3 Cardinals who have already proven they don't belong on roster after May 1

The 2025 season will be a patient one for the St. Louis Cardinals. It's a transition year, one that will feature longer runways than normal for struggling players, particularly young ones. Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker, Victor Scott II, and Matthew Liberatore have been players whom the front office is keeping a close eye on this year for growth. They're also all being given plenty of chances to prove their worth.

However, there comes a point when a player has to perform or the club's hand will be forced.

Some players through the first two weeks have already shown that they may be at risk of a demotion or a removal altogether. There are other players who started the year out on a short leash and haven't given manager Oli Marmol and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak a reason to keep them on.

Chris Roycroft would have absolutely made this list, but he was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Thursday.

Chris Roycroft won a spot on the Opening Day roster by virtue of having a very strong Spring Training. Roycroft did not allow an earned run in eight innings, he struck out eight batters, and hitters had a .207 batting average against him. Roycroft earned his spot on the roster, and his role would be a middle reliever.

In 2024, Roycroft's sinker was his most effective pitch. It averaged 96 MPH with 1.5 inches of induced vertical break. Sinkers are meant to be tight pitches, and his was just that with excellent velocity. This year, Roycroft's sinker is averaging just 94.1 MPH with 8.8 inches of induced vertical break. There's clearly a mechanical issue here, and Roycroft was honest about that following his outing against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

“I needed to go out there, especially after two stressful outings,” Roycroft said. “You can do all the work you want on the side and before the game, but sometimes you just go out there and let everything else work the way it’s supposed to. We’re on our way to figuring out where we were last year and the way we usually move the ball. I think that’s going to be fine.”

Because Chris Roycroft couldn't figure out his mechanical issues, he was demoted to Triple-A Memphis. To some fans, this move came a few days too late. Some even pondered that would happen on Monday after he went 0.2 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates and allowed three runs while walking two batsmen. Roycroft appeared once again in the series finale against the Pirates in extra innings, and he gave up the game-winning hit. It hasn't been good for the right-handed reliever.

Roycroft's 7.94 ERA through 5.2 innings is abysmal, and batters have been teeing off on him with a .263 batting average against. Right-handed pitchers Roddery Munoz, Andre Granillo, and Riley O'Brien could all supplant Roycroft.

Chris Roycroft isn't a "player of focus" for the Cardinals in 2025; he's likely a bridge to other relievers while they work on their crafts in the minors. If the Cardinals want to have a more reliable middle reliever, they would be wise to call upon one of O'Brien, Munoz, or Granillo.

These 3 St. Louis Cardinals have already proven that they shouldn't be on the roster at the end of April.

Right-handed pitcher Miles Mikolas

The question that is most often asked surrounding Miles Mikolas is "Why is he still getting starts?"

Well, the answer is simply money. Mikolas is on the books for just over $17 million this year. The DeWitt family and John Mozeliak have a tendency to play expensive players simply due to their onerous contracts.

Through two starts, Mikolas has an ERA of 11.25 and a 6.62 FIP, and he's logged more walks (4) than he has strikeouts (3). His most recent outing against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night featured him giving up nine runs and 11 hits. He didn't even make it out of the third inning in the start.

If the Cardinals seriously seek to contend while fielding a young team, there is no way that Mikolas should remain in the starting rotation. He's 36, he hasn't been good for three years now, and there are pitchers ready at Triple-A Memphis who could pitch as well or better than Mikolas has so far. Michael McGreevy was a fringe option as a starter out of spring, but he was sent to Memphis to start the year. Gordon Graceffo was up as the club's 27th man for the doubleheader. Quinn Mathews, in due time, could also replace Mikolas in the rotation.

Mikolas has logged at least 30 starts in five of the last six full seasons, but his ERA has gone up incrementally each year, 2022 aside. Now, he's a detriment to both the team and its future plans.

The Cardinals have several options when it comes to removing Mikolas from the roster. He could be designated for assignment, but that only allows the Cardinals to make a trade and get rid of his salary. If that were an option, a trade involving Mikolas would have already been done. A straight cut or release would be better for both the team and Mikolas. This opens up a spot on the major-league roster immediately, and Mikolas can sign a prorated league-minimum deal with another team of his choice.

