The Chosen: Cardinal Non-Roster Invitees

The Cardinals were a little behind on announcing those that were invited to their major league spring training but finally released those names yesterday. Let's take a look.

The headliner is, of course, Brett Wallace.

I don't believe anyone is surprised at that after last season's remarkable minor league campaign. I'm sure these were decided before Troy Glaus's injury, but that sure didn't hurt matters any.

Another player that is sure to draw plenty of attention from fans this spring is Jess Todd. After rocketing up the ladder last year, it'll be interesting to see how he fares against major league talent, even in a more relaxed setting.

Remember, at this time last year Kyle McClellan was on few radars. Who knows what a strong spring could do?

Others getting their first taste of a big-league spring include Allen Craig, Jon Jay, and Fernando Salas.

As was noted, it's pretty telling that the minor league player of the year (Daryl Jones) doesn't get an invite.

As an outfielder, where's he going to play?  Even with split-squad games, there are only so many ML ABs available in the spring, and the Cards will need all of them to figure out what to do with their current outfield glut.

Coming back for another year of ML spring are Colby Rasmus, who has a strong chance of finishing what he started last March, David Freese, still the likely leader for 3B with Glaus down, and Adam Ottovino, which is an interesting choice given his struggles last year.

I got to see him when he pitched against the Arkansas Travelers down in Little Rock and he looked pretty good that night, with some serious heat.  If he can consistently do that, he'll have a future.

Of course, keep an eye on Future Redbirds for more on these players!