Mozeliak estimated that six or seven of the team’s minor-league players would be protected. That group is set to include Magneuris Sierra, the only teenager ever to win the organization’s player of the year award, and a few from the best collection of young infielders the Cardinals have had in at least a decade: Edmundo Sosa, Allen Cordoba, Juan Herrera, and Eliezer Alvarez. If left off the roster, any of them could be drafted by another team in the Rule 5 draft. A year ago the Cardinals did not protect Low-A starter Luis Perdomo from the Rule 5 draft because they thought he could not make the leap to the majors with a team and stick for an entire year.

He did, with San Diego.

He finished as a starter and is now a Padres’ talent.

“Just shows you there are teams that have the ability to take that risk,” Mozeliak said. “You hate to lose young talent. Depends on how much risk you want to take on the Rule 5. With regards to that by the end of November we have to set the roster, so we have a few weeks still to navigate that.”

Cards spring schedule