As of today, we’re almost exactly two weeks from the day when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. I would say there’s at least an even chance that Brendan Donovan will remain a St. Louis Cardinal once the season begins. If that’s the case, what do you think the St. Louis Cardinals opening day infield should be?
Until I have reason to believe otherwise, let’s assume for the sake of argument that Brendan Donovan remains a St. Louis Cardinal through Spring Training and remains untraded once the regular season starts. What should the team’s infield look like on opening day? There are some easy assumptions, but there are also some complicated questions, too. I’ll share what I think this might look like, but I’m more interested in what moves (or not) you would make. Here’s my St. Louis Cardinals starting infield against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, March 26:
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1B – Alec Burleson
2B – JJ Wetherholt
SS – Masyn Winn
3B – Nolan Gorman
C – Ivan Herrera
If Brendan Donovan is still a part of the St. Louis Cardinals roster on that day, I start him in left field with Victor Scott II in center and Jordan Walker in right field. If Lars Nootbaar were healthy and ready for opening day, I’d start him in right and let Jordan start the season in AAA. I still think one more trip to Memphis would help Walker until he shows consistent plate discipline, but I’d be thrilled if I had to change my mind because he was so impressive in Spring Training.
For my opening day infield, I’ve made the assumption that JJ Wetherholt is ready for the show. If there’s an unforeseen hiccup with Wetherholt’s development, then Brendan is the obvious choice to be opening day starter at second base. I’m also frustrated that I don’t have a place for Thomas Saggese. I would like to see what Thomas would do if given the chance to be an everyday player. I’m fine with José Fermín being the off-the-bench utility man to fill in roster holes.
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I’m torn on how I feel about the St. Louis Cardinals possibly hanging on to Brendan Donovan. On one hand, we are no doubt a better team with him on our roster and in our lineup, but I also think his trade value will never be higher than it is right now. As I was trying to envision what the St. Louis Cardinals infield would look like, I understand why Chaim Bloom isn’t in a rush to trade him. Beyond opening day, Brendan is a great solution to take over third base if Nolan Gorman fails to solve his strikeout woes. He’s also insurance if JJ Wetherholt isn’t ready for the big league roster and the team needs Brendan at second base. His versatility also means he’s a backup if Masyn Winn were to be injured again. The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly says the San Francisco Giants “remain engaged” with the St. Louis Cardinals on Brendan Donovan, so where he fits in the opening day lineup may become a non-issue soon, but we also have to anticipate that the Giants (or any other team) won’t meet the Cardinals demands.
If you were making the call, what do you think the St. Louis Cardinals opening day infield should look like? I look forward to see what you think the priorities should be and how you would fill in the missing pieces.
