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MLB

Cardinals Announce 2018 Opening Day Roster

April 5, 2018

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Springfield Cardinals, in conjunction with the St. Louis Cardinals, announced Thursday their Opening Day roster for the 2018 season. This year's team has no shortage of star power in terms of top organizational prospects with seven players ranked as Top 30 prospects in St. Louis' system,

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Springfield Cardinals, in conjunction with the St. Louis Cardinals, announced Thursday their Opening Day roster for the 2018 season. This year's team has no shortage of star power in terms of top organizational prospects with seven players ranked as Top 30 prospects in St. Louis' system, according to MLB.com.

Manager Johnny Rodriguez, back for his second season with Springfield, welcomes 14 players from Springfield's 2017 squad to his 2018 team. Right-hander Jake Woodford -- ranked by MLB.com as the 22nd-best prospect in the Cardinals' organization -- has been named the Opening Day starter in what will be his Double-A debut.

Joining Woodford as top prospects in the Cardinals system is right-hander Ryan Helsley (No. 8), catcher Andrew Knizner (No. 9), infielder Edmundo Sosa (No. 16), right-hander Conner Greene (No. 21), right-hander Connor Jones (No. 23) and infielder Tommy Edman (No. 26).

The pitching staff includes righties Chris Ellis, Greene, Jones, Landon Beck, Tyler Bray, Helsley, Hector Mendoza, Estarlin Arias, Sam Tewes, Ramon Santos and Woodford, along with left-handers Brady Bowen and Jacob Evans.

The Cardinals return a pair of catchers from 2017 in Knizner and Jeremy Martinez. Knizner hit a pair of home runs in Major League Spring Training and led Springfield with a .324 average in 51 games last season. Martinez is a former 4th-round pick out of the University of Southern California who made his Double-A debut with one game for Springfield last September.

On the infield, Sosa and Edman are joined by Ramón Urías, Chris Chinea, Darren Seferina and John Nogowski. Sosa was ranked as the Cardinals' No. 5 prospect by MLB.com entering the 2016 season. Urias spent the past five seasons in the Mexican League for the Mexico City Red Devils, where he hit .351 in 2015 and .340 in 2017 before being signed by St. Louis on Jan. 4, 2018. Seferina logged a 12-game hitting streak for Springfield in 2017.

The Cardinals' outfield includes Thomas Spitz, Lane Thomas, Victor Roache and Granden Goetzman. Thomas was acquired from the Blue Jays on July 2, 2017. Goetzman spent 2011-17 in the Rays organization and was signed by St. Louis on Jan. 29, 2018. Roache also enters his first season with the Cardinals organization after his Feb. 12 signing.

Overall, two of the Cardinals' players (Greene and Sosa) are currently members of St. Louis' 40-man roster. Additionally, 23 of the 25 active players are age 25 or younger.

All games will once again be broadcast live on Jock 98.7 FM and SpringfieldCardinals.com, with Opening Day coverage beginning at 6:45 pm tonight. The Cardinals then return to Springfield for Opening Day at Hammons Field on Thursday, April 12 at 7:10 pm.
Click here for 2018 Tickets and Schedule.

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