4 players the St. Louis Cardinals may regret losing this offseason

Drew VerHagen (free agency)

Drew VerHagen doesn't get the recognition that he deserves. He signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract in the 2021-2022 offseason that expired at the end of the 2023 season. He experienced some highs and lows, but his tenure in St. Louis was satisfactory given his role and salary.

VerHagen signed with St. Louis after spending two years in Japan playing for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. He initially started his professional career in Detroit with the Tigers as a starting pitcher. For those of you who go to Trivia Nights often, VerHagen was the first official signing after the lockout was lifted in 2022.

While in Japan, VerHagen was known for an above-average strikeout rate with a better-than-average walk rate; he was primarily signed as a groundball pitcher who could help the team's sterling defense put their gloves to work.

His stint in St. Louis, however brief it may have been, was a mixed bag. His first season featured him pitching in only 21.2 innings due to various hip and shoulder injuries. He finished 2022 with a 6.65 ERA, 1.892 WHIP, and he walked nearly as many batters as he struck out.

2023 was much improved for the right-handed reliever. In sixty-one innings, VerHagen struck out sixty batters against twenty-six walks, and he finished the season with a 3.98 ERA, 4.93 FIP, and 1.279 WHIP. The discrepancy between his ERA and FIP indicates some assistance by the Cardinals' defense, which is why he was signed in the first place.

Drew VerHagen signed a two-year, $8 million deal to return to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters; the second year is a player option. VerHagen's services will be missed next year in the bullpen, especially given his price. The veteran reliever seemed to have figured something out in 2023, and he was finally healthy for most of the season.

Richie Palacios (trade)

Before August of last season, Richie Palacios was a largely unknown entity. The Cardinals acquired the outfielder from the Cleveland Guardians only for cash last year, and he was able to post an .823 OPS in only thirty-two games. His 0.5 WAR total was impressive given his history and limited playing time last year.

Palacios was traded in early January to the Tampa Bay Rays for Andrew Kittredge, a former All-Star closer who had Tommy John Surgery and was sidelined for most of 2022 and 2023 as he recovered from his surgery.

It's possible this trade works out for both the Cardinals and the Rays; Tampa Bay needed some outfield depth, and the Cardinals needed a reliever, particularly one who can pitch in high-leverage situations. It's also possible that Richie Palacios becomes another "one who got away" from St. Louis.

The Cardinals will only have Kittredge on their roster (guaranteed) for this season. Palacios, meanwhile, still has all six years of control remaining on his contract. Therefore, he has plenty of time to help the Rays. Palacios doesn't have the minor league pedigree to make him a top prospect, and his brief stint in the majors prior to last year was unassuming (69 OPS+ in 123 plate appearances in 2022). He's almost twenty-seven, and he was going to be a depth piece for St. Louis these next few years.

However, Palacios was a high-energy guy who provided a spark to a team that was reeling from a lost season. He didn't strike out, he had strong plate discipline, and he was able to log twelve extra-base hits in limited time. I'm not saying Richie Palacios would have replaced any one of Tommy Edman, Jordan Walker, or Lars Nootbaar, but his profile as a role player in both the outfield and infield would have been reassuring for 2024 and beyond.

Andrew Knizner (non-tender)

Andrew Knizner was drafted by the Cardinals in the 7th round of the 2016 Amateur Draft. He was a part of the catching prospect depth that included Carson Kelly and Ivan Herrera. Knizner's progress between 2018 and 2019 made Carson Kelly an expendable commodity to the Cardinals, thus allowing them to trade Kelly as a part of a package for Paul Goldschmidt.

It was assumed by many that Andrew Knizner was the heir apparent to Yadier Molina. His offense was his calling card, but his defense began catching up to his plus-bat tool in the 2019 season. Knizner was starting to learn how to call a baseball game, and when he was brought up for the first time in 2019, his experience under the tutelage of Yadier Molina helped him grow even more defensively.

Andrew Knizner isn't going to wow anyone with his bat; his career 73 OPS+ is evidence of that. Inconsistent playing time may have led to his below-average offensive numbers, but his ability to produce offensively was limited by his lack of walks and an inability to hit for much power.

Where Knizner's presence will be missed is his game calling. Last year, the Cardinals moved Willson Contreras off the catching position because he didn't have a good rapport with the starting rotation; the front office and coaching staff believed Andrew Knizner to be the preferred catcher for this reason. His familiarity with the Cardinals' pitchers, his blocking abilities, and his game-calling skills were qualities the team lost when Yadier Molina retired.

After promoting Pedro Pages to the 40-man roster, there wasn't much room for a fourth catcher. Andrew Knizner was not tendered a contract, and he became a free agent. He ended up signing with the Texas Rangers on a one-year, $1.85 million contract.

Tyler O'Neill (trade)

The final player on this list is the one who had the highest ceiling of the players whom the Cardinals lost this offseason: Tyler O'Neill. O'Neill's presence in St. Louis was starting to wear on fans, and his scuffle with Oliver Marmol at the beginning of the year likely hurt his case to receive a decent workload in 2024.

O'Neill, a free agent after this year, was always a player who could have an MVP-type season. He proved that in 2021, a year in which he hit .286/.352/.560 with thirty-four home runs and a 148 OPS+. O'Neill also won a Gold Glove in left field that year. The next two seasons were marred by injury for the strong outfielder, and he was seen as a player who needed a change of scenery.

Therefore, St. Louis traded him to the Boston Red Sox for Nick Robertson and Victor Santos, two pitchers. Robertson will be in the bullpen mix for 2024 while Santos continues to develop in the minors. This trade was a bit interesting to fans, as most expected O'Neill to net a higher-end prospect or a more proven reliever, but John Mozeliak likely squeezed whatever value was left out of Tyler O'Neill.

O'Neill was always a tantalizing player. He was a constant threat as a batter due to his plus speed and his plus power tool. Given a fully healthy season, there was always a chance he could return to form. Lars Nootbaar, Tommy Edman, and Jordan Walker are going to get a full run in the outfield next year; Dylan Carlson, a former top prospect who had a good 2021 season, will be the team's fourth outfielder.

This depth led O'Neill to be the odd man out, and he wasn't going to get much playing for the Cardinals. However, in O'Neill's recent interview with the guys at Foul Territory, he stated that his back feels great for the first time in years. His health could rebound next year, and we as Cardinal fans could be watching a Tyler O'Neill revenge tour with the Red Sox.