It’s safe to say that veteran major-league pitcherCarlos Villanuevacould have gotten off to a better start in his bid to make the St. Louis Cardinals’ roster. In his 2015 spring training debut on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, the 31-year-old made it through his first inning with little trouble, inducing three groundouts while walkingDanny Espinosa.
Villanueva imploded in the sixth inning, however, allowing six singles while facing eight batters, which resulted in four runs allowed and prevented him from finishing off the inning, as he gave way toJohn Gastwith two outs and two runners on.
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It’s been speculated that Villanueva, a veteran of nine big-league seasons, will win the final spot in the Cardinals’ bullpen, completing a remodeled righthanded cast that also includesTrevor Rosenthal,Jordan Walden,Matt Belisle, andSeth Maness. Villanueva, who is in camp as a non-roster invitee, did not rise to the challenge on Saturday, however, and it’s already time to start wondering if his chances to make the Opening Day roster are diminishing.
Though Villanueva’s major league experience provides him an edge, the Cardinals have plenty of other bullpen options. First of all, the presence of Villanueva would mean that the Cards wouldn’t be able to carry three lefties in the bullpen, which would leave someone amongRandy Choate,Kevin Siegrist, andSam Freeman(who is out of options) as the odd man out.
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Choate struggled in 2014, but the Cardinals owe him $3 million this season and are hoping that he can turn it around. Siegrist, who was limited by injuries in 2014, was historically good in 2013, collecting an 0.45 ERA with an 0.88 WHIP, .128 opponent batting average, 50 strikeouts and 18 walks over 45 games spanning 39.2 innings.
That’s not even to mentionNick Greenwood, a lefty who was a successful swingman for the Cards in 2014. He may end up being a younger, cheaper option for the long relief role that Villanueva has a chance to fill.
The loser of the the Cardinals’ fifth starter competition,Carlos MartinezorMarco Gonzales, could also end up in the bullpen if they aren’t sent to Triple-A Memphis to be stretched out as a starter. Both Martinez and Gonzales have been successful in the recent past when cast into big-league bullpen roles.
The Cards will also have to find something to do with leftyJaime Garciaif he stays healthy until Opening Day, and he could be an option for a long relief role if he doesn’t end up getting traded or designated for assignment. With all of these options for the bullpen, it’s difficult to see Villanueva being assured a spot even if he continues to struggle this spring.
The only other non-roster pitcher to make the Opening Day roster sinceMike Mathenytook over as the Cardinals’ manager in 2012 has beenPat Neshek, who obviously had success, making the team out of spring training in 2014 and going on to be an All-Star. Over eight appearances last spring, Neshek gave up two runs (spread out over two different games) in eight total appearances spanning 8.1 innings. The last non-roster invitee to make it before Neshek,Miguel Batistain 2011, also gave up two runs during the spring while throwing 11.1 innings in eight games.
Obviously, that’s not a wide body of evidence, and anyone can have a bad day on the mound, especially early on. But with a high level of competition in the bullpen and Villanueva’s contract not being guaranteed, it’s safe to say that his horrific sixth inning in Saturday’s game did not help his chances of cracking the Opening Day roster.
Next: Potential Cardinals X-Factors for 2015
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