We have a good idea of the Cardinals' bullpen outlook after Phil Maton signing

One of the areas on the St. Louis Cardinals roster that has seen the most competition during spring training has been their bullpen group. After losing Andrew Kittredge from the mix and declining to bring back Keynan Middleton, there were multiple spots up for grabs in their relief corps.

As recently as yesterday, that group still felt like it was a bit in flux, but after the Phil Maton signing today and comments from president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, we may actually have some clarity on how the group will look on Opening Day.

Six of the eight bullpen spots can now be accounted for after Maton's signing. Ryan Helsley, Ryan Fernandez, JoJo Romero, and John King are virtually locks for that group, and Mozeliak told reporters today that Liberatore would begin the year in the bullpen as well despite his strong camp pushing for the rotation.

Fighting for the final two bullpen spots are Gordon Graceffo, Nick Anderson, Roddery Munoz, Riley O'Brien, and Chris Roycroft. Michael McGreevy is going to remain a starter, likely beginning the year with the Memphis Redbirds until a spot opens up. Tekoah Roby caught a lot of eyes in camp but seems set to start games in the minors this year as well.

So who will get those final two bullpen spots? We have a pretty good idea now.

The Cardinals bullpen group seems to be set in stone for Opening Day

Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch asked John Mozeliak about the status of Gordon Graceffo after the Maton signing, and while he declined to confirm what his role would be, he did indicate that the Cardinals would like to see him make starts if he went to Triple-A, and he could rejoin the club later on as a bullpen piece. Well, the club ended up demoting Graceffo later that day, choosing to go down that route.

With all of the other options the Cardinals have for their bullpen right now, the fact that Mozeliak sent Graceffo down to Memphis to make starts says a lot about how they see both their rotation options and their bullpen mix. Depending on how that goes and what the club needs, be called upon at a later date for their rotation or their bullpen. Now that Liberatore is going to be in the St. Louis bullpen, the Cardinals will want options in Memphis they feel good about calling upon when needs arise.

However, it is important to note that Mozeliak did not rule out Liberatore starting games this season, and he believed a bullpen role on Opening Day does not prevent that.

The other elephant in the room for me is the status of Anderson, whom the Cardinals seem to like but will need to add to their 40-man roster since he was a non-roster invite. Anderson does have a clause in his contract that if another team offers him an MLB role and the Cardinals do not, he can move to that club. While the Maton signing could be evidence that the Cardinals are prepared for him to walk, my guess is that they will retain Anderson. Now that Zack Thompson appears to be out for a few months, they could add him to the 60-day IL before Opening Day to clear a spot for Anderson.

If things don't go well for the righty this year, the club can move on and go to one of their younger options. But this at least gives them flexibility throughout the season having more options.

For that final spot, my guess is Kyle Leahy would snag that, although I wouldn't be surprised if it is O'Brien or Roycroft. Leahy does present the Cardinals with the ability to cover multiple innings, a trait I believe they'll want from the eighth man in their bullpen.

So for those counting at home, here is what the bullpen may look like here in two weeks when Opening Day is upon us.

RHP Ryan Helsley
RHP Ryan Fernandez
LHP JoJo Romero
RHP Phil Maton
LHP Matthew Liberatore
LHP John King
RHP Nick Anderson
RHP Kyle Leahy

This is a really solid group and one that has a lot of depth behind it. Losing Kittredge this offseason was tough, but I do believe the Cardinals have a mix of arms that could replicate their bullpen success from 2024. Will this be the group they roll with all season? No, but it is a good start for the club and gives them the ability to be patient and shrewd with other arms in their system.