Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Wednesday that the team would break camp without naming a closer, leaving Leone's role in flux entering the season, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.
While the lack of clarity regarding the Cardinals' closer situation is frustrating for fantasy players, Leone and Luke Gregerson appear to be the top candidates to receive the team's initial save chances. Leone, who has already notched three saves this spring, seemingly possesses the skills to stick at the end of the bullpen, as he boasts a mid-90s fastball and leans heavily on a high-spin cutter the organization views as a plus pitch, according to Trezza. Gregerson, meanwhile, seems to have bounced back from a strained oblique that sidelined him earlier in the spring and would give the Cardinals a more experienced option at closer, if that's something Matheny prefers. Should neither Leone nor Gregerson come away with the role, Tyler Lyons and Bud Norris would likely be next in line to receive trials in the ninth inning.