4 Cardinals players who lost their roster spot this offseason

Jose Fermin

It is surprising that Jose Fermin even saw time last year on the major league roster given his career. He was never a top prospect for any organization (#23 for the Cleveland Guardians in 2019), and his minor-league stats were less than stellar on the whole.

Fermin had a career .256/.347/.370 slash line in the minors. He is able to play most positions on the infield including second base, shortstop, and third base, but he is league average at each of these positions defensively. In just sixty-one plate appearances in St. Louis last year, Fermin hit .235/.339/.255, and he appeared over-matched most of the time at the plate.

The primary reason that Fermin will be cut out of the Opening Day roster would be the ascension of other young players such as Masyn Winn, Richie Palacios, and Thomas Saggesse. Also, the Cardinals held on to all three of Brendan Donovan, Tommy Edman, and Nolan Gorman this offseason, thus limiting the potential for him to see playing time in 2024.

Fermin still has plenty of options left (two), so it is likely that he will start the season in Memphis and is called up due to injuries or a need for players in the majors. He turns just twenty-five in March next year, so he is young enough to show improvement, but there are better players with a longer track record of success who will have a roster spot ahead of him.