St. Louis Cardinals Roster Depth Will Keep Them in Contention

Thanks in large part to their deep roster, the St. Louis Cardinals should contend again in 2017.

We know all about the Chicago Cubs, their star power, and terrific depth. This awesome mix of starting talent and bench contributors got them a World Series victory in 2016. The St. Louis Cardinals roster, meanwhile, is not far off. Although they don’t appear to have the same number of superstars as the Cubs, the Cardinals have an amazingly deep roster. In 2017, this should keep them in contention.

Beginning with the starters, we already see flexibility. Matt Carpenter is their Ben Zobrist. Carpenter can play all over the infield and would surely hold his own if placed in the outfield. He is expected to begin this year as the team’s starting first baseman after several seasons at second and third base. The decision is a bit peculiar considering Matt Adams’s spot on the roster. Stay tuned for more on him shortly.

Any injuries to a fellow infielder and Carpenter may be called upon to swap spots. Third baseman Jhonny Peralta’s ability to also play all over the infield is less acknowledged yet still very valuable to St. Louis. His bat may have taken a dive in recent years with age catching up. Nevertheless, his presence does allow for the Cardinals to change things up.

The other very versatile player worth mentioning is first baseman/outfielder Stephen Piscotty. The expected starting right fielder for the Cardinals in 2017 also carries with him experience as a left fielder. Following his explosive 2016 campaign which saw him smack 22 home runs and 35 doubles, it appears the Cardinals will not need to search for a new right fielder at least for a few more seasons.

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Since Piscotty can fill in at both outfield corner positions and first base, the Cardinals are again safe from feeling burdened at any particular position should someone suffer an injury. This is especially true because they have a terrific bench with two guys in particular who did very well last year.

Alluded to earlier, first baseman Matt Adams probably should get more at-bats than your average bench player. His somewhat limited abilities suggest a platoon is the best way to use him. Adams will, unfortunately, not have this opportunity at the start of 2017. The Cardinals appear to have him lined up as the primary left-handed bat off the bench. This is not so bad as Adams is a terrific pinch hitter.

Also coming off the bench is infielder Jedd Gyorko. Gyorko saw a lot of playing time last season due in part to injuries and inconsistency from other infielders. Thanks to this, Gyorko was able to blast a team-high 30 home runs in only 438 plate appearances. The power seemed to come from out of nowhere. If he can keep it up, Gyorko has a chance to win starts over the Cardinals’ expected starters.

The Cardinals depth goes beyond just the offense. The return of Lance Lynn will make for a crowded starting rotation. If the team’s top prospect, Alex Reyes, can continue where he left off at the end of 2016, they are in really good shape.

Right now the Cardinals appear to have six suitable MLB starters. Michael Wacha is most likely the odd man out which will result in a move to the bullpen. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the Cardinals’ bullpen is already flourishing with talent. Not to mention, pitching prospect Luke Weaver may be ready for big league action midseason to join them.

Next: Six Yankee Starters Ready to Make an Impact

When it comes to the pitching, the big worry does seem to be a repeat of last season. Adam Wainwright, Mike Leake, and Trevor Rosenthal were three pitchers who need to rebound in 2017. If they do then the Cardinals have least a fighting chance against the Cubs.

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