Here is my early prediction for the Cardinals starting twenty-five man roster:
Catcher - Yadier Molina. (No brainer. Best true catcher - yeah, you are no true catcher, Buster Poser - in the game today. Will eventually make it to the wall, and maybe even the Hall.)
First Baseman - Matt Adams. (He'll rediscover that power stroke that made him so deadly, while hitting for average as well. Twenty-five home runs. May never be more than average defensively, but hey, he's a first baseman.)
Second Baseman - Kolten Wong. (I see much improvement in this talented young infielder's future. With a full season in the big leagues, I picture him hitting near .300 with ten longballs and twenty-five steals.)
Shortstop - Jhonny Peralta. (Don't expect nearly the year he had last year, but he'll be steady, which is more than we've had at shortstop over the years.)
Third Baseman - Matt Carpenter. (I picture him having a year somewhere between last year and the year before. He'll be a consistent force as a lead-off man, draw walks, work the count, hit for average and fifteen homers.)
Left Field - Matt Holliday. (Actually picture this year as the start of his decline. Could see him being traded to make room for Piscotty.)
Center Field - Jon Jay. (Won't have the year he did last year. Will alternate between Bourjos, Grichuk, and occasionally Heyward.)
Right Field - Jason Heyward. (Here is the guy who will spring the Cardinals into the playoffs. With instruction from Mabry, I picture him improving against lefties, dominating right-handed pitching, hitting .300, 25, 85 with stellar defense and taking Holliday's slot as the third-place hitter.)
Backups - Randal Grichuk, Peter Bourjos, Mark Reynolds, Aledmys Diaz, Tony Cruz. (Grichuk could see a lot of playing time, given that he can play all three outfield positions in a pinch. Bourjos might alternate with Jay and be on defensive replacements, but I don't see him having a better year than last year. Reynolds hits for homers and strikes out a ton. So long as he's a power option off of the bench, who cares? Cruz is the only option as a backup, as Carson Kelly simply isn't ready yet and needs to play every day. Diaz is the lone surprise; he beats out everyone else to become the utility-man.
Starting Rotation - Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Lance Lynn, John Lackey, Carlos Martinez. (Wainwright is Wainwright. Won't have the season he had last year, but he'll be ace material. Wacha regains his form and pitches his way to a Comeback Player of the Year award. Lynn justifies our contract, wins a ton of games, and stays reliable. Lackey could see himself as trade-bait if a young pitcher dominates his way to the bigs. Martinez struggles early, but finds his true form late.
Relievers - Trevor Rosenthal, Jordan Walden, Seth Maness, Marco Gonzales, Matt Belisle, Kevin Siegrist, Tim Cooney. (Rosenthal struggles a bit and loses some of his save opportunities, but as he has more reliable options behind him, he won't have as shaky of a year as he did. Walden wins the setup job and becomes a steady option. Maness will be Maness: will give up more hits than he should, but will get us out of jams. Gonzales might just make it to the starting rotation if Lackey is dealt or if a starter is unavailable.. Belisle is a pleasant surprise and actually does well on a contract year in a pitcher's park. Siegrist takes a while, but he regains his old form near the end of the regular season. Cooney shocks the baseball world - not Cardinals fans - by nailing down a roster spot as a reliable left-handed long reliever.
