4 difficult decisions for the St. Louis Cardinals before Spring Training ends

Spring Training is a time for players to get their game ready for the season, it's a time for coaches to instruct players, it's a time for management and front office staff to finalize the roster, and it's a time for fans to get up close and personal with their favorite players. For as much optimism as the spring circuit induces, there is a proportional amount of questioning and inquisitive pundits looking for answers.

The St. Louis Cardinals' roster is mostly set in stone; the rotation, starting nine, and the bulk of the bullpen were solved via trades and acquisitions this offseason. There are a few spots that have open competitions during the next month or so, but by and large, the team's 26-man roster is settled. However, that doesn't mean Cardinals' camp is without difficult decisions.

Here are 4 challenging decisions that must be made before the St. Louis Cardinals break camp and head west to Los Angeles to start the season.

Decision #1: The extension(s) dilemma

After extensions were given out to Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio, Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr., and Detroit Tigers' Colt Keith this offseason, Cardinal fans were wondering if some of their own players, both young and old, would receive long-term deals to stay in St. Louis.

One player has received plenty of press this offseason regarding his contract extension, and his name is Paul Goldschmidt. Goldy's 5-year, $130 million deal he signed a few years ago expires at the end of this season. While a contract extension isn't on his mind, it surely is on the minds of John Mozeliak and Michael Girsch. Extending Paul Goldschmidt would maintain constancy at the first base position for at least two more years.

Other extension conversations have revolved around players such as Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Brendan Donovan. These young players have plenty of arbitration years left, but a contract extension at this point in their careers could keep them in St. Louis for anywhere between 5 and 8 years. They are the young core of the organization, and seeing other teams in the majors grant massive paydays to players who haven't seen an inning of professional baseball has led fans to believe that Walker, Gorman, or Donovan could ink long-term deals soon.

Decision #2: Filling out the bullpen

The Cardinals' 26-man roster is virtually complete. John Mozeliak's abundance of moves led to 13 new player acquisitions this offseason; these moves created more clarity for the roster in 2024. There are some areas, however, that will require a bit of competition to fill in.

One such position was the final bench spot. A role that was once Richie Palacios's transitioned to an open competition after he was traded. When Matt Carpenter was signed to a league-minimum contract, the competition was closed. Carp, who is now 38, is the presumptive 26th man for the Cardinals next year. If an injury arises, or if the team truly doesn't see a spot for the veteran infielder, there may be an opening here.

The main competition resides in the bullpen. St. Louis has historically carried eight relievers and five starters on the roster. Recent news of a possible 6-man rotation may throw a wrench in those plans, but if the rotation stays steady at 5, there are plenty of spots in the bullpen that are available. Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, JoJo Romero, Andrew Kittredge, and Keynan Middleton are locks for five spots.

That leaves three open spots. Riley O'Brien, John King, Zack Thompson, Andre Pallante, Nick Robertson, Ryan Fernandez, and Matthew Liberatore are all getting runs for the final three spots. Several relievers have already made strong impressions just one week into camp, but there is still plenty of time to go. If a starting pitcher gets injured, things shift around. If one of the five aforementioned relievers goes down, the competition softens ever so slightly.

O'Brien's stuff is enticing; he features a cutter that can touch 98 and a sweeper with nearly three feet of horizontal movement. Pallante has been tweaking his repertoire this offseason. King, Thompson, and Liberatore could all provide plenty of innings from the left side out of the 'pen. Whichever route Oliver Marmol and his staff choose to take, be assured that there is plenty of capable bullpen depth in the system.

Decision #3: Figuring out the time split in key positions

Unlike the bullpen, the position-player side of the roster is settled. Willson Contreras and Ivan Herrera will handle catching duties. Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Masyn Winn, Brendan Donovan, and Nolan Gorman will be on the dirt. Lars Nootbaar, Tommy Edman, Jordan Walker, Dylan Carlson, and Alex Burleson will man the outfield.

The issue on this side of the game comes in how much each player plays at each position. At catcher, it is likely that Contreras sees about 70% of the starts (around 115 games). The debacle last year surrounding his game calling forced him out from behind the plate, but that situation appears to be in the past. Ivan Herrera, particularly after his massive showing in the Caribbean Series, is a sure-handed backup who can also spend time at designated hitter. This split at catcher will be resolved in a short time.

At second base, the Cardinals have two players who provide very different outlooks. On one hand, the team can employ Nolan Gorman primarily there. His defense improved mightily between year 1 and year 2, and his power potential is unmatched on the roster (except maybe by Jordan Walker). If Gorman gets the bulk of innings at second base, that frees up Brendan Donovan to DH, play the outfield, play either corner infield spot, or even spell Masyn Winn at shortstop. If Donovan is the primary second baseman, Gorman can DH or play third base occasionally. Donovan's defensive upside is higher than Gorman's, and his on-base skills are supreme. This split needs to be figured out by the end of Spring Training.

The final area where St. Louis needs clarity on who players where how often comes in the outfield. Can Alec Burleson show enough this spring to see 350-400 innings in the outfield? What if Dylan Carlson absolutely mashes in Florida, thus forcing the team's hand? Jordan Walker's defense was abysmal last year. If nothing changes there, perhaps he will move to designated hitter or first base.

The spring circuit will provide clarity on time splits at key positions like catcher, second base, and the outfield. The versatility of players like Tommy Edman and Brendan Donovan alleviates some of the concern here, but Marmol would like to keep players at their most natural positions to optimize their performance.