With guys like Oscar Taveras, Michael Wacha and Matt Adams set to start out on the farm, one wonders if a collection of Cardinals’ minor leaguers might be better than the Astros this year.
Cardinals GM John Mozeliak made it clear today that Taveras, likely the best pure hitting prospect in baseball, would open the season in Triple-A rather than claim a spot on the St. Louis bench, adding that it had more to do with getting him regular at-bats than it did starting his free agent and arbitration clocks.
Taveras is hitting .302/.348/.535 with two homers and nine RBI in 43 at-bats this spring, but it would make little sense for the Cardinals to carry him on Opening Day. Carlos Beltran should sit once a week, but Matt Holliday is a full-time player and since Taveras and Jon Jay are both left-handed hitters, there’s no way to divvy up the center field job at the moment. The Cardinals also have Shane Robinson tearing it up this spring; he’ll likely be the fourth outfielder.
Taveras, Adams and second baseman Kolten Wong will likely form the backbone of a strong Memphis lineup this season. Shelby Miller is likely to lead the rotation initially, though he still hasn’t been eliminated from contention for a spot on the major league roster. As for Wacha, it’s not yet known whether he’s Double- or Triple-A bound. The 2012 first-round pick has quickly established himself as one of the game’s elite pitching prospects this spring.
