Cardinals Insider Reveals 3 Players Fighting For Prominent Role

The Cardinals will have to make a tough choice eventually

Sep 28, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) bats against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Who is going to be the St. Louis Cardinals' starting center fielder when Opening Day comes around to kick off the 2025 Major League Baseball season?

Last year, the Cardinals dealt with a lot of injuries that altered the team's plans. Guys like Dylan Carlson and Lars Nootbaar dealt with injuries. Because of this, Victor Scott II and Michael Siani got bigger roles than expected.

Scott struggled out of the gate offensively and Siani took over the role. Siani ended up playing 124 games and played a great defensive center field. He also finished the year with a .228/.285/.570 slash line with two home runs, 20 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases.

At this point, it's unclear who will be the team's starting center field on Opening Day and The Athletic's Katie Woo shared that Nootbaar, Scott, and Siani all are competing for the role right now.

"Expect to see a variety of defensive alignments over the first two weeks of games," Woo said. "(Oli Marmol) considers center field an open competition, with Michael Siani, Victor Scott II, and Lars Nootbaar all firmly in the mix. The catch (pun intended): Playing time here won’t be dictated solely by individual performance.

"In years prior, the Cardinals often rewarded players on the cusp of the roster if their spring season warranted it (see Andre Pallante, Jordan Walker, and Scott as recent examples). But this year, the front office has made it clear that prioritizing playing time takes precedence."

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