The pressure is on Stephen Piscotty - A Hunt and Peck

After the tragic and untimely death of Oscar Taveras last offseason, the Cardinals traded Shelby Miller to the Braves in order to acquire the graceful and slick-fielding rightfielder, Jason Heyward, with the intention to not only fill a need for the 2015 season, but to sign him long-term. In order to remain perennial contenders a perfect balance of youth and experience on the roster must be struck. Heyward was the perfect player to continue carrying the torch that Matt Holliday, Adam Wainwright, and Yadier Molina before him. The Cardinals (or at least many fans of the team) wanted Heyward to be the next franchise player.

But then Heyward signed with the Cubs and those plans went straight to Hell.

But all is not lost for the Birdos. While the loss of Heyward disappointing, the ascension of Stephen Piscotty has made it more palatable. From Jenifer Langosh's article:

"You look at his progression through the Minor Leagues, and it was a perfect trend," general manager John Mozeliak said of Piscotty. "It was always getting better. There is a level of confidence that he's the right guy to make the bet on."

Piscotty is not Heyward, but he is still a good player and one the Cardinals feel confident with to lead the next generation of Birdos.

Cardinals put faith in Stephen Piscotty | cardinals.com

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what the cardinals are up to...

• Cardinals put faith in Stephen Piscotty | cardinals.com
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