Its obvious that the Cardinals could use some help. They lost two out of three to both the Brewers and Cubs before winning the opener against the Braves, bringing their season record to 17-16, 4.5 games behind the Central leading Brewers.
After leading the NL in runs scored last year, the Cardinals currently sit in 10th place with 119 runs in 33 games (3.6 per game). However, don't expect star prospect Oscar Taveras any time soon.
According to Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, Taveras is "average at best" in center field and it "makes more sense for him to play everyday" at AAA Memphis. In other words, we are not going to promote him until after the Super Two cutoff in June.
Thus, center field incumbents Jon Jay, Peter Bourjos and even Randal Grichuk have until then to prove themselves worthy of retaining their jobs or one of them will be replaced by Taveras.
The other shaky area for the team is the bullpen, which is 1-5 on the year with 3 blown saves. While guys like Pat Neshek, Carlos Martinez, Kevin Siegrist and Randy Choate have done great jobs setting up for closer Trevor Rosenthal, the back-end of the pen has struggled.
Mike Matheny has been wary of relying on guys like last year's ground ball specialist Seth Maness, as well as rookies Keith Butler and Eric Fornataro, and for good reason. They have combined to go 0-2 with a 6.62 ERA.
However, the light at the end of the tunnel is former closer Jason Motte. Motte struck out the side in his first rehab appearance at AA Springfield on Sunday and will likely need 2-3 more weeks of rehab according to Mozeliak.
If he can regain his form, he can help solidify the bullpen and ease the burden on Neshek, Martinez and Siegrist. He would likely replace rookie Fornataro on the roster.
Finally, after everyone held their collective breath when Jaime Garcia was hit on his left elbow during a rehab outing at AA Springfield on Sunday, it appears to be minor as he will likely pitch off the mound tomorrow and only push back his next start by a few days.
The Cardinals still view Garcia as a starter and its safe to assume that when (or if) he returns, he will be placed in the rotation. Assuming he returns to form, this will allow the team to shift Joe Kelly back to the pen and either allow the team to demote Seth Maness to AAA to get his sinker working again or send Martinez down to stretch him out for starting duty.
In any case, adding Taveras, Motte and Garcia to the mix would certainly help the team and improve the overall depth. However, since its unlikely that all of the 3 will be here before June, we are all just hoping that the team can keep within striking distance of the Brewers until then.
Showing posts with label 2014 roster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2014 roster. Show all posts
Monday, May 5, 2014
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Projecting the Cardinals 2014 opening day roster
Let's face it, its been a pretty boring Hot Stove League for the Cardinals. Most of their offseason shopping was done before Christmas and, as a result of that, the Holidays and busy season, I've been struggling to find things to write about.
Thus, to get me back on track, I decided to take a peek at the Cardinals current roster and see if I could predict who will make it on the opening day 25-man roster.
First, I already predicted the starting lineup and the starting rotation, so they automatically make the roster:
1. Matt Carpenter, 3B
2. Jhonny Peralta, SS
3. Matt Holliday, LF
4. Allen Craig, RF
5. Yadier Molina, C
6. Matt Adams, 1B
7. Peter Bourjos, CF
8. Kolten Wong, 2B
9. Adam Wainwright
10. Shelby Miller
11. Jaime Garcia
12. Michael Wacha
13. Lance Lynn
From there, we know that Mark Ellis will at least earn a spot on the bench, along with John Jay (assuming he's not traded). The Cardinals will also need a backup catcher, most likely Tony Cruz, which puts us up to 16.
Then, there are certain guys who you figure have already earned a spot in the bullpen, including closer Trevor Rosenthal and setup men Seth Maness, Kevin Siegrist, Randy Choate and Joe Kelly.
Assuming the Cardinals go with a 13 hitter/12 pitcher split, that leaves the Cards with 2 bench spots and 2 bullpen spots.
Bench Battles
The battles for the last two bench spots will likely come down to Daniel Descalso vs Pete Kozma and Shane Robinson vs Oscar Taveras.
Looking at the first battle, it pretty much comes down Descalso's versatility versus Kozma defense at short. Granted, Descalso can play short, but if the Cardinals prefer a better defensive player as a backup to Peralta, Kozma is the man.
