The St. Louis Cardinals have plenty of competition taking place this spring as they try to sort out their outfield and decide who goes where.
Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Carlson, and Lars Nootbaar are projected to be the starters from left field to right field.
However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t going to be some shuffling happening.
In fact, O’Neill recently took reps in center field.
The Cardinals also have Juan Yepez and Jordan Walker who are looking for opportunities in the outfield.
However, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol has a clear idea of what the competition for center field will look like this spring.
According to John Denton of MLB.com, Marmol plans to rotate O’Neill, Carlson, Nootbaar, and Oscar Mercado in and out of center field.
#STLCards Manager Oli Marmol said top prospect Jordan Walker will be used exclusively in LF & RF & won’t play CF in Spring Training. The Cards plan to rotate Tyler O’Neill, Lars Nootbaar, Dylan Carlson & Oscar Mercado in CF. Nootbaar & O’Neill leave soon for the WBC.
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) February 27, 2023
It appears that Marmol has a different plan for Walker and Yepez.
Yepez figures to serve as an option for the designated hitter position, while Walker will be used in the corner outfield spots.
Walker too could find himself in the mix for the DH spot.
But with both O’Neill and Nootbaar leaving for the World Baseball Classic soon, Walker will get more opportunities in the outfield, as Mercado and Carlson split center field duties.
The Classic gets underway on March 8.
O’Neill will play for the Canadian National Team, while Nootbaar suits up for Team Japan.
But with those players gone, Walker, Mercado, and even Yepez will likely get some more opportunities in the outfield until they return from the Classic, depending on how far their teams advance.
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