Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals 24-Year-Old Named 'Dark Horse' Option For Opening Day

Will the young hurler make the big league roster?
Patrick McAvoy|
Sep 11, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Sep 11, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals made it known early in the offseason that they wanted to go with a younger roster in 2025.

The Cardinals wanted to "reset" the team, but there really haven't been many changes made. The Cardinals were in a lot of trade rumors, but players like Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Erick Fedde, and Ryan Helsley are all still with the organization.

The fact that these veterans are still with St. Louis is positive because it raises the team's ceiling, but it will be a little more difficult to get playing time for the young guys.

Spring Training is going to be interesting to see who makes the most of their opportunities and earns spots on the Opening Day roster. There are less spots to go around so who will do the most to earn the roles?

MLB.com shared a list of "dark horse" candidates for each team to make the big league rosters and John Denton had Michael McGreevy as the option for St. Louis.

"Cardinals: RHP Michael McGreevy," Denton said. "In a perfect world, McGreevy would be a lock to be on the Opening Day roster, especially after the way he pitched down the stretch last season. He was 3-0 in four MLB appearances (three starts), including a season-capping five-hitter over eight innings in a win against the (San Francisco Giants).

The Cardinals would like to trade veteran starters Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz, and to do so, both might need to be on the Opening Day roster. That could delay McGreevy’s chances to try and build upon his 2024 success at the big league level."

McGreevy is just 24 years old and has a bright future with St. Louis, but will he get the opportunity to show what he can do early in 2025?

More MLB: Watch Cardinals 22-Year-Old Phenom Blast 1st Home Run Of Spring

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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