8 Cardinals who should be playing their final games for St. Louis this weekend

As the St. Louis Cardinals get ready to begin their final series of the 2024 season against the San Francisco Giants, there are a number of players on their roster who should be putting on their uniforms with this club for the last time as well.

Roster turnover is normal for every team, but especially ones like the Cardinals that disappointed their fanbase and missed the playoffs for the second straight season. With how many veterans are on this roster, the Cardinals should be looking to have significant turnover this offseason.

Today I wanted to look at eight names that I think should be gone after the season is over for one reason or another. It doesn't necessarily mean these are bad players or were the problem in St. Louis this year, but if the club is truly going to turn the page and get back to being a playoff contender, these are the kinds of decisions they must make.

While I think each of these names should be let go, I'm not sure the Cardinals will agree with me on each of them. Let's jump in though and see how many you'd say goodbye to as well.

Jose Fermin

Ever since the Cardinals acquired Jose Fermin from Cleveland prior to the 2023 season, he has always been seen as a depth piece for the organization and kind of a "break glass in case of emergency" type of player. He won't be a starter for them and is not their backup option either, but if a few injuries happen, he can fill it for a bit.

His debut season with the Cardinals in 2023 wasn't anything to write home about, posting a 0 WAR season and 75 wRC+ in his 21 games played. Fermin has only received 10 more plate appearances this year than he did last year, but he's managed to post a -0.7 WAR in his 43 games and a 29 wRC+ in the process.

The way Fermin has been used in St. Louis I am sure has made it difficult for him to find any kind of rhythm offensively, but considering he is not a plus defender either, I do not see why he'd be back next season.

Thomas Saggese looks to be their answer as a backup infielder in 2024, and if needed, I'd rather see Brendan Donovan at shortstop or any infield position than Jose Fermin. The Cardinals will also likely need to clear some 40-man roster spots if they want to add new bats to their mix, and Fermin has the weakest case of their position players to stick around on that.