Rink 23: 2018 Cardinals -- Just contending will not be enough

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This is my dynasty for the 2018 St. Louis Cardinals.
Coming off a season where for the second year in a row they missed the postseason, something which is not happened often in the STL since the turn of the century, this is being viewed as a season where the Redbirds need to do more than contend.
It's going to be tough.
In the NL Central alone, Tthe Chicago Cubs are a heavy favorite to win the division and the MIlwaukee Brewers have made offensive improvements to a team which just missed the postseason in 2017.
In the rest of the NL, you have almost sure bets to make the playoffs in the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers and teams which figure to be in the thick of the wild-card fight in the New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.
The Cardinals only major change to their everyday lineup is a big one in left fielder Marcell Ozuna, who they landed in the Florida Marlins fire sale and is expected to be a big bat in the middle of the lineup the team has not had since Albert Pujols departed after the 2011 World Series championship season.
On the mound, Miles Mikolos has returned from two strong seasons in Japan and hopes to find success in the majors he did not have in his previous stint.
A major weakness a year ago, the bullpen looks much different at least from the right-side with the additions of veterans Bud Norris and Luke Gregerson along with a potential standout in Dominic Leone.
Also, joining the team in a few weeks will be former Rockies closer Greg Holland, a late signee who tied for the NL lead in saves in 2017.
But the biggest boost the Cardinals may see could come from down below and its strong farm system.
Luke Weaver already is penciled in as the No. 3 starting pitcher after going 7-2 in the big leagues a year ago.
Waiting in the wings are right-hander Jack Flaherty and fireballing reliever Jordan Hicks. Later in the season, in a role to be determined, will see the return of right-hander Alex Reyes, a former No. 1 ranked pitcher in all of baseball who missed the 2017 campaign following Tommy John surgery.

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Preseason predictions from MLB

