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

Spring training is right around the corner. On February 12th, pitchers and catchers officially report to camp for the St. Louis Cardinals, and in just a couple of weeks, we will have actual baseball games to watch stateside once again.

For the St. Louis Cardinals, spring training this year will be an opportunity for young players to prove their worth. The organization has been adamant all offseason that 2025 will be a year in which player development will be key. Young players who have yet to put it all together will be given a full run. Prospects will receive ample instruction in minor-league camps. A few savvy veterans will remain to provide guidance.

Up until Thursday, the Cardinals were the only team in Major League Baseball to not make a single transaction regarding their major-league roster. Since then, they've agreed to a trade with the Minnesota Twins for utility man Michael Helman.

Part of this inactivity is due to team president of baseball operations John Mozeliak not finding a willing trade partner — though he had a deal struck with the Houston Astros that was declined — for eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado.

Another issue in terms of adding to the roster has come due to financial constraints placed on the front office by ownership. Bill DeWitt Jr. and Bill DeWitt III have been embroiled in rights disputes regarding their TV broadcasts for the last year plus. The Cardinals agreed to a deal that cut their income from the TV by about 20%, and this has made the family want to cut back on payroll to offset those losses. A new pitching lab in Jupiter, Florida, and a hiring influx of coaches and instructors have also caused the owners to pull money from the roster to other areas.

Regardless, the St. Louis Cardinals won't be without competition this spring. Several young players like Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker, and Lars Nootbaar will be trying to prove that they can either perform at the highest level of baseball or stay healthy enough to be a key cog in the everyday lineup. Several positions are also left undecided at this point in the offseason.

While a player's spring training performance shouldn't be the lone determining factor in the starting lineup, it should definitely play a part.

Just last year, five relievers were battling for the final bullpen spot. Riley O'Brien, Ryan Fernandez, Andre Pallante, and John King were all fighting just days before the start of the regular season to be on the 26-man roster. Dylan Carlson and Victor Scott II were thrust into a competition to be the team's starting center fielder, at least until Carlson got injured about a week out from Opening Day.

This year, despite the roster being largely unchanged from last year, there are still several position battles to keep an eye on. The club will lean on its young players this year, so there will be ample time for rookies like Thomas Saggese, Michael McGreevy, and Gordon Graceffo to fight for a spot.

These five positional battles will be ones to keep an eye on this spring for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Catcher - Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages

Players to watch - Jimmy Crooks III and Leonardo Bernal

Let me preface this battle by saying that I strongly believe Ivan Herrera should be the club's starting catcher next year. He has more upside, he was a better prospect, and his offensive ceiling solves one of the club's weakest areas from last year.

Both Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages will be given plenty of chances to prove their value this spring. For Pages, the organization will be eyeing his offensive improvements along with his aptitude to control a pitching staff. For Herrera, improvements on the defensive side of the game must improve, particularly when it comes to throwing out runners.

Last year, Ivan Herrera led the team with a .301 batting average. His strikeout rate, walk rate, chase rate, hard-hit percentage, and bat speed were all above average, and he hit five home runs in only 229 at-bats. Herrera was a key part of an otherwise anemic offense last year, and if the Cardinals want some improvements on that side of the game, they should start Herrera.

Pedro Pages finished 2024 with an 83 wRC+ in 202 at-bats. However, he was lauded for his ability to work with the team's starting pitchers, and blocking, pop time, and framing were all above average, according to Baseball Savant. If the team wants a more defensive-minded club, they should employ Pedro Pages primarily.

Both Pages and Herrera have concerns surrounding their arm strength, but Pages's framing abilities are well-liked around the clubhouse.

Based on Oliver Marmol's usage of the two down the stretch last year, barring any improvements for Herrera defensively, the catching position will likely be a 50/50 split or an approximation of that next year. Having one catcher man the position for 120+ games is a thing of the past in the modern game, so a split is inevitable for the two catchers.

Two other catchers to keep an eye on this spring would be Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal, both of whom are non-roster invitees to the camp. Both Crooks and Bernal are catchers on the rise in the system, though they're probably still a year or two away.

If Pedro Pages wins the competition, expect Ivan Herrera to play more significant time at designated hitter and as a pinch hitter against left-handed pitchers later in the game. If Herrera beats out Pages, Pages will be relegated to backup-catching duties primarily.

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.

