After a third straight year of missing the postseason, 2019 could be the season in which the St. Louis Cardinals finally make it back to October. The Redbirds made two of the biggest transactions of the offseason, trading for superstar first baseman Paul Goldschmidt while also inking reliever Andrew Miller to a contract in free agency.

Of course, the Cardinals will have to contend with what may be the deepest division in baseball. The Milwaukee Brewers unseated the Chicago Cubs as NL Central champions, and both teams return all of their core pieces to the fray.

Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds made a slew of offseason upgrades, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are seeing some of their young talent come through the system to the big league level.

With that said, how does St. Louis stack up in 2019?

Lineup

Goldschmidt finally offers St. Louis with a bona fide superstar. But make no mistake, this group can rake.

Matt Carpenter rode a torrent second half to finish with 36 home runs and a .257/.374/.523 slash. The better news for him is that Goldschmidt's arrival means Carpenter can shift back to his more natural position at third base, where he has posted eight defensive runs saved (DRS) over the last three seasons, according to FanGraphs.

This is also good news for Jose Martinez, who despite slashing .305/.364/.457 last season may end up being a trade piece at this year's deadline because of his defensive deficiencies and the outfield depth that the Cards possess.

The Cardinals are hoping for a healthier Marcell Ozuna, who played through injuries all season but still managed to hit 23 homers and eclipse the .280 mark.

Yadier Molina continues to produce heading into his 16th season in the bigs. Molina hit 20 home runs and made the All-Star team, and is still a run-producer in spite of his declining ability behind the plate.

And for all of his struggles at the plate, Kolten Wong offers Gold-Glove caliber defense at second base.

Outside of those key veterans, the Cardinals will rely on production from rising stars like speedster Harrison Bader and potential two-way star Paul DeJong. Tyler O'Neill may take over full-time in right field for Dexter Fowler, offering another young piece that will play a vital role in determining St. Louis' success.

The Opening Day card:

  1. Carpenter (3B)
  2. Martinez (RF)
  3. Goldschmidt (1B)
  4. Ozuna (LF)
  5. Molina (C)
  6. DeJong (SS)
  7. Bader (CF)
  8. Wong (2B)
  9. Mikolas (P)

Rotation

An incredibly deep farm system has lent itself kindly to the Cardinals' ability to produce pitching depth over the years.

And, once again, the Cardinals should have one of the best starting rotations in baseball.

Not often does a pitcher like Carlos Martinez seem like an afterthought, but the emergence of Miles Mikolas and Jack Flaherty have provided St. Louis with one of the most enviable top three starters in the league.

Mikolas is more of a finesse pitcher, having induced the second-highest amount of ground ball outs in the majors last season on his way to 18 wins and a 2.83 ERA.

Meanwhile, Flaherty and Martinez bring the heat. Flaherty posted a sterling 10.85 K/9, and Martinez's combination of a high-90s fastball and wipeout slider give him as good an arsenal as any in the big leagues.

And do not forget about Michael Wacha. Injuries put a damper on an otherwise fantastic season for the veteran right-hander. After down seasons in 2016 and 2017, Wacha was 8-2 with a 3.20 ERA in 15 starts in 2018. If he's healthy, he's effective.

St. Louis legend Adam Wainwright seems to round out the rotation for now, but he is likely to be replaced by prized prospect and notable flamethrower Alex Reyes. And if not Reyes, then John Gant can easily fill in at the no. 5 spot. How about that for depth?

The bullpen is steady, with Jordan Hicks as one of the most promising young closers in the game. Miller is a stud if healthy, and John Brebbia, Dakota Hudson and Chasen Shreve all offer quality arms in relief.

The starters:

  1. Mikolas
  2. Martinez
  3. Flaherty
  4. Wacha
  5. Reyes

Bullpen:

  1. Hicks (CL)
  2. Miller (SU)
  3. Gant (MR)
  4. Hudson (MR)
  5. Brebbia (MR)
  6. Shreve (MR)
  7. Gomber
  8. Ponce De Leon

The breakdown

The Cardinals are a scary team this year. Adding Goldschmidt not only gives them another big bat in the lineup, but adds a plus glove to an infield that suddenly looks very capable just one season removed from committing the most errors in the majors.

The lineup has power, speed, versatility and depth, while the pitching staff is one of the very best in the league. The Cardinals may have made the postseason in 2018 if not for a 12-15 mark in September, and now they have a full season with manager Mike Shildt leading the way.

They are not only contenders to win the division, but could very well be a dark horse to win the World Series.

Record Prediction: 93-79, second place in NL Central (Wild Card)