JUPITER, Fla. — The Cardinals’ Oliver Marmol sat in the visiting manager’s office at the CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in the middle of last week reveling in the displays of athleticism and skill the competition for roster spots and playing time had wrought.
Injuries to outfielders Tommy Edman and Lars Nootbaar opened the door to a bevy of viable options for how the Cardinals would construct their outfield.
That night, two of the primary contenders put on a show. Dylan Carlson, the incumbent entering his fifth season in the majors, blasted a grand slam as part of a two-hit game. Meanwhile, rising prospect, speedster and defensive standout Victor Scott II ranged to the wall in center field and made a leaping catch to steal a home run away from an opposing hitter.
Saturday as spring training neared its end, Marmol brought closure to the debating and speculation about the outfield situation and crystalized most of the opening-day roster.
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Carlson will get his chance to play every day in the outfield to start the season, while Scott will continue to refine his game at Triple A after making a valiant effort to force his way onto the opening-day roster.
“We had some direct conversations of what was needed,†Marmol said of Carlson. “He answered the bell. I think part of it is allowing him an opportunity to show what he’s capable of doing.â€
A switch hitting former first-round draft pick and former top prospect in the Cardinals’ organization, Carlson has flashed the ability to impact games at the major-league level in the past. In 2021, he finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting after he batted .266 with a .343 on-base percentage, 18 home runs and 65 RBIs in 149 games.
However, consistency eluded Carlson, and injuries also plagued him at times when it appeared he had a runway to put his talent on display. He played in 204 games during the past two seasons and batted .230 with a .316 on-base percentage, 13 home runs and 69 RBIs.
“It’s no secret,†Carlson said. “The last couple seasons what I put out wasn’t representative of what I can do. Ultimately, the direction (Marmol and I) both wanted me to go in was to be the explosive and more dynamic player I can be. That includes hitting for power and working on my swing.
“You want to be a complete player in this game. When you have areas that you can improve on, you want to go out there and attack it.â€
So far this spring, through Saturday’s game, Carlson’s three home runs lead the Cardinals. He hit those while batting left-handed — the side of the plate where he’s been the least productive in the majors — and he also collected a team-high 13 RBIs and batted .271.
Bouncing back
Carlson’s 2023 season ended prematurely because of ankle surgery. The Cardinals stated during the MLB winter meetings that Carlson would go into the season as their backup outfielder behind a projected everyday alignment of Jordan Walker in right field, Edman in center field and Nootbaar in left field.
“The team came out in the media pretty early in the offseason saying that I was the fourth outfielder,†Carlson said. “I kind of just took that as it was and focused on myself and went to work. I couldn’t really focus on what was going on with other people much.
“All I tried to do was focus on myself and continue to find ways to get better. That way whenever the opportunity came, whether it was the beginning of the season or some point in the season, just be ready to run with it and give myself the best chance to be successful.â€
Scott, who stole 94 bases last season in the minors while splitting time at High A and Double A, made a push for a roster spot once Edman’s recovery from offseason wrist surgery progressed slower than anticipated.
With Scott’s electrifying speed on display and Carlson having seemingly been the next in line for regular playing time in the outfield, it made for an interesting camp battle.
“Look, it’s the big leagues,†Carlson said. “There’s competition every single day. So I mean it’s really nothing new at this point. We’ve got a lot of great players in this organization, a lot of great players in this league, so you’ve got to go out there and showcase what you can do on a daily basis and hope people are watching.â€
Scott’s situation
The Cardinals staff thought Scott, who also won a Minor League Baseball Gold Glove last season, would benefit in the long term from time at Triple A. Marmol said he informed Scott of the decision Saturday morning.
“We talked about it in small groups, big groups. We discussed it quite a bit,†Marmol said. “(Scott) needs to be super-proud — we got to discuss it this morning — super-proud of the work he did this spring. It was the first time we, as a staff and the core group of players, got to see him every day. Not only on the field, but how he goes about his work. How he kind of just does business. He’s a very impressive individual, I’ll tell you that.