Center field - Michael Siani and Victor Scott II

Players to watch - Lars Nootbaar and Michael Helman

Last year, Michael Siani surprised virtually everyone by becoming the Cardinals' everyday center fielder. His web gems, fantastic dives, and speed were energizing for a largely apathetic team. After injuries derailed the seasons for Tommy Edman, Dylan Carlson, and Lars Nootbaar, the battle for center was between Michael Siani and rookie Victor Scott II. Siani won the battle.

The same two players will be duking it out for supremacy once again this spring. Siani probably has the upper hand due to his performance on the defensive end last year, but Victor Scott II is motivated to make his mark on the big-league club in 2025.

Last year, Michael Siani played 110 of his 124 games in center field, and he was exceptional defensively regardless of the metric you use. He didn't commit a single error, he racked up 15 Outs Above Average, he accumulated eight Defensive Runs Saved, and he had a 15.8 Ultimate Zone Rating over 150 games. Siani was snubbed in Gold Glove voting, but he was as deserving in center as any other player in the league.

Offensive struggles were what held Siani back last year. He slashed .228/.285/.285 for a wRC+ of just 64. He was 36% worse than league average hitter last year. There needs to be a definite improvement for the lefty on the offensive side of the game if he wants to be a mainstay in the grass.

Victor Scott II is the younger version of Siani with a higher ceiling. A former top-five organizational prospect, Scott was thrust into the starting role last year coming out of spring training due to injuries. He finished 2024 with a slash line of .179/.219/.283 in only 155 plate appearances and 53 games. Scott was demoted early in the year after it was clear he struggled against major-league pitching.

After spending some time with roving instructor Ryan Ludwick on a swing change, Scott began to show signs of growth. He had a .244/.278/.384 slash line in the second half of 2024 to go along with two home runs, six doubles, and eight runs batted in for a wRC+ of 84. If he can show a stronger ability to draw walks, he can get on base more and do some damage on the basepaths, an area that should be a strength for him given his 99th percentile speed.

Spring will be a chance for both Siani and Scott to flex their muscles and show their offseason work. They're both strong defenders, but the Cardinals need more offense out of the CF spot next year. If they seek offense, Lars Nootbaar could be moved to center. This becomes a greater reality if Nolan Arenado stays on the roster in 2025 if Nolan Gorman forces the organization's hand into starting him, and if Brendan Donovan moves to the corner outfield.

#5 starting pitcher - Steven Matz, Michael McGreevy

Players to watch - Gordon Graceffo, Matthew Liberatore, Zack Thompson, Quinn Mathews

The top of the starting rotation is set at this point. It will be led by Sonny Gray and Erick Fedde at the top. Andre Pallante will slot in at the #3 spot, and Miles Mikolas will be #4 in the rotation. The fifth spot is a little more up in the air.

Steven Matz is in the final year of his four-year deal now, and he has said that he feels good and fully healthy. That's important because the most innings he's thrown since joining the Cardinals in 2022 in a season is 105. The 33-year-old southpaw has floated somewhat between the rotation and the bullpen these last three years, and his cumulative stats in St. Louis include a 4.47 ERA, 4.01 FIP, and a 95 ERA+.

Michael McGreevy, on the other hand, is still only 24, and he was exceptional in his brief showing last year. McGreevy threw only 23 innings in four games (three starts), but he had a 1.96 ERA and a 0.783 WHIP. McGreevy was drafted with the club's first-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, and he's been methodically working his way up the chain. He's known for his control and his ability to pitch a full slate of games and innings each year.

If Matz loses this battle, he'll be relegated to bullpen duties. (More on that later.) If McGreevy loses out, he'll stay stretched out in Memphis in case an injury arises.

Behind Matz and McGreevy, the Cardinals have plenty of options to be the team's fifth starter. Matthew Liberatore, fresh off showing his worth in the bullpen, is being stretched out this winter and spring to be a starting pitcher. Gordon Graceffo made his MLB debut last year, and he could sneak into the running. Zack Thompson might finally be ready to take the reins on a rotation spot. Top prospect Quinn Mathews may be so impressive this spring that John Mozeliak and his team HAVE to find a spot for the young lefty.

My hope is that the Cardinals lean into their so-called youth movement and place McGreevy in the rotation. There's too much of an injury risk with Steven Matz, and if McGreevy would be his replacement later, why not start McGreevy in the rotation now and limit Matz's injury chances? Michael McGreevy threw a total of 173 innings last year; that's a full slate of innings. Put Matz in the bullpen to help his health, and use McGreevy to log legitimate, meaningful innings next year.

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.