2015 Spotlight: St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals started their offseason with horrible news that no team should ever have to hear. Before the World Series had even started, Oscar Taveras sadly died in a tragic car accident in his hometown of Puerto Plata, Puerto Rico. That left the Cards with a gaping hole in right field and baseball fans everywhere with heavy hearts. While there is no replacing Taveras’ legacy, the team filled his former position with a marquee player in Jason Heyward. With elite defense, solid base-stealing abilities and just entering his prime years, Heyward could be in for a big season in St. Louis.

The rest of the starting lineup will include mainstays such as outfielder Matt Holliday and catcher Yadier Molina, along with infielder Matt Carpenter and first baseman Matt Adams, both looking to regain their successful strokes from their rookie seasons. If the team can put together a lineup that balances their power and speed in the rights way, they would certainly be in the discussion for best offense in the league. Their pitching staff, headlined by ace Adam Wainwright, is also a major strength, with their only real question mark being Carlos Martinez, a former top-prospect who boasts an electric fastball and a plus-breaking ball. If he can make a clean transition from the bullpen into the rotation, this team becomes all the more dangerous.

Who to watch: Heyward is the obvious choice since he is in his contract year, thus has more to prove. If he is able to stay healthy and display his prodigious offensive skills in addition to his superior glove, he could be in line for a $200 million contract when he hits free agency in the fall. 

Heyward is arguably the best defensive player in the game.

That may be a tall order, but Heyward has the raw skills and youth on his side. I could realistically see him batting .270 with 20+ home runs and 20 stolen bases if he plays a whole season. Increased power will come from playing fewer games at the cavernous Turner field in Atlanta.

Sleeper: Even with no obvious everyday position for him to handle, I think that outfielder Randal Grichuk will wind up breaking out this season. He’s young, talented and has an excellent minor league track record. He will most likely start the season either on the bench or in AAA, but if he can find his way into the lineup on a regular basis,

Is Grichuk ready for a full time-gig in the big leagues?

I think he will prove to the Cardinals that he is their center fielder of the future thanks to his mixture of speed and run producing abilities. Also, at only 22 years old, St. Louis may not be in any rush to throw him into the fold quite yet.

Bust: Carpenter was amazing in 2013. He was pretty good in 2014. 2015 might be the year he comes back to Earth. Sure, his position change from second base to third base may have cause a little bit of regression. But how about the fact that in the past two seasons he has only missed nine games total? That’s a lot of wear and tear on a body, and it showed with Carpenter in 2014. 

My take on Carpenter: good, not great.

If that trend continues, he may not perform to the All-Star level that many expect him to. Don’t get me wrong, I still think he is a good player, I’m just skeptical about his health and regression in speed (55 doubles in 2013, 33 in 2014).

Bold prediction: The Cardinals let Heyward walk after this season, even after parting with highly-touted starter Shelby Miller to acquire him. Many people believe that the Cardinals will do everything in their power to sign Heyward to an extension and keep him in their outfield for years to come. But when you look at their depth chart, they have multiple young outfield prospects on the way but not many pitchers. 

Price would look mighty fine in a Cardinals jersey...

Then, look at next season’s free agent class. It is loaded with ac-caliber pitchers such as David Price, Doug Fister and Johnny Cueto. If you ask me, I would say that the Cardinals should pay for pitching in the offseason and see what they have with their outfield prospects.