X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

St. Louis Cardinals 2017 Team Preview and Outlooks

Pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training, and your fantasy draft is likely just around the corner. As part of RotoBaller's ongoing effort to help you win your leagues, we're previewing all 30 MLB teams. In these articles, we discuss each team's offseason moves, as well as their hitters, pitchers, and prospects.

Today's installment covers the 2017 St. Louis Cardinals Team Outlook, and previews their potential fantasy baseball contributions.

Editor's note: for even more draft prep, visit our awesome 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It has lots of in-depth staff rankings and draft strategy columns. You will find tiered rankings for every position, 2017 impact rookie rankings, AL/NL only league ranks and lots more. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.

 

Offseason Moves

The Redbirds opened up the offseason by signing their skipper Mike Matheny to a three-year extension through 2020 in November. St. Louis focused most of its attention on improving the bullpen depth. The Cardinals inked free-agent reliever Brett Cecil to a four-year deal. They also resigned relievers Trevor Rosenthal and Kevin Siegrist to one-year contracts. Cecil and Siegrist could be a valuable in leagues that account for holds in 2017. Rosenthal's production declined last season, so he is expected to receive less late-inning opportunities next year.

St. Louis dealt starter Jaime García to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for pitchers John Gant and Chris Ellis along with second baseman Luke Dykstra. None of these players will be fantasy relevant this upcoming season. The franchise also agreed to a five-year extension with starter Carlos Martinez, who holds second-man rotation value in all fantasy leagues.

The squad's biggest splash of the offseason was the signing of outfielder Dexter Fowler to a five-year contract. He brings some solid fantasy value as a second or third outfielder in all leagues. The Cardinals also resigned first baseman Matt Adams to a one-year deal. Adams won't see much playing time since Matt Carpenter will be the primary first baseman in 2017.

 

Hitting Overview

As long as he remains healthy, Carpenter is projected to be St. Louis' top fantasy performer next season. He will be a three-position eligible player at first, second and third base. Depending on where you plan to play Carpenter should dictate how you value his draft stock. He is a top-15 first baseman and due to the positions great depth. As a second and third baseman, Carpenter is in the top-10. He should be drafted slightly later in the early rounds as a first baseman than as a second or third baseman.

Shortstop Aledmys Diaz enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign in 2016. While it is unlikely he will hit .300 again with his 15.6% LD% last year, he should pump out at least 15 HR and decent RBI and run scored totals. Kolten Wong will be the primary second baseman for the Cardinals. He is more of a deep NL-only play, and should see positive regression from his .268 BABIP in last season.

Third baseman Jedd Gyorko is an interesting case. He nearly doubled his HR output from 16 to 30 two season ago. He increased his FB% and Pull% while maintaining a solid Hard%. However, his average fly ball distance not only decrease by approximately six feet to 283.89 feet, but also that average does not correlate well with a 24.4% HR/FB. According to StatCast, Gyorko had ideal results from his barrels, which led to such a spike in homers. Because there is no research on the year-to-year correlation of a batter's barrels, he shouldn't be trusted to repeat 30 dingers. A floor of 20 HR is more plausible.

Yadier Molina will continue to be the everyday catching duties. He won't hit for much power, but he will run an above-average BA that will merit a mid-round draft choice in the majority of leagues.

As mentioned previously, Fowler is a quality fantasy player for 2017. He is a great on-base guy with double-digit pop and speed potential. The rest of the outfield, Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk, should be pegged for 20-homer seasons.

 

Pitching Overview

Besides Martinez who has already been touched upon, the rest of St. Louis' rotation is quite lackluster. Coming of an injury-shortened season, Adam Wainwright struggled mightily through the bulk of 2017. At age 35 and with the taxing workload he has amassed over his career, Wainwright might be entering the declining phase. Fantasy owners should tread lightly when it comes to Wainwright, especially with a batted ball profile that supports the HR/FB spike he endured.

Mike Leake's iffy season in 2016 was due in part to some poor luck. He concluded the season with a .318 BABIP and a 65.6% LOB%, both strayed from his career marks of .293 and 73.3%. He might be worth a flier in some NL-only leagues. Michael Wacha is in the same boat as well, and should be considered in deeper NL-Only's. Lance Lynn is also figured to compete for a spot in the rotation. He is coming off of Tommy John surgery, so it is tough to predict his outlook. If he's anywhere close to the pitcher he was pre-surgery, he is a mid-rotation piece in all leagues.

Aside from Cecil and Siegrist, Cardinals' closer Seung Hwan Oh will be one of the top closers in fantasy drafts. With a 132.9% K%, 5.8% BB%, 40% GB% and a nasty slide piece, Oh will certainly rack up saves in 2017.

 

Prospects Overview

Alex Reyes would have been the top St. Louis prospect to own in fantasy leagues this season, but with his impending Tommy John surgery, that won't be the case in 2017. Luke Weaver is the next MLB-ready pitching prospect for St. Louis. He already has 36.1 IP under his belt from his 2016 debut and showcases superb command. Carson Kelly is the top catching prospect in the show, but will most likely begin the season at Triple-A where he can receive full playing time. He becomes an immediate player to target on the waivers should Molina be placed on the DL as he likely leapfrogs Brayan Pena and becomes the starter behind the dish for St. Louis.

 

Conclusion

The St. Louis Cardinals are the second-best team in the NL Central, behind the World Series champion Chicago Cubs, and presume to compete for a playoff spot in 2017. Fantasy owners will have a handful of players on both sides of the ball to choose from on draft day.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Dallas Goedert

Officially Ruled Out for Week 2
Xavier Worthy

Listed as Doubtful to Play in Week 2
Jayden Reed

Hopes to Return in November Following Surgery
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Kyle Tucker

"Unlikely" to Return When Eligible on Tuesday
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Ketel Marte

Expected to Return on Friday
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Quinshon Judkins

Questionable to Make NFL Debut in Week 2
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Alexander Hernandez

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Quang Le

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Card Opener
Santiago Luna

Set For His Debut At Noche UFC 3
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Sees Little Usage in Week 2, Outlook Still Trending Upwards?
Deebo Samuel Sr.

