Team spends to fill holes
Notable spring faces
CF Dexter Fowler, LHP Brett Cecil: The Cardinals took off the financial shackles and shelled out $82.5 million for Fowler and $30.5 million for Cecil in the free agent market, hoping to close the gap on the World Series champion Chicago Cubs.
The Cardinals are looking to Fowler to ignite the offense, just as he did last season with the Cubs, producing a .393 on-base percentage as their primary leadoff hitter with a .840 onbase-plus-slugging percentage (OPS). He’ll be the lineup’s only new everyday position player.
Cecil, coming off the worst season of his career (1-7,3.93 ERA) while missing half the year with a torn back muscle, hopes to show it was strictly an aberration. He yielded a 2.67 ERA over the previous three seasons, striking out 216 in 1681⁄ innings. He’ll be their key lefty 3 in the bullpen, yielding a .226 batting average against left-handed hitters along with a .281 on-base percentage and .344 slugging percentage for his career.
Burning question
Can Kolten Wong show that he’s the everyday second baseman?
The Cardinals put faith in Wong by keeping him and not pursuing other infielders such as free agent Justin Turner or Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier.
Yet if Wong is inconsistent again, which resulted in a demotion to the minor leagues and a move to center field for a brief time last season, they might be forced to make alternate plans. They could move first baseman Matt Carpenter back to second base and turn the first base job back to Matt Adams. Or they could go with Jedd Gyorko, who is competing with Jhonny Peralta at third base. If Wong struggles, the Cardinals could have a real mess on their hands.