Cardinals: 5 players to watch out for in Spring Training

Jack Flaherty is poised for a comeback

Jack Flaherty is anxious to have a tremendous season to help Adam Wainwright have a big send-off in his final season before he retires. Flaherty also hopes to improve his chances as he heads into his first season of eligibility for free agency.

Flaherty had struggled since having a breakout season in 2019 when he went 11-8 with a 2.75 ERA over 196.1 innings pitched. He had 231 strikeouts over the season. The 2020 season was cut short due to Covid, but he did go 4-3 with a 4.91 ERA over 40.1 innings.

The baseball world had high hopes for Flaherty going into the 2021 season. He was pitching unbelievably until an oblique injury sidelined him at the end of May. The remainder of 2021 and the 2022 seasons were spent recovering and trying to regain form.

During interviews at Winter Warmup, Flaherty expressed frustration at not being able to help his teammates over the past two seasons. He does want to help his team, help Wainwright go out on top, and see what happens from there.

Here's hoping Flaherty has a strong season for all the good reasons.

Tyler O'Neill should have a strong comeback

Will O'Neill benefit from a new workout plan, regain his Gold Glove status in left field, and return as a solid option to follow up Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt in the lineup?

O'Neill implemented a program with more running this offseason and toned down the intensity of his weight-lifting routine. This is all done in the hopes that he tones down the possibility of injury to his arms and legs.

After outstanding performances in 2020 and 2021 that earned him Gold Glove honors in left field, followed up with the ability to just crush the ball behind the Cardinal lineup's two most significant threats in Arenado and Goldschmidt, his 2022 season was just a disappointment.

After a five-RBI game in the home opener in 2022, O'Neill had several injuries that left him on the disabled list, on the bench, or in the minor leagues.

Given his new workout regimen, it will be fun to see how O'Neill looks in Spring Training. The hope is he still has the same power with added speed. This has been the desired approach for O'Neill, who enjoys lifting, which may have been to his detriment.

O'Neill will get some work in with the Cardinals before joining Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic.

Could Paul DeJong shock the baseball world with a comeback season?

DeJong has had significant lapses at the plate that have caused his demotion to the minor leagues, making him a target of ire from a fanbase very frustrated that he's not putting up big numbers.

While it's not for lack of trying, it could be a case of the young baseball player getting into his head too much—a case of overthinking things.

During the Cardinals Winter Warmup, DeJong said that he's pinpointed some of his issues and implemented an approach to slow things down to be more present at the plate. DeJong said he'd worked much of the offseason with new assistance hitting coach Daniel Nicolaisen.

DeJong, a good defender, was replaced at shortstop by Tommy Edman. He got the turn at shortstop while the organization wanted to see what they had in prospect Nolan Gorman and were met with the stellar play of super utility Gold Glover Brendan Donovan.

Spring Training will be the perfect opportunity for DeJong to show off what he has learned from Nicolaisen and create a little competition in the middle infield. This will be the final year of his six-year contract worth $26 million. If he can impress during this season, he has a couple of club option seasons. This season is significant for DeJong's future with the Cardinals, and even within the league.

How will Willson Contreras adapt to his new team?

The biggest question going into spring will be how Contreras and the pitching staff adapt to one another. The pitching staff was led for close to 20 seasons by Yadier Molina. Contreras comes to the Cardinals after growing up in the Cubs organization.

Contreras was the organization's primary get this offseason after the retirement of Molina. John Mozeliak, Cardinals president of baseball operations, wanted to get the best available catcher on the market to replace the legend that is Molina. Mozeliak, manager Oli Marmol, Molina, and the pitching staff agree the team got what they needed in Contreras, as he was signed to a 5-year contract worth $87.5 million.

While catching will be Contreras's primary role, he will also work with Andrew Knizner and Ivan Herrera to find a steady backup. While in seasons past, Molina was not big on taking days off, making the back-up catching role dull. Contreras may be asked to help the team by being a designated hitter for the club. It will not only allow him to rest his knees while contributing with his bat, but we will also see how Knziner and/or Herrera step up to take on this opportunity. This could be huge later on in the season.

Contreras and his impact on the team will be a huge story to watch for this Spring. It should be fun!