Given that Ellis is pretty much limited to second, the Cardinals would probably prefer Descalso's versatility to the defense of Kozma, so he gets the nod.
As for the outfield battle, it is more a question as to whether the Cardinals feel that Taveras is ready or if he would be better served with more seasoning in the minors. Given the time he missed last year due to injury, I see Taveras returning to AAA at least at the start of the season, thus giving the nod to Robinson.
Bullpen Battles
One thing to look for in the spring is the health of Jason Motte. If he's healthy, he will likely make the opening day roster. However, I think the Cardinals will play it safe with Motte and let him start the season on a rehab assignment in the minors.
With Motte a question mark and former bullpen members Edward Mujica, Fernando Salas and John Axford no longer with the team, the battle for the last two spots will likely come down to Carlos Martinez, Keith Butler and Sam Freeman.
Look for Martinez to earn a spot, based on his post season work, with the final spot coming down to whoever has the better spring between Butler and Freeman. I'll give the nod to Freeman, based solely on how he pitched for the Cardinals in 2013.
Thus, here is my projected opening day 25-man roster:
Thus, to get me back on track, I decided to take a peek at the Cardinals current roster and see if I could predict who will make it on the opening day 25-man roster.
First, I already predicted the starting lineup and the starting rotation, so they automatically make the roster:
1. Matt Carpenter, 3B
2. Jhonny Peralta, SS
3. Matt Holliday, LF
4. Allen Craig, RF
5. Yadier Molina, C
6. Matt Adams, 1B
7. Peter Bourjos, CF
8. Kolten Wong, 2B
9. Adam Wainwright
10. Shelby Miller
11. Jaime Garcia
12. Michael Wacha
13. Lance Lynn
From there, we know that Mark Ellis will at least earn a spot on the bench, along with John Jay (assuming he's not traded). The Cardinals will also need a backup catcher, most likely Tony Cruz, which puts us up to 16.
Then, there are certain guys who you figure have already earned a spot in the bullpen, including closer Trevor Rosenthal and setup men Seth Maness, Kevin Siegrist, Randy Choate and Joe Kelly.
Assuming the Cardinals go with a 13 hitter/12 pitcher split, that leaves the Cards with 2 bench spots and 2 bullpen spots.
Bench Battles
The battles for the last two bench spots will likely come down to Daniel Descalso vs Pete Kozma and Shane Robinson vs Oscar Taveras.
Looking at the first battle, it pretty much comes down Descalso's versatility versus Kozma defense at short. Granted, Descalso can play short, but if the Cardinals prefer a better defensive player as a backup to Peralta, Kozma is the man.
Given that Ellis is pretty much limited to second, the Cardinals would probably prefer Descalso's versatility to the defense of Kozma, so he gets the nod.
As for the outfield battle, it is more a question as to whether the Cardinals feel that Taveras is ready or if he would be better served with more seasoning in the minors. Given the time he missed last year due to injury, I see Taveras returning to AAA at least at the start of the season, thus giving the nod to Robinson.
Bullpen Battles
One thing to look for in the spring is the health of Jason Motte. If he's healthy, he will likely make the opening day roster. However, I think the Cardinals will play it safe with Motte and let him start the season on a rehab assignment in the minors.
With Motte a question mark and former bullpen members Edward Mujica, Fernando Salas and John Axford no longer with the team, the battle for the last two spots will likely come down to Carlos Martinez, Keith Butler and Sam Freeman.
Look for Martinez to earn a spot, based on his post season work, with the final spot coming down to whoever has the better spring between Butler and Freeman. I'll give the nod to Freeman, based solely on how he pitched for the Cardinals in 2013.
