3 Cardinals who could be off the major-league roster before May 1

We're getting to the point in the regular season where stats are starting to balance themselves out. Gone are the days where a 4-4 day with a home run can dramatically boost a player's numbers. With the calendar nearing the change to May, it's time to start re-evaluating the St. Louis Cardinals roster.

President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has been generally hesitant to pull the trigger on roster moves this year. Matt Pushard and Jared Shuster were sent down to Triple-A Memphis in the middle of April, and Ryan Fernandez was recalled from Memphis about the same time. The club claimed LHP reliever Luis Peralta on Monday, adding more depth to the pitching group. Beyond some light bullpen tinkering, the 26-man roster has stayed largely the same since day 1 of the regular season.

The Cardinals appear to be working through some rough spots in the lineup so far, as they have a 15-13 record and are just three games back of the National League Central-leading Cincinnati Reds. They have a minus-13 run differential and a 13-15 Pythagorean win-loss record, but somehow these pesky Redbirds have been able to give fans something to cheer about.

That doesn't mean changes shouldn't be made to the roster. In year one of an unstated organizational rebuild, giving players opportunities is important. However, continually playing poorly could be detrimental to a player's development. Sending someone down for a break and an opportunity to make adjustments in a low-pressure situation could be beneficial for that player.

There's also an argument that there are players in Memphis who are deserving of a shot at the majors. I'm not talking about Joshua Baez and Jimmy Crooks, both of whom could see a promotion within the next couple of months. Instead, I'm thinking of placeholder players or other players who have made their debuts and could use another shot at the majors.

With nearly 20% of the regular season over, perhaps we could start to see some roster changes for the Cardinals.

The bulk of these adjustments probably need to come from the bullpen. Cardinal relievers rank 25th in ERA (5.10), 29th in K rate (18.9%), 22nd in WHIP (1.45), and 21st in FIP (4.38). The Cardinals currently have three relievers who have thrown more than 10 innings with an ERA north of 5.00.

This isn't to say that the offense is bereft of criticism either. On the whole, the Cardinals rank 12th in team wRC+ (101). While one would love a more potent offense, being in the top half of offense in baseball is still solid.

As a result of some player performances, we could see major leaguers be demoted. Several players have been given ample opportunities to show their worth in this future-oriented year. A move to Memphis could prove beneficial for these players, as they're certainly players in consideration for the future core of this team in one way or another.

These 3 St. Louis Cardinals have already proven that they need to go to Memphis for a reset by May 1st.

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