Yohel Pozo should throw his name into the latest Cardinals position battle

The St. Louis Cardinals continue to seek a remedy for their overabundance of left-handed swinging bats. While LF Lars Nootbaar seems unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, one overlooked candidate in Yohel Pozo could be the answer. Far-fetched thought? Maybe. But taking a deeper dive into the current situation, maybe not.

A couple of outside additions have been made to address the need. Nelson Velazquez (OF/1B) was signed to a minor league contract a couple weeks ago. Last week, 31-year-old veteran infielder Ramon Urias was added to the 40-man roster through free agency. This is his second go-around with the Cardinals. Previously, he signed with the ballclub back in 2018 only to be waived two years later.

In-house, the Cards have already started experimenting with Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermin in the outfield through the first week of Grapefruit League games. That’s a good start. Both bats might offer the upgrade needed for this lineup.

Clearing logjams

Let’s add Pozo to the equation. Yohel is well-liked by the front office as well as his teammates. He spent the offseason getting ready for 2026 by dropping 33 pounds to increase his fitness. With no rumors swirling of any trades on the horizon, there is a glut of catching on the roster and MLB-ready. First base is looking to be a little crowded as well with Alec Burleson entrenched as the starter. Ivan Herrera intimated to Joe Roderick of STL Sports Central that his “first baseman’s glove is fine” after doing some work with it in the outfield. Pozo needs to expand his availability to remain with the club.

The right-handed-hitting Pozo has flashed the power in his bat with a career slash of .321/.343/.545 and 64 HR in 1,300 Triple-A at bats over his career.

Along with carrying his catcher and first baseman’s mitt, he has stepped up as an effective late-inning pinch-hitter to the tune of a .304 batting average.

Put me in, coach

There is a lot to like about the 28-year-old from Venezuela. In a “show me” year like 2026, the more opportunities given to Yohel, the more we might see him flourish in a Redbird jersey. He is certainly a fun story to root for.