3 more St. Louis Cardinals who won't be back next season

St. Louis Cardinals could float Juan Yepez as a trade option

Juan Yepez is still pre-arbitration, so if the Cardinals view him as part of their big-league future, even as a depth player, they should not trade him. However, Yepez was used primarily as an outfielder this past season. He has experience playing first base as well. His bat doesn't warrant time as a DH considering he hit just .183 this past season.

Yet, Yepez has shown flashes from time to time. That could make him a valuable throw-in in a trade for a starting pitcher. Joshua Jacobs of Redbird Rants is curious as to where Yepez would fit on the 2024 roster, thus making him expendable:

"For the Cardinals, there's not really a clear spot for Yepez to play with the mix of veteran and young talent they are prioritizing. While I don't fault them for that, what I do not understand is how they did not foresee that in the 2022 offseason, and traded Yepez then to maximize his value. Instead, they wasted an opportunity to improve as a club and wasted a year of Yepez's development," Jacobs wrote.

Yepez could be a decent player one day. It probably will not be in St. Louis.