Redbird Rants
FanSided

Cardinals Opening Day roster prediction after new signing and latest roster moves

The Cardinals' first signing of the offseason, some roster transactions, and player performance gives us a new outlook on their Opening Day roster.
ByJosh Jacobs|
Mar 9, 2025; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Alec Burleson (41) in congratulated by catcher Iván Herrera (48) after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the New York Yankees at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Mar 9, 2025; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Alec Burleson (41) in congratulated by catcher Iván Herrera (48) after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the New York Yankees at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
1 of 7

We are under two weeks away from Opening Day and the St. Louis Cardinals appear to have given us quite a bit of roster clarity over the last few days.

Thursday's signing of Phil Maton will add an arm to their bullpen mix and shake up that group in a real way. While that was the only addition the Cardinals made this week, comments from president of baseball operations John Mozeliak and manager Oliver Marmol seem to be shedding some light on how other areas of the roster may shape up.

Believe it or not, there are some substantial changes from my Opening Day roster prediction last week, and today I want to share what seems to be the direction the Cardinals are now heading in with that 26-man group.

The roster categories I will be predicting are the catcher, infield, outfield, utility, rotation, bullpen, and lineups vs. RHP and LHP

Catcher (2) - Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages

Just missed: Jimmy Crooks and Gavin Collins

One area that has not changed is the catcher position, where Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages are both locked in for the club to start the year and should be the duo all year long barring injuries.

I've been pretty vocal about wanting the Cardinals to start Herrera over Pages, and based on reports out of camp, it seems like they are going to at least begin the year by favoring Herrera and his bat. Now, will it remain that way? We'll see. But it is important to remember that in this new era of baseball, even the primary catcher doesn't catch as many games as they used to.

I'm very much hoping for Herrera to start 110+ games behind the plate, but even that number is fairly high in today's game. Only eight catchers in baseball caught 110+ games in 2024, but as long as Herrera is durable enough to do so, he should join them on that list.

If Jimmy Crooks tears up Triple-A this year, he could push for a spot on the roster. But considering how much the Cardinals like Herrera and Pages, they won't have to rush Crooks unless he forces the issue.

Home/St Louis Cardinals Rumors

Schedule