5 prospects who can make the St. Louis Cardinals' Opening Day roster

Most of the Cardinals' Opening Day roster is set, even this early in the off-season. There may be a few new acquisitions, and hopefully, some of them will be splashy! But, for the most part, it's easy to know who's going to make the team. Veterans like Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado have their spots locked down. The newly acquired Sonny Gray will slot in at the top of the rotation. But, not every spot on the 26-man roster is filled. There are question marks in several key areas, including center field, the bullpen, and the bench. It's likely that at least a few of these spots will be filled by prospects making their major league debuts.

These are important opportunities for young players in the organization. Sometimes, these early-season debuts mean relatively little, but every once in a while, a relatively unknown player finds success. Brendan Donovan snuck onto the roster before the 2022 season and broke out in a huge way. Once an unheralded seventh-round pick, Donovan has become one of the most valuable assets to the organization. In other instances, the Cardinals decide to give their top prospects a shot at starting the season with the team.

In 2023, Jordan Walker's epic run through Spring Training landed him a spot on the Opening Day roster. Though he struggled defensively, it's clear that he has a long future with the organization. This article will take a closer look at five prospects with a chance of making their major league debuts on Opening Day 2024. Let's dive in!

Matt Svanson

Svanson is not a top prospect. In fact, most fans probably don't know his name. He was acquired from the Blue Jays in exchange for Paul DeJong at last season's trade deadline. Many fans ignored the minor trade and those who did largely expressed disappointment. Svanson was already 24 and had just reached AA in the week before the deadline. He seemed unlikely to contribute before 2025, if ever.

Yet, his performance over the following months changed that narrative. Svanson quickly took hold of the closer role in Springfield. 35 days after the trade I'd already eaten my words and changed my tune! Svanson's big fastball stands out in the system. After such a strong finish, it's possible the hard throwing righty gets a shot to help the major league bullpen. He's especially important considering the relative lack of relief prospects in the system.

If the Cardinals make a few more moves to round out their bullpen, Svanson's odds of making the Opening Day roster would shrink considerably, though a strong spring could still vault him into the Cardinals' plans. If he doesn't make the roster, he should start at AAA Memphis, and he'll have a great chance to reach the big leagues by midsummer.

Gordon Graceffo

Graceffo, like Svanson and the rest of the players on this list not named Victor Scott, will probably debut in the bullpen. That's because the Cardinals' rotation is mostly set. Gray will pitch at the top, Mikolas and Matz, the lone holdovers from 2023, will pitch in the middle spots, and Gibson and Lynn will fill out the back end. Should they struggle, young pitchers like Graceffo or McGreevy may receive opportunities to start later in the season. However, considering the fact that this rotation is owed somewhere around 80MM this season, it's safe to say they are the Cardinals' plan A.

Graceffo, a fifth-rounder out of Villanova, showed promise almost immediately. In limited action in 2021, he dominated A ball, earning an aggressive promotion for the start of the 2022 season. He was even better with A+ Peoria and finished the 2022 season in Springfield, where he took a step back but remained competitive. The Cardinals had high hopes for him in 2023. Perhaps strong numbers could lead to opportunities to crack the big league rotation.

Unfortunately, his season was as disastrous as the major league club's season. Graceffo pitched to a 4.92 ERA in just 86 innings. He battled injuries and ineffectiveness all year, ending the year on a sour note with a dreadful September. Graceffo's 2023 truly represents a lost season. To be his best going forward, he'll have to forget that 2023 ever happened. Although, even in a bad season, there were moments worth remembering, like this start from August 16th.

So why could Graceffo be on the Cardinals' radar after such a season? There are two things to love about him: his fastball and his command. Graceffo boasts one of the best fastballs in the system. He's the most advanced of the Cardinals' "power pitchers," an archetype of pitcher they have recently returned to developing. At his best, Graceffo's fastball touches 96 and moves well. His strong command gives him a solid floor, meaning Graceffo should be able to someday fill a spot in a major league rotation.

But, at the moment the Cardinals don't need that. What they do need is a strong crop of middle-inning relievers. Graceffo can pitch multiple innings, has a strong fastball and an excellent slider, and won't issue too many walks. There's a great chance he will factor into the team's bullpen plans in 2024, and like the rest of the names on this list, a strong spring could accelerate his timetable. If they decide not to add him to the roster, he'll likely continue to start in AAA.

RHP Ryan Fernandez

Ryan Fernandez, like Svanson, was acquired recently. Fernandez was selected in the Rule 5 draft, which means he must begin the season on the active roster. Should the Cardinals wish to demote him, he'll have to clear waivers. Then, the Red Sox will be offered the chance to bring him back. Should they decline, the Cardinals would have the option to assign him to the minors. So, I guess I'm cheating here. Fernandez will begin the season with the big league club, so learn his name!

Fernandez is someone I'm excited to watch in 2024. He dominated at the AA level for Boston last season, and though he struggled in AAA, there's a lot to like about him. He has an outstanding fastball that occasionally touches 99! He throws a nice combination of secondary pitches, including a slider and a cutter. Both could become above-average offerings at the major league level. Having three or more strong weapons is a great thing for a reliever. He won't become stale the way other pitchers with just one or two out pitches often do. Moreover, Fernandez successfully limits walks, something the Cardinals value. That's thanks to his strong command, which should allow his breaking stuff to play up, even above its strong evaluations.

Fernandez will be in the bullpen at Busch Stadium on Opening Day unless he's injured. But, like everyone else in the system, he'll be hoping for a strong spring training. With a strong spring, he could find himself taking on increased opportunities instead of languishing in relative obscurity on the fringe of the roster. Either way, he'll be worth monitoring leading up to the season.

RHP Leonardo Taveras

Taveras is a bit of an unknown. Whether it's been off-the-field issues or injuries, there's always been something keeping Taveras off the field. Now he's 25 and pitched at A+ Peoria last season. He was good, but not dominant. In just 20.1 innings, he had a 3.10 ERA. That innings number is so low thanks to a PED suspension, which ended his season in May. So why do I think he could make the Opening Day roster?

Taveras, like the other names on this list, has a great fastball and solid control. He's a high-octane arm who can occasionally reach triple digits. He also generates a ton of whiffs. Over the past few months, Mozeliak and other officials have described a desire to move away from contact-inducing pitchers and towards pitchers with "strikeout stuff." Taveras certainly fits into the latter of those two categories.

Though he pitched at A+ last season, he reached AA in 2022. He's more advanced than his 2023 season would suggest. But, there are some factors working against him as well. One of these is his inexperience at the upper levels of the minors. He pitched at AA in 2022 but only made seven appearances. He's never pitched with AAA Memphis. It would be aggressive enough for the Cardinals to promote him to AAA to begin the season. Also working against him is his 40-man roster status. He was not added to the 40-man roster earlier this off-season, and though he wasn't selected in the Rule 5 draft, he still needs to be added to the roster in order to secure a spot on Opening Day. He's a bit of a long shot, but he certainly has the potential to blitz through spring training and make his debut with the Cardinals sooner rather than later.