St. Louis Cardinals fans had a good idea of who was going to be on their Opening Day roster entering spring training in large part due to John Mozeliak's uninspiring offseason.
Mozeliak tried his hardest to trade Nolan Arenado, but for reasons mostly out of his control, was unable to do so. It's tough to blame him too much for that outcome, but Mozeliak does deserve blame for refusing to part with any other veterans on the team's roster.
His unwillingness to trade any veterans not named Arenado makes it unlikely for several Cardinals young players who would benefit from receiving regular playing time at the MLB level to do so, at least to start the year. That much is clear, based on the Cardinals' projected Opening Day roster.
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Cardinals Opening Day lineup
Batting Order | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
1 | Masyn Winn | SS |
2 | Lars Nootbaar | LF |
3 | Willson Contreras | 1B |
4 | Nolan Arenado | 3B |
5 | Brendan Donovan | 2B |
6 | Ivan Herrera | C |
7 | Alec Burleson | DH |
8 | Jordan Walker | RF |
9 | Victor Scott II | CF |
St. Louis' Opening Day lineup is a lot better than most will probably give it credit for. It lacks the star power needed to seriously compete for a World Series, but there are seven bonafide big-league hitters in this order. Even without a star in the middle of their order, the Cardinals should score a good amount of runs.
Where this lineup really gets interesting is at the bottom two spots. Jordan Walker is going to get every possible chance to take the reins in right field and never give them up. He has not had the spring he has wanted, going just 3-for-22 with 11 strikeouts and also missing some time after suffering one of the strangest knee injuries you'll ever see, but he was, once upon a time, one of the best prospects in the game. The Cardinals should not and will not give up on him yet; it's on him to produce with the opportunity he's getting.
The only spot really up for grabs right now is center field. Michael Siani entered spring training as the likely frontrunner for the position, given his excellent glove and the fact that he was the team's primary center fielder last season, but he has gone just 4-for-35 this spring. Scott, on the other hand, is 14-for-39 (.359 batting average) with three home runs and six RBI. Scott has also stolen five bases and drawn seven walks.
Siani might have more MLB success under his belt, but Scott has outplayed him by a wide margin in spring training. If the Cardinals are serious about giving their young players ample opportunity to play, there's no reason for Scott, a 24-year-old former top prospect who has excelled at the plate this spring while already offering a solid glove and game-changing speed, to not get the first crack. An argument can be made that his leash shouldn't be long, but he should get most of the chances in center field, especially when a right-hander is on the mound.
Cardinals Opening Day rotation
Rotation Order | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Sonny Gray |
2 | Erick Fedde |
3 | Miles Mikolas |
4 | Andre Pallante |
5 | Steven Matz |
There are two words to describe this Cardinals rotation: old and underwhelming. Four of the five arms in this projected rotation are over the age of 32, and four of the five project as nothing more than mid-rotation arms at best. That isn't exactly what you want on a team that is prioritizing youth and upside, at least according to Mozeliak.
Sonny Gray, the ace of the staff and Opening Day starter, is 35 years old, is coming off a dreadful second half of the 2024 campaign, and has looked awful in spring training. His track record is rock-solid, so there's no reason to expect him to have a bad year, but it's hard to get too excited about him being the team's ace.
As for the rest of the rotation, it feels as if it's a matter of when, not if, the Cardinals will have enough of them. Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, and Steven Matz are all at least 32 years of age and are all in their final years under contract. Mikolas has a no-trade clause and Matz is making a lot of money, but it'd be wise for the Cardinals to capitalize on Fedde's value sooner rather than later, especially so they can give younger arms like Michael McGreevy and Quinn Mathews a chance to perform at the MLB level.
Cardinals Opening Day bench
- Pedro Pages (C)
- Luken Baker (1B)
- Nolan Gorman (INF)
- Jose Fermin (INF/OF)
Of this four-man bench unit, Nolan Gorman is the most intriguing by far. Gorman hit 27 home runs and had a .805 OPS in 2023, displaying legitimate star potential, but he had a disastrous 2024 campaign, leading to an eventual demotion down to Triple-A. Gorman should get lots of playing time, but given how poorly last season went, he's going to have to earn regular reps during the regular season.
The other intriguing bench piece is Luken Baker, a power-hitting first baseman who has hit four home runs with a .996 OPS this spring and has put together back-to-back 30 home run seasons in Triple-A, but hasn't done much in his limited MLB opportunities. He should have an opportunity to platoon with Alec Burleson as the team's DH against left-handed pitching.
The one spot seemingly up for grabs right now is Jose Fermin's. His strong spring (.830 OPS), solid speed (89th percentile in sprint speed according to Baseball Savant), and his ability to play several positions make him a logical option. With that being said, though, it would not be shocking to see the Cardinals give that spot to Siani, prioritizing his glove in late-game situations.
Cardinals Opening Day bullpen
- Ryan Helsley
- JoJo Romero
- Phil Maton
- Ryan Fernandez
- Matthew Liberatore
- John King
- Kyle Leahy
- Chris Roycroft
The Cardinals might not have too many leads after six or seven innings, but their late-game relievers are rock-solid. Ryan Helsley might be the best closer in the National League, JoJo Romero recorded 30 holds last season, and Phil Maton, the team's lone free agency addition, had a 1.99 ERA in his final 42 regular season appearances in 2024 following a rough start.
This bullpen also has intriguing upside in addition to their solid late-game trio. Ryan Fernandez pitched really well in his debut season after the Cardinals selected him from the Boston Red Sox in last offseason's Rule-5 Draft. Matthew Liberatore pitched well enough to the point where he might even earn some rotation consideration (although it's probably unlikely that the Cardinals have a six-man rotation). Even right-handers Kyle Leahy and Chris Roycroft pitched pretty well in low-leverage last season. They both figure to make the team after the Cardinals sent Nick Anderson down to Triple-A.
What will really be interesting is to see what this bullpen looks like in August. Helsley and Maton are in their final seasons of club control, and Romero is only under control through the 2026 campaign. If the Cardinals are out of contention, we could very well see one or all of those late-game arms get traded, which would open up spots for younger arms and make this unit a whole lot worse.
This bullpen should be solid late in games, but again, who knows how many games the Cardinals will be winning before they elect to use their best relievers.