5 position battles to watch in spring training for the St. Louis Cardinals

Second base - Nolan Gorman, Thomas Saggese, and Brendan Donovan

Players to watch - Cesar Prieto, Jose Fermin, and Michael Helman

The second base position battle will become more exact following the curious case of Nolan Arenado. If he's traded, expect Brendan Donovan to log the bulk of innings at the keystone. If Arenado stays, the competition becomes a bit more heated.

Assuming Nolan Arenado is still on the roster once players descend on Jupiter, the second base competition will be focused on Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese. Gorman likely has the upper hand due to the front office's desire to give him a minimum of 500 at-bats this year. Where Gorman needs to show growth would be in his strikeout and whiff rates, both of which were in the first percentile in all of baseball last year. We all know he can hit for power, as is evidenced by his 60 home runs in 315 games.

If Gorman can get his strikeout rate down near 30% next year, he can take off offensively and be a force in the heart of the lineup. If he doesn't show improvements in this facet, he may lose his position to a younger player. Defense is still a concern for the 24-year-old, but the focus for Gorman in 2025 is primarily related to strikeouts and home runs.

Thomas Saggese, on the other hand, is still seen very much as a prospect. He made his MLB debut last year, and he hit .204 with a .556 slugging percentage in only 49 at-bats. He's still a rookie, and at 22 he still has plenty of time to develop. As a prospect, Saggese has been known as a strong infielder with a decent power stroke and strong bat-to-ball skills. If he can flex those skills at spring training, and if Nolan Gorman doesn't show growth, there's a chance Saggese leapfrogs him as the starting second baseman, thus relegating Gorman to a designated hitter or a backup infielder role.

Saggese flipped the script offensively at the Arizona Fall League. He hit .391 with a 1.118 OPS and nine extra-base hits in only 18 games. He should be able to build on that this spring and next year.

Michael Helman, the Cardinals' lone major-league acquisition this offseason, could make a run as a utility player who could log some innings at second base. Behind him, Jose Fermin and Cesar Prieto stand as two prospects who could see major-league innings next year at second base. However, the bulk of the competition this spring depends on both Nolan Arenado's status and the performances of Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese.