3 position battles that will define Cardinals Spring Training and who will win

Battle for RP

John King

John King spent three full seasons with the Texas Rangers before being traded to the Cardinals midway through last season. King has been a reliable reliever throughout his big league career, posting a 3.45 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP in 140 innings pitched.

What else does King have going for him in this battle? Firstly, he is arguably the Cardinal's best left-handed reliever -- something that all good bullpens possess is at least one solid LHP. Where does King lack in this battle? His K/9 has decreased with every year spent in the major leagues and was 4.82 last year. The other two relievers I will mention have better swing-and-miss stuff than King

Andre Pallante 

Andre Pallante was a part-time starter with the Cards in 2022 and was then switched to a full-time reliever in 2023. As the starting rotation for St Louis is already basically set, and the remaining competition is fierce, Pallante will be looking to secure a spot in the team's opening day ‘pen.

In 2023, Pallante pitched 68 innings, had a 4.76 ERA, a WHIP of 1.56, and a K/9 of 5.93. By these numbers, King may have a slight advantage over Pallante, but that's what spring training is really all about: Letting the boys battle it out and letting their actions do the talking. 

Gordon Graceffo 

Born in 2000, Graceffo is another dark horse candidate to make this team. What he lacks in minor league service time, he makes up for with his impressive stuff and maturity on the mound.

In the 2022 AA season, Graceffo, in 93.2 innings of work, had a 3.94 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He took a step back in 2023 with the AAA ballclub, posting a 4.92 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Those numbers aren’t spectacular, but the trust and belief the organization has shown this young man leads me to believe that he will be given a fair chance to earn a spot on the opening-day roster. Just watch and see. 

Prediction: The Cardinals will need two of these players in their opening-day bullpen. I think they will choose John King and Andre Pallante (narrowly having a better spring than Graceffo).