Aug 11, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pinch runner Garrett Hampson (13) is congratulated by right fielder Jordan Walker (18) after scoring against the Colorado Rockies during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Cardinals Rumors: St. Louis Pushed To Cut Ties With 8-Year Veteran OF

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals are slowly falling out of the postseason race, which shouldn't come as a surprise. They don't have a postseason roster with postseason talent. In fact, there are a few players on the roster who wouldn't make any other big league team, including the Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins.

The Cardinals need to cut bait with the bottom-of-the-barrel players on the roster in the coming weeks. This could allow for prospects to come up and make their debut rather than continuing to run out the struggling veterans.

Stephen Parello of Redbird Rants recently urged the Cardinals to cut ties with utility man Garrett Hampson in the coming days. Hampson has been a net-negative for the Cardinals on the year but provides depth and a baserunning threat as a pinch runner.

Garrett Hampson should be cut by the Cardinals in the coming weeks

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"Garrett Hampson certainly brings versatility to the table, spending time at every position except first base and catcher this season," Parello wrote. "While that has some value, there isn't much upside to be had by keeping the 30-year-old around.

"Never known for his bat, the light-hitting Hampson put together the best season of his career back in 2023 with the Miami Marlins, hitting .276/.349/.380. That season was very much an outlier for him, and in 2025, he's reached new levels of futility at the dish, slashing just .147/.256/.173 with a 31.5% strikeout rate. There's a reason why the Cardinals are Hampson's third team this season alone, and the smart move would be to move on and let him find another opportunity elsewhere."

All that Hampson provides to the team is a late-inning defensive substitute and pinch runner. He's solid in that role, as he's a good defender and pretty quick. But competitive teams don't tend to roster a net-negative player for a role like this. Hampson is worth negative WAR and provides next to zero threat at the plate.

Cutting ties with the veteran outfielder should have been a decision made weeks ago. But it's better late than never. The Cardinals should waive him in the coming days.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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