Your Fearless Prediction for Cardinals Spring Training
JUPITER, Fla. — There’s one every spring training. Unless there are two.
One of the time-honored traditions of spring usually happens huddled around the batting cage as we watch live batting practice for the first time. Passing the time while they work on pickoff throws and mechanics, the media plays simple parlor games — all about predictions. Today there were questions about the starting outfield in Triple-A Memphis, the potential lineup for the 2010 St. Louis Cardinals (who’s at shortstop?) and, of course, the standard: A surprise for spring. Who is most likely to pull a Kyle McClellan, if you will.
Every spring has at least one and it’s not always a young player making the team like it was last year. Sometimes it’s a player not making the team (i.e., Junior Spivey in 2006 or Scott Spiezio c. 2008, for vastly different reasons). Sometimes it’s a player coming out of nowhere to take a roster spot (Bill Pulsipher in 2005 or Scott Spiezio c. 2006).
A week ago, in his Round 2 blog, bossman Roger Hensley presented the question to some of the writers: What prediction would you make that would surprise fans coming out of spring training? Time to turn the tables. What prediction would the fans make that would surprise the writers coming out of spring training?
Possibilities abound. There’s Skip Schumaker emerging as the everyday second baseman, there’s Royce Ring, Ian Ostlund or Charlie Manning vying for a spot in the bullpen. There’s McClellan — last year’s McClellan, so to speak — who could pitch his way into a starting job, a closing job or the same job he had in last year’s bullpen. There’s a trade — or the most intriguing possibility of a sign-and-trade. There is Albert Pujols hitting cleanup. (Unlikely, sure, but hey it’s a fearless prediction. Make it count.)
And that’s just a start. Several of the writers said the surprise of swing would be Chris Duncan’s return as an offensive force in the Cardinals lineup. Manager Tony La Russa insisted Wednesday that wouldn’t be a fair prediction — because if Duncan is healthy that almost a given.
Vote for one of the predictions below or come up with your own and place it in the comments.
Loading …Last year, during one of the first-week volleys of predictions, one member of the Redbird Beat pegged the arrival of McClellan. It’s never too early to be right. Hope to return with some video from today’s action shortly …
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
The Cardinals will have several things go wrong with the starting staff, leaving them wondering why they chose not to sign anyone to help replace the innings produced by Looper last year.
Here’s taking the Mather/Schumaker option. I really believe that in six weeks Schumaker will be a servicable option at 2B, and really that’s all the Cardinals can ask of a guy who hadn’t taken a “serious” groundball since his college days, until he began working “seriously” at 2B just a week ago. If he can make the fundamental plays, getting him out of the current outfield logjam and getting him more at-bats is a good thing.
Also gave Joe Thurston some consideration here, as well. Let’s be honest, he hasn’t really had a fair shot at the majors yet. He’s been blocked by really, really good players at every stop in his career. I like the element of speed he brings to a team lacking in that department, I think he could surprise some as spring training continues.
I chose “young pitcher siezes job”. I can easily see an injury/injuries and opportunities arising for a young pitcher.
I don’t really think that these events are mutually exclusive. I can see the rotation not being what it is today, as well as a young pitcher seizing a job/ a non roster lefty elbowing his way into the bullpen. Say Pineiro is out and McClellan or Thompson moves into the rotation, that opens an opportunity in the bullpen for a young guy/non roster guy. Also a guy like Thompson could find himself traded to clear up the picture for a young guy/NRI.
I’m still kind of expecting a trade of one of the outfielders. If Duncan is healthy and productive, where does that leave Colby Rasmus? What about Brian Barton? Joe Mather after Glaus returns? Not to mention Skippy if the 2B transition doesn’t work out.
I don’t really know who or where, but I gotta think Mo’s just dying to find a suitable partner for Ankiel or Schumaker or Barton or whoever. Bringing back a starter to provide depth — ideally a cost-controlled guy with upside — would be a huge coup.
I’ve liked the Tyler Greene option all along. He definitely has the most upside of any of the candidates. I think he’s going to perform well enought to earn the starting job — at least on a 3 out of every 4 games basis.
There not going to spend to improve the team it appears, so its time to see what the vaunted farm system brings to the table.
For me, the big surprise coming out of spring training would be that Chris Duncan is NOT on the 25-man roster getting way more opportunities to succeed than any other player (with the possible exception of Izzy). I would be surprised if Tony doesn’t send Colby back down to AAA to make it happen. I hope to heaven I’m wrong.
If Rasmus has a good spring and is sent to AAA Memphis, I will be in a FOUL mood!
I think a third option (Kinney) could steal the closers role, if his stuff is the same as the end of ‘08.
I hear you cardsballhawk. I will be in a foul mood about it, too. The signs appear to be there already, unfortunately. TLR: ‘Colby COULD elbow someone out of the way; ; ‘Chris has an edge because of numbers he put up 2 years ago’; etc., etc. We’ve been hearing increasingly more pro-Duncan stuff and yet, hearing very little about our top prospect. Why is that?
wanted to pick about half the vote options really…
went with a trade in the end though I do not think it will be an outfielder we consider to be a “starter.”
i think the Cards will contend this year, appeasing Pujols and Tony La, and tempting Ank to sign a deal before FA a la Lohse. Something like 3yr/24mil going 6, 8 10. with Ank, Lud, Rasmus, and Jones our outfield could dominate with speed, power, and defense for years.
Skip’s slide to second goes smoothly. He wins at least 1/2 the job.
Ring becomes #1 LOOGY and one of Salas/Todd make the pen.