What is the future of Juan Yepez with the St. Louis Cardinals?

What role does Juan Yepez have with the Cardinals moving forward?

The St. Louis Cardinals came into the 2023 season with a variety of position players fighting for playing time. All of them, outside of Jordan Walker, had at least a brief stint in St. Louis to that point, and each had ceilings of great, everyday players, but the club wanted to see who would rise to the top of the list.

One name that I was always a bit skeptical of having a major role on this team moving forward was Juan Yepez. This is no knock against Yepez, but rather, reading the room of the Cardinals' young talent and not really seeing a place for Yepez to contribute consistently.

So far this season, it seems like the Cardinals agree with that. Yepez was optioned to Triple-A Memphis to begin the year when Walker made the Opening Day roster, and even after being recalled due to Lars Nootbaar's IL stint, Yepez has only appeared in 3 games, while utility man Taylor Motter consistently sees playing time over him.

So what's the deal with that? Yepez, who is thought highly of by many for how polished his bat already is and his future as a very productive Major League hitter, now seems like he is on the outside looking in within the Cardinals plans for their roster. Is this really the case? Will Yepez get a chance to shine this season? Or is his future with another club? Let's dive into that.