Don't call it a rebuild the kids are coming to start the reset!

from top left Gordon Graceffo by Bryan Green via Prospects 1500, Ivan Herrera by megan briggs via Getty Images. Jordan Walker by Tom Dipace, Masyn Winn by Christian Gooden via stl Louis Post Dispatch, Thomas Saggese by PJ Maigi via Springfield Cardinals, Victor Scott II by Norm Hall-MLB via Getty Images, Michael McGreevy by Mark Taylor via Getty Images, Pedro Pages by Quinn Harris via getty images, and Michael Siani via Clutch Points.

Last March, I wrote a piece saying to let the kids play. We saw several minor league hopefuls make their way to the big club last season. Some we expected, and some we didn't. And a couple of those, if I read the tea leaves correctly, will become centerpieces for the club going into the 2025 season.

The Cardinals did not sign any free agents this off-season, they decided not to retain the services of Paul Goldschmidt. They toyed with trading Sonny Gray, Wilton Contreras, Miles Mikolas and Nolan Arenado. But the only thing they have accomplished so far was not resigning Goldschmidt. Gray Mikolas and Conteras all said no to waiving their NTCs. Then only one who was open to it was Nolan Arenado. However, he nixed a potential trade to Houston back in December. There was alleged renewed talks between the two back in February but so far Arenado is still wearing the birds-on-the-bat.

SO what was an apparent move to a rebuild has turned into a reload/reset.

So it is on to plan B.

From top left Nolan Arenado by Dilip Vishanat via Getty Images, Sonny Gray by Jim Rassol via Imagn images, Wilson Contreras by Katie Startman via Imang Images, and Miles Mikolas by Keith Srakocic via AP.

To me and many others, it didn't like a tank job coming up, but growing pains with a young club. many envisioned an infield of (3rd to 1st) Nolan Gorman 3B, Masyn Wynn SS, Brendan Donovan, or Thomas Saggese 2B, and Alec Burleson/ Luken Baker 1B with a platoon of Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages behind the plate and a rotation that would feature McGreevy, Gordon Graceffo, maybe Cooper Hjerpe, or Tekoah Roby.

With Arenado and Contreras sticking around, there has been a logjam created. With Arenado at 3B now that moves Gorman to 2B, moving Donovan to the OF/Utility. Then to make a youth commitment to the catching position they decided to move Contreras to 1B, which now puts Burleson fighting for an already crowded OF spot (or DH), with Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar, Micheal Siani, and Victor Scott II, and Baker a very likely career minor leaguer.

THE OUTFIELD

When I say the OF is wide open, it truly is as I don't see any player having the Advantage other than, say Nootbaar who can play all three positions. Siani and Scott will probably be the fight for CF with Walker in right, leaving Burleson to fight Nootbaar for Left. Or if Walker doesn't progress, we could see Noot or Burly in RF. Then of course you need to find a spot for Donovan if not at 2B, he could be in the fight for a corner OF spot.

As of now, Walker is dinged up with a sore knee and Siani struggling .045/.160/.045. Meanwhile Victor Scott is having a fantastic spring, hitting .389 with a .500 OBP and a .700 slug and 4 SB in 5 attempts. Lars Nootbaar is having a decent spring hitting .289 with a .500 OBP but only a .353 slug. Relative newcomer 27-year-old Matt Koperniak is attracting attention with a .316/.381/.474 which further complicates things.

The infield is the HUGE question mark as it seems the Cardinals are still trying to trade Arenado, right now he may be feeling the strain, he is hitting a low .182/.217/.409. Gorman seems to be regressing, not progressing. He is hitting a woeful .154/.188/.192 with 9 ks in 26 ABs(34% K-rate). Donovan and Wynn are having issues as well Donovan .167/.211/.278 and Wynn .087/.192/.087. There are bright spots in Willson Contreras and Thomas Saggese. Contreras seems to be taking the move to first base well at least offensivley hitting .412/.500/.647 and Saggese is swatting a respectable .318/.375/.455. I mentioned Luken Baker earlier he leads the club in HRs(3) and RBIs(7) this spring while hitting a respectful .263/.423/.737. If he continues this he could make the squad as the DH which puts Burleson in the OF. Rright now the Cardinals would be hard pressed to ignore or dismiss the perfomances of Scott, Saggese, and Koperniak. They should also be concerned with Gorman, Walker, and Donovan. It will interesting to watch how it unfolds.

The catching duties have been largley turned over to Hrerrea and Pages. Herrera is having a solid spring .286/.421/.714, while Pages is struggling .188/.278/.250. I don't see an urgency right now but if Pages continues to struggle it could become tempting to to put Contreras behind the dish a few games and let Burley play first or you could see Jimmy Crooks make an appearnce in the big leagues this year.

As the rotation as it stands will be Gray, Mikolas, Erik Fedde, Steven Matz, and Andre Pellante. It is possible that you could see McGreevy in the Rotation with an injury or if, say, Matz were put into the pen. There is also a chance you could see Graceffo in the pen as a long man/spot starter. You also have Takhoa Roby, Quin Mathews, Cooper Hjerpe, and Tink Hence. All of whom were thought to have some impact this season.

The pen is pretty solid with 2025 saves leader Ryan Helsey coming back as well as set up man Jojo Romero. Ryan Fernandez is making his bid to be part of the 7th, 8th, 9th inning combination. I think Chris Roycroft and Mathew Libertore seem to be solid combining for 11 shutout innings this spring. If Graceffo goes into the pen that leaves one spot open.

All-in-all while I have my doubts and questions I do thinkthis team could make noise in the division. Now how much further than that I have doubts. In a year where the manager(Oliver Marmol) and President of Baseball operations(John Mozeliak) are BOTH in the final year ofnthier contract and with Chaim Bloom set to take over at the end of the season, the reset button is ready and waiting.

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