Pete Kozma Might Be the Super-Sub the St. Louis Cardinals Need

Pete Kozma's name doesn't come up a whole lot in St. Louis these days. Once the starting shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kozma finds himself fighting for a roster spot for the second spring in a row. The odds may be in his favor this time.

Kozma is a player who seems to have everything figured out on defense. Unfortunately, it is not always enough to overcome his shortcomings on offense. His production with the bat limits his playing time, often resulting in a position as a bench player. 

Last spring, Daniel Descalso found a way to keep Kozma in that bench role. Descalso's bat managed to supplant Kozma's glove. Now Descalso finds himself attending spring training for the Colorado Rockies, seemingly opening the door for Kozma.

Kozma improved offensively in 2014. He increased his walks. He decreased his strikeouts. He gives a lot of credit to hitting coach John Mabry, according to Brian Stull of KSDK Sports:

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I focused on trying to cut my strikeouts down, trying to get on base, and trying to get my walks and strikeouts about even rather than having my strikeouts higher than my walks. The stuff me and Mabry were working on the year before, I kind of carried that over and applied it to last season.

"

Even with that improvement, Kozma comes to camp facing some competition for a roster spot. Greg Garcia is a young player coming up through the Cardinals system who has seen some playing time at the big league level. Ty Kelly was acquired in a trade last November from the Seattle Mariners. Dean Anna signed as a free agent this offseason as well. The three men will challenge Kozma for the same role.

But Kozma's defense could be a huge benefit for the club. His ability to play the middle infield will likely help with a spot the team is hoping to fill. While Anna, Kelly and Garcia offer the same ability, Kozma is a proven asset the team knows. Kozma's lack of remaining options may be a deterrent as well.

Of note in Stull's article is Kozma's willingness to play anywhere on the field. Kozma told Stull that he will play any position that manager Mike Matheny demands, adding, "I'll pitch if I have to."

There are very few positions the Cardinals will need to fill going into 2015. Kozma may hold the key to one of those positions this spring.

Bill Ivie is the founder of I-70 Baseball. Follow him on Twitter to discuss baseball anytime.