The St. Louis Cardinals have taken some bold steps this season, dealing several top relievers at the trade deadline in exchange for promising prospects.
Now, the team might keep focusing on the future by parting ways with additional players. In reality, there are several individuals on the current roster who likely don’t have a long-term place in St. Louis.
“Like Hampson, Alcala has been well-traveled in 2025, with his Twins tenure coming to an end, resulting in a layover in Boston before making his way to St. Louis earlier this month,” Parello wrote. “Unlike the others, Alcala has shown reasons to be optimistic about his future over the past few weeks. As a Cardinal, the 30-year-old righty has pitched to a 1.69 ERA in an albeit limited sample of just 5.1 innings. He also did a serviceable job for the Red Sox with a 3.31 ERA over 16.1 innings of work in Beantown. Yet the bulk of his run this year came with the Twins, where he bled runs, posting an 8.88 ERA over 24.1 frames.
“However, the regression in 2025, combined with him entering his final year of arbitration, makes him an expendable middle innings piece. St. Louis can find an arm to fill those innings with either more upside or a cheaper price tag next season. Therefore, it makes sense to get a jump on that search and cut Alcala loose before the end of the season.”
The Cardinals are focused on building for the future, and Alcala doesn’t fit into those plans.
The right-handed pitcher has had a tough time and is nearing the end of his contract. It’s doubtful the Cardinals will want to re-sign him once the season is over, so it would be logical to replace him with a promising relief prospect.
St. Louis has every reason in the world to cut ties with Alcala, but practically no reason to keep him on the roster. The fact that he’s made it this far is shocking, but it shouldn’t continue any longer.
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