The trade market just got a whole lot more interesting.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Texas Rangers have made it be known that they are willing to listen on anyone.
What does that mean to the Cardinals?
Well, for one thing, they could possibly pursue someone like Elvis Andrus, who would give the team a better defensive shortstop than Jhonny Peralta, and allow them to move Peralta to second.
The Cards second basemen, led by Kolten Wong, have struggled on offense and the addition of Andrus could certainly give the team's offense a boost.
Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch suggested that the Cardinals could look for an upgrade at second. However, the cost for Andrus could prove prohibitive.
While looking for ways to improve the offense is all well and good, I think the Cards should focus their attention on Joakim Soria.
The Cardinals bullpen has seen its share of ups and downs so far this year. While Jason Motte has come back from Tommy John surgery and pitched well, his velocity is down from his pre-surgery days and he has lost some of his former dominance as a result.
In addition, losing Kevin Siegrist to injury and Carlos Martinez to the starting rotation has also depleted the bullpen. Therefore, adding another quality arm to the pen makes sense.
In the past the Cards have gone after struggling relievers like Edward Mujica and John Axford, who they were able to get for cheap, and were able to turn them around. However, their luck is bound to run out at some point. Why not get a proven guy for once to strengthen the back end of the pen?
Soria has been downright nasty this season with a 1.75 ERA and a 35/3 K/BB ratio in 25.2 IP. Adding him to the pen would help ease the burden on the Cardinals current closer, Trevor Rosenthal, so that he no longer has to pitch 1.1 innings and throw 41 pitches to nail down the save (and then be expected to throw again the next day).
Finally, while landing a quality reliever like Soria would cost the Cardinals more in terms of prospects, he would not be just a summer rental. Soria is signed through the 2014 season at $5.5 million, but has a $7 million option for 2015. With Motte, who is earning $7 million this season, potentially becoming a free agent after this season, if the Cards cannot resign him, then they can just pick up Soria's option to replace him.
Overall, I think it would be a good move for the Cards, unless the Rangers start asking for a king's ransom in return. The hope is that the offense will finally kick into gear and the starting pitching will get healthy, leaving the bullpen as the only area of need.
Showing posts with label Jhonny Peralta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jhonny Peralta. Show all posts
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Cardinals Mailbag
As part of the United Cardinals Bloggers May project, we created a mailbag format where each blogger is asked a question from a group of fellow Cardinals bloggers and provides a response to each.
As a result, here is the first CFCL mailbag (sponsored by the UCB):
Bill Ivie, I-70 Baseball - Your site is dedicated to your father, who you say "without whom my love for the Cardinals would have never been born." My father was very important to my love of the game and I'm intrigued. If you don't mind, could you share with us a story about your father and how he helped you come to love the Birds on the Bat instead of the Baby Bears?
Growing up in Normal, Illinois, the Cubs and Cardinals fans were pretty evenly split, however there was never a question as to which team I would root for. My dad spent the formative years of his life in Clayton, Missouri and once got to see Dizzy Dean pitch against Carl Hubbell. His love for the game and the Cardinals rubbed off on me and stays with me to this day.
As the beneficiary of a June birthday, my gift each year was to go down to St. Louis for a weekend Cardinals series with my family. While my sister never was really into baseball and my brother outgrew the sport and turned his interests to music, the love of baseball and the Cardinals is something my dad and I always shared.
Daniel Solzman, Redbird Rants - In your years of following the St. Louis Cardinals, what is your favorite moment?
There have been many great moments in my years of following the Cards, including the 2011 World Series game 6, attending Lou Brock day back when Brock was my favorite player and getting to shake hands with Willie McGee and Ozzie Smith at the Adams Mark hotel bar after a game.
However, my favorite memory has to be watching the 7th game of the 1982 World Series with my dad and brother in our living room. I sat in silence for a few seconds after Bruce Sutter struck out Gorman Thomas to win it, before joining my dad and brother in celebration.
After becoming a diehard Cardinals fan in the mid-1970's, getting to finally see the Cards win a World Series for the first time (in my lifetime) was a special moment for me and to be able to share it with my dad and brother made it that much more special.
Ben Chambers, The View From Here - What is the hardest part of being "behind enemy lines"?
Probably the hardest thing about living in the Chicago area, is the inability to follow the Cardinals as closely as I use to.
When I was growing up in Central Illinois, I listened to the Cards on the radio every night and watched the games regularly, when the Cardinals games were picked up by one of our local TV stations. Nowadays, I can only catch the Cards on national telecasts.
Other than that, the fans are tolerable (I'm married to one), especially now that they are rebuilding and you don't have fair-weather fans coming out of the woodwork. But, if they were to become relevant again, that could certainly change.
Dan Buffa, Dose of Buffa - Can you see any huge differences between this team under John Mabry as hitting coach as opposed to Mark McGwire?
You mean other than the fact that the Cardinals can't seem to score runs this year compared to prior years?
