A look at the 2008 roster: Outfielders

With the better part of a foot of snow on the ground, it may seem odd that pitchers and catchers report to spring training in less than two weeks. But it's true. So there's no time like the present to take a peek at the Cardinals roster and try to predict how things are going to shake out in Grapefruit League play.

I figure I'll start with the outfield, since that is one of the biggest areas of change for the 2008 'Birds.

The Candidates:

Rick Ankiel - The last couple of seasons, Rick Ankiel has been told that there was no way he was going to break camp with the team, no matter what he did in spring training. Out of options and fresh off his late 2007 MLB debut as an outfielder, there is no way Ankiel WON'T make the Cardinals this spring. That is, if he's healthy.

Ankiel proved he has the physical skills to hit at the major league level with a .285 batting average and 11 homers in only 172 at bats. But he slumped horribly when the news came out that he bought human growth hormone when he was trying to rehab from injury a few years back. Was that a coincidence or does it show Ankiel is lacking a bit of mental toughness? Cardinals fans are hoping its the former, and there is some circumstantial evidence to show that's the case. After all, by the time the news broke, Ankiel had been around for about a month and pitchers had a chance to get a book on him.

In the outfield, Ankiel may be less graceful than Jim Edmonds, who he may be the favorite to replace in centerfield. But he covers a lot of ground, has good instincts and, by now, everyone knows about his unbelievable throwing arm. Ultimately, when Colby Rasmus is ready to take over in center, that arm should be Ankiel's ticket to right field. He'll probably hit second, but fourth, fifth and sixth are other spots he could see action. Chance of making the opening day roster: 100%.

Chris Duncan - It's easy to forget that Duncan was the Cardinals best offensive player in the first half of 2007. Why, because he went through a long downward spiral playing -- unbeknownst to the fans -- with an abdominal wall injury. That drug down his batting average, flattened his power numbers and generally made him look bad.

Duncan (27 years old, 6-foot-5, 210 lbs, throws right, bats left) has been a complimentary offensive player in his first three major league seasons. With the Departure of Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds, Duncan will likely be asked to play a more prominent role in 2008, possibly interchanging with new third baseman Troy Glaus in the cleanup and fifth spots in the order.

Duncan still is attractive to the Cardinals because he has lots of power and a small paycheck. But he needs to improve his defense this season if he is going to solidify his place as an everyday player. Chance of making the opening day roster: 100%.

Ryan Ludwick - He did a nice job as the fourth outfielder for the Cardinals last season, hitting .267 with 14 homers and playing good defense. Ludwick could earn a lot more playing time this year with Juan Encarnacion probably out for the season. But if Brian Barton or Colby Rasmus make the squad, he'll be back to a reserve role.

Ludwick (29 years old, 6-foot-3, 203 Lbs., throws left, bats right) is one of those guys who isn't spectacular. But he does everything pretty well and is a good guy to have around. He's out of options. If the Cardinals don't make a place for Ludwick on the big league club, they stand to lose him to a team that will. Chance of making the opening day roster: 70% percent.

 

Brian Barton - Picked up from Cleveland in the Rule 5 draft, this is clearly a make or break spring training for Barton, at least as far as the Cardinals are concerned: Either he makes the team and stays in the majors at St. Louis all season or the Cardinals have to ship him back to the Indians. A rare third option is that the Cardinals can try to work out a trade with Cleveland that would allow them to demote Barton to the minors, but that scenario is pretty unlikely...
Barton (25 years old, 6-foot-3, 190 lbs Bats right, throws right) knows how to win, he played for two College World Series teams with the University of Miami and led his AA team to the Eastern League playoffs last year.
"Our scouting reports about Barton were very positive ... good speed, good range in the outfield, hits and gets on base," St. Louis Cardinals farm director Jeff Luhnow told the Springfield (MO) News-Leader. "(He is also) intelligent and driven. Our south Florida area scout liked him back at UM. We have had good experiences with our UM players, (Jon) Jay and (Chris) Perez."
In 2007, Barton hit .314/9/59 at AA and .264/1/7 in 25 games at AAA. He stole 21 bases in 31 tries split between the two levels.
Barton was study in college to be an aerospace engineer when he was wooed away by the Tribe to play baseball full time. He projects to potentially be a lead-off man sort or could hit second, sixth or seventh in the Cardinals batting order if he earns significant playing time. Chance of making the opening day roster: 70 percent.

