5 players who could be on the trade block if the Cardinals are buyers at the deadline

Could Matt Koperniak be swapped for cheap relief support?

Toward the end of spring training, Cardinals fans were losing their minds about Matt Koperniak not making the Opening Day roster. He had posted a 1.039 OPS in his 31 plate appearances, easily outclassing Michael Siani and looking like one of the Cardinals' best bats all of camp.

Well, he didn't make the roster, and unfortunately, he has not done much in Triple-A this year to make a real push for the big league roster.

In 152 plate appearances for the Memphis Redbirds, Koperniak is slashing .186/.250/.257 with a brutal 36 wRC+. You know how people are frustrated with Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman's offense right now? Koperniak's production at Triple-A has been even worse.

Still, he did post a .309/.370/.512 slash line in 2024 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI in 122 games at Triple-A, and while he is 27 years old, he's looking to get his first crack at big league action as soon as possible.

While he'll need to turn things around at Memphis first, the signs may be there for success, as he's been playing a bit better of late and may be getting over the initial frustration of missing out on the MLB roster.

No, there is not a world where Koperniak is going to become some super valuable piece for the Cardinals in a trade, but he could become the next in a growing line of outfielders who did not get much of a chance in St. Louis but did perform elsewhere. Randy Arozarena, Adolis Garcia, Lane Thomas, and Richie Palacios all fit that bill, and Koperniak could be a lower-end version of that for another club.

All Koperniak needs is a chance. He's on the Cardinals' 40-man roster currently, but getting an opportunity with St. Louis will require a few injuries occurring first. There are plenty of rebuilding clubs that I could see running Koperniak in their outfield during the second half, and perhaps he could be sent to that kind of club for some bullpen depth, or as a smaller piece of a larger deal.

He's helpful outfield depth for the Cardinals, so no need to force the issue with this, but if the Cardinals have a hard time parting with other pieces, maybe Koperniak is a name they'd feel more comfortable moving in a deal to strengthen their ballclub.