The return of ace Adam Wainwright has received plenty of attention while the injury to Chris Carpenter has easily been the top story of the spring for new manager Mike Matheny.
While many point to Lance Lynn's ability to fill in for Carpenter as the veteran rehabs as a major story going forward, one member of the Cardinals rotation is often overlooked.
Jaime Garcia may be the single most important member of the rotation and his performance may dictate just how good the Cardinals are this season.
Garcia will be entering his third season in the Cardinals rotation and is the only left-handed option Matheny has in his rotation and is an important peg in the middle of the Cardinals rotation.
At times, Garcia has pitched like a number two starter but has shown that he can wear down as the long and grueling season progresses and often times needs extra rest and can not go deep into games.
Garcia has posted solid numbers, including a 13-7 record and a 3.56 earned run average last season. But Garcia struggled in August, going 0-2 with a 6.84 ERA while allowing opponents to hit .357.
Garcia clearly needs to be more consistent and must show he has gained the stamina necessary to be depended on in pressure situations last in the season.
Garcia is no longer a young pup and must earn his four year, $27 million contract. If his performance in his final spring training start is any indication, he may be ready for a breakout campaign and can hopefully can string it together for an entire season.
With Carpenter on the shelf and Wainwright likely on a limited amount of innings, it is time for Garcia to step up and mature into the type of pitcher he has shown flashes of being.
The Cardinals need Garcia to consistently work deep into games and be a stopper on the road.
Garcia has the tools and is often overlooked, but he may very well be the key to Cardinals dreams of repeating as Champions.
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