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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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Mar 10, 2016; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jeremy Hazelbaker (91) connects for a double during a spring training game against the New York Mets at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2016; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jeremy Hazelbaker (91) connects for a double during a spring training game against the New York Mets at Tradition Field. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Jeremy Hazelbaker

Opening Day Roster Odds: 3/10

If there’s one player who appears to have upped his stock over the closing weeks of spring training, it’s Hazelbaker, a 28-year-old career minor-leaguer who signed with the Cardinals organization last May after being released by the Dodgers’ Double-A team. He went on to hit .323 with 13 homers and 66 RBI in 350 at-bats between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis last season, and he’s continued his tear this spring, taking advantage of a non-roster invitation to hit .324/.395/.529 with two homers and seven RBI in 38 plate appearances.

Hazelbaker’s main obstacle in making the Opening Day roster is the Cardinals’ apparent preference for keeping a second backup utility infielder (Greg Garcia), which makes some sense considering the outfield depth that they already employ. While Matt Holliday and Brandon Moss could both potentially be used at first base this season, they have the flexibility to play in the outfield, and the Cardinals feel comfortable using Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham, and Stephen Piscotty out there on a daily basis. If both Jedd Gyorko and Garcia are kept on the roster, Matt Carpenter also could move out to a corner outfield spot in an emergency situation.

With that said, Hazelbaker would add some positional flexibility as well, and that makes him a solid, if not probable, candidate to see action with the big-league club in 2016. While he’s most adept at the corner spots, Hazelbaker has played 21 innings in center field this spring, so it’s clear that the Cardinals are at least open to the possibility of him anchoring the outfield. That’d be a major help for a projected Cardinals roster that has a combined 12 innings of MLB experience in center (seven from Moss, five from Piscotty) beyond Grichuk and Pham and no proven minor-league depth at the position.

Ultimately, Hazelbaker probably gets edged by Garcia on the Opening Day roster, but there’s a solid chance that he’ll be the first call-up if a position player gets injured. His flexibility to play all three outfield positions and provide lefthanded power off the bench should make him an intriguing bench option for Mike Matheny later on this season.

Next: Carlos Peguero

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