4 players you may have already forgotten were on the 2024 Opening Day roster

The 2024 version of the St. Louis Cardinals was a frustrating group. When you glance at who started the season with the club on Opening Day, it's even more frustrating ... unless we're talking about 2014.

It appears that the 2024 iteration of the Cardinals led to the current philosophy of giving younger players a chance.

The 2024 club may have been the peak of the team's performance with a huge veteran presence. At the urging of team leaders Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, the team took a chance on several veterans to help support the team's youngsters. The problem was that the team chose veterans well past their prime.

Matt Carpenter

Carpenter spent ten seasons with the Cardinals before spending a season each with the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres. The Cardinals signed him to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million in 2024 to serve as a clubhouse veteran and an option at designated hitter.

Carpenter had overstayed his welcome with the Cardinals during tremendously terrible seasons in 2019-2021. He was signed to a contract that paid him $18.5 million in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Once he left, flashes of the Carpenter, who was a three-time All-Star and Silver Slugger, returned.

Cardinal fans were concerned about what this would ultimately lead to in 2024 — another multi-year contract for an aging veteran that holds back a promising youngster?

Thankfully, that didn't happen. Carpenter did prove to be a good clubhouse leader for the younger players. He hit .234/.314/.372 with an OPS+ of 93. He had four home runs, seven doubles, and 15 RBIs.

Carpenter did not sign with a club this offseason.

Brandon Crawford

After 11 seasons with the San Francisco Giants, Crawford decided he still wanted to play. He knew he wouldn't be able to continue with the Giants. He opted to sign a one-year deal with the Cardinals for $2 million.

The Cardinals wanted Crawford to be a backup to rising star Masyn Winn.

The move seemed to work. Winn picked up on Crawford's work ethic and process. Crawford even allowed Winn to take the necessary breaks. While there was still a fan concern that manager Oli Marmol would opt for the veteran over the youngster, that didn't occur. He was released from the Cardinals on Aug. 20, 2024.

Other names from 2024

Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson started the 2024 campaign on the injured list.

Carlson started the season on the injured list after a collision with Jordan Walker during the final game of Spring Training. While he played in some games, he never broke out. With Michael Siani taking over in center field and Victor Scott II in the wings, Carlson was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Carlson signed a free-agent deal with the Baltimore Orioles. He's only played in two games with the Orioles. He's spent the majority of his time with the AAA Norfolk Tides. Carlson was the Cardinals' first-round draft pick in the 2016 MLB Draft.

Edman was ruled out to start the season on the Opening Day roster. He was shut down three times during Spring Training and while rehabbing in the minor league system. Edman was a piece in the three-team deal that brought Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to the Cardinals. Edman went to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He became an instrumental piece to the Dodgers team, which captured the 2024 World Series Championship. Edman earned the NLCS MVP.

Edman signed a lucrative deal with the Dodgers for five years at $59.56 million through 2029. There is a team option for 2030.

Giovanny Gallegos

Gallegos was once a dependable setup man for the Cardinals' bullpen. But 2024 proved disastrous. After several poor outings, the Cardinals released Gallegos on July 28, 2024, ahead of the trade deadline.

He signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins on August 6, 2024. He played for the St. Paul Saints for the last couple of months. He was granted free agency and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in November. He's spent his time with the AAA Oklahoma City Comets. He was recently added to their 60-day injured list.

Zack Thompson

Thompson started the 2024 season as a member of the starting rotation. That stint didn't last long with a move to the bullpen and ultimately being sent to the AAA Memphis Redbirds. He was 0-2 for the Cardinals with a 9.53 ERA over 17 innings. He gave up six home runs and 18 earned runs.

He spent some time on the injured list in 2024. He began the 2025 season with the Redbirds. On April 7, he was placed on the 60-day injured list with a left-shoulder strain.

Thompson has had some terrible luck, but will hopefully get back on track.