The St. Louis Cardinals are set to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day 2022, and here is a quick refresher before the regular season kicks off.
The offseason didn’t include many, if any, big free agent moves for St. Louis, being 22nd in the league in offseason spending, signing five free agents, and avoiding arbitration with three players.
However, there were some shake-ups in the front office that left many around the league scratching their heads.
Two years off his Manager of the Year season, Mike Shildt was let go from the club, despite the team making it to the playoffs for three straight years under his tenure.
St. Louis President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak cited “philosophical differences” when explaining why he decided to part ways with Shildt.
Now, Oliver Marmol will get his chance to prove he has what it takes, being the youngest manager in the MLB at 35 years old.
Manol has said throughout Spring Training that he will follow the analytic wave most coaches are taking, leaning on matchup data and advanced analytics when deciding on the team’s starting lineup.
However, he shared that there is no need to check the data when deciding whether or not a future Hall of Famer will start in his return to Busch Stadium.
Among the most significant offseason moves made by the Cardinals included the re-signing of Albert Pujols for a send-off season after he spent the last decade in Los Angeles.
The two-time World Series Champion made his MLB debut with the club over two decades ago, and now he will make his last opening day roster with the same team.
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Adam Wainwright will kick the season off from the mound on Thursday in what will be his 17th season in the league and with the club.
Wainwright pieced together an excellent season in 2021, finishing seventh in NL Cy Young voting, and the 40-year-old is looking to repeat his success from last year.
Notable names on the opening day roster include reliever and 2019 fourth-round MLB Draft pick Andre Pallante.
Pallante was informed that he made the opening day roster on Monday after pitching 21 games at Double-A Springfield and two at Triple-A Memphis in 2021.
Pallante is the number 15 prospect for St. Louis, and during his 3 ⅔ innings over three spring training appearances, he struck out four and didn’t allow a run.
Fan-favorite Nolan Arenado will return for his second season with the club after being acquired from the Colorado Rockies in 2021.
In November, before the league went on strike, the Cardinals signed free agent pitcher Steven Matz who had a comeback year with the Blue Jays in 2021 after a horrendous 2020 season.
A few players will be starting on the injured list for the Cardinals, including pitchers Jack Flaherty and Alex Reyes.
Jose Rondon is also not available for the club on Thursday, as he was suspended 80 games by the league on Monday for the use of an illegal substance.
Now with a finalized roster and a new coach on the bench, the Cardinals are ready to make a splash this season, with the hopes of hitting the 90 win mark once again and making it back to the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
The first pitch is scheduled for 3:15 at Busch Stadium when the MLB season kicks off.
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