3 Cardinals whose 40-man roster spots are now at risk

The annual Major League Baseball trade deadline came and went with but a sparkle of interest for most teams. The Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals were the most active teams.

The Cardinals traded Tommy Edman in a three-team trade to acquire both starting pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham from the Chicago White Sox. A few minutes before the deadline, it was reported that outfielder Dylan Carlson was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for reliever Shawn Armstrong.

These two moves gave the Cardinals a surplus of players on the 40-man roster; three players came in, but only two went out. In order to alleviate this issue, the Cardinals announced various roster moves prior to Wednesday's game. Michael McGreevy was called up to start Wednesday's game, and he needed a spot to open up. To make space on the 26-man roster, Jacob Bosiokovic was designated for assignment.

Ryan Loutos was recalled, and Chris Roycroft was optioned to Triple-A Memphis. Lance Lynn's placement on the 15-day Injured List does not affect the 40-man roster; only 60-day IL placements create an open spot. Below is a rundown of the roster transactions over the last few days.

7/28-Giovanny Gallegos designated for assignment; 40-man roster stands at 39
7/29-St. Louis Cardinals trade Tommy Edman (on 60-day IL, not on 40-man roster) for Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham; 40-man roster sits at 41
7/29-C Nick Rapuso is designated for assignment; 40-man roster now at 40
7/30-OF Dylan Carlson traded for RHP Shawn Armstrong; 40-man roster remains at 40
7/31-Jacob Bosiokovic is designated for assignment, and Lance Lynn is placed on the 15-day IL (still on 40-man); Michael McGreevy promoted to the 40-man roster; 40-man roster stays at 40

The flurry of moves recently has created a significant amount of flux in the 40-man roster, but things are now settled. However, that will soon change. Both Steven Matz and Riley O'Brien are beginning rehab assignments. Lynn Worthy of the Post Dispatch reported on July 28th that Steven Matz will start his rehab assignment on Thursday, August 1st; he's expected to throw two innings or 30 pitches.

Worthy also stated that Riley O'Brien would see how his final two rehab starts would go on the 28th and 31st of July. O'Brien has made 5 rehab appearances, and he's thrown 4.2 innings total. He's struck out two, walked four, allowed three hits, and given up one earned run for an ERA of 1.93 and a WHIP of 1.50. While one would love to see more strikeouts and fewer walks, he's done a good job at limiting damage in his outings in Memphis.

These two players should be back on the major league roster by the end of August, so two corresponding roster moves must happen to make space, as both Matz and O'Brien were on the 60-day IL. Assuming there are no further injuries on the roster, two players will have to be taken off the 40-man roster and designated for assignment. Three candidates come to mind rather quickly.

RHP Chris Roycroft

Chris Roycroft was just optioned back to Triple-A Memphis to provide a fresh arm in Ryan Loutos at the major league level. Roycroft's demotion isn't an indictment on his performance, as he's actually been somewhat reliable for the Cardinals this year. He's been a bridge to the late-inning relievers if a starting pitcher has to depart early for whatever reason.

Roycroft, 29, was originally signed by the Cardinals in the summer of 2022 when he inked a minor league contract. He worked his way up the minors with largely uninspiring stats, and he made his major league debut on May 7th of this year. He struck out two batters in his debut, but he did allow a home run to New York Mets' first baseman Pete Alonso.

In 30 innings, Roycroft has an ERA of 4.15, a WHIP of 1.352, and batters are hitting .229 against him. He hasn't been placed in high-leverage situations often, but he has been stellar in low-leverage situations. Hitters have a .169/.264/.247 slash line against him in said situations, and he had a 3.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio in these low-leverage moments.

What makes Roycroft a DFA candidate would be his poor stats in the minor leagues coupled with an inability to pitch in mid-to-high-leverage situations. The Cardinals are in need of someone who can come in late in games or with runners on base and not allow damage to occur. Roycroft, for as solid as he's been in limited time, hasn't pitched well in big moments. Riley O'Brien and Steven Matz have been able to pitch well in said situations.

RHP Kyle Leahy

Kyle Leahy is the final player currently on the 40-man roster who may be removed once Steven Matz and Riley O'Brien return. The Boulder, Colorado native probably has the strongest case to remain on the roster when compared to the other two players on this list, though.

Leahy was drafted in the 17th round of the 2018 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, and he made his debut last year on July 7th against the Chicago White Sox. He recorded two outs via strikeouts, but he also allowed two runs and was shouldered with the loss. Leahy has been up and down all year between St. Louis and Memphis.

Kyle Leahy has actually gotten the most run out of any of these DFA candidates this year. Leahy, 27, has thrown 35.1 innings this year in St. Louis, and he boasts a 3.57 ERA, 3.19 FIP, 1.019 WHIP, and he has a 119 ERA+. Leahy isn't striking out many batters this year -- just 5.9 per nine innings. He doesn't allow many home runs, though.

Leahy has been used in higher-leverage situations as the season has gone on, and he's been finishing games more often lately. He recorded his first career save on July 20th, and he has two holds on his resume this year already. What makes Leahy even more effective is his ability to pitch multiple innings, something he's done in 15 of his 21 outings this year.

Leahy's usage this year paired with his better-than-average stats at the major league level make him the safest bet to remain on the roster following the returns of Riley O'Brien and Steven Matz.