“He did a nice job on the field, offensively, defensively. On the bases, he just creates absolute havoc. We do believe that some at-bats in Triple A makes sense. You look at his workload in High A and Double A. We want to make sure when he comes up here, he never looks back. I think this sets him up for that.â€
Scott, a non-roster invitee in big-league camp, batted .316 with a .409 on-base percentage and four stolen bases.
Edman continues to strengthen his wrist. The medical staff wants his grip/wrist strength to reach a certain level before he resumes swings. Marmol didn’t want to give a timetable for Edman’s return, but he said, “It’s not as long as initially anticipated.â€
Bench roles become clear
The absence of Edman coupled with Nootbaar meant the Cardinals had to make multiple decisions on how to fill out their outfield and their bench.
While Scott gets everyday playing time in the minors, Michael Siani will break camp with the club as a fourth outfielder and potential defensive replacement late in games.
The Cardinals acquired Siani off waivers from Cincinnati in September. He has appeared in just 17 games in the majors. This spring, Siani has batted .297 with a .422 on-base percentage.
“My instant reaction, it’s awesome,†Siani said. “I know I have the ability to be on this team and produce on this team. That has always been the goal. Now, it’s just to continue to be doing what I’ve been doing. I know my role. We’ve had those conversations throughout spring. We’ve made it very clear, which has been awesome, all the way through.
“It’s for sure exciting. It’s something I haven’t been a part of yet — an opening day roster — so it’s awesome for me. It’s also great for my family.â€
Outfielder/first baseman Alec Burleson lost weight this offseason as part of his effort to improve his play in the outfield in hopes of securing a roster spot. That roster spot looked doubtful once the Cardinals added veteran left-handed hitters Matt Carpenter and Brandon Crawford on major-league deals.
Carpenter and Crawford will be on the opening-day roster. Ivan Herrera will be the second catcher, and Burleson will be an option in the outfield as well as designated hitter or a batter off the bench.
Burleson, a second-round draft pick in 2020, showed prowess as a hitter in the minors almost immediately. Burleson averaged one home run every 22.6 plate appearances and registered a batting average of .300 in the minors.
Last season, he spent the entire year on the major-league roster. Though he seemed poised to be a victim of a roster crunch this spring if not for injuries.
“Obviously, we signed some guys that were going to have some spots,†Burleson said. “I just wanted to put together my best spring and put together a good showing for the staff and show that I can be a big-league hitter and I can contribute.
“But like I’ve been saying all along, the guys that are banged up right now are going to come back. So I want to be able to continue this into the season, contribute to the team, so that when those guys do come back I’ll still have my spot. I’ll still be able to help this team. Obviously, those guys coming back are going to contribute as well. I just want to be a factor in that too.â€
Pitching staff mostly set
The Cardinals also set their starting pitching rotation for the end of the exhibition season as well as the start of the regular season.
Lance Lynn will start Sunday’s Grapefruit League finale in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Steven Matz and Kyle Gibson will start the exhibition games in Arizona on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
Marmol announced earlier that Miles Mikolas will be the club’s opening-day starting pitcher, and Marmol said on Friday that Zack Thompson will slot into the rotation in place of Sonny Gray (hamstring).
For the season-opening series in Los Angeles, Mikolas will start the first game (on Thursday), followed by Thompson, Lynn and Matz. Gibson will start the first game of the ensuing series in San Diego. That sets up Lynn to start the home opener, on April 4 against Miami.
The bullpen remains the only part of the opening-day roster that the Cardinals haven’t made their final decisions. Right-hander Keynan Middleton will begin the season on the injured list, but right-handers Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, Andrew Kittredge, Riley O’Brien and left-handers JoJo Romero and Matthew Liberatore appear likely to make the club.
Right-hander Andre Pallante, right-hander and Rule 5 draft pick Ryan Fernandez and left-hander John King figure into the mix for the last two bullpen spots.