Cardinals Have Clear Favorite for Open Left Field Job

The picture is becoming clearer.

Mar 6, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals hat and gloves lay in the dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have some roster spots up for grabs as Opening Day draws closer. With Lars Nootbaar likely out to start the season, left field is open for business. They have had several players competing for the opening day nod.

The main candidates are Thomas Saggese, Jose Fermin and Nelson Velazquez. Ivan Herrera also can't be ruled out of the picture just yet. It still remains to be seen who will take the role for opening day.

Saggese is away playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. However, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat believes Saggese has the inside track.

Saggese may be the favorite for LF job

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Thomas Saggese (25) during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

"The rotation of left fielders they’ve sorted through in spring — José Fermín, Thomas Saggese and Nelson Velázquez chief among them — has gotten smaller, thanks in large part to the World Baseball Classic," Jones wrote.

"Saggese, suiting up at shortstop for Italy, will return to camp following pool play and likely vaults right to the front of the line."

The Cardinals have optioned Joshua Baez to Triple-A Memphis following his torrid start to the spring. They don't want to make the same mistake they did with Jordan Walker a few years ago, when he was rushed to the big leagues.

That leaves three main options. Saggese has had a good spring thus far and has taken reps in the outfield. That gives the Cardinals an extra option to claim the starting left field job out of spring training.

It's also a way for them to have Saggese in the lineup every day, at least until Nootbaar comes back from his heel surgeries. Saggese was the headliner in a trade with the Texas Rangers back in 2023 when the Cardinals sold off left-hander Jordan Montgomery. He has performed well in the minor leagues and now has a chance to become a better player with the big league club.

Now is the time for young players to receive some runway as the Cardinals assess their needs for the future. Giving Saggese the nod in left field allows them to expand his arsenal and see if he can emerge as an everyday player sometime in the future.

He is a right-handed bat too, and the Cardinals were looking for a right-handed hitter who could play the outfield. Saggese may be that guy for St. Louis, meaning they don't need to go out and add another one.