5 Cardinals who could be waived before today's deadline

INF Matt Carpenter

Matt Carpenter's on-field performance hasn't been the strongest this year. Where has provided value has been on the bench and in the clubhouse. In fact, Cardinal fans can thank Marp for the offensive surge we've seen out of Alec Burleson all year. Carpenter is a leader for this team, but his time could be running out quickly.

Carp is slashing .234/.317/.371 this year for an OPS of .688 and an OPS+ of 92. Those are actually serviceable numbers for a bench bat. He's seen 143 plate appearances this year, and he has four home runs, five doubles, and 15 runs batted in. Carpenter has actually been a decent 26th-man. The issue is that the Cardinals could use more than that if they still have playoff aspirations, however bleak those may be at this point.

The Cardinals signed Matt Carpenter to a deal for the league minimum, $740,000. Therefore, cutting him saves the team slightly more than $100K at this point in the year. Is that even worth it? Clearly the players and coaches lean on Marp, and his off-field effect has been quite positive. Perhaps keeping him on the roster and cutting bait with Pham, another position player, would be sufficient.

This is also likely Matt Carpenter's final season as a professional baseball player. He's 38, his last few seasons have been below average, and his defensive versatility is fading. Carpenter has had a fantastic career, and going out with the team that originally drafted him 15 years ago would make for a wonderful conclusion to a St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame-worthy career.