5 Cardinals who played their way onto Opening Day roster, 3 who played their way off

Matt Koperniak and Michael McGreevy have done enough to make the Opening Day roster but won't make it

I cheated a bit and included three names of guys whose performances either warrant or don't warrant a spot on the Opening Day roster, but that won't actually change what the Cardinals end up doing.

Starting with Matt Koperniak, all the dude did was hit at Memphis last year, slashing .287/.362/.437 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI, which was good for a 128 wRC+ in those 513 plate appearances. Koperniak earned an addition to the Cardinals' 40-man roster this offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft with that performance.

So far in camp, Koperniak has posted a .355/.394/.645 slash line with two home runs and three doubles in his 31 at-bats. Koperniak has looked like one of their most confident and polished hitters thus far, and it's hard to deny the thought that he's one of their 26 best players in camp.

The problem I see though is this: How does he actually fit on the roster? If the Cardinals are committed to Nootbaar and Walker in the corners with one of Scott or Siani in center field, and they already have Alec Burleson on their bench, is there really a role for Koperniak?

The only way I can see him fitting on the roster until injuries or struggles happen that force a demotion is if the club were to send both Scott and Siani to Memphis and play Nootbaar in center field with Koperniak as their fourth outfielder. It would be unconventional defensively, but if Barrero is on the roster as the 26th man, then it could work since they have a guy they can place in center field for defense as needed.

The other guy who clearly deserves to be on the Opening Day roster is Michael McGreevy, who should be a part of their five-man rotation but will be snubbed in favor of Steven Matz. After posting a 1.96 ERA in four appearances (three starts) for St. Louis in 2024. McGreevy has followed that up with a 1.54 ERA in 11.2 innings of work during spring training. I have been clamoring for McGreevy to be in their rotation for months now, but it appears that he will begin the year in Memphis instead.