Cardinals Rumors: 3 players who won’t be on the roster by July 1

Cardinals who won’t be back: Oscar Mercado

The St. Louis Cardinals need to clear up their outfield jam, but this isn’t the roster move fans were hoping for, at least not yet.

Several Cards outfielders are currently on the injured list, hence the call-up of Jordan Walker. Oscar Mercado is filling one of those voids as well. However, when Dylan Carlson and Lars Nootbaar are activated off the injured list, which should happen in the month of June, someone will have to go back down. Expect that someone to be Oscar Mercado, assuming he doesn’t hit the cover off the ball.

Mercado is already losing work to the likes of Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson, two players with a more proven track record in the majors. While sending Mercado down makes sense once their two starting outfielders return, it’s not so simple, as outlined by MLB Trade Rumors:

"“Mercado is out of minor league options, so it could be a short stay on the big league roster for him once O’Neill and/or Carlson can return to the lineup. The Cards won’t be able to send Mercado down without first passing him through waivers, which would make him a DFA candidate once the outfield is at full strength.”"

Nonetheless, Mercado is a player the Cards can afford to lose, as much as they make like him off the bench. Expect him to hit waivers at some point this month, and potentially leave St. Louis altogether.