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6 Cardinals who are fighting for their jobs this month
The trade deadline is around the corner and these players will be fighting to stick around
With the MLB trade deadline just around the corner, teams are preparing their needs list. St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak made his needs list known this weekend, leading to speculation about who will fight for their jobs over the next few weeks.
Mozeliak said he would be looking for a fifth starter, an innings eater, and a right-handed center fielder while bolstering the bullpen could be another option.
Andre Pallante has most recently been the fifth starter. He stepped into the role after unsuccessful starts from Matthew Liberatore and Zach Thompson due to Steven Matz's injury earlier in the season. While Pallante has had a couple of good starts, he's not a veteran who is a consistent innings eater that the Cardinals still need in the long run. Matz has had many injuries that have set him back in his time with the Cardinals. He's currently in AAA Memphis where he's struggled in his most recent rehab start.
Another starter would bolster a starting rotation that includes Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, Miles Mikolas, and Kyle Gibson, who have all struggled. If possible, adding some stable consistency would be suitable for the Cardinals' rotation for this season and beyond.
This season, Tommy Edman was penciled in to become the Cardinals' everyday center fielder. Edman had offseason surgery to repair his wrist and has been unable to play a game this season. He's working to rehab his wrist, but a return date is not set. Dylan Carlson was set to take over as centerfielder during spring training. A collision with right fielder Jordan Walker sidelined Carlson on the last day of spring training.
Victor Scott II started the season as the center fielder, but it was quickly determined he needed more development time. Michael Siani then took over the role. Carlson has since returned from his injured list stint and shares duties with Siani.
Lars Nootbaar and Walker were set to be the Cardinals' corner infielders. Nootbaar has had many injuries, preventing him from consistently gaining the role. Walker struggled mightily to begin the season and was sent to AAA Memphis to work on improving. Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson have each proven to be super utility players, but they have yet to take over a position.
Let's discuss who will fight for their jobs over the next few weeks.
Dylan Carlson will fight for his job this month
Carlson was the Cardinals' first-round draft choice in the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft. He was a prized prospect when he was called up during the shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Carlson provided a jolt to the lineup and stepped up on defense.
Since then, he has dealt with injuries that have curbed his productivity. In 2022, Mozeliak said he'd informed Carlson he wouldn't be dealt at the trade deadline. In 2023, he was mentioned as a trade candidate but due to injury, no deals flourished. This offseason he had surgery on his ankle and worked to improve his hitting.
He's been healing and seems to be slowly getting back to the Carlson fans they want to see in the lineup. Carlson has been hitting .250/.333/.375 in his last seven games with four hits, one walk, and three RBIs. Hopefully, the past week is a starting point for him to continue to improve and earn a spot in the outfield rotation.
Michael Siani will fight for his job this month
It's easy to guess Siani was off the radar of most Cardinals' fans to be this season's center fielder. He has been a bright spot on the Cardinals roster. He's been a force on defense but has struggled some at the plate.
Over the last month, he's hitting .221/.238/.286 with 17 hits, two walks, one home run and eight RBI. These are not great numbers given the expectations for the position. But he does have 85 putouts in 86 chances and one assist at center field.
With Mozeliak on the lookout for a righthanded center fielder, it would appear that Siani will be fighting for his job or searching for more playing time options. Siani was a surprise this season, and his contributions have been tremendous. Siani, however, will be fighting for his job.
Ivan Herrera will fight for his job this month
Willson Contreras could be back from his broken arm injury this month. Ivan Herrera has performed so well, but he could be fighting for his job over the next few weeks.
Herrera is hitting .260/.322/.673 with three home runs, 16 RBIs, and two stolen bases. On defense, he has 327 putouts at catcher with 11 assists and one double play. He has two errors, giving up 39 stolen bases while catching three runners stealing.
Could Herrera retain his backup catcher role, or could he be an option to flip for needed resources at the trade deadline? Pedro Pagés has been Herrera's backup. While he hasn't put up the best numbers, he is also a good clubhouse presence
Contreras' return could bring about some intriguing changes in the catching position.
Jordan Walker will fight for his job this month
It's safe to say Walker has been fighting for his job all season. He got off to another slow start this season and was quickly shipped off to AAA Memphis to work on getting more lift in his swing and perfecting his defensive efforts in the right field.
Fans would have loved for Walker to return for the debut of the new City Connect jerseys, but they will have to wait. Walker hasn't returned, and the club seems determined to get him to improve significantly before they bring him back to St. Louis.
Walker will have to keep grinding away in Memphis to make his return to St. Louis permanent.
Steven Matz will fight for his job this month
Matz has disappointed since joining the Cardinals on a four-year deal worth $44 million. The contract concludes in 2025.
Matz is rehabbing his back and making starts in the minor leagues to build his innings load to compete at the Major League level. While his current threshold is 40 pitches, the Cardinals want to get him to 70-80 pitches before his return. This is a reasonable limit, as they need this lefty arm to be healthy and consistent when he rejoins the club.
Andre Pallante will fight for his job this month
Pallante is young and still learning the ropes of being a Major League pitcher, even with a couple of seasons under his belt.
After a stint with Memphis to get stretched out to start for the Cardinals, Pallante has made this a successful endeavor, going 2-1 since his return. He's pitched 14 innings, giving up six earned runs, seven walks, and a home run, while striking out 11 batters.
Mozeliak said he's looking for a fifth starter with some innings-eating experience. This move doesn't have to ruin what Pallante is building. He will work over the next few weeks to show the Cardinals that he is an option to start and that he can be dependable.
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