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

Minor League trade pieces

Beyond the Major League roster, there are a few pieces in Triple-A Memphis that appear to be ready for the majors but do not have a spot with the Cardinals' current timeline. Because of the lack of pitching depth already mentioned, these three position players would probably be better off with a change of scenery that could create more opportunities for their careers.

Luken Baker

The rollercoaster career of Luken Baker with the Cardinals has continued into the 2025 season, with still no clear plan in place for the big first baseman/designated hitter. The story remains the same for Baker: massive power with solid plate discipline, but defensively limited to first base, and may be better as a platoon bat. With 131 homers and an .834 OPS in 594 career minor league games, Baker has little to prove and is now 28 years old.

Coming into spring, Baker had no real place on the team, but he put up a great exhibition campaign that made him look like a potential regular DH option while Alec Burleson struggled to hit for power. Baker made the team out of Spring Training and knocked three hits in his first two starts, but found sporadic playing time through April. At the end of the month, he was hitting .192 and was finally demoted back to Memphis in early May. Since being with Memphis, he has been the primary first baseman but has struggled at the plate, hitting .12,5 but six of his seven hits have gone for extra bases. The Cardinals may get a decent return because of his minor league track record, but trading Baker should be a priority for both sides.

Michael Siani

While the Cardinals' outfield depth at the upper minors is a little thin, Michael Siani is a piece that could be dealt for either minor league relief options or a lower-level lottery ticket. Siani has received plenty (too much) playing time over his past two years with the organization and has done little with the bat to warrant a roster spot on the Cardinals' major league team. He has shown some potential with the bat in the minors, twice hitting double-digit homers while a member of the Reds organization. He also has elite speed, stealing 164 bases in 540 minor league games.

That skillset is intriguing, but the Cardinals have Victor Scott II on the big league roster who has that same makeup while also hitting from the left side, but with even more potential on the offensive side, while also being a year younger. With Memphis this year, Siani has filled in as an outfielder but also as a designated hitter and has put up an .806 OPS with four homers and seven stolen bases. He is another change-of-scenery candidate that could fetch some type of talent back for St. Louis.

Matt Koperniak

Another outfielder after complaining about a lack of outfield depth? Unfortunately, yes, and it is simply because Matt Koperniak is already 27 and is another left-handed hitter to join the outfield that already sees Victor Scott, Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, and Alec Burleson as other lefty options. Koperniak is a quality hitter who signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and was included on the 40-man roster before the start of this season.

The outfielder had a great spring with the big league squad, hitting .355 with two homers and three doubles in 31 at-bats, but he was squeezed out by each of the above names. Koperniak has struggled mightily this year with Memphis, hitting .199, but he is a career .289 hitter with 63 homers in his three-plus years with the organization. I would love to see him get a chance in the majors, but it is hard to see a fit for him with the Cardinals. There are potentially other teams who could find an instant fit for Koperniak and return a decent prospect back for the Cardinals.