Major League Baseball's regular season is nearing the quarter mark. Pitchers are closing in on double-digit starts, and position players are either at or beyond triple-digit plate appearances. This is, then, around the time of the year when teams start weighing serious changes to their rosters. If you need evidence of that, just consider what the St. Louis Cardinals did over the weekend with Willson Contreras.

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. Logistics often dictate these decisions. Players who have options — that is, the ability to be demoted without being subjected to waivers — offer simpler solutions than those without. 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.

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. The players are presented in reverse order of their perceived job security. 

1. Aaron Hicks, OF, Yankees

Season to date: .143/.213/.161 (7 OPS+) in 61 plate appearances

Remaining contract: ~$28 million combined through the 2025 season

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. Surely by now the Yankees must be rid of the delusion that he can still contribute. Hicks hasn't approached league-average offense since 2020. He's opened the season with a 3-for-40 showing against right-handed pitching. Prior to Sunday, he hadn't recorded an extra-base hit since last September. There are no underlying indicators suggesting a turnaround is likely. The Yankees' outfield isn't at full health, but that's no matter. 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. Just eat the money already.

2. Eric Hosmer, 1B, Cubs

Season to date: .250/.292/.357 (77 OPS+) in 89 plate appearances

Remaining contract: League minimum the rest of the season

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. A month-plus into the season, it's clearly time to move on. 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. 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.