St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz doesn’t believe the Cardinals will fill their second base vacancy via free agency, but rather will look for the solution in-house.
[GM John] Mozeliak and management want to do what they can to give MLB opportunities to members of the heralded player-development system, and this was a chance to do so.
Miklasz lists Brendan Ryan, Brian Barden, Joe Thurston, Tyler Greene, Jarrett Hoffpauir and Skip Schumaker as candidates to take the job. Ryan has the most experience as a Cardinals infielder, but he hit just .244/.307/.289 in 197 at-bats last season.
Schumaker is a solid hitter, but will have to prove this spring that he can play the infield. As Miklasz writes, "It’s a big leap of faith to assume that Schumaker can convert from the OF to 2B. It would be much easier, the other way around."
