14 Cardinals who won't survive Chaim Bloom's offseason overhaul

Matt Koperniak

Every year, there's a minor leaguer and fringe prospect who impresses during spring training, and Cardinals fans clamor for that player to make the Opening Day roster. Sometimes that player ends up shining in a big way, no matter what decision the Cardinals make, and other times their success in camp proves to be fool's gold.

In the case of Matt Koperniak in 2025, his hot spring training did not translate to his season with Memphis in the slightest.

While Koperniak finished the year strong, his overall year with the Memphis Redbirds was a major disappointment. The 27-year-old slashed .246/.317/.382 with 14 home runs and 65 RBI in 121 games, posting an 84 wRC+ over the course of his 536 plate appearances.

Now, Koperniak's hype didn't come just from his production in camp. In 2025, his first full season at Triple-A, he slashed .309/.370/.512 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI, which was good for a 127 wRC+ in 567 plate appearances. He earned a spot on the 40-man roster because of that, and had he not fallen apart at Memphis for most of the year, I bet he would have gotten a shot with St. Louis at some point this year.

But here's the thing: the fact that Koperniak didn't get a single look this year tells me a lot about how they feel about him. Sure, they may not have wanted to mess up his flow as he was just finally getting going in Memphis, but I really feel like Chaim Bloom would have wanted to see him if he had any inclination to keep him next year.

Now, obviously, Koperniak could be held onto as a depth piece, someone they are quick to designate for an assignment if needed, but I really am anticipating a lot of action this offseason, and so Koperniak could be a casualty of that. Joshua Baez is an outfielder who needs to be added to the 40-man this offseason, which tells me there may be an outfielder or two or three they decide to cut bait with. The Cardinals may also acquire some prospects via trade who need to be added to the 40-man roster, which could play a role as well.