4 Cardinals who should have a larger role in 2025, 3 who should not

The St. Louis Cardinals will be in a peculiar spot this offseason when it comes to the direction of their roster.

The club has multiple veterans with one year of control remaining, a club option for 2025, or whose contracts are expiring and are open to a return to St. Louis. The more players the Cardinals say "yes" to out of this group, the fewer opportunities they have for others on their roster.

There are multiple players who joined their MLB roster this year and some in Triple-A who need to get opportunities, but that means the Cardinals need to let go of or take away playing time from veterans on their roster.

Luken Baker should be at least a right-handed bat off the bench in 2025

If you've listened to me on podcasts this past week or read my piece on Paul Goldschmidt, you may think I'm flip-flopping here. I promise that I'm not! While I'm not ready to buy into the idea that Luken Baker should be the Cardinals starting first baseman next year or penciled in as their platoon option against left-handed pitching, I do believe he's earned the right to be on the roster, rather than limbo between Memphis and St. Louis.

Baker has proven everything he can in Memphis at this point, and while I have my doubts about him as a full-time player at the big league level, I do think he provides value off the bench against left-handed pitching, and that is something the Cardinals have needed badly this season.

Even if the Cardinals retain Paul Goldschmidt this offseason, Luken Baker could easily take Matt Carpenter's roster spot and be utilized very similarly - mostly as a DH or bat off the bench - but coming from the right side of the plate instead. If the Cardinals do let Goldschmidt walk, then they could give Baker the opportunity to earn a role in the starting lineup against left-handed pitching, but I would hesitate to "bank" on him doing that.

At the very least, Baker is someone the Cardinals can turn to when their heavily left-handed lineup needs a pinch hitter in a big spot. Had Baker been on the roster instead of Carpenter this year, I think we would have seen way more pinch-hit opportunities from manager Oliver Marmol than we did. The way the Cardinals' bench was structured this year really limited Marmol's options late in games, but having Baker around can change that.