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I think our starters will be much better than last years. Liberatore hit an innings wall last year, and should be better. I’m not saying we have 5 Cy Young candidates, but it isn’t hard to replace Mikolas, Fedde, and Pallante. We have younger arms with potential. Pallante has had a good spring, and if he struggles, he can be replaced. Mathews and Mautz should be able to replace him. Henderson and Dobbins will add to the mix eventually. Doyle in the next few years too.
Pallante is a lot like Leberatore, no consistency from start to start. One good outing followed by a poor one. Also, they are both entering their fifth seasons.
I think McGreevy has a lot more upside. He doesn’t walk many batters. Also, he averaged over 2/3 of an inning per start more than Pallante or Liberatore.Wetherholt isn’t the only one lucky to get gifted a roster spot and at least he is over the Mendoza line. Pages is hitting .154. Scott hitting .143. Fermin might get a spot, he’s hitting .179. Walker hitting .176. Gorman is only hitting .235. Any prospects hoping to play their way on would get trampled by a herd of sacred cows.
I think it’s a great idea to pick the team based solely on Spring Training batting average on one particular Tuesday in Spring Training. Just ignore everything else! This team management stuff is so much easier to do than we thought!
At this point of the preseason, I would like the position players to be:
C – Pages
1B – Burleson
2B – Saggese
SS – Winn
3B – Gorman
LF – Velazquez
CF – Scott
RF – Church
DH – HerreraBench – Pozo, Fermin, Urias, Torres
I am concerned with how much Wetherholt’s average has dropped in the last week or so. Maybe he needs to start out at Memphis. Walker needs to go to Memphis and work on things to get back to his potential he showed in 2023.
After last Friday’s game, Wetherholt was hitting .273 with over 1000 points of OPS. Everyone was excited. Now he has played 2 more games and gone 0 for his last 6 at bats and now everyone is concerned because he’s only hitting .214.
The reality is neither the 1000 points of OPS nor the .214 BA matters one bit. It’s small sample size. It’s Spring Training.
I’m quite convinced myself that Wetherholt is at least the 3rd best hitter today on this team as currently constructed after watching a full season of him. There is no reason for him not to make the team. Holding him back would be seen as playing games with his service time. He’s ready. And this team needs him.
For those hoping to see a change with Walker’s role to start the season, it is not happening.
“We’re going to have to see this through. He’s going to play. We have to figure out how to get the best version of Jordan Walker.”
More from toiling in the lab: https://t.co/FXmr6qQ5gv
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) March 18, 2026
BB/K better explains small samples by showing who is competing in the batters box and who isn’t, before BA’s BAbip has an influence.
None of Winn, JJ and “that guy” have a good BA. Check their BB/K’s.
“We have to figure out how to get the best version of Jordan Walker”
This is not the type of thing you “figure out” with a 23 year old at the major league level.
They have the past two seasons to look at for data that indicates sticking him into the ML lineup didn’t work.
Maybe they don’t want him in Memphis taking ABs away from a prospect there?
I am sure they have discussed this among themselves over and over again and have made a consensus decision to start him in RF for the big league club.
If he continues to flop I wonder how long his leash is? 6 weeks? 8 weeks? Then what? Back to AAA and revisit him if he starts crushing it there or – kick him loose if he still can’t even hit at that level?
Bench – Pozo, Fermin, Urias, Torres
How is Pozo’s defense? Remember the 2002 club? Matheny was the starting catcher, but Difelice started about a third of the games. This arrangement didn’t seem to hurt the club, as they won 97 games and the nl central.
If we can do that with a contending team, what do we have to lose with a rebuilding squad? Especially if we have a logjam of catchers.
BB/K does the same for pitchers in these ST sample sizes. Who is competing in the zone and who isn’t.
Naughton, Libby and McG? Favorites this ST for good reason. Soriano and Roycroft can make a case.
Well this might clear up the starting pitching staff: (per transaction page)
03/18/26 – St. Louis Cardinals optioned RHP Richard Fitts to Memphis Redbirds.
This as well:
Libby gets the ball in St. Louis!
Matthew Liberatore is our 2026 Opening Day starter! pic.twitter.com/yiKgDI8W5P
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 18, 2026
With Fitts being optioned, everything is pretty well set except the last 2 bullpen spots. Wetherholt & Velasquez would be in with Saggese out (unless he stays up for Urias who did play some today). The starting 5 are pretty much cemented with Pallante and Leahy joining the core 3. Romero, Stanek, Svanson, O’Brien, Bruhil, Soriano seem like near sure things as the first 6 in the pen. The last 2 in the bullpen will be some combination of Graceffo, Pushard, and Roycroft. Blewett is still there as well but they would have to create yet another 40-man spot for him if he were added.
IMO – Graceffo is the best of the 3 and should make it. I think Pushard will be the other just to give him a little longer runway rather than returning him to the Marlins so quickly. However, the advantage of keeping Roycroft up and returning Pushard to Miami is it frees up a 40-man spot for Wetherholt or Velasquez. I’m good with either route. Pushard has not impressed but I’m also not that concerned about losing someone like Prieto, Fernandez, or Raquet off the 40-man.
Fernandez seems to have already pitched his way off the team. It might be time to recycle that 40 man spot. Yeah, he could be claimed, easy come, easy go.
We may start 10 guys this season since 162 games is a long runway. First 5 SP’s at the front of the line was fairly predictable. How long they hold their role is up to them.
This team is going to struggle to hit, small sample size or not, it is not like this should be a surprise with what they are putting out there…the opening day OF could possibly be the worst hitting OF in team history.
Fitts I don’t think was starter ready judging by his IP or numbers. Maybe Memphis is the way to go for starters.
Idk about JJ but if he bombs they can send him down. Only issue is who is the lamb who gets sacrificed? It’s going to be a depth piece if he’s kept.
Can Jordan play left field? You don’t have to athletic to play there? I like that he is pretty sure handed when he does catch it at third. I think it’s time to add Jordan, and/or call up Prieto. They might struggle, but they need MLB experience. It’s not like our usual lineup has anyone that is raking. (Except for today)
C27 asked:
Can Jordan play left field?
Not sure anyone can answer that because he has never played in the outfield in five-plus pro seasons.
Not sure anyone can answer that because he has never played in the outfield in five-plus pro seasons.
Not that he couldn’t but it would be an odd move to learn it now.
We have Church. Who else do we need?
We have Church. Who else do we need?
The plan is to activate Nootbaar the day he is eligible to come off the 60 day, which is May 24. I just saw where Derrick Goold mentioned that. A RH outfield bat would be nice, but the situation doesn’t seem to require getting all crazy playing fantasy league GM with a promising player like Jordan. Josh Baez is off to a rather slow start, but seems likely to be worth taking a look at later this year.
We could use some better RH bats on the roster though. Our present bench guys are not contributing much. Jordan and Ramon Mendoza (9th year in the org!) seem like they might be better than what we have. We have to be mindful to retain OF depth, but one of Saggese, Fermin, Urias could be swapped out. The problem with swapping a bench guy is then the promising prospect either sits on the bench or instigates a lineup chinese fire drill.
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