Cardinals: 5 players St. Louis may need to cut bait on

CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 29: Tyler O'Neill #27 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds the bases on his home run in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 29, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 29: Tyler O'Neill #27 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds the bases on his home run in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 29, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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St. Louis Cardinals
Jul 2, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Genesis Cabrera (92) on the mound in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Genesis Cabrera

After becoming a key member of the Cardinals bullpen in 2021, St. Louis had high expectations for Genesis Cabrera in 2022. The left hander was going to be a high leverage arm for the Redbirds, but ended the season in the minor leagues and left off the playoff roster.

Cabrera followed up a good 2021 with a disappointing 4.63 ERA in 44.2 innings for St. Louis. Although his command got a little better with a slight dip in his walks per nine innings, Cabrera’s hits and home runs per nine rose and his strikeouts per nine dipped by over 3. Cabrera’s FIP actually projected him as an even worse pitcher than his ERA showed at a 5.62.

Crafting a trusted bullpen is a tricky game. One year an arm can be everything you needed, and the next season, they can fall apart. If the Cardinals do not believe Cabrera will bounce back in 2022, then the left-hander may end up finding himself a home somewhere else. St. Louis has names like Zack Thompson, Packy Naughton, JoJo Romero, and Matthew Liberatore who could all be relied on as left-handed options in the St. Louis bullpen in 2023.

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