Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals 25-Year-Old's Rough Spring Could Doom Chances At Big Role

There's a lot of decisions on the horizon for the Cardinals
Patrick McAvoy|
Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Sep 17, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a St. Louis Cardinals hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to have to make some tough decisions as Opening Day approaches and a tough Spring Training could negatively impact a key piece from last year.

Michael Siani got a lot of time in center field last year and was phenomenal defensively. Siani wasn't expected to be the team's everyday guy last year, but injuries and inconsistent play opened the door for Siani and he made the most of the opportunity.

Now, there has been a position battle for center field between Siani, Victor Scott II, and Lars Nootbaar. There are still a few weeks to go until Opening day so anything could happen, but things aren't looking great for Siani so far.

Siani has appeared in 11 games so far in Spring Training and is slashing .033/.147.033 with one RBI and 11 strikeouts. There's plenty of time left for Siani to turn things around and he also provides a lot with his glove. But, both Nootbaar and Scott have been significantly better offensively so far in camp.

The Cardinals don't have many spots to go around with Opening Day coming up and Siani seems like a guy who could end up being negatively impacted by the roster crunch. It wouldn't be a shock to see him getting time in the big leagues in 2025, but right now Scott and Nootbaar have both played better, at least offensively.

This is one of the biggest roster battles to follow in Cardinals camp.

More MLB: Cardinals Could Open Spot For 24-Year-Old With Trade In 2025

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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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