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Manager's notes on the 2018 roster
Starting pitchers
SP1: Carlos Martinez:Entering his fourth season in the rotation, Martinez will be expected to step up and become the ace of the staff. If it doesn't happen it will be tough for the team to accomplish its goals, and there are a number of young pitchers waiting in the wings who could pass him right by.
SP2: Michael Wacha:After a brilliant start to his career, Wacha's career has been stuck in neutral because of injuries and stamina issues. If he doesn't find a way to give a consistent six innings, Wacha, like Martinez, could find himself passed by the team's young depth.
SP2: Luke Weaver: Part of the Cardinals youth movement on the mound, Weaver struggled in his first callup in 2017 but was impressive when given a second chance. He finished the major league portion of his season with a 7-2 record and an ERA of 3.88. Has a long-time No. 2 or 3 starter written all over him.
Adam Wainwright:After two less than mediocre seasons, and an injury shortened one before that, there is little doubt Wainwright does not have much left in the tank. If he doesn't show in the season's first two months he can help the team win more games than it loses, the bullpen or worse could be waiting the future Cardinals team Hall of Fame member.
Milos Mikolos:No one is really sure what to make of Mikolos. He spent three years in the majors with the Rangers and Padres and did nothing noteworthy going 4-6 with an ERA in the 5.00s. He went to Japan and seemingly learned how to pitch, going 31-13 with an 2.18 ERA in three seasons. If this can translate back to the big show, he could be quite a find.
Bullpen
RHP: Matt Bowman: With 134 outings over the past two seasons, Bowman has been a workhorse out of the pen for the Cardinals and don’t expect 2018 to be much different. A key will be doing a better job of spacing out that workload, so he has something left for the stretch run.
RHP: Jordan Hicks: In just his second season of pro ball, the 21-year-old Hicks earned a job in the big leagues after strong performance in spring training. The owner of an 101-mph fastball, Hicks may not be used in high-leverage situations early but could be used to groomed to be a future closer as the season progresses.
RHP: Bud Norris: This right-hander started his career as a Cardinal killer while a member of the Astros rotation in the late-2000s. Unfortunately, the Cardinals were the only team he seemed to have that kind of success against – outside of a 15-8 season for the Orioles in 2014 -- and eventually led him to move to the bullpen. He enjoyed a solid campaign for the Angels in 2017, recording 19 saves (with four blown saves) before some mid-summer struggles because of knee injury skewed his numbers for the entire season. With a recent history of being able to retire left-handed batters, Norris will often be asked to handle an inning or more.
RHP: Luke Gregerson: Originally drafted by the Cardinals, before being dealt to San Diego in 2009 in a trade that brought Khalil Greene to St. Louis, Gregerson will asked to handle a set-up role for the Redbirds. For eight seasons, Gregerson was a top-notch reliever for the Padres, Athletics and Astros before struggling in 2017. Things got so bad a year ago, Astros manager A.J. Hinch was hesitant to use Gregerson in high-leverage situations during the postseason. This for a pitcher who had saved 31 games for his team in 2015 and 15 in 2017. A return to form, in a less high visiable role, would be a big key for the Cardinals.
RHP: Dominc Leone: Obtained in a trade which sent outfielder Randal Grichuk to the American League, the Cardinals have high hopes for Leone who enjoyed his best season in the majors in 2017. Leone, who had struggled in three previous shots at the bigs, put together an ERA of 2.56 and WHIP of 1.052 while pitching in the tough AL East. He will likely handle the closer’s role while the Cardinals wait for late-spring training signee Greg Holland to round into form.
LHP: Tyler Lyons: The 30-year-old Lyons will be the left-hander the Cardinals will rely on to face multiple batters when they run into a lefty-righty-lefty stretch of a batting order. A former starting pitcher, Lyons may occasionally be asked to go more than an inning.
LHP: Brett Cecil: A major disappointment a year ago after signing a five-year deal worth more than $30 million. Cecil’s role will be scaled back to mostly concentrate on retiring left-handed hitters. Even with the money he is being paid, Cecil’s future with the Cards will be in doubt if he cannot deliver.
Catchers
Yadier Molina: He may be approaching his 36th birthday, but Molina still ranks among the game’s best especially from the defensive side. Few catchers control the running game or handle a pitching staff like Molina and his bat isn’t bad either as he batted .273 with 18 homes and a team-high 82 RBIs a year ago. A workhorse, he’d catch 162 games if he could. I’d like to keep it to around 130. One of the best leaders in the game.
Francisco Pena: Who? The Cardinals feature one of the top catching prospects in baseball in Carson Kelly, but with Molina’s propensity to take so few days off it just made more sense to keep Kelly at AAA Memphis where he can play every day. (And maybe even increase his trade value as Molina is signed to play through 2019). The son of former Cardinals catcher Tony Pena, Francisco has 30 MLB games under his bet with a batting average of .250. He’s hit three homers and driven in three runs.
Infielders
1B/3B/2B: Matt Carpenter: The season will open with Carpenter playing first base against right-handed pitchers and often either second or third against lefties. An OBP machine, Carpenter will once again attempt to hit in the No. 3 hole – where he will be provided protection by Marcell Ozuna at cleanup – but it’s something he’s yet to figure out in previous attempts. If it doesn’t work out, he could find himself back at leadoff. He does have his flaws, IRL I am not a big fan, as he often seems to be more interested in taking a walk than driving the ball with runners in scoring position. He also is a poor baserunner and doesn’t play defense well no matter where you put him. But when he’s producing offensively, he’s an All-Star caliber player.
2B: Kolten Wong: This will be the sixth season the Cardinals have given Wong an opportunity to perform like a high-level MLB second baseman. With strong defensive skills, he has the propensity to make the great play and botch the routine. He also seems to forget he stands just 5-foot-9, 185-pounds and that he has no business swinging for the fences. He’s already expected to lose some playing time to Carpenter and Jedd Gyorko. If he doesn’t show an consistency, he could lose much more than that.