Thus, here is my projected opening day 25-man roster:
- Matt Carpenter, 3B
- Jhonny Peralta, SS
- Matt Holliday, LF
- Allen Craig, RF
- Yadier Molina, C
- Matt Adams, 1B
- Peter Bourjos, CF
- Kolten Wong, 2B
- Adam Wainwright
- Shelby Miller
- Jaime Garcia
- Michael Wacha
- Lance Lynn
- Mark Ellis
- Jon Jay
- Tony Cruz
- Daniel Descalso
- Shane Robinson
- Trevor Rosenthal
- Seth Maness
- Kevin Siegrist
- Randy Choate
- Joe Kelly
- Carlos Martinez
- Sam Freeman
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Johnny Peralta signing sets the Cardinals lineup. But what about their bench?
With the signing of Johnny Peralta, the Cardinals starting lineup is set for 2014. As of right now, the 2014 lineup would look like this:
C - Yadier Molina (Right handed)
1B - Matt Adams (Left handed)
2B - Kolten Wong (L)
SS - Johnny Peralta (R)
3B - Matt Carpenter (L)
LF - Matt Holliday (R)
CF - Peter Bourjos (R)
RF - Allen Craig (R)
Jon Jay (L) will be relegated to the bench and Oscar Taveras (L) will likely start the season in AAA. However, once Taveras is ready its likely that the Cardinals will trade Jay to make room for him.
With Daniel Descalso (L) likely acting as utility infielder and Tony Cruz (or some other seldom used catcher) acting as Molina's backup, the Cardinals will still have two spots to fill on their bench.
Shane Robinson (R) could fill one spot, as the 4th or 5th outfielder, but the Cardinals could use a right handed hitter for their bench, particularly one who can play the infield (2B, 3B and 1B), as they've got an abundance of lefty-hitting infielders.
Pouring over the options, I think the Cardinals should pursue Jeff Baker.
Not only is he capable of playing 1B, 2B, 3B and the corner outfield spots, but he kills lefties. For his career, he has hit .298/.353/.522 against left handers, including 35 homers in 751 at bats. Plus, even though he is 32, he showed no signs of slowing down in 2013, hitting .297/.390/.653 including 10 homers in 101 at bats against lefties.
He would be the perfect compliment to a primarily left handed infield and would basically fill the role that Ty Wigginton was suppose to fill last year.
C - Yadier Molina (Right handed)
1B - Matt Adams (Left handed)
2B - Kolten Wong (L)
SS - Johnny Peralta (R)
3B - Matt Carpenter (L)
LF - Matt Holliday (R)
CF - Peter Bourjos (R)
RF - Allen Craig (R)
Jon Jay (L) will be relegated to the bench and Oscar Taveras (L) will likely start the season in AAA. However, once Taveras is ready its likely that the Cardinals will trade Jay to make room for him.
With Daniel Descalso (L) likely acting as utility infielder and Tony Cruz (or some other seldom used catcher) acting as Molina's backup, the Cardinals will still have two spots to fill on their bench.
Shane Robinson (R) could fill one spot, as the 4th or 5th outfielder, but the Cardinals could use a right handed hitter for their bench, particularly one who can play the infield (2B, 3B and 1B), as they've got an abundance of lefty-hitting infielders.
Pouring over the options, I think the Cardinals should pursue Jeff Baker.
Not only is he capable of playing 1B, 2B, 3B and the corner outfield spots, but he kills lefties. For his career, he has hit .298/.353/.522 against left handers, including 35 homers in 751 at bats. Plus, even though he is 32, he showed no signs of slowing down in 2013, hitting .297/.390/.653 including 10 homers in 101 at bats against lefties.
He would be the perfect compliment to a primarily left handed infield and would basically fill the role that Ty Wigginton was suppose to fill last year.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Cardinals set 40-man roster before next month's rule 5 draft. Who did they leave exposed?
Wednesday was the deadline for major league teams to set their 40-man rosters prior to the December 12th Rule 5 draft. As such, the Cardinals made a series of moves to protect their key prospects.
First, they tried to clear some extra space by putting Ryan Jackson on waivers, however he was claimed by the Houston Astros. Despite the Cardinals struggles with Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso at short, Jackson never seemed to be an option, at least in the minds of Cardinals management, thus clearing him off the roster makes sense.
Second, the Cardinals removed pitcher John Gast and infielder Jermaine Curtis from the 40-man roster. Gast is a question mark for 2014 after undergoing shoulder surgery and Curtis is not in the Cards long range plans.
