St. Louis Cardinals: Ranking the players with the most value beyond 2021

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 20: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with Dylan Carlson #3 after hitting a two run home run in the seventh inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 20, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 20: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with Dylan Carlson #3 after hitting a two run home run in the seventh inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 20, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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St. Louis Cardinals
ST. LOUIS, MO – APRIL 5: Alex Reyes #29 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the San Diego Padres in the seventh inning at Busch Stadium on April 5, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Looking at the roster this way should reveal a lot about why the St. Louis Cardinals are being passive this offseason. There aren’t many players on here who have played full seasons in a starting role. There will never be room for this much young, unproven talent on one team– until each player has a chance to prove themselves, the Cardinals will be unable to move forward.

If it turns out in July that some of these guys are the real deal, then the front office can go out and use the depth to make a real move. A band-aid solution of signing one-tool players on one-year deals isn’t going to solve the real issues on this team. There is room for one or two veterans (Wainwright and Molina?) to help the transition to the next generation, but otherwise, it is time for some real evaluation.

Next. Get ready for more negotiations before 2021. dark

Talent is coming up through the ranks. Large contracts are set to expire. 2021 might be a frustrating season, but by this time next year, when the free agent market is stacked and there is lots of payroll to spend, the Cardinals will know exactly what they need and how to go get it.