Cardinals Still Undecided On Opening Day Center Fielder; Battle Is 'Neck-And-Neck'

The St. Louis Cardinals have several challenging decisions to make before Opening Day as they attempt to create opportunities for younger talent to gain big-league experience in 2025.

Unfortunately, failing to trade superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado has complicated how the Cardinals hoped to arrange their 2025 infield. The plan was to have former top prospect Nolan Gorman man the hot corner but that won't happen until the eight-time All-Star is dealt.

There also remains a logjam in the outfield, specifically at center field. Recent reports indicate that the Cardinals have a tight race for the position underway.

"It’s been the most compelling question for the team all spring, and it will likely remain so until the final day of camp," The Athletic's Katie Woo wrote Tuesday morning. "The Cardinals are torn between their two left-handed defensive specialists in center field. If spring training ended today, (Victor) Scott (II) would see the nod over (Michael) Siani based on his performance. Scott is 7-for-22, while Siani is 1-for-25."

Although Scott is outperforming Siani offensively at spring training, Woo mentions that both players' bat profiles, such as exit velocity and expected batting average will matter more than traditional batting stats -- batting average and OPS.

"The center-field battle is neck-and-neck," Woo continued. "It would be very unlikely for the Cardinals to carry both Scott and Siani, given their similarities and the need for versatility with the remainder of the bench. St. Louis seems to be comfortable using Lars Nootbaar as a backup center fielder. That means a true competition between Siani and Scott will take place over the final 14 games — and it’s anyone’s guess who will win it."

Siani might have the upper hand over Scott defensively after nearly winning a Gold Glove award for his tremendous efforts in center field for the Cardinals last season. He fell short after recording 696 defensive innings played when 698 is required to qualify for the prestigious honor.

Fortunately, both youngsters are ready to compete and hungry to win, so it'll be exciting to see either speedster manning center field this season.