SS: Paul DeJong: The former Illinois State University standout seemed to come out of a nowhere in 2017 to finish second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting after putting together a campaign which saw him hit 25 home runs and 65 RBIs in just 108 games. His biggest issue seems to be the strikeout, DeJong whiffed 124 times in 443 at bats, and he must curtail that as pitchers continue to get a book on him. A decent, but not great defender, his future defensively may be at third base.
3B: Jedd Gyorko: Although his numbers dipped in 2017, Gyorko figures to be the Cardinals primary third baseman against left-handed starting pitchers. He’s hit 50 home runs over his two seasons with the Cardinals and can provide a decent glove at second and third bases.
1B: Jose Martinez: Finally given a chance to show what he can do in the majors after more than a decade in the minors, Martinez performed well enough – hitting .309 with 14 homers and 46 RBIs – to earn the job of being the Cardinals 2018 starter at first base against left-handed pitchers. He also can play some corner outfield. Doesn’t defend well, no matter where you place him.
IF: Greg Garcia: An ability to play shortstop, second and third base, along with hit from the left-side, has Garcia back with the big-league club for the fourth consecutive season. Garcia has gotten on base at a .381 clips against right-handers over the course of his career.
IF: Yario Munoz: Acquired in the offseason from the Oakland Athletics in a deal which sent outfielder Stephen Piscotty west where he can be closer to his ailing mother, Munoz earned a spot in the big leagues with a strong spring training. Like Garcia, he can play three infield position only he hits from the right side. He’s hit 42 homers and drove in 228 runs in six minor league seasons. He hit .375 with three HRs and nine RBIs in the spring for the Redbirds.
Outfielders
RF: Dexter Fowler: With the emergence of Tommy Pham in 2017 and the offseason acquisition of Marcell Ozuna, Fowler will be making the move from center to right field in 2018. While he was not consistent, Fowler still batted .264 with 64 RBIs and a career-high 18 homers. He will be back in his customary lead-off role as Matt Carpenter will again attempt to learn how to hit third. Should Fowler struggle, Carpenter could move back up top and the Cardinals will be faced with the dilemma of where to hit the veteran switch-hitter. His defense isn’t great, especially his arm, which could be a concern in right field.
CF: Tommy Pham:Slowed by injuries and eye issues for almost 10 seasons spent mostly in the minors, Pham finally blossomed at the big-league level in 2018 batting .306 with 23 home runs, 73 RBIs and 25 steals. He also played some impressive defense. The question is, was it an aberration, especially considering all the problems he’s had with his eyes, or is Pham about to emerge as one of the center fielders in baseball?
LF: Marcell Ozuna: The Cardinals really wanted Giancarlo Stanton, but he didn’t want them. They got Ozuna, which is a pretty good consolation prize. A year ago, Ozuna batted .317 with 37 home runs and 124 RBIs. Oh yeah, he won a Gold Glove in left field too. The one concern could be those were easily the best numbers of Ozuna’s career – he hit .266 with 23 homers and 76 RBIs in 2016 – but even something in between that is pretty good and should give the Cardinals their best meat of the order bat since the hey-day of the Great Albert Pujols.
OF: Harrison Bader: The Cardinals Minor League Position Player of the Year in 2017 – when he batted .283 with 20 homers and 55 RBIs for a Memphis Redbirds team that won the Pacific Coast League with a 91-50 record – Bader will start the season as the fourth outfielder at the big league level. Bader got into 32 games in the majors in 2017, batting .235 with three homers and 10 RBIs. Possessed with good speed, Bader runs the bases well and can handle all three defensive outfield positions. The Cardinals may look to acquire a veteran outfield bat, which would allow them to put Bader back in Memphis where he can play every day.
Players to watch
RP: Greg Holland: Signed by the Cardinals late in spring training, the Cardinals will be looking for the NL co-saves leader Holland to anchor the back end of what they hope is a much-improved bullpen. Holland posted 41 saves for the Rockies a year ago and has posted at least 32 each of the past four seasons.
SP: Jack Flaherty: Probably the next of the Cardinals stable of young arms to get a shot at the starting rotation. The right-hander struggled a year ago in a brief shot at the majors – he was 0-2 with a 6.02 ERA – but they hope like Luke Weaver did a year ago, Flaherty will take his game to the next level when he gets another shot at the majors. Flaherty owns a career minor-league mark of 30-17 with a 2.74 ERA.
SP/RP: Alex Reyes: Coming out of the 2016 season, Reyes may have been the highest-ranked pitching prospect in all of baseball. That was before Tommy John surgery forced him to sit all of last season. Reyes is expected to return around Memorial Day and his role – major or minors/starter or reliever – has yet to be determined. But if he can get back on track, he could be a huge addition to the Cardinal pitching staff. Reyes went 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA in his 2016 cup of coffee with the Cardinals.
RHP: Sam Tuivailala: A long-time rider of the Memphis shuttle, Tuivailala will start the season in Memphis. At times, he’s looked like a potential closer and others a guy who just figure it out how to retire big-league hitters. He’s down to his final option and with plenty of pitching talent in the minor leagues, it’s time for him to shine on a consistent basis if he can get back into the show.
OF: Tyler O’Neil: Acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the middle of 2017, O’Neil seems to boast all kinds of power based on his 105 homers in six minor-league seasons. He also has struck out 555 times in 1,753 at bats. A good defender who can play all three positions.
C: Carson Kelly: The top-rated catcher in minor league baseball coming into 2017, Kelly spent much of the year in the majors, where he struggled at the plate. (He hit just .174 with no homers and six RBIs). He’s back in Memphis to gain playing time and improve his offensive skills as he already rates as a plus defender. Could be trade bait with Molina expected to start the bulk of the Cardinals game until he retires in 2019.

