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


ORGANIZATIONAL DEPTH:
35-32: John Nogowski, Edmundo Sosa, Justin Williams, Austin Dean
31-26: Seth Elledge, Junior Fernandez, Austin Gomber, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Kodi Whitley, Jake Woodford
This is an odd section of the roster. This group has some very talented players, and most of them will play a role on the Cardinals for the next few years. However, the most likely contribution from this group is to be a depth piece on the backend of the bullpen or the bench.
The biggest strength of the Cardinals organization is depth, and that is reflected here. Nogowski is a sure-handed first baseman with pop. Sosa is going to play an important utility infield role this season and has the tools to surprise people. And both Dean and Williams have done nothing but hit in the minor leagues.
The pitchers in this group are no slouches either. Gomber and Ponce have provided valuable innings as starters and relievers the past few seasons, and Fernandez and Whitley in particular have shown an exceptional arsenal on the mound.
But as you’ll see moving forward on this list, each of these ten is blocked by one or more prospects who do the same thing that they do. A surprising performance in 2021 could vault any of them higher up on this list, but as currently situated, these guys are not the ones the St. Louis Cardinals should be focused on building around.