3 St. Louis Cardinals who won't be on the roster by the trade deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals should be better in 2024 after a disastrous 2023 season. They finally addressed their pitching staff and at least have more options to turn to if things go wrong.

Still, their roster isn't set in stone, and the cracks are starting show with an old rotation. A return to the postseason is far from a guarantee, despite the NL Central being one of the weaker divisions in baseball.

Whether they are in contention or not, there are a few players that may be gone by the time the trade deadline comes around. Here are three that are likely to be traded or disposed of before then.

3. Brandon Crawford

The Cardinals signed Brandon Crawford to serve as an insurance policy in case Masyn Winn struggles at the plate. But Winn wasn't the only question mark heading into the season.

St. Louis will begin 2024 without Tommy Edman, who is recovering from offseason wrist surgery. But when Edman returns, it's very likely that the Cardinals won't have much use for Crawford, even if Winn does struggle at the plate. That is, unless Crawford gets hot at the plate and returns to his old form.

But at 37, that isn't likely. Whether he'll be traded or released obviously isn't clear at the present moment, but Crawford may become expendable once Edman makes his return from the injured list.

The 37-year-old veteran hit just .194 last year with the San Francisco Giants before hitting free agency. He was part of two Giants World Series championship teams, both of which beat the Cardinals in the NLCS to advance to the Fall Classic.

The Cardinals might not be able to get much for him, so it's very possible that Crawford could be released or designated for assignment once some of the Cardinals regulars return.

2. Kyle Gibson

While it's still only spring training, the Cardinals can't like what they're seeing out of Kyle Gibson thus far.

It's clear that by the time the trade deadline comes around, they'll need to upgrade their starting rotation if they're in postseason contention, and running Gibson out to the mound every fifth day is not going to cut it.

This spring, Gibson has allowed at least four runs in all three of his starts. This past Monday, he allowed eight runs, five of them earned against the Miami Marlins. At a certain point, the Cardinals are going to have to admit that signing him to a one-year, $12 million contract was not the right move.

Again, it's still spring training, but the regular season is approaching fast, and just because Gibson can give them innings doesn't mean he'll be a viable starter. If he struggles early in the season, the Cardinals may be forced to make an early trade or even plug Zack Thompson into the rotation.

Gibson owns a 10.80 ERA this spring and is already 36 years old. The Cardinals would have been better off waiting and ultimately signing somebody like Jordan Montgomery instead of Gibson.

1. Paul Goldschmidt

This may seem a bit outlandish to Cardinals fans, and understandably so. Goldschmidt is a centerpiece in their offense and isn't far removed from his MVP campaign.

However, he'll be turning 37 in September and he's also in the final year of his contract. Whether the Cardinals are in contention or not, they should capitalize on the opportunity to trade the former MVP.

The team will need controllable starting pitching at the deadline, and Goldschmidt might be the best way for them to get something of value. The Cardinals should try to do what the Los Angeles Angels failed to do with Shohei Ohtani last year at the deadline.

Obviously, Goldschmidt won't command as hefty of a package as Ohtani would have at this point in his career, and it will be harder for the Cardinals to do this if they are in contention. But they have plenty of depth on the offensive side, including top outfield prospect Victor Scott II, who is likely to be the center fielder of the future, and they need to clear out any logjams on their roster.

It's unlikely that the Cardinals will want to bring back Goldschmidt in 2025 anyway, so it would be better to deal him and get something for him rather than let him walk for nothing.

If they're in contention, they'll need to look for another contender in need of a bat and make a need-for-need swap to bolster their pitching staff, especially with only one starter, Sonny Gray under contract beyond the 2025 season.