5 Cardinals who could be off the roster by the end of May

After a sub-par April, the St. Louis Cardinals must turn it around. The return of players like Keynan Middleton, Dylan Carlson, Matt Carpenter, and Tommy Edman will displace certain players currently on the 26-man roster once they are healthy. Additionally, some players are not performing up to expectations, so they could be designated for assignment.

This will create a squeeze on the roster; certain players will have to leave once the injured players return. Hopefully, these changes in personnel will create an improvement in on-field performance.

These 5 players could be off the roster by the end of May.

Honorable mention: Steven Matz

Steven Matz has not been good this year with a 6.18 ERA and 1.735 WHIP in 27.2 innings. He did not make the cut for this list for two reasons. First, he's injured and likely to go on the IL, and that doesn't count for this exercise. Second, Matz wouldn't be wholly removed from the roster due to his performance. It's most likely he is simply moved to the bullpen.

Michael Siani

Michael Siani has played admirably defensively. When Victor Scott II was in St. Louis, Siani primarily came in as a defensive replacement late in games. Once Scott was demoted, Siani moved to the starting center field position. His defense has remained strong, but his offense has lagged behind.

In 27 games (50 plate appearances), Siani is slashing .171/.277/.220 for an OPS+ of 45. He is 55 percent worse than the average MLB player offensively. That's...terrible. Where Siani has been able to contribute offensively is with his speed and sacrifice bunting. He has 5 sacrifice hits, the most in all of baseball. His 2 stolen bases are tied for 2nd on the team.

Once Dylan Carlson returns, which could be as soon as next week, Siani could be demoted. Carlson will start in center with Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, and Alec Burleson rounding out the outfield corps. This will likely push Siani off the roster, as Carlson can be the starting center fielder with Nootbaar being the emergency backup.

Siani was originally expected to start the season in AAA, so his demotion won't be much of a surprise. Historically, he has walked at an above-average rate with a decent strikeout rate. Those abilities have continued in the majors, but his normal bat-to-ball skill hasn't translated to the majors.

Siani's demotion isn't due to his lack of performance necessarily; he has filled in admirably defensively for the injured Tommy Edman. However, Carlson's return simply squeezes him out of a spot. Hopefully, he can continue to develop his bat in the minors so he is able to return to the majors next year more ready to go.

Brandon Crawford

When the Cardinals signed Brandon Crawford on the heels of the announcement of Tommy Edman's placement on the Injured List, fans had generally mixed feelings. The 37-year-old shortstop had a track record of elite defense according to some metrics, and he was a well-above-average batter as recently as 2021 with the San Francisco Giants.

Alternatively, Crawford hadn't hit well the last two seasons in the Bay Area, and his defense was slowly fading away. Crawford bats left-handed, and the Cardinals already had Matt Carpenter and Alec Burleson as lefties off the bench. Furthermore, he would largely be surplus on the roster this year, and his signing perplexed many a St. Louis loyalist.

Crawford has not been good offensively or defensively this year. He has struck out in nearly half of his plate appearances (42.9%), his slash line is nearing levels of utter embarrassment (.105/.190/.105), and he has yet to get an extra-base hit. On the defensive side of the ball, he's currently grading out as a negative defender according to Outs Above Average.

With Tommy Edman's return, the Cardinals' original plan of having their center fielder being their backup shortstop -- yes, you read that right -- comes back into focus. Crawford is playing so terribly that it's likely he is designated for assignment. Sending him down to the minors like the Houston Astros did with Jose Abreu doesn't seem like a viable option. Also, if Jose Fermin can replicate the success he's had in Memphis this year with St. Louis, it makes cutting Crawford all the easier.

Pedro Pages

Pedro Pages was called up primarily for two reasons. First, his defense throughout the minors has been touted as excellent. His arm is an absolute cannon, and his blocking and receiving are strong for a prospect. His game-calling has also received rave reviews.

Second, Pages serves as the primary backup catcher for the time being. With how hot Ivan Herrera has started off the year and how consistent (up until the last series) Willson Contreras has been, both have needed to be in the lineup to spark the offense. Herrera has cooled down a bit, and key starters are returning soon, so the DH role will become a nomadic spot with players taking at-bats as rest days from the DH position.

Once Matt Carpenter, Dylan Carlson, and Tommy Edman return, three players will have to be squeezed out. In my mind, it will be Jose Fermin, Michael Siani, and either Pedro Pages or Brandon Crawford. John Mozeliak and Oliver Marmol may be hesitant to release Crawford given their financial commitment to him. Pages is still technically a prospect with options; that makes his demotion easier than Crawford's release.

Pages's demotion is by no fault of his own. While he hasn't recorded a hit just yet (he has 1 walk and an RBI), his role on the team isn't to provide decent offense. He is simply a safety valve; he is the third-string catcher, and his role is slightly more important when both Willson Contreras and Ivan Herrera start.

Pages can still develop into a strong major league catcher. His time to be in the majors just isn't right now, especially as the Cardinals' search for offense continues.

Giovanny Gallegos

If you had told me at the beginning of the season that Giovanny Gallegos was at risk of being designated for assignment or traded just one month into the season, I wouldn't have believed you.

Gallegos was the Cardinals' best reliever from 2019-2022. His ERA+ during that time was 142, and he ranked 15th in reliever ERA, 8th in FIP, and 6th in fWAR during that time span. Gallegos was a top-10 reliever in all of baseball for 4 years.

That simply hasn't been the case these past two years. An uninspiring 2023 season (4.42 ERA, 25.8% K rate, 1.80 HR/9 in 55 innings) pushed Gallegos out of high-leverage situations. He has performed even worse this year.

In 9 innings, Gallegos has a 9.00 ERA, 8.36 FIP, and while his strikeout rate has improved (28.9%), his walk rate has ballooned to 15.6%. One of the most obvious reasons for Gallegos's fall from grace is his fastball velocity. It has slowly ticked down each year since 2021. His four-seamer is average just 92.5 MPH. Additionally, Gallegos has consistently been one of the slowest pitchers in baseball. The pitch clock may have had a greater effect on his game than originally anticipated.

Gallegos has been so bad this year that he could be a DFA candidate. He is a free agent at the end of the season, and he is 32 years old; with younger players such as Riley O'Brien, Nick Robertson, and Ryan Fernandez as options out of the bullpen, Gallegos could very easily be cut for one of those three. O'Brien has the most "stuff", so his return from injury would push Gallegos off the roster.