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Cards notes: Owner emails and Previewing season opening series with Mets

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Organizational information

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MLB news: Opening day schedule and top 10 prospects

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Game 1: St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets, at Citi Field N.Y.

Game time and forecast: 1:10 p.m., 50 degrees, cloudy
Starting lineups
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Manager: Michael Renkes
2017 record: 83-79, 3rd in NL Central
RF: Dexter Fowler .264 average/18 HR/64 RBIs
CF: Tommy Phan .306/23/73
1B: Matt Carpenter .241/23/69
LF: Marcell Ozuna .312/37/124
SS: Paul DeJong .285/25/65
3B: Jedd Gyorko .272/20/67
2B: Kolten Wong .285/4/42
C: Yadier Molina .273/18/82
P: Carlos Martinez 12-11, 3.64 ERA

New York Mets
Manager: Mickey Callaway
2017 record: 70-92, 4th in NL East
SS: Ahmed Rosario .248 average/4 HRs/10 RBIs
2B: Asdrubal Cabrera .280/14/59
LF: Michael Conforto .279/27/68
RF: Jay Bruce .254/36/101
3B: Todd Frazier .215/27/76
1B: Adrian Gonzalez .242/3/30
C: Travis d'Arnaud .244/16/57
P: Noah Syndergaard 7-7, 2.96 ERA
CF: Juan Lagares .250/3/15
(I know the photo is of an old opener against the Phillies, but it's the best I could find).

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Game 1: Cardinals 10, Mets 9, 10 innings, at Citi Field, New York
Rec/Std/GB: 1-0, tied for 2nd with CIncinnati and Pittsburgh, 0.5 GB Chicago Cubs
W: Gregerson 1-0, 0.00. L: Blevins 0-1, 27.00. Sv: Leone 1, 0.00.
HR: Gyorko 2 (2), Fowler 1, Frazier 1, Bruce 1.
Player of the game: The Cardinals' Jedd Gyorko was 2 for 4 with two home runs, three runs scored and six RBIs.
Note: The Cardinals scored the winning run in the top of the 10th inning when backup catcher Francisco Pena hit a ground out to score Gyorko. Gyorko had drawn a one-out walk from Mets reliever Jerry Blevins and moved to third on a Kolten Wong single.

