Most of the Position Player Spots Are Decided

[ecleme22]

1) C/DH Ivan Herrera
2) C Pedro Pages
3) C Jimmy Crooks or Yohel Pozo
4) 1B/OF Alec Burleson
5) 2B JJ Wetherholt
6) SS Masyn Winn
7) 3B Nolan Gorman
IF Ramon Urias
9) IF-OF Thomas Saggese
10) LF Lars Nootbar (IL) Jose Fermin or Nelson Velzquez
11) CF Victor Scott II
12) RF Jordan Walker
13) OF Nathan Church

It seems like the Cardinals will need to carry 3 catchers if we are counting Herrera as a catcher. The question becomes- is it Crooks or Pozo? I give the edge to Crooks because if Bernal is promoted to AAA, it will be easier to get him playing time there if he is sharing with Pozo.

Spot #10 will belong to Nootbaar when he is ready. Until then it looks like the competition is between Fermin and Velazquez. I give the edge to Fermin as he has no more minor league options remaining. It would be easier to slip Velazquez through waivers than Jose.

What say you?

I didn’t know Urias was GG at third. I like it.

I told you all this angst about Gorman’s glove is overblown. If he’s a butcher at 3b, he will stop playing 3b…Or at least play it sporadically…

If he butchers it, why play it at all. As for the angst, yes, I think he is over matched at third. In fact, I’d bet he’d make a league level first baseman. Plus when he hits, it fills a corner sufficiently.

But I see your point. Why worry about fielding with a GG at that position on the team.

And grabbing a GG proves my point all along, I feel, that Gorman’s leash at 3b is short.

And yes, he could end up at 1b.

This roster will experience a ton of movement.

[sikeston bulldog2]

1) C/DH Ivan Herrera
2) C Pedro Pages
3) C Jimmy Crooks or Yohel Pozo
4) 1B/OF Alec Burleson
5) 2B JJ Wetherholt
6) SS Masyn Winn
7) 3B Nolan Gorman
IF Ramon Urias
9) IF-OF Thomas Saggese
10) LF Lars Nootbar (IL) Jose Fermin or Nelson Velzquez
11) CF Victor Scott II
12) RF Jordan Walker
13) OF Nathan Church

It seems like the Cardinals will need to carry 3 catchers if we are counting Herrera as a catcher. The question becomes- is it Crooks or Pozo? I give the edge to Crooks because if Bernal is promoted to AAA, it will be easier to get him playing time there if he is sharing with Pozo.

Spot #10 will belong to Nootbaar when he is ready. Until then it looks like the competition is between Fermin and Velazquez. I give the edge to Fermin as he has no more minor league options remaining. It would be easier to slip Velazquez through waivers than Jose.

What say you?

I didn’t know Urias was GG at third. I like it.

I told you all this angst about Gorman’s glove is overblown. If he’s a butcher at 3b, he will stop playing 3b…Or at least play it sporadically…

If he butchers it, why play it at all. As for the angst, yes, I think he is over matched at third. In fact, I’d bet he’d make a league level first baseman. Plus when he hits, it fills a corner sufficiently.

But I see your point. Why worry about fielding with a GG at that position on the team.

And grabbing a GG proves my point all along, I feel, that Gorman’s leash at 3b is short.

And yes, he could end up at 1b.

This roster will experience a ton of movement.

Good write. I agree.

[rockondlouie]

1) C/DH Ivan Herrera
2) C Pedro Pages
3) C Jimmy Crooks or Yohel Pozo
4) 1B/OF Alec Burleson
5) 2B JJ Wetherholt
6) SS Masyn Winn
7) 3B Nolan Gorman
IF Ramon Urias
9) IF-OF Thomas Saggese
10) LF Lars Nootbar (IL) Jose Fermin or Nelson Velzquez
11) CF Victor Scott II
12) RF Jordan Walker
13) OF Nathan Church

It seems like the Cardinals will need to carry 3 catchers if we are counting Herrera as a catcher. The question becomes- is it Crooks or Pozo? I give the edge to Crooks because if Bernal is promoted to AAA, it will be easier to get him playing time there if he is sharing with Pozo.

Spot #10 will belong to Nootbaar when he is ready. Until then it looks like the competition is between Fermin and Velazquez. I give the edge to Fermin as he has no more minor league options remaining. It would be easier to slip Velazquez through waivers than Jose.

What say you?

I'd like to see P. Pages dealt this spring, keeping Pozo/Crooks (we all know Hererra isn't a catcher but we'll play along ) until Bernal is ready later in the season.

I'm not so sure Saggese or Church is a lock if Fermin, Velzquez and/or Baez have strong springs.

[Alex Reyes Cy Young]

It definitely seems to be set. The only issue I have is with the idea of IH returning to catching. I think the team is just doing him and his agent a favor by letting them say he’ll be back behind the plate. I don’t think they have any intention of him catching once the season starts.