In all seriousness, I don't put a lot of stock in hitting coaches having a significant impact on a team. For the most part, hitters know their swing and can tell when they are out of sync and the coach can help them tweak things on occassion.
Its rare that you are going to change a hitters approach once they reach the major leagues (see Colby Rasmus), so the main thing that I think a hitting coach does is to help hitters who are struggling sort out their mechanics and all that entails is watching some video.
Daniel Shoptaw, C70 At The Bat - What one move would you make to shake up this team and get it out of the .500 doldrums?
I don't know if there is one move that will shake up this team and get it back on track, as the biggest issue has been the lack of offense. The only thing Mike Matheny can do about that is to keep trotting the under-performers, like Allen Craig, out there in hopes that they can get hot.
Other than that, guys getting healthy, like Jason Motte and even Jaime Garcia, should give the other problem area, the bullpen, a boost as Garcia's return to the rotation would allow the Cardinals to move Joe Kelly back to the pen (when he's healthy again).
The only move that the Cardinals have yet to try (and that fans have been clamoring for) is to promote Oscar Taveras and start him in center field. However, while he might improve the offense, he would probably make an already poor outfield defense even worse.
Basically, the talent is there for the Cards to go on a run, they just have to play up to their abilities.
John Nagel, Cardinals Farm -Since you are a history buff, what is another Cards team that had plenty of talent but couldn't put it together?
The Cardinals team that stands out to me as having the most talent and not being able to put it together was the 1986 team.
This was basically the same team as the World Series team of 1985. After leading the NL in runs scored in 1985 with 747, the 1986 team struggled to score runs (sound familiar), finishing last in runs scored (601), average (.236) and OBP (.309).
Only a solid pitching staff that finished the season 4th in ERA (3.37) helped the Cardinals avoid total disaster that year. They dug themselves a big hole with a 36-50 record in the first half, but showed that they had the talent to win, going 43-32 in the second half of the season to end up with an overall record of 79-82.
After adding Tony Pena via trade after the 1986 season and promoting Joe Magrane to join the starting rotation, the 1987 Cardinals once again rose to the top and made it back to the World Series, but, to me at least, the 1986 season for the Cards will always be one of the biggest disappointments.
Kevin Reynolds, Stl Cards 'N Stuff - How has blogging about baseball changed your experience of baseball? Bonus Question: What single position (non-position) on the Cards roster do you see being filled with a future core player from the farm system not currently with the big league team? Who/why/etc.?
I think that, living in the Chicago area, I have not been able to follow the Cardinals as closely as I have in the past. Starting a blog on the Cardinals has helped me "reconnect" with the team.
The easiest answer to your second question is that the Cardinals will eventually make room for Oscar Taveras at one of the corner outfield spots by trading one of Matt Holliday, Allen Craig or Matt Adams.
However, to dig a little deeper, I'm not currently sold on either of our center field options nor is Jhonny Peralta a long-term solution at short. I think the center field will eventually be filled by James Ramsey. He is making some noise at AA Springfield this season (.305/.393/.583 with 11 homers in 151 at bats) and is well regarded for his leadership and makeup.
As for shortstop, I think the Cardinals will eventually have to look outside the organization to fill that hole (again).
That's it for this mailbag. If anyone has any questions they would like me to answer for future mailbags, please send them to: watershark67@yahoo.com.
As a result, here is the first CFCL mailbag (sponsored by the UCB):
Bill Ivie, I-70 Baseball - Your site is dedicated to your father, who you say "without whom my love for the Cardinals would have never been born." My father was very important to my love of the game and I'm intrigued. If you don't mind, could you share with us a story about your father and how he helped you come to love the Birds on the Bat instead of the Baby Bears?
Growing up in Normal, Illinois, the Cubs and Cardinals fans were pretty evenly split, however there was never a question as to which team I would root for. My dad spent the formative years of his life in Clayton, Missouri and once got to see Dizzy Dean pitch against Carl Hubbell. His love for the game and the Cardinals rubbed off on me and stays with me to this day.
As the beneficiary of a June birthday, my gift each year was to go down to St. Louis for a weekend Cardinals series with my family. While my sister never was really into baseball and my brother outgrew the sport and turned his interests to music, the love of baseball and the Cardinals is something my dad and I always shared.
Daniel Solzman, Redbird Rants - In your years of following the St. Louis Cardinals, what is your favorite moment?
There have been many great moments in my years of following the Cards, including the 2011 World Series game 6, attending Lou Brock day back when Brock was my favorite player and getting to shake hands with Willie McGee and Ozzie Smith at the Adams Mark hotel bar after a game.
However, my favorite memory has to be watching the 7th game of the 1982 World Series with my dad and brother in our living room. I sat in silence for a few seconds after Bruce Sutter struck out Gorman Thomas to win it, before joining my dad and brother in celebration.
