Cardinals countdown: Projecting St. Louis’ Opening Day roster
The time of year has arrived when the distance to spring training is measured in days rather than weeks or months.
Consequently, there is now enough information available to make educated projections about how a team’s roster is likely to look on Opening Day—though the St. Louis Cardinals will have a litany of choices to make.
There is still time for trades that could upset the projected roster balance. Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero are included here because, at the time of writing, those trades have not occurred.
If this is the group that convenes in two weeks in Jupiter, then this is perhaps the most likely outcome for roster spots selected from that group, health permitting.
Starting Pitchers (6)
Richard Fitts, Kyle Leahy, Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante
Injured List: Hunter Dobbins
There are two subgroups to be sorted out within the starters. Liberatore, May and McGreevy enter spring with incumbency and will be in the Opening Day rotation if each remains healthy.
The other three will likely compete for two spots, with one big asterisk on their positioning.
Leahy likely has a leg up over the other two given his success in the bullpen last season and the team’s desire to see that role continue.
The Cardinals are unlikely to commit to a firm six-man rotation, but they saw major benefits from their deployment of Steven Matz early in last year’s calendar.
That solution was partly due to a lack of trustworthy depth in the system but was successful enough that it is likely to be repeated with a swingman or sixth starter spot early in the season.
Dobbins is still recovering from a torn knee ligament that ended his 2025 season prematurely. At Winter Warm-Up, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom declined to set an expectation for Dobbins pitching in spring training games.
With uncertainty around his timeline, he is slotted for now on the injured list. If he is ready to go on Opening Day, it is likely that one of him, Fitts or Pallante will instead head to Triple-A Memphis; each has at least one option year remaining.
Bullpen (7)
Scott Blewett, Justin Bruihl, Riley O’Brien, Matt Pushard, JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek, Matt Svanson
O’Brien, Romero, Stanek and Svanson will enter camp with strong holds on the highest-leverage positions in the bullpen. Svanson’s particular success at handling multi-inning assignments last season sets him up to slide into the role vacated by Leahy’s move to the rotation.
Pushard, selected from Miami in the Rule 5 draft, is a bit of an unknown variable, but the Cardinals opted to select him knowing full well he would have to either make the team, be on the injured list, or be offered back to the Marlins.
Historically, the team has held onto Rule 5 pitchers even without certainty on how they fit (see Ryan Fernandez in 2024), so Pushard fits here by default.
So too does Bruihl, assuming the Cardinals keep a second left-hander rather than sliding Pallante back and deploying him in those spots. Claimed off waivers this winter, Bruihl is out of minor league options, so he is either on the team or floated through waivers. That gives him the edge over contenders like Nick Raquet and Jared Shuster.
Blewett, with veteran experience, appears a natural fit to stabilize the bullpen at the outset of the season, especially if there is hope he could emerge as a viable asset as the season unfolds. He struggled last year in his longest big-league stint and is on a minor league deal, so his spot is far from cemented.
Other right-handers with options who are likely to be seen in the majors this season include Fernandez, Gordon Graceffo, Andre Granillo and Chris Roycroft.
Catchers (3)
Jimmy Crooks, Iván Herrera, Pedro Pagés
Manager Oli Marmol has already conceded that the team won’t be able to make a full assessment of Herrera’s work behind the plate during spring training. That would create quite a risk should the Cardinals decide to carry only two catchers, and in recent years, they have not shied away from carrying three.
Crooks gets the nod here ahead of Yohel Pozo partially because of the confidence pitching coaches have in his game planning and partially for the different look he offers as a left-handed hitter.
That could allow him to be deployed as a pinch hitter for Pagés in some spots and even earn time as the designated hitter, though that will be a challenge with Donovan still on the roster.
Infielders (6)
Alec Burleson, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, Thomas Saggese, JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn
Entering spring training in 2023, the Cardinals advertised an opportunity (but not a guarantee) for Jordan Walker to make the Opening Day roster.
From the first day of spring, it was clear they had a preferred outcome for that competition, and it ended with Juan Yepez heading to Memphis. This is a different front office regime with different short-term expectations, but Wetherholt is a different player. The Cardinals have not tamped down expectations around their top prospect this winter, suggesting his path is just as clear.
With Donovan still on the team, that likely slots Wetherholt at third base and Gorman as something resembling a full-time DH. Donovan could also pick up some shifts in left field, with Wetherholt likely playing second and Gorman third in those scenarios. Donovan’s departure would make that alignment more permanent.
Perhaps the toughest decision is between Saggese and José Fermín for the last bench spot.
Fermín is out of options, and against the odds, the Cardinals have so far avoided putting him on waivers. Donovan’s presence also means fewer at-bats for whichever player makes the team, increasing the odds Saggese is instead sent to Memphis for regular playing time.
Saggese, though, has been mentioned as part of the solution at third; Fermín has not, so Saggese keeps his spot for now.
Outfielders (4)
Nathan Church, Victor Scott II, Nelson Velázquez, Jordan Walker
Injured List: Lars Nootbaar
With Josh Baez yet to reach Triple-A and no other established veteran signings, Velázquez’s status as a non-roster invitee makes him the only logical right-handed outfield bat with a real shot to make the club. His ability to play center field in a pinch is a plus, though Church will be the primary backup at that spot.
The fourth outfielder spot could also be absorbed by the infield, given Fermín’s ability to play the corners and the likelihood that Saggese will see time there in spring. If that happens, those two become the right-handed options in both the outfield and the infield.
Scott and Walker are the starters in center and right field, respectively, and will be given every opportunity to hit well enough to secure those spots.
Nootbaar’s offseason double heel surgery does not have a clear timetable for return, but it was a significant procedure, and until he proves he can go at game speed, it is fair to assume he will open the season on the injured list.
