on the roster, it's going to be hard for St. Louis to find opportunities for Fermin.
Because he is a utility infielder, his skillset is quite valuable, but he would probably have better luck with another team given the Cardinals depth on the position player side.
The 24-year-old hit .235 with no homer runs and four RBI during the regular season, and only saw significant playing time when key players such as Tommy Edman were on the injured list. He appeared in just 21 games during the season.
The Cardinals are hoping to bounce back into postseason contention in 2024, and Fermin isn't exactly a centerpiece of the ballclub. And with Winn now with the big-league club, Fermin's opportunities will more than likely remain limited with the Cardinals going forward.