He’s way too good of a hitter, and way too poor of a catcher, to have him do anything but DH every day. His wRC+ projection of 128 is easily the highest projection on the team. With so many other young hitters trying to establish themselves offensively, they need him in the lineup every day as the fulcrum the rest of the lineup can work around.

Having said that, I’d like to see Crooks and Pages in a straight platoon. That leaves Bernal starting at AAA with Pozo as his backup.

Like your reasoning with Hererra agreed. Ways to valuable of a hitter make him DH. 128 would be beastly.

[cardstatman]

C Pages 108, Pozo 54
1B Burleson 126, Gorman 36
2B Wetherholt 126, Fermin 36
SS Winn 144, Wetherholt 18
3B Urias 90, Gorman 72
LF Velazquez 90, Nootbar 72
CF Scott 126, Church 36
RF Walker 126, Church 36
DH Herrera 144, Velazquez 18

Games Started
144 Winn SS, Herrera DH, Wetherholt 2B/SS
126 Burleson 1B, Walker RF, Scott CF
108 Pages C, Velazquez LF/DH, Gorman 3B/1B
90 Urias 3B
72 Nootbar LF, Church CF/RF
54 Pozo C
36 Fermin 2B

Notes
Saggese goes to AAA to play everyday and wait for his time... such as a Gorman injury/failure or Urias trade
Crooks goes to AAA to play everyday and wait for his time
When Nootbar arrives, Church goes to AAA occasionally since Urias, Fermin and Velazquez cannot be optioned.
Herrera does not catch in 2026 due to his arm not being 100% yet
Burleson should not play against LHP due to his .606 OPS against them
Scott should not play against LHP due to his .527 OPS against them
Nootbar misses April and then plays a lot and gets traded by the end of July
Urias plays quite a bit (but not every day) and gets traded by the end of July
Gorman misses a month with back problems
Church is often used as a defensive replacement for either Walker or Velazquez
If Walker utterly fails, Church and Velazquez play more.
If Gorman utterly fails, Fermin plays more.

[Talkin' Baseball]

C Pages 108, Pozo 54
1B Burleson 126, Gorman 36
2B Wetherholt 126, Fermin 36
SS Winn 144, Wetherholt 18
3B Urias 90, Gorman 72
LF Velazquez 90, Nootbar 72
CF Scott 126, Church 36
RF Walker 126, Church 36
DH Herrera 144, Velazquez 18

Games Started
144 Winn SS, Herrera DH, Wetherholt 2B/SS
126 Burleson 1B, Walker RF, Scott CF
108 Pages C, Velazquez LF/DH, Gorman 3B/1B
90 Urias 3B
72 Nootbar LF, Church CF/RF
54 Pozo C
36 Fermin 2B

Notes
Saggese goes to AAA to play everyday and wait for his time... such as a Gorman injury/failure or Urias trade
Crooks goes to AAA to play everyday and wait for his time
When Nootbar arrives, Church goes to AAA occasionally since Urias, Fermin and Velazquez cannot be optioned.
Herrera does not catch in 2026 due to his arm not being 100% yet
Burleson should not play against LHP due to his .606 OPS against them
Scott should not play against LHP due to his .527 OPS against them
Nootbar misses April and then plays a lot and gets traded by the end of July
Urias plays quite a bit (but not every day) and gets traded by the end of July
Gorman misses a month with back problems
Church is often used as a defensive replacement for either Walker or Velazquez
If Walker utterly fails, Church and Velazquez play more.
If Gorman utterly fails, Fermin plays more.

You put a lot of thought into that. Appreciate the effort.

[renostl]

C Pages 108, Pozo 54
1B Burleson 126, Gorman 36
2B Wetherholt 126, Fermin 36
SS Winn 144, Wetherholt 18
3B Urias 90, Gorman 72
LF Velazquez 90, Nootbar 72
CF Scott 126, Church 36
RF Walker 126, Church 36
DH Herrera 144, Velazquez 18

Games Started
144 Winn SS, Herrera DH, Wetherholt 2B/SS
126 Burleson 1B, Walker RF, Scott CF
108 Pages C, Velazquez LF/DH, Gorman 3B/1B
90 Urias 3B
72 Nootbar LF, Church CF/RF
54 Pozo C
36 Fermin 2B

Notes
Saggese goes to AAA to play everyday and wait for his time... such as a Gorman injury/failure or Urias trade
Crooks goes to AAA to play everyday and wait for his time
When Nootbar arrives, Church goes to AAA occasionally since Urias, Fermin and Velazquez cannot be optioned.
Herrera does not catch in 2026 due to his arm not being 100% yet
Burleson should not play against LHP due to his .606 OPS against them
Scott should not play against LHP due to his .527 OPS against them
Nootbar misses April and then plays a lot and gets traded by the end of July
Urias plays quite a bit (but not every day) and gets traded by the end of July
Gorman misses a month with back problems
Church is often used as a defensive replacement for either Walker or Velazquez
If Walker utterly fails, Church and Velazquez play more.
If Gorman utterly fails, Fermin plays more.

Well done.
Only possible hitch in this with full health is if a trade happens before OD.
good work.