Inbox: Who will win Cards' bench jobs?

A full month has come and gone since the Cardinals’ pitchers and catchers reported to Jupiter, Fla., on Feb. 22. And just like that, there’s one full week of games left on the Grapefruit League docket.

There have been plenty of questions answered already through the first four weeks of Cardinals camp, from how Jordan Hicks looks, to what Alex Reyes’ outlook is for 2021, to Nolan Arenado’s fit on the club and much more.

But let’s crack open the Cardinals Inbox and try to answer a few more outstanding questions heading into the final week of camp:

What are the current choices for bench pieces? Will Matt Carpenter cost someone else a spot on the Opening Day roster?
-- @REVXSHADOWS

The Cardinals do not believe Carpenter will “cost” someone a roster spot, because they believe that Carpenter, playing to his fullest potential, can be either a semi-nightly contributor or an impact bat off the bench.

Granted, the organization has acknowledged that there is indeed a question when it comes to Carpenter’s utilization, with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak saying before a March 9 game that he hopes it’s one that can be answered in the next 10 days. In the 13 days since -- and Carpenter’s last seven games -- he has one hit (a double, his only base knock of spring) with five walks, five strikeouts and some batted-ball misfortune. Meanwhile, Tommy Edman's torrid spring has made his spot at second all the more secure.

Carpenter has played second base and spent some time at third and has the potential to spell Paul Goldschmidt at first occasionally, but there is no outfield in his forecast. His lack of positional flexibility makes for a complicated bench picture, which brings us to our next question …

How likely is it that John Nogowski will make the roster over a more versatile bench bat like Edmundo Sosa or José Rondón? His hitting has forced the team to keep him around, but does the positional limitation hold him back?
-- @nahlikriley

Manager Mike Shildt said on Saturday that “there's not a clear path” for Nogowski to be on the roster. You’d think if Nogowski was doing what he’s doing -- countless two-out hits, leading the team in RBIs -- from the left side of the plate, he’d be a shoo-in. But given Goldschmidt doesn't need many days off and Carpenter can provide more positionally than Nogowski, he may fall victim to the roster squeeze, despite all his success. However, he’s remained open to the outfield to enhance his chances.

Sosa and Rondón also have a fascinating battle unfolding. Sosa is out of options and already on the 40-man roster, but Rondón can’t stop mashing, with three extra-base hits and a 1.115 OPS across 17 at-bats -- mostly as a pinch-hitter/plug-and-play guy, to boot. This could be the Cards’ most difficult roster decision.

Does batting Goldschmidt second “shorten” the lineup? I’d prefer to see Dylan Carlson second.
-- @kk75stl

An interesting question. I was personally surprised to see the Cardinals commit to Edman and Goldschmidt atop their lineup -- at least so early -- based on their recent history of lineup construction. The Cards possess a very right-handed lineup, with only Justin Williams and Carpenter as pure left-handed options on the 40-man roster, so keeping the switch-hitting Carlson in the bottom half -- where he’s been most of camp -- does little to break up the right-handedness of the middle of the lineup.

I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if Carlson hits as high as second and in the cleanup spot in a fair share of games this season. He can be a wild card for the lineup. He hit cleanup in the Wild Card Series. The Cards hope he'll be fully unlocked in his first full season after breaking out down the stretch in 2020.

How long is the Harrison Bader leash?
-- @AugieNash

Bader is the Cardinals’ starting center fielder for Opening Day. There was a possibility that Lane Thomas could play his way into a starting role, but his fade of late probably entrenches him as a fourth outfielder who can primarily play center and left.

That being said, Bader’s 3-for-21 spring so far -- only one hit coming off a righty -- does create some cause for concern. Shildt said Monday morning that Carlson will see some reps in center field before camp closes. The Cards are keeping their options open.

Do you think any trades or free agents are still available to improve the team? With an excess of outfielders, multiple catching prospects and a future star in Nolan Gorman, it just seems that some moves would make sense, especially to improve starting pitching.
-- Jack T.

There always remains the opportunity to get better, and that pitching concern has been exacerbated by the health of their starters before the season has even started. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand recently laid out some of the prime Trade Deadline candidates this year, with the Reds’ Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray leading the pack. The Mariners' James Paxton is also an option, and he could cost less to acquire.

The Cardinals like their depth and are confident Miles Mikolas and Kwang Hyun Kim will not miss an excessive amount of time (if any at all for Kim), but as was evident this offseason, don’t count out St. Louis on the trade market.