Cardinals News: 3 St. Louis Cardinals roster bubble battles wrapping up

Alec Burleson vs. Juan Yepez

With Jordan Walker seemingly doing everything in his power to force his way onto the roster, the fifth outfielder spot looks to come down to Alec Burleson and Juan Yepez. Neither outfielder is especially gifted defensively, but the right-handed power bat of Yepez and the left-handed contact-oriented bat of Burleson mark a contrast in the box. 

Neither player has lit the world on fire during the spring, with Yepez hitting .213 as of this writing and Burleson at .205. To Burleson’s credit, he has looked better in the past few games, and his exit velocity and hard-hit percentage are among the best on the team this spring.

Yepez has more experience at the big league level, and he looked to have the upper hand on a roster spot coming into Spring Training. Yepez has shown that he can handle major league pitching, but Burleson has nothing left to prove in Memphis. The Cardinals might want to go with the more proven player in Yepez and have Burleson be the first man up in case injury or ineffectiveness befalls an outfielder.

Ultimately, though, this battle could come down to whether the Cardinals feel more in need of power or on-base ability in the occasional outfield spot or designated hitter role.

Andrew Knizner vs. Tres Barrera

I wrote about this spring showdown between catchers in a separate article, as manager Oliver Marmol and several pitchers have reportedly complimented Tres Barrera’s work behind the plate. Andrew Knizner came into spring as the incumbent backup catcher who looked to have little competition, as the Cardinals seem to have soured on Ivan Herrera and likely plan to start him at Triple-A. 

The Cardinals signed Barrera in January, and he appeared to be a prime candidate to provide minor league depth. But Barrera’s success behind the plate combined with Knizner’s massive struggles in the box this spring could thrust Barrera into the major league backup job or at least give Knizner a short leash.

So far, Knizner has managed a paltry .111 average in 36 at-bats over Spring Training, and with the team fully aware of Knizner’s underwhelming major league career so far, even for a backup catcher, the Cardinals might want to give Barrera a longer look. Gone are the days of iron man Yadier Molina, so the team will have to tread unfamiliar ground in playing the backup catcher more often.

I’m still betting on Knizner making the roster over Barrera given the fact that the latter has played in only nine games so far, but he could still accrue substantial time if Knizner can’t find his stroke.

Taylor Motter vs. Kramer Robertson

The potential reserve infield job just got interesting with Paul DeJong likely to begin the season on the injured list. DeJong, previously the leading candidate to receive the last roster spot more by default than through spring production, could see his infield job usurped by either Taylor Motter or Kramer Robertson.

Motter started Spring Training hot before plummeting back to earth the past few games, but he remains tied for second on the team this spring with three home runs. The 33-year-old veteran has a fair amount of major league time, most notably with the Seattle Mariners in 2017. 

Robertson, meanwhile, has a grand total of one major league at-bat under his belt, and he has done well so far, hitting .316 in spring and showing a strong eye at the plate, working five walks. The Cardinals might want to give Robertson a longer look with DeJong out, although regardless of who receives the role, he would likely only play about once a week.

A player I didn’t mention who could be a dark horse for this role is Masyn Winn, but the Cardinals likely want to give him more time in the minor leagues before letting him loose on the big stage. He’s the type of player who needs to be in the lineup nearly every day so he can have substantial time adjusting to the major leagues, and he’s likely better off doing that in Memphis for now.

The Cardinals have a boatload of good problems with this roster crunch, and with Spring Training winding down, these six players should have ample time to attempt to prove they can separate themselves and earn those coveted major league opportunities.