![]() Unfortunately, Kimbrel has been scorched in most of his other appearances, including his two most recent games against the Dodgers. From a results perspective he was, in a sense, his vintage self. He even struck out 13 of the 24 batters he faced during that time. Indeed, he spent much of April putting together an eight-appearance stretch where he allowed no runs on three hits and a walk. Remaining contract: ~$7.5 million the rest of the season Season to date: 8.25 ERA (53 ERA+), 1.89 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 12 innings The Cardinals can no longer afford to wait. The truth is, he hasn't been on the right side of the replacement-level line since 2019, per Baseball Reference. Maybe if Hicks had a history of successfully walking the tightrope you could justify keeping him around until deeper in the summer. He's also uncorked five wild pitches, or as many as he did last season in 61 innings. In his first 14 appearances this season, he's surrendered 11 earned runs on 17 hits and 14 walks. On the other hand, the Cardinals need to shake up their pitching staff something fierce, and Hicks is arguably the most obvious candidate to go. Outlook: On one hand, the 26-year-old Hicks possesses some of the best arm strength in the world (his sinker is averaging 100.7 mph). Remaining contract: ~$1.38 million the rest of the season Season to date: 7.62 ERA (57 ERA+), 1.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 13 innings If rookie Matt Mervis shows any kind of spark in the coming weeks, the Cubs will have no choice but to acknowledge the writing on the wall and move on - especially if they remain a good weekend away from occupying first place. Hosmer's exit-velocity readings are down, his ground ball percentage is up, and he's the third wheel in the Cubs' first base/DH timeshare. A month-plus into the season, it's clearly time to move on. Outlook: You can understand why the Cubs took a spin on Hosmer: he's cheap (the Padres are paying him well to not play for them), and they likely didn't anticipate being serious threats in the National League Central this season. Remaining contract: League minimum the rest of the season You don't have to understand or agree with the replacement-level concept to agree on this much: there are scores of minor-league outfielders who, given the opportunity, could provide the Yankees with more than Hicks has to date. ![]() The Yankees' outfield isn't at full health, but that's no matter. There are no underlying indicators suggesting a turnaround is likely. Prior to Sunday, he hadn't recorded an extra-base hit since last September. He's opened the season with a 3-for-40 showing against right-handed pitching. Hicks hasn't approached league-average offense since 2020. Surely by now the Yankees must be rid of the delusion that he can still contribute. Outlook: Hicks and the Yankees have been heading toward a divorce since late last season, when he publicly expressed frustration with his role despite poor play. Remaining contract: ~$28 million combined through the 2025 season The players are presented in reverse order of their perceived job security. With that in mind, we here at CBS Sports decided this was a good time to examine five veteran players who we feel might be on the wrong side of a headline in the coming weeks based on their early season performance and their team's situation. By that same token, it's easier to cut a player making the league minimum than it is to release a player who is making significant coin: the former is trivia, the latter is a headline. ![]() Players who have options - that is, the ability to be demoted without being subjected to waivers - offer simpler solutions than those without. In many cases, teams are not pondering how to maximize a player's output, they're wondering if said player should even be on the roster. Louis Cardinals did over the weekend with Willson Contreras. If you need evidence of that, just consider what the St. This is, then, around the time of the year when teams start weighing serious changes to their rosters. Pitchers are closing in on double-digit starts, and position players are either at or beyond triple-digit plate appearances. Major League Baseball's regular season is nearing the quarter mark.
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