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St. Louis Cardinals: Evaluating All the Outfielders in This Year’s Camp

By Patrick Karraker

Jun 29, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Stephen Piscotty (55) at bat against the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 29, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Stephen Piscotty (55) at bat against the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 11, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Magneuris Sierra (98) is congratulated after scoring a run against the Atlanta Braves during the game at Roger Dean StadiumThe Cardinals defeated the Braves 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Magneuris Sierra (98) is congratulated after scoring a run against the Atlanta Braves during the game at Roger Dean StadiumThe Cardinals defeated the Braves 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports /

Not Likely

Harrison Bader, Anthony García, Chad Huffman, Magneuris Sierra

With the Cardinals’ lack of outfield depth, it’s certainly possible that García–who is currently on the 40-man roster–could earn a promotion to the big-league club at some point this season. He won’t make the team straight out of spring training, though, and he’ll have to deliver a better performance than the .238/.308/.388 slash line he delivered in 384 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A last year if he wants an opportunity in the majors.

The 31-year-old Huffman, who saw action in nine big-league games with the Yankees back in 2010, was one of the stars of the International League in 2016 and could make his way back to the majors this season with a strong showing at Triple-A Memphis. The first baseman/corner outfielder hit .286/.387/.505 for the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate, last season. He’ll likely be the veteran leader at Memphis, and if guys like Bader, García, Todd Cunningham, and Jose Martinez fail to impress in the minors, he could definitely carve out a role as an injury replacement in St. Louis.

The 20-year-old Sierra was added to the 40-man roster this offseason so he could be protected from the Rule 5 Draft, but it’d take a superhuman performance for him to reach the big leagues in 2017. The rangy center fielder hit .307/.335/.395 with 31 steals in 48 chances last season in his second campaign at Low-A Peoria, and he’s likely destined for High-A Palm Beach to begin this season.

Next: Evaluating All the Infielders in Cardinals Camp

Depending on whether he can recover from a worrisome tailspin following his promotion to Triple-A last July, during which he hit just .231/.298/.354 in 161 plate appearances at the minors’ highest level, Bader might be the most likely of these guys to earn a chance in the big leagues this season. The 2015 third-rounder rose rapidly during his first professional season, and after reaching the upper minors so quickly, the natural progression would be for him to see time in the majors this year.

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