St. Louis Cardinals: Five bold predictions for 2016

Jaime Garcia will pitch an full, healthy season

Last season, Jaime Garcia started a whopping 20 games for the St. Louis Cardinals, throwing 129.2 innings. That’s far from a full season, and yet it’s the third most innings he’s tossed in a six year career — and the most since 2011. So betting that he’ll give us a full season is a probably downright crazy, which is what I must be. 

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Once again, though, I need to define my terms. When I say “full, healthy season” I mean two things: first, that Jaime Garcia will not land on the DL, and second, that he will qualify for the pitching title. The first is pretty straightforward, while the second means that he’ll need at least 162 innings. To make it a little more interesting, I’ll say he has to start 25 games, too.

So if he has the stomach flu, or misses a couple of starts, it won’t count against him, but he has to be healthy and pitching for the vast majority of the season.

I think he actually has a decent shot at this. His injury history has been disastrous, it’s true, but I’m hopeful that he’s over that hump. While he probably won’t ever be an innings eater, it’s not impossible to imagine him as a solid contributor with a lower innings total.

Next: Expectations and Projections for Yadier Molina

So there you have it! Five of the boldest predictions I could bring myself to make, all before Jaime Garcia’s arm has a chance to fall off tomorrow. Do you think I’m crazy? Well, you’re probably right, but why don’t you share some of your crazy predictions in the comments below?