3 big storylines for Cards entering Spring Training

This story was excerpted from John Denton’s Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Usually, being forced to replace a franchise icon and a future Hall of Famer would qualify as a top storyline going into the season.

However, the Cardinals did such a solid job of filling the massive hole created by Yadier Molina’s retirement with the addition of All-Star catcher Willson Contreras that it’s mostly a moot point now.

Contreras, 30, was signed to a five-year, $87 million contract to replace Molina, a two-time champion and a nine-time Gold Glover. The club views Contreras as an adequate defender who can offer a massive offensive upgrade after hitting 20-plus home runs the past two seasons. He’ll likely hit fifth in the order, providing protection for stars Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.

As for other storylines surrounding a Cardinals squad that opens Spring Training Tuesday in Jupiter, Fla., there is less clarity. Here are some of their key spring questions:

1. How will the outfield shake out, namely rookie sensation Jordan Walker?
On a team littered with stars in the infield, the Cardinals outfield is full of question marks. That is the case after Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson slumped throughout injury-riddled seasons and opened the door for youngsters Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson and Walker.

O’Neill saw his 2022 sabotaged by shoulder and hamstring injuries. This time, O’Neill reconfigured his workouts in hopes of a healthier ’23. The Cards are also counting on a bounceback season from Carlson, whose left-handed-hitting struggles were attributed to wrist/thumb injuries.

Enter Nootbaar, whose exit-velocity, hard-hit and walk-rate profiles last season mirrored those of superstar players. Meanwhile, Walker will have all eyes on him to see how he handles the pressures and rigors of being a starting outfielder. The 20-year-old is 6-foot-5, 250 pounds -- and he has an impressive mental maturity to match.

If Walker hits and handles right field, he’ll likely be the Opening Day starter. The Cardinals would prefer O’Neill, Carlson and Nootbaar be their starting outfield, but they aren’t about to block a player who could be a middle-of-the-order superstar for the next decade.

2. Which pitchers will lead and get contract extensions?
In a recent ranking of each team’s lineups and pitching staffs by ESPN, the Cardinals' offense came in at No. 2, while their pitching staff sank to a somewhat troubling No. 19. Because the Cardinals staff features primarily pitch-to-contact hurlers who use baseball’s best defense, rankings like those can be skewed. Still, the Cards need a staff ace with Adam Wainwright headed toward retirement.

Will it be Jack Flaherty, who is healthy following two years of stops and starts and is hopeful he can regain his dominant stuff of 2019? Will it be ’22 All-Star Miles Mikolas? Can Jordan Montgomery regain the form he had while winning his first five starts after being traded from the Yankees?

The Cardinals have just one starter -- lefty Steven Matz -- signed beyond 2023, so don’t be surprised if Mikolas or Montgomery gets an extension this spring. As for Flaherty, he could have $200 million on the line, but the club will likely hold off on locking him up because of his injury history.

3. Did the Cardinals do enough to truly be World Series contenders again?
As previously mentioned, the Cardinals took care of their top priority by landing Contreras. But the remainder of their offseason was quiet, while other NL big spenders dramatically upgraded their rosters. Sure, the Cards should easily win the NL Central again. But can they compete with the Mets, Phillies, Padres, Dodgers and Braves in the rugged NL?

Can the offensive upgrade of Contreras, the potential injection of Walker’s five-tool talent and bounceback seasons from O’Neill, Carlson and Flaherty make the Cards legitimate contenders again? That’s a question more for October than February, but it is one that will churn and burn from the start of camp until the last out of the season.