There have been some rumors and rumblings about St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday shifting over to first base in 2016 after he battled injuries for most of last season. It appears as if that could be a legitimate possibility, which means the team would make some adjustments in the outfield.
Holliday is taking reps at first base during the Cardinals' informal workouts in Jupiter, Fla.
"The Cardinals' left fielder, who has only played that position in the field for the team, joined teammates Wednesday at the team's spring training complex to continue his offseason homework: learning first base," writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
"[Holliday] suggested to the team this winter that he could begin working out at first base. Holliday sought to downplay his work there, suggesting he's doing it just to be versatile enough to play there in a pinch. He isn't sure how much time he'll get at the position once official workouts begin," Goold added in a second piece.
Holliday is possibly hoping to work on his versatility for two reasons: (1) he's an aging player and the outfield may no longer be an option for him and (2) if he can prove to be effective at first base there's probably a better shot the Cardinals exercise his $17 million team option for the 2017 season.
Goold notes the Cardinals are looking for "production" at the first base position. Holliday can likely offer better production than the incumbent candidates - Brandon Moss and Matt Adams - which would then allow the team to construct a better defensive outfield with Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham and Stephen Piscotty. We also noted earlier this week that Dexter Fowler could also be on the Cardinals' free-agent radar.
Grichuk has proven he's versatile having played all three outfield positions in just 150 career MLB games while Piscotty figures to be a mainstay in right field as the club is hoping he can effectively fill the void left by Jason Heyward. With Grichuk also having good experience in left, this could open the door for the team to sign Fowler, which would also give them a capable leadoff bat in the lineup. Pham, who posed an .824 OPS in 52 games last season, can take over in center or be an effective fourth outfielder for the Cards in either scenario.
It's unknown if Holliday will get significant reps at first as the team heads into spring training. He told Goold that he plans to focus on the outfield once official workouts commence, but if the team likes what it sees, there could be some changes coming in St. Louis.
