REPORT: Cardinals Make Decision on Opening Day Starting Center Fielder; Other Roster Moves
With less than five days until their 2025 season begins, the St. Louis Cardinals have settled their most significant position battle of the spring. According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Victor Scott II will be the team’s starting center fielder on Opening Day. “He’s earned it,” said Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol. Scott has been outstanding this spring, posting a .366/.469/.756 slash line across 15 games, with 15 hits, four home runs, 11 runs scored, and seven RBIs. As of Saturday, the 24-year-old leads the team in runs, slugging percentage, and OPS, while tying Luken Baker for the team lead in home runs and Willson Contreras in hits. With Scott securing the starting job, Michael Siani—who has struggled offensively with a .100/.234/.100 slash line—will begin the season on the bench.
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Additionally, longtime Cardinals minor leaguer Luken Baker has earned a spot on the big league roster as the team’s right-handed bat off the bench. The 28-year-old, a 2018 second-round pick, spent nearly six years in the minors before earning his first Opening Day roster spot.
His four home runs and overall offensive performance this spring helped solidify his place on the team. Meanwhile, the Cardinals reassigned infielders Jose Fermin and Jose Barrero to minor league camp on Sunday.
Michael Siani will be on big-league bench. Luken Baker will be right-hand bat off bench.
Jose Fermin and Jose Barrero are headed to Memphis to begin year. https://t.co/Jwk9E5mOmp
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) March 23, 2025
Fermin put up a strong case for a roster spot, hitting .292 with nine RBIs and seven extra-base hits in 48 at-bats, but Baker’s power ultimately won out. Barrero, a former Reds prospect, had a less convincing spring, batting .238 (10-for-42) with 12 strikeouts in 23 games, though he did show some power with two homers, three doubles, and eight RBIs. With a few additional moves to the pitching staff, the Cardinals have finalized their 26-man Opening Day roster.