The question to Nolan Arenado was about the catcher the Cardinals added this offseason, but his answer flipped the script and said what will shape the season will be who Willson Contreras catches.

What will lift the Cardinals as contenders is their arms, he said.

“I think it all comes down to our starting pitching staying healthy,” Arenado said during his meeting with the media at the 26th Winter Warm-up, his first with the Cardinals. “These guys are good. When you have Jack (Flaherty) healthy, he’s one of the best pitchers in the game. And I think if we can get him right – he says he feels great, and he looks great when I saw him. Just having that guy go out there and give us a great chance to win every time. Obviously Miles (Mikolas) is a horse. Mont (Jordan Montgomery). (Steven) Matz is healthy.

“Dakota – I think is going to have a bounce-back year,” Arenado continued. “These guys are all working hard and we need them. We need them to stay healthy. Like I said, a lot of these teams that are winning it seems like their starters are able to stay healthy throughout the year or if they have somebody who comes in they have somebody who comes in and helps out and sustains winning for a little bit.

“If we can keep those guys healthy – Waino (Adam Wainwright) just doing his thing – we’re going to be alright.”

After electing not to meet the prices of starting pitchers in the open market, the Cardinals have bet on the rotation they already had in place. Six starters from the previous season return: Wainwright, Mikolas, Montgomery, Hudson, and two starters who finished the year in the bullpen due to injuries, Matz and Flaherty. On Saturday, John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, said his confidence in Flaherty was at an “all-time high.” He also added that Drew VerHagen will be coming back from hip surgery and given a chance to start.

Jake Woodford, Matthew Liberatore, and a handful of other prospects like Connor Thomas and Michael McGreevy will also get ample innings this spring as several veterans leave for the World Baseball Classic.

From quantity, the Cardinals are banking on quality emerging.

The strength of the team is the support they have in place for that pitching.

“Our defense,” Arenado said when asked about the strength of the roster. “Our defense is, I think, the best in the game, and it has been the past two years, in my eyes. I think that’s our biggest strength right now. We’ll see. Offense, we could really take a big stride this year. We’ve got some young guys who are good ballplayers, and we need them to take big strides. And then hopefully me and Goldy (Paul Goldschmidt) can do our thing.”

And then he brought the answer back to where the question started.

“Having Contreras is obviously going to make us so much better,” Arenado said.

Wainwright and Mikolas will join Team USA for the WBC in March, and that frees up innings and starts during Grapefruit League play for Hudson and others to make their bids for a spot on the rotation. The Cardinals intend to go into the year with Wainwright, Mikolas, Montgomery, Flaherty, and Matz as the five-man rotation. Mozeliak has lauded what is expected from Montgomery in his first full season with the Cardinals and last season before free agency. Flaherty is at the same point in his career but coming off three abbreviated seasons.

Internally, the Cardinals believe a healthy Flaherty can lead a rotation.

The 2023 Cardinals go where their arms point them.

“Nolan is spot on,” manager Oliver Marmol echoed. “A lot of it will come down to that.”

— Derrick Goold (12:51 p.m.) 

The National League's first winner of the utility fielder Gold Glove Award suggested there was an even better defender at his position — and on he's on the same team.

Brendan Donovan, the Cardinals' versatile rookie who capped his first season in the majors as the inaugural winner of Rawlings' newest defensive honor, said he did not call or contact teammate Tommy Edman to brag about winning.

"Tommy is a better defender," Donovan said, smiling Sunday as he cycled through the media room at this weekend's Winter Warm-up. "You hit it to him, you're out."

Edman and Donovan were both finalists for the utility Gold Glove Award. Edman won the Gold Glove at second base in 2021, but splitting his time between shortstop and second base made him eligible at two spots for the Gold Glove honor. Overall, Edman led all major-league infielders in defensive runs saved, and he had one of the highest plus-minus scores of any fielder. 

Where Donovan had the edge for the award was versatility.

As Rawlings, a St. Louis-based company that has given out defensive hours for six decades, sought to acknowledge utility fielders and the expanded use of players all over the field, they did make an element of the award playing numerous positions. With strong defensive metrics at third base and the outfielder, Donovan added to his time at second base. The appearance at so many positions and steady play there put him ahead of other candidates.

Donovan lauded Rawlings for starting the award because as he approached the majors he wondered if there would be a way players who handled multiple positions could be honored.

Shortly before Rawlings announced the creation of a utility Gold Glove, the Post-Dispatch had a story asking if it was time for such an award.

Rawlings will present the Gold Glove awards to Cardinals winners and the Platinum Glove Award to Nolan Arenado at Sunday night's St. Louis Baseball Writers' Dinner. — Derrick Goold (12:10 p.m.)

