:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/30871403/20140321_kkt_su8_243.0.jpg)
The St. Louis Cardinals started spring training with 58 players in major-league camp—the 39 players then on the club's 40-man roster plus 19 non-roster invitees. The club made several non-roster additions to their roster of MLB campers between the start of spring training and its end today:
- When Jaime Garcia was shut-down due to shoulder bursitis, the club promoted righthanders Kurt Heyer and Boone Whiting to major-league camp.
- The Cardinals signed free-agent Cuban shortstop Aledmys Diaz to a major-league contract that placed him on the 40-man roster and earned him a brief stint in major-league camp.
- The Cardinals promoted righthander Scott McGregor to major-league camp in the middle of spring because the MLB coaching staff was underwhelmed by Keith Butler and Jorge Rondon, and wanted to give McGregor a look.
- The Cardinals signed veteran righty David Aardsma to a minor-league deal and assigned him to minor-league camp for the club's final springtime exhibition in Florida.
None of these in-camp additions have made the Cardinals' opening-day roster. But a non-roster invitee has made the bullpen.
During spring training, the Cardinals made a subtraction from their 40-man roster by cutting Angel Castro. Non-roster invitee Pat Neshek has been given the spot on the roster vacated by Castro. St. Louis named Neshek to the opening-day MLB bullpen, which means he will earn $1 million. The Cardinals 40-man roster is currently chock full.
On Friday night, the Cardinals announced that Butler, a righty who is on the club's 40-man roster, will fill the final opening-day bullpen slot, which relegated Rondon to Memphis. Aarsdma also accepted an assignment to Memphis but, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has an opt-out clause in his Cardinals contract that allows him to move on if St. Louis does not promote him to the majors by a set date in May.
Also from Goold (but via a Sunday afternoon tweet), veteran infielder Mark Ellis continues to experience problems with arthritis in his knee. Because of Ellis's condition, the Cardinals have placed him on the disabled list to start the year. Pete Kozma, who traveled with the team to Cincinnati as Ellis insurance, has been placed on the St. Louis 25-man roster and will fill the team's final bench spot.
Final 2014 Spring Training MLB Camp Roster Matrix
|
IF |
OF (& NRI C) |
SP |
RP |
|
C - Y. Molina $15.2MM |
LF - M. Holliday $17MM |
RHP - A. Wainwright $19.5MM |
LHP - R. Choate $3MM |
|
1B - M. Adams $516K |
CF - P. Bourjos $1.2MM |
RHP - L. Lynn $535K |
RHP - P. Neshek $1MM |
|
2B - K. Wong $500K |
RF - A. Craig $2.75MM |
RHP - J. Kelly $523K |
RHP - T. Rosenthal $521K |
|
3B - M. Carpenter $1.25MM |
OF - J. Jay $3.25MM |
RHP - S. Miller $521K |
RHP - S. Maness $509K |
|
SS - J. Peralta $15.5MM |
OF - S. Robinson $519K |
RHP - M. Wacha $510K |
RHP - C. Martinez $505K |
|
IF - D. Descalso $1.29MM |
OF - R. Grichuk MiLB - 40-man |
LHP - J. Garcia $7.875MM - DL |
LHP - K. Siegrist $505K |
|
C - T. Cruz $521K |
OF - R. Ortega MiLB - 40-man |
LHP - T. Lyons MiLB - 40-man |
RHP - K. Butler $500K |
|
IF - P. Kozma $518K |
OF - M. O’Neill MiLB - 40-man |
LHP - T. Cooney MiLB - NRI |
RHP - J. Motte $7.5MM - DL |
|
IF - M. Ellis $5.25MM - DL |
OF - O. Taveras $500K - 40-man |
RHP - K. Heyer MiLB - NRI |
RHP - J. Rondon MiLB - 40-man |
|
SS - A. Diaz 40-man - $1MM |
OF - J. Butler MiLB - 40-man |
RHP - B. Whiting MiLB - NRI |
RHP - E. Fornataro MiLB - 40-man |
|
C- A. Perez MiLB - 40-man |
C - E. Easley MiLB - NRI |
LHP - M. Gonzales MiLB - NRI |
LHP - S. Freeman MiLB - 40-man |
|
IF - G. Garcia MiLB - 40-man |
OF - S. Piscotty MiLB - NRI |
RHP S. Gaviglio MiLB - NRI |
RHP - J. Almarante MiLB - NRI |
|
IF - L. Mateo MiLB - NRI |
OF - J. Ramsey MiLB - NRI |
RHP Z. Petrick MiLB - NRI |
LHP - L. Stoppelman MiLB - NRI |
|
3B - P. Wisdom MiLB - NRI |
C - T. Tartamella MiLB - NRI |
|
RHP - S. McGregor MiLB - NRI |
|
1B - X. Scruggs MiLB - NRI |
C - C. Rasmus MiLB - NRI |
|
RHP - D. Aardsma MiLB - NRI |
|
|
C - C. Kelly MiLB - NRI |
|
RHP - A. Castro MiLB - Outrighted |
|
|
C. - C. Stanley MiLB - NRI |
|
|
2014 Opening Day MLB 25-Man Roster Matrix
|
IF |
OF (& NRI C) |
SP |
RP |
|
C - Y. Molina $15.2MM |
LF - M. Holliday $17MM |
RHP - A. Wainwright $19.5MM |
LHP - R. Choate $3MM |
|
1B - M. Adams $516K |
CF - P. Bourjos $1.2MM |
RHP - L. Lynn $535K |
RHP - P. Neshek $1MM |
|
2B - K. Wong $500K |
RF - A. Craig $2.75MM |
RHP - J. Kelly $523K |
RHP - T. Rosenthal $521K |
|
3B - M. Carpenter $1.25MM |
OF - J. Jay $3.25MM |
RHP - S. Miller $521K |
RHP - S. Maness $509K |
|
SS - J. Peralta $15.5MM |
OF - S. Robinson $519K |
RHP - M. Wacha $510K |
RHP - C. Martinez $505K |
|
IF - D. Descalso $1.29MM |
|
LHP - J. Garcia $7.875MM - DL |
LHP - K. Siegrist $505K |
|
C - T. Cruz $521K |
|
|
RHP - K. Butler $500K |
|
IF - P. Kozma $518K |
|
|
RHP - J. Motte $7.5MM - DL |
|
IF - M. Ellis $5.25MM |
|
|
|
|
SS - A. Diaz 40-man - $1MM |
|
|
|
|
T. Wigginton $2.5MM |
|
|
According to Cot's, the Cardinals will have an opening-day payroll of $111.25 million. Of that, $20.625 million will be on the disabled list.
Editor's Note: This post has been updated to reflect the Cardinals' Sunday afternoon roster moves of placing Ellis on the DL and Kozma on the 25-man roster.