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St. Louis Cardinals: Evaluating the Position Player Roster Bubble

By Patrick Karraker

Mar 14, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Greg Garcia (35) attempts to throw out a Minnesota Twins base runner during the game at Roger Dean Stadium. The Twins defeated the Cardinals 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 14, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Greg Garcia (35) attempts to throw out a Minnesota Twins base runner during the game at Roger Dean Stadium. The Twins defeated the Cardinals 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports /
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John Mozeliak Mike Matheny St. Louis Cardinals
Feb 18, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny (right) listens as general manager John Mozeliak (left) talks with chairman and chief executive officer William O. DeWitt, Jr. (center) at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

The St. Louis Cardinals’ spring schedule is roughly 75 percent complete. What’s the stock of the competitors for big-league bench roles?

With seven games left on their spring training schedule, the St. Louis Cardinals are quickly getting closer to setting a 25-man roster for the regular season. As we thought would be the case going into spring training, there’s not much roster drama, and it really appears to be a matter of the 12th reliever and fifth bench player definitively proving that they belong in the big leagues, rather than an outright competition taking part on the pitching staff or among the position player ranks. Actually, the biggest roster drama of the spring involved who would take over for Jhonny Peralta after the incumbent starting shortstop went down with a hand injury in the first weekend of March, but that situation appears to have been settled now that the Cardinals have acquired Ruben Tejada.

With Tyler Lyons looking to have won the last bullpen job–one that he was already penciled into heading into the spring–the only slight drama surrounds the last spot on the bench (which may not even exist if the Cardinals decide to change course and carry a 13th pitcher). We decided to take a quick look at the remaining candidates for that fifth bench spot and place odds on which ones have the greatest shot at making the club:

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