St. Louis Cardinals: Cards set sights on holding Cubs in 2016

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Oct 9, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham (60) is congratulated by manager Mike Matheny (22) after the game against the Chicago Cubs in game one of the NLDS at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports /

St. Louis Cardinals to rely on core players as club seeks fourth straight division title.

After a record breaking season for the St. Louis Cardinals that ended abruptly in Chicago and amid an offseason that has not yet produced the impact moves that the Cardinals have anticipated, perhaps the start of a new year is welcome in St. Louis.

It has not been a mystery to St. Louis Cardinals’ fans, that this winter has been a harsh one; and I do not mean the weather. The reality is the top targets on the team’s offseason wish list ended up in another jersey that does not say ‘Cardinals’ on it.

The influx of money the Cardinals had to spend remains in their pockets, and the outlook for the 2016 season instead sits on the shoulders of the same core that has carried the team now to three consecutive division titles.

World Series championships, of course, are not won in December, but do not let that stifle conversation about the season ahead. So, as the countdown to Spring Training begins, here are five questions to consider as the St. Louis Cardinals set their sights on a deeper postseason run in 2016.

Next: Is there enough rotation depth?

Sep 30, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright (50) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 8-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Is there enough rotation depth?

This is my number one concern with the St. Louis Cardinals at the moment, even after acquiring starter Mike Leake. With the departure of John Lackey and Lance Lynn undergoing Tommy John surgery, the Cardinals’ have to replace 40 percent of the 979 2/3 innings covered by their starters in 2015.

Getting Adam Wainwright back will go along way in doing that, but is that enough? As always every year, there are perpetual injury concerns with Jaime Garcia, and Carlos Martinez is working his way back from a shoulder injury that prematurely ended his season.

I will go ahead and answer my question from the above paragraph and say that Adam Wainwright will be the National League leader in wins this season with 20+. The competitive drive that Wainwright posses will mark for an epic comeback seaso

The St. Louis Cardinals did make their first significant free-agency splash in late December as they agreed to terms on a deal with Mike Leake who would help fill that innings gap.

Leake has made at least 30 starts in four straight season. With injuries and setbacks inevitable, the Cardinals will also most likely need contributions from their young talent in Tim Cooney, Tyler Lyons and Marco Gonzales at some point during the season.

Next: Where will an uptick in offense come from?

Aug 29, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Stephan Piscotty (55) hits a triple in the ninth inning against the in the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports. Cardinals won 6-0 /

2. Where will an uptick in offense come from?

After being left stranded at the alter by Jason Heyward, the Cardinals pivoted their pursuit towards pitching. That meant that a club ranked 24th in runs scored last season will rely on many of those same players to produce at a higher clip in 2016.

It is most definitely a calculated risk that the St. Louis Cardinals are willing to gamble with, but one that the production for Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk when giving both a full season of at-bats.

Having Matt Holliday and Matt Adams healthy again could boost the team’s power output. As we look at Holliday, with the shape this man keeps himself in he is going to be very capable of hitting 20+ home runs as he is still one of the better hitters in the game today, that takes very solid at bats.

With the addition of Jedd Gyorko should allow the St. Louis Cardinals to better keep their middle infielders rested and sharp. This was a problem St. Louis ran into during the later half of the season. It played true to two of the Cardinals middle infielders, Wong and Peralta. I also believe that this lack of depth in the infield caused an early and unusual exit from the 2015 playoffs.

As I’m sure the addition of Gyorko broke many Cardinal fans hearts’ as the Cardinals fan favorite Jon Jay was traded. In my opinion this was one of the key moves that went under the radar that GM John Mozeliak made.

This freed up an already log jammed outfield, but more importantly giving our middle infielders a day or two off and believe me Gyorko will make an impact as he is only 26 and does provide some pop for his size and position.

Next: Will health be an issue again?

Oct 12, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) reacts as he grounds into a double play against the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning in game two of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game at Busch Stadium. Molina suffered an apparent injury on the swing and had to be helped off the field. Image Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Will health be an issue again?

This is right up there with the very first concern that I had with the St. Louis Cardinals, as the Cardinals’ encountered some stifling injuries to their best players last season, but remains number three on my list primarily because of the season St. Louis had without their star players.

Though the Cardinals led the Majors with 100 wins in 2015, they had to navigate through seemingly constant injury issues to get there. Without the same outfield and pitching depth they assembled last season, the Cardinals cannot afford to lose as many key players again if they want to repeat that success.

What happened last season was a “once in a life time” kind of regular season. To lose the number of players St. Louis lost and not only just “players,” but stars to the St. Louis Cardinals and to have St. Louis not only win their division, but also finish with the best record in baseball is unheard of!

If you look at the Cubs and wipe out Anthony Rizzo, Jon Lester, and Addison Russell you would be looking at a team with a losing record. As long as GM John Mozeliak can bring in a few more guys rather it be through free agency or via trade, it will be an improvement from last season.

Garcia, Martinez, Adams, Grichuk and Gonzales are among those looking to bounce back from injury, you could even throw Holliday in that mix as well. The St. Louis Cardinals will be able to gauge their health early, too, as Yadier Molina’s second thumb surgery could affect his readiness of Opening Day.

Next: Does general manager John Mozeliak have a surprise move up his sleeve?

Oct 9, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak looks on before game five of the National League divisional series playoff baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Does general manager John Mozeliak have a surprise move up his sleeve?

Thus far, the Cardinals’ offseason has been defined more by what they did not get done (luring David Price and/or Heyward to St. Louis) than what has been accomplished. The acquisition of Gyorko and the signings of Bryan Pena and Jonathan Broxton helped fill needs, but none was the blockbuster move the Cards seemed poised to make entering the winter meetings.

The Cardinals did make their biggest splash just before Christmas, with the club signing Leake to a five-year, $80 million deal. That move solidified the rotation, but there remain questions about potential vulnerable spots on the offensive side. With the biggest concern on who is going to replace Heyward and supply the lineup with power?

As I have written in a previous article , there are two free-agents that stick out to me that would be a good fit for St. Louis, I do not feel that Mozeliak is finished yet on improving this team. Whether he offers another contract to a free agent or makes a trade for a player mid-season.

Mozeliak has cautioned that the organization will likely shy away from adding an impact bat, but he is also ready to act should asking prices drop or a new opportunity present itself.

Next: Can the Cardinals hold off the Cubs?

Oct 10, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler (right) slides into second base on a double against St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong (16) during the seventh inning in game two of the NLDS at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Can the Cardinals hold off the Cubs?

After watching the Cubs celebrate at their own expense in October, the Cardinals saw Chicago get two premier players in Lackey and Heyward to highlight their bold offseason.

St. Louis Cardinals set sights on holding Cubs in 2016