Regardless of how Miles Mikolas is taken off the roster before May, the move needs to be made. He's not a reliable starter anymore, and he's blocking young pitchers from getting valuable experience in the majors.

Center fielder Michael Siani

Michael Siani's role on the Opening Day lineup was questionable to start the year, and his performance hasn't been overly inspiring.

Once it became clear that Victor Scott II played his way into a starting role at the beginning of the year, Siani's inclusion became curious. Both of the center fielders are speedy left-handed hitters with plus defense in center. Were both really necessary? If the Cardinals needed a fourth outfielder, they had Alec Burleson and Brendan Donovan who could fill in the corners while Lars Nootbaar could occasionally play center.

Through only nine plate appearances, Michael Siani has a slash line of .125/.222/.125 with no stolen bases, two runs scored, one walk, and three strikeouts. He was never supposed to be an average offensive player, and his role as a defensive specialist helps alleviate some of the pains of his offensive shortcomings, but he's been a nonfactor offensively so far.

If the Cardinals want to make more use of their final roster spot, a player who can be a backup shortstop would be preferable. Jose Barrero (.267/.333/.433 slash line with one home run for a 114 wRC+ in Triple-A) or Jose Fermin (.179/.324/.179 with six walks for a 60 wRC+) would be a viable roster replacement for Michael Siani. Even Michael Helman (.154/.214/.231 for a 25 wRC+) may be a longshot to make the roster in Siani's stead, but his versatility plays into his favor. Barrero, a player whom the Cardinals signed to a minor-league deal this offseason, was once a top prospect for the Cincinnati Reds.

Michael Siani's inclusion on the roster is redundant at this point. He's not a player the Cardinals intend on using in the future, and he doesn't provide value beyond his defensive abilities late in games. If the Cardinals want to have a late-inning replacement for Jordan Walker, there are other ways to achieve that while not sacrificing too much offense.

If John Mozeliak and Oli Marmol want to optimize their roster, they'll swap Michael Siani out for a backup shortstop who has more utility than Michael Siani does. His defense is tantalizing, but it doesn't outweigh his well-below-average bat.

Right-handed pitcher Ryan Fernandez

The Cardinals acquired right-handed pitcher Ryan Fernandez via the Rule 5 Draft last year, and he had a strong initial showing with St. Louis. In 66.2 innings, Fernandez had a 3.51 ERA with a 3.35 FIP and 71 strikeouts. He grew into a reliable late-inning arm whom Oli Marmol could trust in high-leverage situations.

This year, it was expected that Ryan Fernandez would continue as a late-inning reliever. He hasn't been able to pitch effectively enough to remain in a high-leverage role. Not only has he been relegated to "mop-up duty," but he could now see himself sent down to Triple-A.

Through five innings (six appearances), Fernandez has a 10.80 ERA, he's struck out only three batters, and he's walked five batters (one intentional walk). To put it succinctly, Ryan Fernandez has not been good.

Fernandez's best pitch in 2024 according to Baseball Savant's run value was his slider. It sat at 87.3 MPH with 2.1 inches of induced vertical break and 3.2 inches of glove-side movement. His slider is 1.5 MPH slower this year at just 85.8 MPH with -1.9 inches of induced vertical break and only 2.7 inches of glove-side movement.

Batters are teeing off on his slider as a result. They're hitting .500 against with a slugging percentage of .900. He's generating whiffs on the pitch at a 35% clip, down 6% from last year. In 2024, batters hit only .182 against his slider with a .295 slugging percentage. The story is much different for the righty's most-used pitch last year.

Ryan Fernandez will likely get a longer runway than Chris Roycroft did, but his leash is shortening with each failed outing. If he continues to struggle to produce in leverage situations, the front office's hand will be forced.

Roddery Munoz, Riley O'Brien, or Andre Granillo could all be promoted from the minors to fill in for Fernandez once he's demoted. Some time for Fernandez to figure out his slider without pressure may behoove the 26-year-old reliever.