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

Bullpen spots six through eight - Steven Matz, Chris Roycroft, Kyle Leahy, Gordon Graceffo, Riley O'Brien, Ryan Loutos, and Nick Anderson

What a splattering of options here! I'll get out ahead of the curve now and say that I am penciling Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero, Matthew Liberatore, Ryan Fernandez, and John King into the bullpen. That leaves three spots for at least six players.

My preference right off the bat here would be to have Steven Matz, Gordon Graceffo, and Riley O'Brien in the bullpen. I think this provides the highest ceiling in relief, and it capitalizes on these players' strengths. Graceffo isn't a high-velocity pitcher, but knowing he's throwing only 30 pitches every other day could unlock something in him. He is also stretched out to be a starting pitcher, so he could be a flexible pitcher.

Riley O'Brien has some of the best "stuff" in the system, and Steven Matz's injury concerns would make both of them interesting bullpen guys. Matz can be a bulk reliever, and O'Brien probably has a strong chance to be a specialist reliever.

Behind these three relievers who are my preference are Chris Roycroft, Kyle Leahy, and Ryan Loutos. Of them, Leahy has the most experience, as he threw 48.2 innings last year with a 4.07 ERA. Roycroft threw 34.1 major-league innings with a 4.19 ERA, and Loutos made three appearances last year and didn't give up a run in 2.1 innings. Nick Anderson, the Cardinals' latest minor-league addition to the club, could also sneak into the bullpen next year. He struggled last year with the Royals, but he pitched well for Tampa Bay in 2020 and Atlanta in 2023.

Having Liberatore, Romero, Matz, and King in the bullpen makes it a 50/50 handedness split, so there's a chance that one of Leahy, Loutos, or Roycroft is chosen over John King to protect against right-handed batters.

The bullpen is always an area of competition in spring training, and 2025 is no different. Part of the makeup of the bullpen depends on the rotation regarding Steven Matz. If he's a starting pitcher, more spots open up. If he's relegated to the relief corps, then that limits the number of spots available. We know who will get the most work out of the 'pen in 2025, and that's important.

The bullpen battle may not be the most interesting this spring, but it could have some ramifications for the success of the regular season in 2025.