Over the past several months, one of the biggest questions around camp retained back to the pitching staff. More specifically, the last remaining spot in the starting rotation. That question was finally answered earlier this week, when Cards' skipper Mike Matheny announced that RHP Carlos Martinez will receive the nod every fifth day.
The 23 year old flamethrower beat out fellow young gun Marco Gonzales (Jaime Garcia was also in the race for the fifth starting role, but he is now out due to shoulder issues) for the job. After the impressive Spring runs showcased by each one, I'm sure it was a really difficult decision to make. Either man would've fit the bill, but overall I think Carlos deserved it the most.
Also, as most guessed, Adam Wainwright will start for the Cardinals against the Cubs on Sunday night in Chicago. He's looked decent to me in his few starts, but he has pitched without pain which is what matters to me. The rotation can now be confidentially stated due to these reasons. It looks to be 1. Adam Wainwright, 2. Lance Lynn, 3. John Lackey, 4. Michael Wacha, and Carlos Martinez in the fifth spot.
Another question mark that surrounded the Cardinals this Spring involved the bench guys. Not including Mark Reynolds and Tony Cruz (who are already "guarantees"), there were six potential men for 3 remaining spots. To begin Spring, those six were Stephen Piscotty, Pete Kozma, Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham, Ty Kelly, and Peter Bourjos. The two best offensive Springs belong to Grichuk and Kozma, both who made the roster. This spring, Grichuk hit four homers and had an OPS north of .930. Kozma arguably had the best offensive camp on the team, as he has batted .435 in forty-six ABs. The guy who snatched up the third and final bench spot available on the roster is Peter Bourjos. Unlike Randal and Pete, he didn't have a Spring that was worth bragging of, as he posted just a slim .146 (6-for-41) batting average. Matheny did, however, state that Bourjos was his "fourth outfielder". After his rocky offense this month, it's very hard to say Matheny chose Bourjos because of his sense of 'pop'. I do like his speed, which gives him the ability to steal a few bases here and there. I believe it could play key in some situations throughout the season. But I also know that one can't steal first base. I hope he can straighten his hitting out, but if he can't he'll have to use his other resources to reach base. I think that bunting more often may be his best option, due to his speed. If he can execute successful bunts, he'll be able to reach first and then steal if he is given the opportunity to.
The 2015 St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day 25-Man Roster:
P-Adam Wainwright
P-Lance Lynn
P-John Lackey
P-Michael Wacha
P-Carlos Martinez
P-Trevor Rosenthal
P-Randy Choate
P-Kevin Siegrist
P-Seth Maness
P-Matt Belisle
P-Jordan Walden
P-Carlos Villanueva
C-Yadier Molina
C-Tony Cruz
IF-Matt Adams
IF-Mark Reynolds
IF-Kolten Wong
IF-Jhonny Peralta
IF-Pete Kozma
IF-Matt Carpenter
OF-Matt Holliday
OF-Jon Jay
OF-Jason Heyward
OF-Peter Bourjos
OF-Randal Grichuk
Thank you for reading!
Twitter: @Curtis_Josey
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