Predicting the St. Louis Cardinals 2024 Opening Day Roster

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong (11) celebrates with designated hitter Nolan Gorman (16)
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong (11) celebrates with designated hitter Nolan Gorman (16) / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY
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Bullpen

(8) - Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, Jordan Hicks, Genesis Cabrera, Steven Matz, Andre Pallante, Guillermo Zuniga, Wilking Rodriguez

Bullpens are very difficult to predict, as these arms tend to be the most volatile spots on the roster. I do think it probably looks pretty similar to this year's bullpen, with a few tweaks.

Chris Stratton and Drew VerHagen are both free agents after the season, and there are some internal candidates waiting to take their spots. We already saw Guillermo Zuniga briefly this season, and his stuff belongs in the Cardinals' bullpen as soon as possible. Wilking Rodriguez was supposed to be on the MLB roster this year as the Cardinals' Rule 5 selection, but he's missing the entire season with an injury. He may not be able to bounce back to be on the roster next season, but I'll project that for now.

Jordan Hicks is an interesting name to watch. He's a free agent after the year and has expressed interest multiple times to get an opportunity as a starter. He may decide to go elsewhere in free agency to get that chance, or even just get a bigger contract as a reliever than the Cardinals are willing to offer.

I like the idea of Matz in the bullpen, as he can be a very good option against left-handed hitters while also providing a bit of length from the bullpen, but I could easily see the Cardinals giving him a chance to start again.

Other potential options: Kodi Whitley, Jake Woodford, Jake Walsh, JoJo Romero, James Naile, free-agent addition