Finally, the Cardinals added Oscar Taveras, outfielder Mike O'Neill and infielder Greg Garcia to their 40-man roster.
Taveras was a no-brainer. The Cardinals would have never left him exposed to the Rule 5 draft.
O'Neill has been proving critics wrong for years, by his ability to hit for average and get on base (career .328/.435/.405 line in the minors). He has little power or speed, but if his skills translate to the majors, he can be at least a quality 4th or 5th outfielder.
Garcia is a quality middle infield prospect who started getting some work at third this year. He has a career .281/.386/.403 line in the minors and should prove to be at least a good utility infielder in the majors.
Yesterday, Derrick Goold provided a pretty comprehensive list of players eligible for the Rule 5 draft in the Cardinals organization, based on that and the above moves, here are the players I think could potentially be drafted next month.
John Gast
I was a bit surprised that the Cardinals dropped Gast from the 40-man roster. Although he underwent surgery to repair a torn lat in July, he still is a quality prospect and any team that drafts him can stash him on the DL until he's healthy. In my mind, he's the most likely Cardinal to get selected next month.
Boone Whiting
An 18th round pick in 2010, Whiting has decent minor league numbers (3.13 ERA in 345 innings) despite the lack of overpowering stuff. His fastball sits in the 89-91 mph range, but he has a quality slider to go with it. Some team could select him as a bullpen arm.
Seth Blair
A first round pick (46th overall) in 2010, Blair has dealt with control issues, inconsistency and injuries in his minor league career. He posted a 5.07 ERA at AA this year and still has a mid-90's fastball, but may be better suited for relief.
Jordan Swagerty
A second round pick in 2010, Swagerty has a nice minor league debut in 2011, posting a 1.83 ERA in 93.2 innings. However, he had Tommy John surgery in April 2012 and pitched just 10.2 innings in 2013.
He has a mid-90's fastball and an excellent curve and could be another guy that a team could select and stash on the D.L. while he works his way back.
Robert Stock
Stock was drafted as a catcher but was converted to a pitcher in 2012. He pitched for USC in college and flashed a low-to-mid-90's fastball and an average slider. He's still pretty raw (4.20 ERA in 109.1 innings in the minors), but could be stashed in a major league bullpen.
Overall, you will notice that all of the above players are pitchers, mainly because teams usually select pitching in the Rule 5 draft, as its easier to stash a pitcher in a major league bullpen, and because the hitters the Cardinals left unprotected are not so special.
I think that Gast is likely to be chosen and possibly even Whiting, which will greatly hurt the Cardinals depth.
First, they tried to clear some extra space by putting Ryan Jackson on waivers, however he was claimed by the Houston Astros. Despite the Cardinals struggles with Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso at short, Jackson never seemed to be an option, at least in the minds of Cardinals management, thus clearing him off the roster makes sense.
Second, the Cardinals removed pitcher John Gast and infielder Jermaine Curtis from the 40-man roster. Gast is a question mark for 2014 after undergoing shoulder surgery and Curtis is not in the Cards long range plans.
Finally, the Cardinals added Oscar Taveras, outfielder Mike O'Neill and infielder Greg Garcia to their 40-man roster.
Taveras was a no-brainer. The Cardinals would have never left him exposed to the Rule 5 draft.
O'Neill has been proving critics wrong for years, by his ability to hit for average and get on base (career .328/.435/.405 line in the minors). He has little power or speed, but if his skills translate to the majors, he can be at least a quality 4th or 5th outfielder.
Garcia is a quality middle infield prospect who started getting some work at third this year. He has a career .281/.386/.403 line in the minors and should prove to be at least a good utility infielder in the majors.
Yesterday, Derrick Goold provided a pretty comprehensive list of players eligible for the Rule 5 draft in the Cardinals organization, based on that and the above moves, here are the players I think could potentially be drafted next month.
John Gast
I was a bit surprised that the Cardinals dropped Gast from the 40-man roster. Although he underwent surgery to repair a torn lat in July, he still is a quality prospect and any team that drafts him can stash him on the DL until he's healthy. In my mind, he's the most likely Cardinal to get selected next month.
