ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals must use caution as they decide how to bring along another talented young outfielder.
Randal Grichuk unquestionably earned his spot with the big-league club this spring, when he hit a team-high four home runs in 44 at-bats. But finding the at-bats the 23-year-old needs could still be difficult in a crowded outfield.
General manager John Mozeliak says Grichuk significantly enhances the Cardinals' bench, which features Mark Reynolds as its only other home-run threat. The 31-year-old veteran, last seen with Milwaukee, should be ready to take on a utility role for the chance to play for a World Series contender, but whether that's best for Grichuk could be a more difficult question to answer.
"I'm going to be patient with that," Mozeliak says. "There's going to be a time where we're going to have to look at that, make sure that we're not thwarting his development because of lack of playing time."
Grichuk earned a starting spot in right field for the 2014 playoffs after playing in 47 regular-season games for the Cardinals and 108 for Triple-A Memphis, where he led the team with 25 home runs. Right fielder Jason Heyward's arrival during the offseason left Grichuk again without a regular spot in the lineup, though he'll benefit from hitting right-handed and being able to play all three outfield spots.
Still, it's not clear if the top three will take many nights off, especially six-time All-Star Matt Holliday. The 35-year-old left fielder has played in 155 games in six of his past nine seasons and showed no signs of slowing down during a red-hot spring, not to mention a 2-for-4, two-RBI night in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Cubs.
Center fielder Jon Jay looks like the weakest link, but the Cardinals still have plenty of reasons to trust him despite low home-run and walk totals. He's a solid defender who hit a team-best .303 last season and even reversed a trend from his first three seasons by batting an impressive .375/.404/.455 against lefthanders in 88 at-bats.
The same can't be said for the other left-handed bat in the St. Louis outfield, which could open up some opportunities for Grichuk. Heyward posted a troubling slash line of .169/.252/.225 vs. lefties compared with .304/.384/.436 vs. righties with the Braves last season.
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But that's a bit of an anomaly if you look at his career, and the Cardinals will give him a chance to improve before simply not starting him against southpaws. They also shouldn't underestimate the value of Heyward as probably the best defensive right fielder in baseball.
Advanced stats consider Grichuk to be an above-average defender in an admittedly small sample size, and he should only improve as he gets more comfortable at Busch Stadium. He hit all three of his MLB home runs off lefthanders, so perhaps a platoon role with most starts against lefties could be a workable option.
Then again, if Heyward proves he can hit against anyone and Jay doesn't let his spring training struggles carry over into the season, starts could be severely limited for Grichuk and the speedy Peter Bourjos. In that case, Grichuk would need to act quickly to make a compelling case the team can't afford to be without his power on the roster.
"Randal is a unique player," Mozeliak told the Memphis Daily News. "You watch what he's capable of doing, the sky's the limit."
Whether it's in the majors or in Memphis, he just needs a little more refinement.
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
