3 Players Who Won't Be on the St. Louis Cardinals After 2020 Season

The Cardinals are fresh off a 2019 NL Central title, but things could look a lot different in St. Louis after this season. At some point or another, the Cardinals have to make space on both their roster and payroll for their next generation of young talent to come up, and that might mean letting go of some of their most experienced, fan-favorite players. Here are three players that the Cardinals won't be able to retain in 2021.

3. Matt Wieters

Cardinals catcher Matt Wieters follows through on a swing during a Spring Training game against the Astros. / Rich Schultz/Getty Images

If there's one veteran to bet on St. Louis re-signing next offseason, it's catcher Yadier Molina, as long as he'd like to stay. Given that, it's doubtful the Cardinals bring Matt Wieters back into the fold for the 2021 season. The 33-year old backstop produced a .214 batting average in St. Louis last season and doesn't have the same power at the plate he once had in Baltimore. The Cardinals re-signed him to another one-year deal for this season and, unless he revitalizes his career in 2020, it'll be his last in St. Louis -- they may have to move onto cheaper backup options.

2. Andrew Miller

Cardinals pitcher Andrew Miller, right, celebrates a save with Wieters following a win over the Dodgers. / Jeff Curry/Getty Images

While relief pitcher Andrew Miller was arguably at the peak of his pro career when the Cardinals signed him ahead of the 2019 season, things have gone south for him since. Miller was a back-to-back All-Star in 2016 and 2017 with the Yankees and Indians, but the southpaw has struggled to adjust to recent bodily troubles. All of a sudden, Miller turns 35 next month, and had his worst ERA since 2011 last year. With a $12 million vesting option on the books, Miller will have another "year" in St. Louis if he appears in 37 games in 2020. If that happens, the team can buy him out for just $2.5 million, but his injury issues seem to make that very unlikely. Odds are he's done in St. Louis.

1. Adam Wainwright

The Cardinals pitching staff watches Adam Wainwright warm up before his first Spring Training start. / Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Yes, we're predicting the end of the road for Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright. The veteran starter originally came over as a prospect in the trade that sent J.D. Drew to the Braves, and Wainwright proved to be much more than that. The 38-year-old dominated the National League as one of its most consistent starting pitchers for a large bulk of his career, but he's since struggled to stay healthy. Uncle Charlie was a free agent this past offseason, and St. Louis agreed with the righty on a one-year reunion. 2020 is primed to be a unique challenge for Wainwright -- he was only able to make 23 5.00-ERA starts in 2017, followed up by eight starts in 2018. His 2019 season featured a hefty workload of 171.2 regular season innings pitched, followed by 16.2 sterling postseason innings. If the wear and tear on his arm turn that into a last gasp, this should be a mutually-agreed-upon ending to an amazing career.