Boone Whiting
An 18th round pick in 2010, Whiting has decent minor league numbers (3.13 ERA in 345 innings) despite the lack of overpowering stuff. His fastball sits in the 89-91 mph range, but he has a quality slider to go with it. Some team could select him as a bullpen arm.
Seth Blair
A first round pick (46th overall) in 2010, Blair has dealt with control issues, inconsistency and injuries in his minor league career. He posted a 5.07 ERA at AA this year and still has a mid-90's fastball, but may be better suited for relief.
Jordan Swagerty
A second round pick in 2010, Swagerty has a nice minor league debut in 2011, posting a 1.83 ERA in 93.2 innings. However, he had Tommy John surgery in April 2012 and pitched just 10.2 innings in 2013.
He has a mid-90's fastball and an excellent curve and could be another guy that a team could select and stash on the D.L. while he works his way back.
Robert Stock
Stock was drafted as a catcher but was converted to a pitcher in 2012. He pitched for USC in college and flashed a low-to-mid-90's fastball and an average slider. He's still pretty raw (4.20 ERA in 109.1 innings in the minors), but could be stashed in a major league bullpen.
Overall, you will notice that all of the above players are pitchers, mainly because teams usually select pitching in the Rule 5 draft, as its easier to stash a pitcher in a major league bullpen, and because the hitters the Cardinals left unprotected are not so special.
I think that Gast is likely to be chosen and possibly even Whiting, which will greatly hurt the Cardinals depth.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Questions abound as Hot Stove League heats up for Cardinals
With the lackluster finish to the 2013 World Series, at least as far as Cardinals fans are concerned, everyone's attention now turns to the Hot Stove League.
The Cards, who appeared in the 4th World Series over the last decade, but fell short for a second time against the Red Sox, will look to upgrade their team to reach their ultimate goal. Along the way, GM John Mozeliak, Manager Mike Matheny and the rest of the Cardinals brass will have to answer some key personnel questions:
1. Should the Cardinals resign Carlos Beltran?
Although he has already filed for free agency and appears to be looking for a 3-year deal, most likely in the AL, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak is not closing any doors, according to Derrick Goold.
The Cards have already made Beltran a qualifying offer, guaranteeing themselves at least a supplemental first round pick in next year's draft.
It might make sense for the Cardinals to bring Beltran back on a 1-year deal, but any more than that and the Cards should pass.
2. Who will man the outfield and first base?
Even if Beltran is not resigned, the Cardinals will still have a bit of a logjam in the outfield and at first base. The Cardinals have Matt Adams and Allen Craig as potential first basemen. If the Cardinals decide to put Adams at first and shift Craig to right to replace Beltran, there is still Oscar Taveras lurking at AAA.
There has been some talk of having Taveras play center field next season, as Jon Jay had an off year and the Cards may be looking for an upgrade offensively.
Plus, there is Stephen Piscotty, who is tearing up the Arizona Fall League (.338/.385/.437) after a strong season split between A and AA (.295/.355/.464).
3. What should the Cardinals do about second and third?
This was the day 2 question of the UCB Roundtable and you can find all the answers from my fellow Cardinals bloggers at Redbird Rants.
Personally, I think the Cardinals should hold on to David Freese, Kolten Wong and Matt Carpenter, with Carpenter starting everyday, either at second or third, while Frees and Wong form a platoon.
However, the Cards may decide to use Wong or Freese as trade bait as they pursue an upgrade at short this offseason.
4. What do the Cardinals do with all their pitching?
This was another UCB Roundtable question, posed by me and included in this blog. With Jaime Garcia likely to be ready by the start of spring training to go along with incumbents Adam Wainwright, Shelby Miller, Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Michael Wacha, as well as prospects Carlos Martinez, John Gast and Tyler Lyons, the Cardinals will have an abundance of pitchers vying for the rotation next year.
This is probably why it was leaked recently that the Cards would consider trading Lynn or Miller for an upgrade at short.
In any case, the Cardinals have to sort out all the pieces to this puzzle before opening day.
