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Are the St. Louis Cardinals Done With Roster Changes?

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Kyle Terada - USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports

St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak has told media he feels comfortable with his team’s roster, and he should. The Cardinals have been a perennial playoff contender and National League Central champions for several years now, so why does Cardinal Nation feel like there is, to quote singer Taylor Swift, a “blank space” in their lineup? Maybe it’s because Cardinal fans wish Mozeliak would do one more transaction.

However, where do you fit an everyday hitter? An established player is featured at every position. The weakest of the spots is in center, where Jon Jay played part-time in 2014, but still hit .303. Alright, turn to the rotation. Adam Wainwright is your top pitcher, followed by Lance Lynn and John Lackey.

“Ahh,” Cardinal faithful say. Here’s where an upgrade could be needed. Or is one needed? If Michael Wacha, Jaime Garcia and Carlos Martinez, in some combination, can stay healthy and productive in 2015, then the rotation looks really good. There are also backups like Stephen Piscotty, Marco Gonzales and others waiting in the wings as pitching and hitting prospects.

Yet Cardinals fans are a little worried. They think Mozeliak isn’t spending money, so there must be something wrong. I wouldn’t say don’t mess with perfection, because that’s arrogant. Instead, everything looks good heading into Spring Training.

If the Cardinals are the winner of the James Shields sweepstakes, that will only make things better. For now, Mozeliak may want to take those payroll savings and just hold onto the money. If an acquisition is needed to put St. Louis over the top in August, that’s when the money will be best spent.

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