BREAKING: St. Louis Cardinals set opening day roster with surprises, snubs that warrant key questions
The St. Louis Cardinals finalized their spring training roster on Sunday, making some surprising decisions and raising new questions ahead of their season opener against the Minnesota Twins at Busch Stadium next Thursday. The competition between center fielders Victor Scott II and Michael Siani ended with both making the team. Manager Oli Marmol confirmed Scott will start in center field, while Siani will serve as a defensive substitute and pinch runner.
Infielder José Fermín, expected to be the primary backup at shortstop, was optioned to Triple-A Memphis, while José Barrero was reassigned to minor league camp. This leaves Siani, first baseman Luken Baker, and either Alec Burleson or Nolan Gorman as key bench players, along with one of Iván Herrera or Pedro Pagés when not catching.
On the pitching side, despite an impressive spring, Michael McGreevy was sent to the minors. Matthew Liberatore secured a spot in the rotation, temporarily pushing Steven Matz to the bullpen. However, the team plans to shift to a six-man rotation on April 16, at which point Matz will rejoin the starting staff. Left-handed pitcher Zack Thompson, recovering from a lat strain, will be placed on the injured list Monday and remains at least a month away from returning.
Scott’s strong spring performance, highlighted by his work with new coach Jon Jay in the offseason, earned him the starting role. He impressed in Grapefruit League play with five stolen bases, four home runs, and 31 total bases, ranking among the top performers in Florida. In contrast, Siani struggled offensively but remains an elite defender. Scott’s emergence impacts the lineup, shifting Lars Nootbaar to left field and Brendan Donovan to second base, meaning either Burleson or Gorman will be the designated hitter against right-handers.
Liberatore’s inclusion over Matz follows a similar theme of prioritizing young talent. While Matz had a solid spring and is a likely trade candidate as a pending free agent, the Cardinals are focused on developing future pitching contributors. Liberatore, 25, showed promise in relief last season and earned his rotation spot with a strong performance.
Matthew Liberatore opens season in rotation.
Steven Matz will be in bullpen, and then used later as a sixth starter when schedule demands.
Michael McGreevy will begin year in Memphis.
Roster is set. #stlcards
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) March 23, 2025
Additionally, right-handed relievers Kyle Leahy and Chris Roycroft, along with catcher Pedro Pagés and first baseman Luken Baker, made their first Opening Day rosters.
Opening Day Roster:
Starters (5): Sonny Gray (Opening Day), Erick Fedde, Matthew Liberatore, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante
Relievers (8): Ryan Fernandez, Ryan Helsley, John King, Kyle Leahy, Phil Maton, Steven Matz, JoJo Romero, Chris Roycroft
Catchers (2): Iván Herrera, Pedro Pagés
Infielders (6): Nolan Arenado, Luken Baker, Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn
Outfielders (4): Lars Nootbaar, Victor Scott II, Michael Siani, Jordan Walker
Designated Hitter (1): Alec Burleson