Skip Schumaker - Skippy has been a nice defensive outfielder and has hit well with a .294 batting average in 255 at bats spread out over three seasons. But the numbers game that has limited his playing time in the past is still in full force now.

Schumaker has the same profile as former Cardinals flychaser So Taguchi. But, while Taguchi found a roster spot for several years as a fifth outfielder, barring an injury to one of the other outfield candidates, it's hard to believe Schumacher (28 years old, 5-foot-10, 175 Lbs., throws right, bats left) will make this team. But it is easy to believe that he could find his way back to St. Louis to fill in if another outfielder is injured.

Chances of making the opening day roster: 25%.

Colby Rasmus - Although Cardinals fans hope the organization's top prospect will be ready to embark on his major league career following the 2008 Grapefruit League season, Rasmus has never seen a pitch at the AAA level, and there is a strong argument to be made for playing things safe instead of being sorry later. But, if all goes well, Rasmus will make his MLB debut at some point in the upcoming season. The Cardinals wouldn't have traded Jim Edmonds if they didn't think this could happen sooner rather than later.

Rasmus, (21 years old, 6-foot-1, 175 lbs. Bats left, throws left) hit .275 for AA Springfield with 29 homers, a .381 on base percentage and a .551 slugging percentage. He stole 18 bases in 21 tries and projects to bat second or third in the Cardinals' order. Click here to see Rasmus hit a towering homer last year for AA Springfield. Chance of making the opening day roster: 40%.

Cody Haerther: Lost to the Blue Jays on waivers earlier this off season, the Cardinals got Haerther back when the Toronto had a roster log jam and had to remove him from their 40-man list.

He hit .289 with little power last season playing for AA Springfield, but has a nice left field glove and gets on base at a respectable clip. While you had to wonder how interested the Cardinals were in Haerther to let him get snapped up by Toronto. But they must be pretty fond of him if the grabbed him back when he became available.

Haerther, (24 years old 6 feet tall, 190 Lbs., throws right, bats left) shows the potential to be an extra outfielder at the major league level. But not this season. Chances of making the opening day roster: 2%.

Joe Mather: Played the left side of the infield when he was drafted in 2001, splitting time between shortstop and second base. He later got in some time at first before moving to the outfield...

Mather (25 years old, 6-foot-4, 195 Lbs., throws right, bats right) hit .303 with 18 homers, a .387 on base percentage and a .607 slugging mark in AA Memphis last season to earn a promotion to AAA Memphis. He struggled with a .241 batting average after arriving in Tennessee, but added 13 more longballs to his resume to total 31 for the year. He's also a stolen base threat, racking up 10 last season without being caught. In fact, minor league catchers haven't been able to nab Mather in 22 stolen base attempts dating back to 2004 when he played for Peoria.

Chances of making the opening day roster: 15%.

Comments

[Jason]

It is going to be a dogfight for an outfield spot come ST. Duncan in LF, Ankiel in CF, and Barton or Ludwick in RF. I think Barton will get the nod and Ludwick will be on the bench.

I've heard that Rasmus has put on some muscle and is now around the 200lb. mark. He is going to mash AAA pitching.

[View from the Cheap Seats]

I hope Barton wins a spot because he is the best answer for a leadoff hitter.

The only other guy who has some leadoff experience is Rasmus, who did quite well in that role for Team USA.

But if I were making up a Cardinals lineup that included Rasmus and Barton, it would look like this:

LF Barton (R)
RF Ankiel (L) or Duncan (L)
CF Rasmus (L)
1B Pujols (R)
3B Glaus (S)
C Molina (R)
2B Ryan (R)
SS Izturis (S)

When I saw Rasmus at the baseball writers' dinner, he looked pretty cut. Not bulky, but his upper arms and forearms are well defined.

My biggest concern about Rasmus -- or any player dubbed The Next Big Thing -- is keeping his head on straight.

Rasmus certainly has all the tools. But he needs to remember that he's facing nothing but other guys with major league talent. He needs to be a student of the game and always be learning. And, hopefully, Pujols will take him under his wing and help him with that.

[Brett R.]

2008 0utfield will probably be Duncan,Ankiel, and Ludwick. Barton will definetly be in the running for a starting job too. I don't see Colby coming up until late August,like Ankiel last year.

[Rick]

Ladies and gentlemen, the worst outfield in baseball.