Leads Commanders in Catches, Scores Touchdown Again
Tucker Kraft

Posts Huge Performance on Thursday
Joe Mixon

Lack of Joe Mixon Injury Updates Sparking Concern for Fantasy Managers?
Jayden Reed

Fractures Collarbone, Headed for Injured Reserve
Austin Ekeler

Commanders Fear Austin Ekeler Tore his Achilles
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo Strikes Out 10 in Win
Aaron Judge

Matches Yankees Legend with Two-Homer Game
Austin Ekeler

Injured, Carried Off Field with Non-Contact Injury
Jayden Reed

Ruled Out with Shoulder Injury
Quinshon Judkins

Browns Insider Expects NFL to "Come Down Heavy" on a Quinshon Judkins Suspension
Jayden Reed

Questionable to Return on TNF With Shoulder Injury
Anthony Volpe

Playing Through Partially Torn Labrum in his Shoulder
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
Charles Oliveira

Not Eyeing Retirement
Tyreek Hill

Chiefs, Steelers Eyeing a Trade for Tyreek Hill?
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Chris Godwin

to Be Limited in His Return Thursday
Brock Purdy

Out 2-5 Weeks With Turf Toe
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Kyle Monangai

to See More Carries Going Forward?
Quinshon Judkins

Plans to Practice Thursday
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Will Smith

Scratched With Hand Soreness on Wednesday
Ketel Marte

has Foot Contusion, Expected to Play Friday
Christian McCaffrey

Absent from Wednesday's Practice
Shohei Ohtani

Won't Pitch This Weekend
MacKenzie Gore

to Start on Thursday
Ketel Marte

Exits Early on Wednesday
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Aaron Rodgers

Dealing With Back Tightness
Anthony Rizzo

Retires
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Masyn Winn

Will Require Offseason Knee Surgery
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For 15 at Wyndham Championship
Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Strikes Out 12, Earns 12th Win on Tuesday
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley
Josh Giddey

Re-Signs With Bulls for Four Years
Shakir Mukhamadullin

Joins Informal Skate
William Eklund

Skates With Sharks
Owen Power

Back at 100 Percent
Tyler Seguin

Cleared for Action
Mathew Barzal

Good to Go for Season Opener
Will Smith

Returns to Dodgers Lineup on Tuesday
Dustin Wolf

Signs Seven-Year Extension
Kyle Stowers

Dealing With Strained Side
Kyle Tucker

Placed on Injured List With Calf Strain
Bo Bichette

Goes on Injured List With Knee Sprain
Garrett Crochet

Shuts Out the Athletics
Royce Lewis

Launches Two Homers Monday Night
NBA

Mason Jones Takes His Talents to Australia
NBA

Talen Horton-Tucker Joins Reigning EuroLeague Champions
Malcolm Brogdon

on Knicks' Radar
Andrew Wiggins

Attracting Interest From Lakers
Miami Heat

Heat Interested in Reunion With Precious Achiuwa
Tyler Glasnow

Fans 11 in Seven No-Hit Innings Monday
Slade Cecconi

Takes No-Hitter Into Eighth Inning Monday
New York Knicks

Ben Simmons Reportedly Declined Knicks' Contract Offer
Elias Pettersson

Feeling "Good" Ahead of Season
NHL

Alex Formenton Rejoins Swiss Team
NHL

Grigori Denisenko Heads Back Home
CAR

Kevin Labanc Joins Hurricanes for Tryout
Ross Colton

Healthy for Start of Season
Caio Borralho

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Nassourdine Imavov

Extends Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy

Gets Submitted
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Taps Out Mauricio Ruffy
Paul Craig

Retires After UFC Paris Loss
Denny Hamlin

Earns his First Cup Victory at Gateway
Kyle Larson

Damage Ruins Kyle Larson's Chance At a Top Finish at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Scores his Third Top-10 Finish at Gateway
Joey Logano

Maintains his Perfect Top-Five Streak at Gateway
Ryan Blaney

Struggles and Recovers for a Top-Five Finish at Gateway
Modestas Bukauskas

Scores First-Round Knockout
Bolaji Oki

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Mason Jones

Scores Comeback Win
Chase Elliott

Gets Lucky but Still Has Best Run at Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Wins Stage 2, but Was Let Down by Strategy
Tyler Reddick

Despite Bad Luck, Tyler Reddick Does What he Needed to Do
Chase Briscoe

Recovers from Incident with Daniel Suarez to Finish Second
William Byron

Late Caution Foils William Byron's Shot at Gateway Victory
Ryan Blaney

Should Contend at Gateway
Denny Hamlin

Fastest in Qualifying, the Favorite to Win at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Looking for Redemption at Gateway
Joey Logano

Has Been Elite at Gateway
Austin Cindric

Should Be On Your Radar at Gateway
AJ Allmendinger

Could Be a Sleeper Again at Gateway
Tyler Reddick

Southern 500 Near-Miss Makes Tyler Reddick a Stronger Option for Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace a Likely Gateway Contender
Alex Bowman

a Long Shot to Advance in Playoffs
Austin Dillon

Richard Childress Racing Looks Slower at Gateway, Which Will Hurt Austin Dillon
Shane Van Gisbergen

Starts 18th in Gateway Debut
Jeremy Swayman

Ready to Get Back on Track
Connor McDavid

Aiming for More Goals
NJ

Luke Glendening Signs Tryout Deal With Devils

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP