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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James Naile

Every year, there is a player who is caught between St. Louis and Memphis in a way that really isn't fair to the player, and in 2023, it was James Naile.

Naile got to pitch in 10 games for the Cardinals this year, and it did not go over well. He posted an 8.80 ERA in 15.1 innings of work, striking out just seven batters and having a 2.35 WHIP as well. In his 9 innings of work with St. Louis in 2022, he wasn't much better, posting a 5.00 ERA.

Naile is 30 years old, and there's not really anything left for him to do in Memphis to prove he's worthy of Major League consideration, and he hasn't done anything in St. Louis that warrants staying there. Sure, he could function as that "worst-case-scenario" arm in 2024, but I would guess the Cardinals decide to move on in favor of younger arms.

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