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I don’t care about spring numbers, but if Scott hasn’t earned the starting CF job, then I am at a loss. From the games I’ve watched, he looks much more comfortable in the box and actually looks to have some solid gap power. While I love Siani’s defense, he didnt do nearly enough last year to have earned the job.
McGreevy also deserves a rotation spot even if it is by a 6 man rotation. He pitched well last year and made great strides in improving his pitch until last year. We need to transition or whatever word they are saying now by giving a young guy like him an opportunity.
I also think Walker is in RF opening day regardless beyond an injury. I’m hoping Luken Baker gets a shot just to see what he has with some off-season improvements. Between Contreras, Burly, and Gorman, we already have a lot of bad defenders / 1B types though. Maybe Donny gives Baker a chance though since he can be extra OF with Gorman at 2B. I don’t really like Gorman at 2B though.
C – Herrera
1B – Contreras
2B – Donovan
SS – Winn
LF – Nootbaar
CF – Scott
RF – WalkerBackup C – Pages
4th OF, Backup SS – Barrero
Backup IF (with 400+ PA) – Gorman
Bat – BakerRotation
1 – Gray
2 – Fedde
3 – Pallante
4 – Mikolas
5 – McGreevy
6 – MatzBullpen
Closer – Helsey
Setup – Fernandez
Setup – Romero
Middle – Maton
Middle – Liberatore
Middle – King
Long – LeahyI also would prefer to see Liberatore in the 6 man over Matz or Mikolas. Neither have much to offer and are dead weight. I know Brian will disagree with me here as I probably am holding out too much hope for Liberatore to be a serviceable SP.
Looking closer, I just think Baker will have a hard time getting many PA. He will be the weak side platoon for DH with Burly with maybe a game every 2 weeks at 1B. I would be tempted to go with Koperniak, but he is yet another LH. I still think Baker gets the nod, but I wouldn’t expect to see a lot of him as it is the bottom bench role.
AlbertTheMachine
I don’t care about spring numbers, but if Scott hasn’t earned the starting CF job, then I am at a loss. From the games I’ve watched, he looks much more comfortable in the box and actually looks to have some solid gap power. While I love Siani’s defense, he didnt do nearly enough last year to have earned the job.
You don’t care about spring number, but look at your very own lineup. By including Scott, you are blocking Gorman, a far superior prospect. Gorman’s horrid 2024 was still better than Scott’s (by almost a full 1 WAR) so you are explicitly relying on spring numbers.
Siani, imo, should be a complete afterthought in the decision.
You don’t care about spring number, but look at your very own lineup. By including Scott, you are blocking Gorman, a far superior prospect. Gorman’s horrid 2024 was still better than Scott’s (by almost a full 1 WAR) so you are explicitly relying on spring numbers.
Gorman is a couple of years removed from being a prospect. Both him and Scott were top 100 prospects so unsure on the point anyway. The only way Scott matters to Gorman is if Nootbaar is the everyday CF, and as much as I love Noot, he is below average in CF. Gorman will get a lot of playing time, but he isn’t a starter if you only have 9 spots unless it is over Burly at DH or Arenado is sent somewhere.
AlbertTheMachine
Gorman is a couple of years removed from being a prospect. Both him and Scott were top 100 prospects so unsure on the point anyway. The only way Scott matters to Gorman is if Nootbaar is the everyday CF, and as much as I love Noot, he is below average in CF. Gorman will get a lot of playing time, but he isn’t a starter if you only have 9 spots unless it is over Burly at DH or Arenado is sent somewhere.
Okay, a better way of saying it is that Gorman has more upside. He made the top 100 list all 4 years he was a prospect. And yes, I am referring to Noot in CF, Donovan in LF, and Gorman at 2B. Nootbaar is not a below-average centerfielder either.
I don’t want our young guys rotting on the bench and the lowest man on the totem pole is Scott, imo, who can spend a few months more in AAA, where just last year he had just a .597 OPS. I know Gorman wasn’t much better there last year, but he’s already had a +.800 OPS MLB season. The goal should be to try to get all of the young players 500+ PAs this year.
KeepComingBack
It’s about Scott vs Siani. We need offense.
That’s really the big problem. Yes, the Cards will absolutely play Siani too much in CF if Scotts not on the roster.
I think with Arenado on the team Walker is the weak link in the 10 guys for 9 spots, but I really doubt they would option him out again. Winn’s struggles this spring I think he needs moved down until he figures it out, take the pressure off. And even as well as he played last season for a rookie, his stats weren’t really leadoff hitter quality. They seem like they are going to give Arenado the veteran benefit too and not hit him 6th where he belongs, so something similar to today’s (3/19) line-up…
1. Donovan – LF (L) (Utility)
2. Contreras – 1B (R)
3. Nootbaar – RF (L)
4. Arenado – 3B (R)
5. Burleson – DH (L) (1B)
6. Herrera – C (R)
7. Gorman – 2B (L)
8. Winn – SS (R)
9. Scott – CF (L)
Fermin- IF/UT(R), Baker- DH(R), Siani- OF(L), Pages- C(R)vs. LHP could leave most of it the same and swap Baker in for Burleson. Maybe Fermin in LF, Donovan in RF, Nootbaar in CF some days too to get Fermin so AB’s.
