Cardinals Heading North After Spring Training, A Preliminary Assessment

I’m hoping they have Anderson as a third catcher/pinch hitter. I’d rather have him instead of Stavinoha as the professional hitter

And 12 pitchers north, not vice versa

I certainly buy into the starting 8 position players. Assuming 5 more position players,

Should go:
Anderson
Greene
Punto
Jay
craig

Will go:
Laird
Green
Punto
Jay
Craig

The closest one here is the descalso-punto-greene debate. Descalso may be better than greene, but greene is aging and has a higher ceiling. We need to fish or cut bait on him. Descalso is also hindered by the presence of skip, because of the similarities in roles.

Note – call tony cruz a VERY dark horse to go north. If laird is hurt, I could see the club taking him over anderson, because of cruz’s perceived defensive skills. I continue to think matt carpenter is a dark horse if freese is injured, even with punto on board.

Pitching – two slots

Should go:
Salas
Sanchez

Will go:
Salas
Tallet

We don’t actually need a second leftie, especially with mcclellan around. This one is pretty variable, because perceived needs change (“we need a long man”), injuries more often arise in pitchers, and there’s just a tighter competition.

breaking camp. The schedule calls for a six game homestand in 7 days then a travel day before the 10 games in 10 day west coast trip. The west coast trip will IMO define the 2011 Cards season.

One item of note is the 40 man roster was filled with the addistion Punto. If any of the NRI make the team, Mo has to waive someone. Just think if the cause was so Stav could play professional hitter.

barring unlikely injury the 13 position players seem to be without a dark horse, but filling out the 12th pitcher, and maybe even the 11th, WILL depend on ST.
OF: Hol, Ras, Berk (Jay, Craig) 5
INF Freese, Theriot, Schu/Greene, Pu (Punto) 6
C: Yadi and Laird 2
this makes Descalso the odd man out, partly because we will get the “he still needs to play every day” argument, but mostly because the above five INF (sans Pujols) gives Tony fodder for his musical chairs mania: four 3rd basemen; three SS, four 2nd basemen. The only vulnerable one I see is the potential dog-house Greene having a really horrible spring combined with Descalso having a great one.
The pitching is set at least 10 deep, but Tallet ‘could’ lose his loggy spot with poor Florida work. Last year’s ‘who will be the fifth starter’ ST decider (won by Jaime) is this year’s ‘who will be the 12th pitcher.’

Laird will go over Anderson barring injury. Allen Craig and Jon Jay will almost certainly be the 4th and 5th outfielders (with Craig a backup at 1B and maybe 3B). Punto’s presence boots Descalso since Punto is a better, more versatile defender and is a switch hitter. Descalso is too similar to Skip and (barring injury) will have to wait until next year. Interestingly, Punto’s presence really puts Greene on the spot since the major league club no longer “needs” a backup capable of playing SS. I still see Greene making the roster though.

Tallet has a major league contract and is capable of spot starting or being a LOOGY. He’ll for sure make it (barring injury).

I think the last spot in the bullpen will be an open competition between Salas, Snell, and Batista (and I guess Valdes, though I think Valdes will fill the Royce Ring role at Memphis). Sanchez will close for Memphis.

Punto, Greene, Craig, Jay, and Laird is the bench

the pen is Franklin, Motte, McClellan, Boggs, Miller, Tallet, and probably Batista.

I’d put the odds for that last reliever spot at:

Batista -45%
Salas – 35%
Snell – 20%

Greene barely nudges Stavinoha and Descalso back to Memphis. Snell is your 6th starter barring a catastrophic performance in AAA.