This year’s theme at the St. Louis Cardinals spring training is not too different from a lot of teams entering the 2015 season: health. It’s the first year in some time that there aren’t a ton of questions about the everyday lineup or the starting rotation. The Cardinals have had a great run the last four years, including four straight National League Championships series appearances, two National League pennants and one World Series title.
Last year, after posting a 90-72 record, they fell short to the eventual World Series champs, the San Francisco Giants 4-1 in the NLCS. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, they lost teammate and potential superstar Oscar Tavares to a car accident in the Dominican Republic just after their season ended. Tavares’ death impacted the Cardinals in many ways. First, they had to deal with the emotion of the tragedy, including handling young star pitcher Carlos Martinez, who grew up with Tavares and was one of his closest friends. Martinez, who is scheduled to be the fifth starter this year, asked and received permission to change his uniform number from 44 to his friend’s No. 18. The Redbirds have already had guest speakers at spring training this year discussing responsibility and the dangers of drinking and driving.
With an opening in right field, general manager John Mozeliak sent starting pitcher Shelby Miller to the Atlanta Braves in return for right fielder Jason Heyward and relief pitcher Jordan Walden. Heyward, who will be a free agent at the end of this year, is very versatile. He can bat second, fifth or even sixth in the lineup, and he’s a Gold Glove defender in the field. Walden is expected to be the eighth inning set-up reliever for closer Trevor Rosenthal, a job he filled last year with the Braves, setting up closer Craig Kimbrel. Immediately after the trade, Braves general manager John Hart acknowledged how difficult it was to give up Heyward, who hit .271 with 11 home runs and had 58 RBIs and 20 stolen bases last season.
Matt Holliday returns in left, and Jon Jay, coming off his best season ever hitting .303 with 46 RBIs and playing great defense, has established himself as the everyday centerfielder. From third to first, with Matt Carpenter, Jhonny Peralta, Kolten Wong and Matt Adams returning for a second year together, expectations are very high for this infield. All-star catcher Yadier Molina continues to be the mainstay of this team. Molina missed nearly two months last season when he tore a ligament in his right thumb that required surgery. He still won his seventh Gold Glove award as the best defensive catcher in the league. Then in the NLCS, he strained his oblique and missed the last three games of the series, all Cardinals losses. Molina’s value cannot be overstated, and making sure he is healthy this year is a top Cardinals priority. St. Louis’ pitching staff is very dependent on Molina, as he is not only great defensively, but also handles a pitching staff better than anybody in baseball.
The starting five look very solid again for the Redbirds. Adam Wainwright put up another 20-win season last year and remains one of the top five starters in all of baseball, though he is sometimes overlooked nationally. Lance Lynn, John Lackey, Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez should fill out the rest of the rotation, giving the Cardinals a very solid-looking staff. Wacha missed a good portion of the season with a shoulder injury, and his return upgrades the staff tremendously. Plus, with Jaime Garcia returning from injury, lefty Marco Gonzales available and Carlos Villanueva being signed as a potential long man, the Cardinals have protected themselves from any unforeseen injuries.
The bench also was improved with the signing of Mark Reynolds, who hit 22 home runs last season and has hit more than 20 home runs the last seven straight seasons. He will provide the home run threat the Cardinals have needed for some time, off the bench. The National League Central has gotten tougher this off-season. The Chicago Cubs, the division’s doormat the last few years, made headlines with the signing of manager Joe Maddon and ace pitcher Jon Lester. The Pirates and Brewers improved their squads, while the Reds look like contenders as well. The Cardinals still remain the team to beat in the Central division, and if they have a little luck and good health on their side, this looks like a playoff team for the fifth straight season. No matter what happens, it’s baseball season and it will be another exciting one for the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans.
