St. Louis Cardinals: Preseason Roster Predictions Part 4

6 of 6

Oct 12, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams (32) comes out to take a curtain call against the San Francisco Giants during the 8th inning in game two of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

The Bench

The Cardinals bench really comes down to five guys and there are four that it’s safe to say are locks to make the team: Matt Adams, Jedd Gyorko, Tommy Pham and Brayan Pena.

Surprised to see Adams here? Again, that first base battle could go back and forth all season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Adams even gains back his starting first base job during the season.

More from Adam Wainwright

Pham is the Cardinals main backup outfield option, which is a little scary to think about. Moss also has outfield experience, but I’d expect Pham to be out there on the days that a starting outfielder needs some rest.

The Gyorko trade should pay off as he will provide some needed rest for Wong and Peralta up the middle during this season, and maybe even a few starts here and there at third to spell Carpenter.

Pena is, of course, Molina’s backup and a solid one at that. He should be a much better option than former Cardinal Tony Cruz, which should take some pressure off of Molina to feel like he needs to catch every single game.

So, who does that leave for the fifth and final spot on the bench?

It would seem that utility infielder Greg Garcia is the early front runner for the spot. But my pick is shortstop Aledmys Diaz. Diaz had a solid season between Triple A and Double A last year hitting .278 with 13 homers, 28 doubles and 52 RBI in just 116 games. If the 25-year old can continue to impress with a strong Spring Training, then he can snag that final bench spot.

Plus, why not get a look at him this season with a couple of starts at short to give Peralta a breather? The Cardinals signed Diaz back in 2014 with the idea of him possibly taking over as the everyday shortstop for the big club one day. As I said earlier, Peralta isn’t getting younger and in a couple of seasons, Diaz could be the guy at shortstop for St. Louis.

Opening Day Lineup Prediction:

Here’s my Opening Day lineup prediction for the Cardinals versus the Pirates:

Carpenter
Piscotty
Holliday
Grichuk
Peralta
Moss
Molina
Wong
Wainwright

Next: Cardinals' Opening Day Roster Predictions Part 3

What’s your Opening Day lineup prediction? Let me know on Twitter, and as always, let us know in the comments below what you think.

Home/Adam Wainwright