Cardinals Opening Day roster prediction with just 2 weeks remaining of camp

The St. Louis Cardinals have begun making substantial cuts to their big league camp and now stand just 17 decisions away from finalizing their 26-man roster for Opening Day.

Going into camp, there were many different directions the club could go with a number of key positions on the roster. In recent days, the Cardinals brought clarity to how they will handle the catcher position to start the year, and they began to narrow down the list of names in consideration for their bullpen and final position player spots.

With just two weeks remaining of spring training, I wanted to give my third Opening Day roster prediction, as a lot has changed about the outlook of the Cardinals roster since the last time we took a look at it.

Catchers (3): Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, and Yohel Pozo

When the Cardinals optioned catchers Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal to minor league camp, it confirmed their intentions to roll with the trio of Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, and Yohel Pozo to at least begin the year.

Crooks should get his opportunity at some point, but with Herrera and Pages likely to take the majority of the reps to begin the year, having him on the roster would not have been helpful for his development. Pozo is the ideal third catcher in this scenario, as the Cardinals won't feel pressure to play him more than they have to, although he has been swinging a hot bat in camp.

The million-dollar question is how long of a runway the Cardinals are going to give Herrera to catch. He's already dealt with knee inflammation in camp, and while he's expected back in the lineup today, the Cardinals need his bat in the lineup every day this year. While catching would be an added bonus to his profile, his bat is what really matters to them. With so much catching talent in the organization, when does the risk of injury begin to shift the conversation? We still don't know yet how his development behind the plate is faring either, which the Cardinals had real questions about before.

While I know some fans are upset by Pages being on the roster over Crooks, considering how young of a pitching staff the Cardinals will have this year, having a stable presence behind the plate like Pages, at least to begin the year, makes a lot of sense. This is especially true with the Cardinals experimenting with Herrera behind the plate already.

Just missed: Jimmy Crooks