3 Cardinals players who won’t be on the roster by September 1
By Tim Boyle
These three St. Louis Cardinals players are the ones most likely to be gone from the roster by September 1.
The St. Louis Cardinals don’t plan to settle for a wild card spot. They have their eye on the National League Central prize.
Unfortunately, not everyone will remain with the team for the full ride. By September 1, we should still see a few roster changes with this ball club.
It’s these three current Cardinals who are on the roster bubble and most likely to see their time with the club at least temporarily come to an end.
1) Cardinals roster doesn’t need Packy Naughton long-term
Packy Naughton has bounced around between the majors and minors this season. A younger arm on the Cardinals roster, he’s neither a prospect nor a veteran. His ability to go multiple innings has made him an asset to the Cardinals even if the results have been poor.
Naughton will remain a left-handed option for the Cardinals to consider in their times of need. Best used as more of a mop-up man than anything else, we can think of him as a pure innings eater to give them three innings as a starter in an emergency situation or deliver a frame or two in relief.
During his time in Triple-A this season, Naughton has been successful pitching in relief. It is clear that this is the role he is meant to have if he is going to stay in the big leagues. The Cardinals, with much better options around him, will definitely turn elsewhere as soon as they can.
Keep a close eye on the IL. It’s from there the Cardinals will find their upgrade for Naughton. The number of pitchers they’ve had go down with injuries is shameful—if there was anything about it to be ashamed of.