STLtoday.com

Please do not allow oliver too much say in the roster. That dumb[ash] will have Burleson in CF, Winn catching, and Wetherholt coming out of the bullpen.

Pretty much any of the 40 man roster night he considered bench players

craviduce wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 11:02 am I believe the bench is a long lasting wood composite.

And Rectangle is the Shape.

True, but the Cardinals bench can't compare with the Reds Bench back in the 70's . Far and away the best Bench in our NL Central .

ramfandan wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 15:32 pm

craviduce wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 11:02 am I believe the bench is a long lasting wood composite.

And Rectangle is the Shape.

True, but the Cardinals bench can't compare with the Reds Bench back in the 70's . Far and away the best Bench in our NL Central .

Johnny?

My bench is C Pozo, DH/1B/2B/3B Gorman, OF Church, UT Fermin. I'm giving LF to Velazquez!!!

SS Winn / Wetherholt
3B Donovan / Gorman / Fermin
2B Wetherholt / Gorman / Fermin (Wetherholt may begin in AAA until May to gain a year of control)
DH Herrera / Gorman
1B Burleson / Gorman
RF Nootbar / Church (Nootbar may begin the year injured?)
C Pages / Pozo (Herrera will be DH in WBC and have no chance to prove he can throw yet)
CF Scott / Church
LF Velazquez / Church / Fermin

Gorman may play 2B until Wetherholt is promoted. I'm assuming he doesn't impress enough to keep Wetherholt from taking his job. Torres replaces him on the bench.

Walker may start in RF until Nootbar is ready. If he impresses, he stays in RF and Nootbar takes over LF instead of RF. I'm assuming he doesn't and goes back to AAA when Nootbar is ready.

Let Walker, Velazquez and Church battle for a starting OF spot. I'm betting against Walker as RF and favoring Velazquez as LF because the Cards need power in their lineup. If Gorman deserves another shot then surely Velazquez deserves it more, IMHO.

Fermin fits the Garrett Hampson role of not complaining while riding the bench.

AAA Walker, Saggese are young and go to AAA to play every day but they come up to play when a starter is hurt. Torres comes up as a bench guy.

cardstatman wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 17:03 pm My bench is C Pozo, DH/1B/2B/3B Gorman, OF Church, UT Fermin. I'm giving LF to Velazquez!!!

SS Winn / Wetherholt
3B Donovan / Gorman / Fermin
2B Wetherholt / Gorman / Fermin (Wetherholt may begin in AAA until May to gain a year of control)
DH Herrera / Gorman
1B Burleson / Gorman
RF Nootbar / Church (Nootbar may begin the year injured?)
C Pages / Pozo (Herrera will be DH in WBC and have no chance to prove he can throw yet)
CF Scott / Church
LF Velazquez / Church / Fermin

Gorman may play 2B until Wetherholt is promoted. I'm assuming he doesn't impress enough to keep Wetherholt from taking his job. Torres replaces him on the bench.

Walker may start in RF until Nootbar is ready. If he impresses, he stays in RF and Nootbar takes over LF instead of RF. I'm assuming he doesn't and goes back to AAA when Nootbar is ready.

Let Walker, Velazquez and Church battle for a starting OF spot. I'm betting against Walker as RF and favoring Velazquez as LF because the Cards need power in their lineup. If Gorman deserves another shot then surely Velazquez deserves it more, IMHO.

Fermin fits the Garrett Hampson role of not complaining while riding the bench.

AAA Walker, Saggese are young and go to AAA to play every day but they come up to play when a starter is hurt. Torres comes up as a bench guy.

He isn't going to make any throws during the games at the WBC? The Cardinals won't see him until Opening Day?? C'mon.

OldRed wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 08:38 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 08:26 am

Shady wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 08:21 am Fermin, Saggese, Prieto?, Jordan?, Church, Torres?, Pages, Pozo?, Crooks? It would be nice if Saggese can double up infield/outfield.

The team will have 10 starting position players. 13 pitchers. Another catcher. So you get two picks, provided another player doesn’t rise and shine. So technically, you have one slot open.

You can guess the bench will be weak or they would be starting.