5. Can the Cardinals find an upgrade at short?
The Cardinals made due with Pete Kozma, basically out of necessity this season, after Rafael Furcal succumbed to injury this spring. However, Kozma's .217 average and .548 OPS just isn't going to cut it offensively.
While he may be a fine defender, its no secret that the Cards are looking for an upgrade.
The Rangers recently indicated that they are willing to move one of their 3 middle infielders (Elvis Andrus, Jurickson Profar or Ian Kinsler), according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan,which certainly should have gotten the Cardinals' attention.
The Cards could create a package around either Lance Lynn or Shelby Miller for one of Andrus or Profar, but will probably not get into a bidding war.
I discussed other trade possibilities recently and there are also free agents Stephen Drew and Johnny Peralta. So, there are options out there.
Overall, the Cardinals have some key decisions to make and it will be interesting to watch the team take shape this offseason.
The Cards, who appeared in the 4th World Series over the last decade, but fell short for a second time against the Red Sox, will look to upgrade their team to reach their ultimate goal. Along the way, GM John Mozeliak, Manager Mike Matheny and the rest of the Cardinals brass will have to answer some key personnel questions:
1. Should the Cardinals resign Carlos Beltran?
Although he has already filed for free agency and appears to be looking for a 3-year deal, most likely in the AL, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak is not closing any doors, according to Derrick Goold.
The Cards have already made Beltran a qualifying offer, guaranteeing themselves at least a supplemental first round pick in next year's draft.
It might make sense for the Cardinals to bring Beltran back on a 1-year deal, but any more than that and the Cards should pass.
2. Who will man the outfield and first base?
Even if Beltran is not resigned, the Cardinals will still have a bit of a logjam in the outfield and at first base. The Cardinals have Matt Adams and Allen Craig as potential first basemen. If the Cardinals decide to put Adams at first and shift Craig to right to replace Beltran, there is still Oscar Taveras lurking at AAA.
There has been some talk of having Taveras play center field next season, as Jon Jay had an off year and the Cards may be looking for an upgrade offensively.
Plus, there is Stephen Piscotty, who is tearing up the Arizona Fall League (.338/.385/.437) after a strong season split between A and AA (.295/.355/.464).
3. What should the Cardinals do about second and third?
This was the day 2 question of the UCB Roundtable and you can find all the answers from my fellow Cardinals bloggers at Redbird Rants.
Personally, I think the Cardinals should hold on to David Freese, Kolten Wong and Matt Carpenter, with Carpenter starting everyday, either at second or third, while Frees and Wong form a platoon.
However, the Cards may decide to use Wong or Freese as trade bait as they pursue an upgrade at short this offseason.
4. What do the Cardinals do with all their pitching?
This was another UCB Roundtable question, posed by me and included in this blog. With Jaime Garcia likely to be ready by the start of spring training to go along with incumbents Adam Wainwright, Shelby Miller, Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Michael Wacha, as well as prospects Carlos Martinez, John Gast and Tyler Lyons, the Cardinals will have an abundance of pitchers vying for the rotation next year.
This is probably why it was leaked recently that the Cards would consider trading Lynn or Miller for an upgrade at short.
In any case, the Cardinals have to sort out all the pieces to this puzzle before opening day.
5. Can the Cardinals find an upgrade at short?
The Cardinals made due with Pete Kozma, basically out of necessity this season, after Rafael Furcal succumbed to injury this spring. However, Kozma's .217 average and .548 OPS just isn't going to cut it offensively.
While he may be a fine defender, its no secret that the Cards are looking for an upgrade.
The Rangers recently indicated that they are willing to move one of their 3 middle infielders (Elvis Andrus, Jurickson Profar or Ian Kinsler), according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan,which certainly should have gotten the Cardinals' attention.
The Cards could create a package around either Lance Lynn or Shelby Miller for one of Andrus or Profar, but will probably not get into a bidding war.
I discussed other trade possibilities recently and there are also free agents Stephen Drew and Johnny Peralta. So, there are options out there.
Overall, the Cardinals have some key decisions to make and it will be interesting to watch the team take shape this offseason.
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