I’ve posted somewhere else, I don’t remember which thread, but I like the idea of a 6 man rotation. Gray, Fedde, Pallante pitching every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. M-Th are made up of Mikolas, Matz, McGreevy. If there is a 7th game for the week, which doesn’t happen all that often really then Liberatore and Leahy combo could give 5-6 innings or option out Leahy, bring up a AAA SP for the game, then option out that SP, and bring in Roycroft for a week or so, then Leahy could be brought back. McGreevy needs a shot. The only way Mikolas and Matz have trade value in a few months is to be starting them. The other 3 are going to start.
Gray, Fedde, Pallante, Mikolas, Matz(L), McGreevy
Liberatore(L), King(L), Leahy/Roycroft, Maton, Romero(L), Fernandez, HelsleyI would be surprised if they kept both Scott and Siani. Surely one of them is going to Memphis.
The other battle is for the utility bench spot between Barrero and Fermin.
I don’t really think they will keep Siani up, but do you keep Walker up and not playing every day? If he’s up hes going to play every day. So then who becomes the odd man out? None of the others in that starting 9 deserve to sit either. I think Fermin has done enough to make the team, Barrero is close, Fermin adding some LF/RF play helps him. Barrero SS and CF primary positions help him. Deciding factor to me is Fermin is on the 40 man and Barrero isn’t. Barrero can go to AAA and play all over the place with Helman and either be ready when they are needed.
I found where I explained what I’d do with the rotation, near the bottom of this,
Siani was a stop-gap when Edman and Carlson were injured. I’d be willing to start Scott, Barrero or Koperniak in CF. Turn the page on Siani.
Siani has option years and they will option him. I’m perfectly fine with Barrero over Siani for the bench. But I really don’t know that they option Walker, even if right now it looks like the best thing to do for this roster construction. If Arenado is moved at some point it would open up for Walker to be back in RF, Nootbaar to LF, Donovan to 2B, Gorman to 3B…but we’ll have to wait for that day. Koperniak needs to be in a corner, CF out of necessity only. Nootbaar is a better CF option than Koperniak. Who gets DFA for Barrero? I think it would come down to Loutos or Munoz. AAA SP of Matthews, Hence*, Robberse*, Roby*, Munoz*/Graceffo*. Pen Munoz*/Graceffo*, Rom(L)(Healthy?) Bedell, Gomez, Raquet/Mosqueda(L), Weiss, Granillo, Kaminzky(L), Loutos*, Roycroft*, Anderson, O’Brien*, Svanson*. Thats a lot of RP and none overly impressive, so DFA Munoz or Loutos. Anderson is available for all teams to claim per his contract when they sent him to minor league camp. Cardinals either let the team claim him or block it by adding him to the active roster and paying him the major league portion of his contract, which I think was set at $1.1 million.
Walker is starting in RF for the Cards Opening Day. Everything the FO has said and the potential Walker brings makes this seem like a done deal
Despite not having Gorman in the starting lineup, he is going to get a lot of playing time. Winn does not have enough OBP to be the leadoff at this phase in his career.
1. Donovan – 2B
2. Contreras – 1B
3. Nootbaar – LF
4. Arenado – 3B
5. Burleson – DH
6. Walker – RF
7. Herrera – C
8. Winn – SS
9. Scott – CFGorman plays 2B when Donovan, Nootbaar (Donny in LF), Walker (Noot to RF, Donny to LF), or Scott (Noot to CF and Donny to LF) need a day off. 3B when Arenado needs a day off, and DH when Burly or Contreras (Burly to 1B) need a day off. That is still probably 5 starts a week. Gorman definitely needs a lot of play time to see if he can tap into his full potential as we really don’t have much to lose this season.
I don’t know how the ’25 Redbird 26 man will pan out, but I’m reasonably certain that it won’t pan out as well as the trade of Tommy Edman has panned out for the Dodgers…Little Eddie ripped the first tater of the ’25 season in Tokyo Town the other day…Haha! He’s the new face of the Dodgers franchise!
José Fermín has made the #STLCards Opening Day roster, per sources. He’ll serve as the back-up utility role/a contact bat off the bench.
The Cardinals hope to finalize their 26-man roster before they break camp on Sunday.
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) March 21, 2025
TD: I sure miss Tommy Edman but I’m delighted he gets to play with a winner instead of diddling around in the middle of the standings with a bunch of resetters.
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