Right? What team has a great bench and a terrible starting lineup? They’d at least choose the lesser of the two evils.

Shady wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 08:21 am Fermin, Saggese, Prieto?, Jordan?, Church, Torres?, Pages, Pozo?, Crooks? It would be nice if Saggese can double up infield/outfield. Getting another righty bat in the outfield corps.

This whole team is a bench. Stick any of them anywhere and the leftovers go to the bench.

Well, it looks as if the Cardinals will be starting at least 4 players who would be bench or AAA material in good organizations -- the entire OF and Gorman. To channel Jim Mora: "Bench?! Bench?! You talking bench? We'll be lucky to field a starting lineup!"

craviduce wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 14:43 pm

zuck698 wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 14:41 pm

craviduce wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 11:02 am I believe the bench is a long lasting wood composite.

And Rectangle is the Shape.

When I see a Shady post that starts out "How" or "Is" something, it always reminds me of Airplane. "Johnny, what can you make out of this?" Johnny says "This? Why, I can make a hat or a brooch or a pterodactyl..."

Shady, have you ever spent time in a cockpit before?

Oh, it's a big pretty white plane with red stripes, curtains in the window and wheels and it looks like a big Tylenol!

"Steve, I want every light you can get poured onto that "bench."

No one really knows what the bench will look like right now. Spring training will decide the mix.

I think Church will surprise this year. Even as LH, he has shown some ability to hit lefties in the minors. And his defense is stellar

Vs lefties
2022- .292/.370/.333/.703
2023- .310/.373/.430/.803
2024- .302/.379/.396/.775
2025- .311/.364/.367/.731

cosmo.kramer wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 21:15 pm I think Church will surprise this year. Even as LH, he has shown some ability to hit lefties in the minors. And his defense is stellar

Vs lefties
2022- .292/.370/.333/.703
2023- .310/.373/.430/.803
2024- .302/.379/.396/.775
2025- .311/.364/.367/.731

I, too, have some high hopes for Church this season. Primarily, competing for the starting LF job. And, eventually, possibly, competing for the starting job in RF and maybe even CF. Let's face it, right now, there aren't any sure things going on in the current Cardinals outfield. One way or the other, Church should,at least, be a versatile and valuable bench player this season for the Cardinals.

TheFantasyStud wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 10:19 am A) Crooks, Saggese, Andujar, Goldschmidt

B) Crooks, Saggese, Fermin, Andujar

C) Crooks, Saggese, Fermin, Torres

I’d be fine with C if we put the money in to top of the rotation free agent pitching.

I’m afraid May and Lib will be the Cards TOTR SPs to start the season.

I’m hoping we have a good old fashioned competition for the bench.

BrockFloodMaris wrote: ↑08 Feb 2026 14:01 pm

TheFantasyStud wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 10:19 am A) Crooks, Saggese, Andujar, Goldschmidt

B) Crooks, Saggese, Fermin, Andujar

C) Crooks, Saggese, Fermin, Torres

I’d be fine with C if we put the money in to top of the rotation free agent pitching.

I’m afraid May and Lib will be the Cards TOTR SPs to start the season.

I’m hoping we have a good old fashioned competition for the bench.

I'm hoping Ramos is involved in the bench competition.

Shady wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 08:21 am Fermin, Saggese, Prieto?, Jordan?, Church, Torres?, Pages, Pozo?, Crooks? It would be nice if Saggese can double up infield/outfield. Getting another righty bat in the outfield corps.

It's flat, fairly level and long enough for what's needed. Could probably use a coat of paint but otherwise.....

OldRed wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 08:38 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 08:26 am

Shady wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 08:21 am Fermin, Saggese, Prieto?, Jordan?, Church, Torres?, Pages, Pozo?, Crooks? It would be nice if Saggese can double up infield/outfield.

The team will have 10 starting position players. 13 pitchers. Another catcher. So you get two picks, provided another player doesn’t rise and shine. So technically, you have one slot open.

You can guess the bench will be weak or they would be starting.

Every team’s bench is weaker than their starting lineup or they wouldn’t be on their bench too.