Fansided

Cardinals: 3 players we need to drop like a bad habit

By Steven Kubitza

JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 19: Andrew Miller #21 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a pitch during a team workout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on February 19, 2020 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 19: Andrew Miller #21 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a pitch during a team workout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on February 19, 2020 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals
PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 18: Matt Carpenter #13 of the St. Louis Cardinals in action during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 18, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

1. Matt Carpenter

Matt Carpenter is the highest-paid player on this list as he is set to earn $18.5 million in 2021. He also has the chance to earn a vested option in 2022. If he does not, that reverts to a club option.

The veteran third baseman has been with the Cardinals since 2011 and has made three All-Star Games in that span. However, a real decline began in 2019.

Carpenter slashed .226/.334/.392 that season and followed it up with awful marks of .186/.325/.314 in 2020. He became a negative-WAR player this past season and that is not a good trend heading into 2021.

Finding a team to take Carpenter would be tough, but he does not have a no-trade clause in his contract. A contender may want to take on him and his contract with the hopes he can piece together one more solid season. A return in such a trade would not be great for the Cardinals, with the main benefit being his money going elsewhere.

Next. Inside The Clubhouse: Will the Indians extend Shane Bieber?. dark

Handing out big contracts to players who have performed well in the past carries the risk of them beginning to decline. That is the case with Carpenter and the Cardinals should be making calls around the league to gauge interest in the veteran infielder.

Home/St. Louis Cardinals