John Mozeliak said earlier this offseason that the Cardinals starting eight was very likely set for 2019. After the signing of Francisco Pena, it’s possible the bench is set as well. This, of course, is with the exception of a possible late trade involving a Jedd Gyorko or Jose Martinez, for example. However, if no trades or additional signings are made, this is what the Cards bench could look like on opening day.
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Jose got a lot of starting time last year thanks to a struggling Dexter Fowler and the lack of options at first when Matt Carpenter shifted to third. This season he’s unlikely to see much time at first thanks to the signing of Paul Goldschmidt. He also won’t be slated as the Opening Day right fielder either, according to the front office. Even after slashing .305/.364/.457 with 17 homers and 83 RBI, Martinez is destined to start the 2019 season on the pine.
That’s not all bad for the Cardinals though. Throughout his career Jose has been a very good pinch hitter, posting a .407 average in 55 such at-bats. He could prove to be a valuable weapon late in games when Mike Shildt needs to get someone on base. It’s also possible that Martinez will end up seeing the bulk of the playing time in right as the season goes on, if Fowler has another bad year.
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Another guy who’s playing time will drop dramatically thanks to the Goldschmidt addition is Jedd Gyorko. Gyorko, for the first time since being traded, may actually be used in the bench role he was supposed to fill when he initially came over from San Diego.
Most of Jedd’s playing time in 2019 will presumably come via starts versus left-handed pitching. Both the Cardinals third baseman, Carpenter, and second baseman, Wong, hit left-handed. Gyorko plays those two positions more than any others, making him a good right-handed option at either when it’s needed. Additionally, on days when he doesn’t start, he’ll provide good power off the bench.
He’s also made it known that he would be willing to play in the outfield if it meant more playing time, but there’s not necessarily any more room there than on the infield. Mike Shildt didn’t seem to obsessed with that idea anyway, half-heartedly stating that the possibility could be explored during Spring Training.
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St. Louis began the offseason without a backup catcher. It wasn’t a high priority of there’s to find one either. Despite that, they did finally resign the guy they had in 2018, Francisco Pena. He signed a minor league deal at the first of the year that will pay him league minimum when he is recalled to play behind Yadier Molina.
Pena’s number one role will be just that too. Last year he got more playing time than expected after Molina’s injury. He was less than impressive at the plate, hitting .203 with an OPS of .510, but his defense was solid. That’s all that will be expected of him this year as well when he’s on the field.
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Tyler O’Neill made his MLB debut last year and wound up making 27 starts. He spelled both Marcell Ozuna and Martinez at times, getting the bulk of his starts in the corners of the outfield. Overall he had a decent rookie season. In 130 total at-bats, he slashed .254/.303/.500 and hit nine home runs. His strikeout numbers were higher than the Cards would like and his OBP was far from impressive, but he left no questions about his power.
That’s what will get him his at-bats in 2019. He’s not going to make a lot of starts in left if Ozuna bounces back and he’s third in line for the right field job. However, he provides a ton of pop off the bench. Because of that, he will be a good asset for Shildt in late and close pinch hit situations.
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After a good showing in Spring Training, Yairo Munoz was given a lot of opportunities in 2018. His versatility made it easy for the managers to get him playing time and his bat made them comfortable with him in the lineup. The 23-year-old utility man made 72 starts last season, hitting .276 with eight home runs and an OBP of .350.
With Gyorko moving to a foreseeably permanent bench role though, Munoz probably won’t get as many starts this coming season. Nonetheless, he still provides good depth in case someone gets hurt or multiple guys need the same day off.
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Drew Robinson is the only bench player, right now, that wasn’t on the 2018 roster. He’s also the only one that hits left-handed. That’s where his value lies. Mo traded the power-hitting minor league third baseman Patrick Wisdom for Robinson because the Cards lacked left-handed hitting on their bench.
That’s about all that stands out with Robinson though. He only has 95 big league games under his belt and last year he hit .183 and posted a -0.5 WAR. He’s not a power hitter with just nine career home runs and his defense isn’t outstanding in the outfield. Moreover, Robinson is a left-handed bat for the bench, nothing more, nothing less.
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