15 St. Louis Cardinals players who won't be back next season

The Cardinals roster is going to have a ton of turnover this offseason, and these 15 names will not be returning as a result of it.
Cincinnati Reds v St. Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds v St. Louis Cardinals / Joe Puetz/GettyImages
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Juan Yepez

After being a bright spot for the Cardinals during the 2022 season, St. Louis has done nothing but mishandle Juan Yepez's situation this year, and it's time for a change of scenery for both sides.

Yepez can still be a valuable bat in this league, but it's time for him to get consistent playing time on a big-league roster to prove whether or not he can be that guy long-term. He finished his Triple-A campaign on a tear this year and has already proven himself in some of the biggest moments at the Major League level.

For the Cardinals, there's not really a clear spot for Yepez to play with the mix of veteran and young talent they are prioritizing. While I don't fault them for that, what I do not understand is how they did not foresee that in the 2022 offseason, and traded Yepez then to maximize his value. Instead, they wasted an opportunity to improve as a club and wasted a year of Yepez's development.