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A little while ago, the Cardinals began using lefthander Tyler Lyons in one-inning spurts during spring-training exhibitions even though he was a starter. The rumblings were that manager Mike Matheny was considering Lyons as a potential reliever. The idea of Lyons in the opening-day bullpen never made any sense for a couple of reasons:
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1) The Cardinals already have two lefties earmarked for the opening-day bullpen.
LOOGY Randy Choate and flamethrower Kevin Siegrist are already surefire opening-day bullpenners. Clubs usually allot just two relief spots to southpaws. The reason being that there are fewer lefthanded batters to play the match-ups with in the later innings. While Lyons (and Siegrist) have the stuff to get out lefties and righties alike, there isn't much sense going with a third portsider when you could go with another righty who is death to like-handed batsmen, especially with ROOGY Pat Neshek appearing more and more likely to be awarded a spot in the St. Louis pen come opening day.
2) The Cardinals need starting-pitcher depth.
Currently, righthanders Joe Kelly and Carlos Martinez are competing to fill the No. 5 starter spot in the opening-day St. Louis rotation. The loser of this competition appears destined for the bullpen and a role in the late innings—meaning that he likely won't be available to start in the event that another starter suffers an injury. So the Cards need someone to fill the proverbial No. 6 starter role. While Tim Cooney impressed some in spring camp, there's no indication that he's currently ready to start in the majors. Lyons is. That's why the Cardinals are sending him to minor-league camp to stretch out for the Memphis rotation. He will fulfill his opening-day destiny: the break-glass-in-case-of-injury starter.
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch beat reporter Derrick Goold's tweet that the organization had reassigned Lyons to minor-league camp so he could stretch out for starting in Memphis came as little surprise, especially in the wake of Lyons' springtime struggles (6 SO, 4 BB, and 13 ER in 8 IP). It was a matter of when, not if. Because Lyons is on the St. Louis 40-man roster, the move includes the use of an option.
Cardinals MLB Camp Spring Training Roster Matrix (thru 3/19)
|
IF |
OF (& NRI C) |
SP |
RP |
|
C - Y. Molina $14.2MM |
LF - M. Holliday $17MM |
LHP - J. Garcia $7.875MM |
RHP - J. Motte $7.5MM |
|
1B - M. Adams $500K |
CF - P. Bourjos $1.2MM** |
RHP - A. Wainwright $19.5MM |
LHP - R. Choate $3.0MM |
|
2B - K. Wong $500K |
RF - A. Craig $2.75MM |
RHP - L. Lynn $513K |
RHP - T. Rosenthal $500K |
|
3B - M. Carpenter $504K |
OF - J. Jay $3.25MM |
RHP - M. Wacha $500K |
LHP - K. Siegrist $500K |
|
SS - J. Peralta $13.25MM |
OF - S. Robinson $500K |
RHP - S. Miller $500K |
RHP - S. Maness $500K |
|
C - T. Cruz $500K |
OF - R. Grichuk MiLB |
RHP - J. Kelly $500K |
RHP - C. Martinez $500K |
|
IF - M. Ellis $5.25MM |
OF - J. Butler MiLB |
RHP - S. McGregor MiLB |
LHP - S. Freeman MiLB |
|
IF - D. Descalso $1.29MM |
OF - S. Piscotty MiLB |
LHP - T. Lyons MiLB |
RHP - K. Butler MiLB |
|
IF - P. Kozma $500K |
C - E. Easley MiLB |
LHP - T. Cooney MiLB |
RHP - J. Rondon MiLB |
|
IF - G. Garcia MiLB |
OF - J. Ramsey MiLB |
RHP - K. Heyer MiLB |
RHP - P. Neshek MiLB |
|
IF - L. Mateo MiLB |
OF - R. Ortega MiLB |
RHP - B. Whiting MiLB |
RHP - J. Almarante MiLB |
|
IF - S. Moore MiLB |
OF - M. O’Neill MiLB |
LHP - M. Gonzales MiLB |
LHP - L. Stoppelman MiLB |
|
1B - X. Scruggs MiLB |
OF - O. Taveras $500K |
RHP S. Gaviglio MiLB |
RHP - A. Castro MiLB |
|
3B - P. Wisdom MiLB |
C - T. Tartamella MiLB |
RHP Z. Petrick MiLB |
RHP - E. Fornataro MiLB |
|
C- A. Perez MiLB |
C - C. Rasmus MiLB |
|
LHP - L. Stoppelman MiLB |
|
|
C - C. Kelly MiLB |
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|
|
C. - C. Stanley MiLB |
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