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Outfielder Seth Smith has agreed to a one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals worth $2.4 million.
He will take a spot on the major league roster with Harrison Bader moving down to AAA Memphis.

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Game 2: Mets 2, Cardinals 1, 11 innings, at Citi Field, New York
Rec/Std: 1-1, 4th, 0.5 GB Cincinnati and Pittsburgh
W: Sewald 1-0, 5.40. L: Gregerson 1-1, 2.70. HR: Fowler 2, Plawecki 1, Cabrera 1.
Player of the game: Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom allowed 1 run on three hits over six innings. He struck out three and walked two.
Note: The Mets won when Kevin Plawecki hit a solo home run off the Cardinals' Luke Gregerson with one out in the 11th inning.
* Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha left the game with an injury in the second inning.

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Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha will miss up to six days after leaving his first start of the season against the New York Mets in the second inning.

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MLB notes: Reds' Pereza has a big game; Phillies' Hutchison tosses a gem

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Game 3: Mets 3, Cardinals 2, at Citi Field New York
Rec/Std: 1-2, 4th (tied with Milwaukee, 2 GB Pittsburgh
W: Robles 1-0, 0.00. L: Lyons 0-1, 12.000. Sv: Familia 1, 3.00. HR: Ozuna 1.
Player of the game: Cardinals starting pitcher Luke Weaver allowed one run on five hits in 5.1 innings. He struck out two and walked one. Mets starter Steven Matz gave up two runs in five hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked four. The Mets' Ahmed Robles had a two-run, two-out double off Matt Bowman in the seventh inning to put New York ahead 3-2.

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MLB notes: Standings power rankings after opening weekend; Cubs lose Bryant to back issue
Note: Posting of leaders may become issue, you cannot get them in single screen shot as in the past and may be too much of a hassle to do each week.

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Preview of Cardinals series at Milwaukee

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Game 4: Brewers 7, Cardinals 6, at Miller Park, Milwaukee
Rec/Std/GB: 1-3, 5th, 2 GB Pittsburgh
W:Albers 1-0, 0.00. L: Gregerson 1-2, 6.23. Sv:Knebel 2, 0.00.
HR: Ozuna 2, Carpenter 1, Villar 1.
Player of the game: The Brewers' Jonathan Villar was 2 for 4 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs. Brett Lawrie had a two-run pinch-hit double off the Cardinals' Luke Gregerson in the eighth inning to put Milwaukee ahead 7-6.

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Game 5: Brewers 1, Cardinals 0, at Miller Park, Milwaukee
Rec/Std/GB: 1-4, 5th, 2.5 GB Pittsburgh
W: Drake 1-0, 2.25. L: Tuivailala 0-1, 0.00. Sv: Knebel 3, 0.00.
Player of the game: Cardinals starting pitcher Milos Mikolos tossed six shutout innings, allowing five hits while striking out five and walking none. Brewers starter Jholuys Chacin pitched five scoreless innings, giving up five hits. He struck out five and walked two. Lorenzo Cain drove in the game's only run with a one-out single off Sam Tuivailala in the eighth inning.

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Game 5: Cardinals 8, Brewers 3, at Miller Park, Milwaukee
Rec/Std/GB: 2-3, 5th, 1.5 GB Cincinnati and Pittsburgh
W: Martinez 1-0, 6.75. L: Davies 0-2, 7.88. HR: Braun 1.
Player of the game: Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings. He struck out six and walked two. Jed Gyorko was 2 for 3 with a run scored and two RBIs. Dexter Fowler had two RBIs. Paul DeJong scored three runs. Matt Carpenter scored two runs.

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MLB notes: Strasburg dominates, Villar goes 5-for-5; Puig loses his cool

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Preview of Cardinals series against Arizona.
The Cardinals will open their home schedule with a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.