Major League Baseball

St. Louis Cardinals: Did they fix their defense?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:39 p.m. ET

Sports Illustrated

St. Louis committed 107 errors last year, the sixth-most in the majors and the most by any team with a winning record. The Cardinals finished one game behind NL wild-card teams New York (90 errors) and San Francisco (an MLB-best 72 errors). St. Louis then signed Dexter Fowler to play centerfield, pushing Randal Grichuk to left, and it will have a pair of 26-year-olds anchoring the middle infield in Kolten Wong at second base and Aledmys Diaz at shortstop in his second full season. It sure sounds better. And, though spring-training games matter little, manager Mike Matheny is sure to emphasize crisper defense from the start of Grapefruit League play. The Cardinals need to set a tone early and carry their focus into the season.

Winter Report Card: St. Louis Cardinals