Ranking the St. Louis Cardinals' trade pieces entering Spring Training

#6 - Juan Yepez

This is where the list gets really difficult in my opinion. On one hand, I could see Juan Yepez being one of the best hitters on the team in 2023 and mashing a ton of extra base hits while locking down the DH position. On the other hand, I could see his value being lower if that bat is not elite due to his lack of defensive ability.

Yepez can play the corner infield or outfield positions, but not particularly well. He is best suited to be a primary DH, where he will be judged solely for his bat then. After posting a 111 OPS+ last season, many expect Yepez to take a major step forward in his second season. Even if he does, with the amount of bats the Cardinals need to rotate through their lineup, it may be in their best interest to capitlzie on the value of a primary DH to free up that role for other members.

Still, it may be difficult for the Cardinals to part with a guy who has already come up big for them in the postseason, is a hard worker, and is loved by his teammates. He does not have the same value as other guys on this list right now, but with a big 2023 season, he could rise up this list significantly.