7 expendable players the Cardinals can move at the trade deadline and still compete

The St. Louis Cardinals have pushed themselves into playoff contention and look to be for real after an outstanding May has put them within reach of the NL Central lead. While the team has been performing beyond expectations, there are still some holes in the roster that they could fill while also building towards the future.

The organization continues to cite their lack of minor league starting depth as a main priority and a reason for why Michael McGreevy continues to dominate in Triple-A. Beyond their need for talent in the upper minors rotation, the team could also look for additional depth around the infield or add some Major League-ready talent back to the outfield. To fill these needs, I looked at current pieces on the big league roster that could be flipped for a modest return to help build back the depth, and then added some players in Memphis who may be redundant to the roster and help backfill some other needs.

The Cardinals have plenty of pieces they could deal to help rebuild their system while remaining competitive

Major League position players that can be trade pieces

Jose Barrero

After storming back into the Major League picture after a scorching start in Triple-A, Jose Barrero has fallen back into a little-used bench option for manager Oli Marmol. Barrero was originally called up when Masyn Winn was going through some minor injuries, and he filled in well, knocking a homer and a double with three RBIs in his first three starts with the team. After Winn was fully recovered from his ankle and back issues, playing time for Barrero has been sparse as he only has one start since May 10, and he has been mostly used in the outfield despite being an infielder for the majority of his career.

Barrero was a former top-100 prospect, but his quick ascension through the Reds system after only playing in Single-A could have hampered his development. He likely will not receive a huge return in a deal, but can provide a depth option for a contending team or be a lottery ticket for a young team with playing time available in the infield. A Barrero deal would open up a roster spot for a promotion of Thomas Saggese or Jose Fermin, depending on what role Marmol needs to fill on the bench.

Yohel Pozo

The final big league option the Cardinals could try to flip is third-string catcher Yohel Pozo. While Ivan Herrera was on the injured list, the Cardinals called up Pozo to take the load off of Pedro Pages. With minimal playing time since Herrera has returned, Pozo is still managing to hit .320 despite only starting in six games this month. There probably is not much chatter around the league for Pozo, but if Herrera can return to catching semi-regularly behind Pages, then it would be in the team's and Pozo's best interest to find a new place. If he returns to Triple-A, he will be working behind the organization's top catching prospect in Jimmy Crooks, with Leonardo Bernal and Rainiel Rodriguez also waiting in the lower levels.