Cardinals’ roster math: Six Starters, a crowded bullpen, and an open outfield
With half of camp behind them and the regular season clock ticking ominously louder over the approaching horizon, the St. Louis Cardinals have learned at least a few things about the immediate state of their roster.
Without many big surprises and with one new addition whose fit is strong but not flawless, things in Jupiter have thus far proceeded largely as expected. Production will dictate from here.
Without taking into account any physical maladies which may crop up in the coming weeks, this should be a roster of energy and opportunity, but it will also be one on which there will be plenty of space for what could kindly be called growth opportunities.
Catchers
Iván Herrera, Pedro Pagés, Yohel Pozo
The team has made clear that its evaluation of Herrera behind the plate will stretch into the regular season. That necessitates three backstops, and there is room to work with finding the additional spot. Pozo, with the advantage of hitting right-handed, has also taken a significant amount of work at first base in order to make himself a viable backup to Alec Burleson at that spot. As a beloved teammate on top of that, putting him on the team feels like an inevitability.
That means a Leo Bernal/Jimmy Crooks timeshare is on deck for Triple-A Memphis, likely with a veteran hanging around in a mentorship role. This will be one of the first places in the system where the new development group will be truly tested to create enough space for both to flourish.
Infielders
Alec Burleson, Nolan Gorman, Ramón Urías, JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn
On the first scheduled day of official workouts for position players, the Cardinals headed out to their primarily-used back field and placed Burleson at first, Wetherholt at second, Gorman at third and Winn at short without any obvious backups. That is the starting infield, and has been the starting infield seemingly for a manner of months.
Adding Urías to the group during spring has allowed for some shifting of other righty bats to the outfield mix. It should also allow him to see a decent amount of action at third, moving Gorman to DH on some days, and second, if Wetherholt is less obviously ready than appears. The Cardinals also plan to get him some work at first base, with shortstop a lesser priority.
Utility
José Fermín, Thomas Saggese
Fermín’s likelihood of making the team is tied directly to his viability in left field. If he can’t take to the spot, then he’s a pretty strong redundancy with Urías, and it becomes harder to hold on to a player who is out of minor league options. For now, conservative roster management – and a history of holding onto him when it may have been easier to let go – keeps Fermín on the team.
Saggese, on the other hand, is being pointed at innings in centerfield as well as left, revealing a broader comfort the team has with his athleticism. He has also been mentioned as the default backup shortstop, which points to another roster tool in his belt.
Outfielders
Nathan Church, Victor Scott II, Jordan Walker
Injured list (1): Lars Nootbaar
Church, a superlative defender, is hard to leave off the team without an outrageous confidence in Saggese’s abilities in the outfield. Scott and Walker are locked into their starting positions.
Nelson Velázquez could be pointed toward the wrong kind of roster math. Without a spot on the 40-man, the Cardinals can send him easily to Memphis at the end of camp and see if the power arrives on schedule.
The outfield group may be the least settled and most volatile on the roster. If there is a late camp acquisition of any sort, this is the group which will receive the supplement, and it will not come as a tremendous shock.
Starting Pitchers
Richard Fitts, Kyle Leahy, Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante
Injured list (1): Hunter Dobbins
The Cardinals play none of the first four Thursdays in a five-Thursday April, and their opening day start on March 26 is followed by the traditional Friday off day. That quirk in the schedule could allow for one of the cleanest possible transitions into a pure six-man rotation – each of the six gets his one scheduled day a week, rests and recovers on the others.
That would be a bold approach to the first month of the season, but the Cardinals have shown strong commitment to protecting pitcher health.
If one of this group of six is perhaps currently most at risk of his spot wobbling, it would seemingly be Leahy, who hasn’t seen his desired results from his first two spring starts. Fitts, on the other hand, popped eyeballs with an impressive appearance in Port St. Lucie that will validate the decision to find him more innings.
Relievers
Gordon Graceffo, Packy Naughton, Riley O’Brien, JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek, George Soriano, Matt Svanson
This is a group with four concrete spots – O’Brien, Romero, Stanek, Svanson – and a fifth that will be a second lefty. That makes separating players into broad categories easier for competition, but it doesn’t shine much light on those competitions themselves, which are hearty.
Naughton has pitched well in spring and is beloved by his manager, teammates, and organization. It would be somewhat strange to risk losing Justin Bruihl, who has been perfectly adequate, on waivers, but Naughton is one of the feel good stories of camp, so there’s a thought to picking the upside. Nick Raquet is also a candidate in that derby, as is Brycen Mautz in a longer-use, more bulk innings type of role.
The two remaining roster spots will go to righties, and the construction of the rotation matters here. If the Cardinals hew close to a six-man in the season’s opening month, there will be some additional burden placed on the bullpen. That could give an edge to someone like Graceffo with an innings background, despite his missing some first-hand looks while away at the World Baseball Classic. He also has a minor league option remaining, as do the other candidates for this grab bag, Ryan Fernandez and Chris Roycroft. All three will have to overcome Matt Pushard’s Rule 5 protection.
Soriano was a desired player by the Cardinals throughout the winter and they gave up an optionable reliever to acquire him, so it will come as no surprise if they decide to protect the asset and hang on to him to open the year. Veteran Scott Blewett, a non-roster invitee, is also a factor on the outside of this decision process.