Whether Paul DeJong leaves spring training on the Cardinals' opening day roster will be determined by his production at the plate, but to make it possible for him to contribute the All-Star shortstop will see time at other positions.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that DeJong will have to work at positions around the infield so that he can serve in the role had previously by Tommy Edman and Brendan Donovan. DeJong advanced through the minors as a third baseman before a shift to shortstop at Class AA. He has experience on the right side of the base from the drills the Cardinals do for shifting players, and in college DeJong played all over the field.

Asked if DeJong might get time in the outfield too, Marmol said that DeJong will see time "all over the infield. In the dirt."

By rule.

"By rule," Marmol nodded.

DeJong has spent the winter in Jupiter, Fla., working closely with the Cardinals' hitting coaches at the team's facility. He has been reworking both his swing and his approach while also addressing some of the strength and health that complicated recent years. Marmol said he receives a report each day that gives the data download on DeJong's workout and where the gains or changes are being made in his swing. — Derrick Goold (12:21 p.m.)

Add another Cardinal to the growing list of players who will be leaving spring training to compete in the World Baseball Classic, and will have a long journey ahead. Catching prospect Ivan Herrera will be on Panama's national team, he confirmed Sunday.

"I'm excited to see what happens," Herrera said. "I'm happy to represent by country. Playing for Panama is one of the best things in the world."

Panama opens the tournament in Taiwan, and if it advances out of pool play the quarterfinals will be in Tokyo. Panama's pool includes Italy, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, and a strong Netherlands club. — Derrick Goold (12:16 p.m.)

Cardinals pitching prospect Michael McGreevy plans to take advantage of the many Cardinals major leaguers leaving spring training for the World Baseball Classic. "With the opportunity presenting itself, I definitely want to take advantage." McGreevy, 22, said, "Going into spring training, I'll eat the crumbs if I have to. I want to get as much exposure to big league time as I can."

McGreevy, 22, was a breakout star in the minor leagues last season, marking his first full year as a professional. The 18th pick in the 2021 draft, McGreevy jumped from high A Peoria to AA Springfield after an excellent start to the season.

While McGreevy was on a limited pitch count, he still pitched 144 innings in 28 games last season, striking out 117 batters and earned a pitcher of the month award in April. --Carter Chapley (11:15 a.m.)

For 20-year-old right-hander Tink Hence, his introduction to Cardinals fans through the club’s caravan stops and Winter Warm-up across the midwest has been a warm embrace for one of the organization’s top pitching prospects. Hence pitched 52 1/3 innings with Class Low-A and posted a 1.39 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, and struck out 81 batters, but has yet to pitch above the Low-A level. Hence is expected to see a gradual increase in his workload through 2023 and a higher level of competition in what will be his second full season of minor-league baseball since getting drafted in 2020 behind Jordan Walker and Tink Hence.

“You see a lot of things on Twitter about the fans,” Hence said. “I'll watch the games. I see the fans, but to just to actually be there and just be there and just see they way embrace you and show love, there's no better feeling than that.” — Daniel Guerrero (11:07 a.m.)

The excitement about Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar has spread from St. Louis to Southern California to across the Pacific to Japan (and back to St. Louis, where LA-based Japanese media flew in for Winter Warm-Up to write about “Noot”).

Nootbaar’s plan is to play for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic. The 25-year-old SoCal native, perhaps you heard, broke out in the second half last season. In 200 at-bats he hit 10 homers and tallied an .846 OPS. Overall, his 2022 OPS was .788.

The young player has befriended Cardinals superstar Nolan Arenado. They’ve spent time together in the sunny LA area, where they both train.

“I've seen Noot work this offseason, and I just think he looks so much better swinging and hitting,” Arenado said Sunday at Winter Warm-Up. “I mean, I think he's got a chance to be really good in this game. I do. He's got to go out and do it, he knows that. But the steps he’s made this offseason with his swing and the way he looks? I remember we hit earlier in the offseason, he looked fine, looked like 'Noot.' And then I was with him a couple weeks ago, and I was like — wow, it looks a little bit different, you know? Sounds a little bit different. Moves a little different. So I expect him to be a huge piece for us.” - Benjamin Hochman (10:52 a.m.)

After a successful first day of Winter Warm-up at Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village, day two is off to a fast start. Those expected to speak today include Platinum Glove winner Nolan Arenado, manager Oliver Marmol, Gold Glove winner Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, top prospect Tink Hence, Dylan Carlson, and more. 

Check back in throughout the day for updates provided by all members of the Post-Dispatch team. — Carter Chapley (10:03 a.m.)