After becoming a diehard Cardinals fan in the mid-1970's, getting to finally see the Cards win a World Series for the first time (in my lifetime) was a special moment for me and to be able to share it with my dad and brother made it that much more special.
Ben Chambers, The View From Here - What is the hardest part of being "behind enemy lines"?
Probably the hardest thing about living in the Chicago area, is the inability to follow the Cardinals as closely as I use to.
When I was growing up in Central Illinois, I listened to the Cards on the radio every night and watched the games regularly, when the Cardinals games were picked up by one of our local TV stations. Nowadays, I can only catch the Cards on national telecasts.
Other than that, the fans are tolerable (I'm married to one), especially now that they are rebuilding and you don't have fair-weather fans coming out of the woodwork. But, if they were to become relevant again, that could certainly change.
Dan Buffa, Dose of Buffa - Can you see any huge differences between this team under John Mabry as hitting coach as opposed to Mark McGwire?
You mean other than the fact that the Cardinals can't seem to score runs this year compared to prior years?
In all seriousness, I don't put a lot of stock in hitting coaches having a significant impact on a team. For the most part, hitters know their swing and can tell when they are out of sync and the coach can help them tweak things on occassion.
Its rare that you are going to change a hitters approach once they reach the major leagues (see Colby Rasmus), so the main thing that I think a hitting coach does is to help hitters who are struggling sort out their mechanics and all that entails is watching some video.
Daniel Shoptaw, C70 At The Bat - What one move would you make to shake up this team and get it out of the .500 doldrums?
I don't know if there is one move that will shake up this team and get it back on track, as the biggest issue has been the lack of offense. The only thing Mike Matheny can do about that is to keep trotting the under-performers, like Allen Craig, out there in hopes that they can get hot.
Other than that, guys getting healthy, like Jason Motte and even Jaime Garcia, should give the other problem area, the bullpen, a boost as Garcia's return to the rotation would allow the Cardinals to move Joe Kelly back to the pen (when he's healthy again).
The only move that the Cardinals have yet to try (and that fans have been clamoring for) is to promote Oscar Taveras and start him in center field. However, while he might improve the offense, he would probably make an already poor outfield defense even worse.
Basically, the talent is there for the Cards to go on a run, they just have to play up to their abilities.
John Nagel, Cardinals Farm -Since you are a history buff, what is another Cards team that had plenty of talent but couldn't put it together?
The Cardinals team that stands out to me as having the most talent and not being able to put it together was the 1986 team.
This was basically the same team as the World Series team of 1985. After leading the NL in runs scored in 1985 with 747, the 1986 team struggled to score runs (sound familiar), finishing last in runs scored (601), average (.236) and OBP (.309).
Only a solid pitching staff that finished the season 4th in ERA (3.37) helped the Cardinals avoid total disaster that year. They dug themselves a big hole with a 36-50 record in the first half, but showed that they had the talent to win, going 43-32 in the second half of the season to end up with an overall record of 79-82.
After adding Tony Pena via trade after the 1986 season and promoting Joe Magrane to join the starting rotation, the 1987 Cardinals once again rose to the top and made it back to the World Series, but, to me at least, the 1986 season for the Cards will always be one of the biggest disappointments.
Kevin Reynolds, Stl Cards 'N Stuff - How has blogging about baseball changed your experience of baseball? Bonus Question: What single position (non-position) on the Cards roster do you see being filled with a future core player from the farm system not currently with the big league team? Who/why/etc.?
I think that, living in the Chicago area, I have not been able to follow the Cardinals as closely as I have in the past. Starting a blog on the Cardinals has helped me "reconnect" with the team.
The easiest answer to your second question is that the Cardinals will eventually make room for Oscar Taveras at one of the corner outfield spots by trading one of Matt Holliday, Allen Craig or Matt Adams.
However, to dig a little deeper, I'm not currently sold on either of our center field options nor is Jhonny Peralta a long-term solution at short. I think the center field will eventually be filled by James Ramsey. He is making some noise at AA Springfield this season (.305/.393/.583 with 11 homers in 151 at bats) and is well regarded for his leadership and makeup.
As for shortstop, I think the Cardinals will eventually have to look outside the organization to fill that hole (again).
That's it for this mailbag. If anyone has any questions they would like me to answer for future mailbags, please send them to: watershark67@yahoo.com.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Cardinals look to shake thing up by demoting Kolten Wong
With their offense continuing to struggle, the Cardinals decided to shake things up by demoting second baseman Kolten Wong to AAA. Wong has certainly struggled on the season, hitting just .225/.276/.268, but he is not the only one.
Shortstop Jhonny Peralta (.195/.290/.476) is not doing much to make Cardinals fans forget about Pete Kozma and his offensive struggles. "Clutch" hitter Allen Craig is sporting a .177 average and just 6 rbi's and offseason acquisition Peter Bourjos has lost his starting job to Jon Jay thanks in large part to his .163 average.
Unfortunately, the Cards cannot demote their entire team, so they are making this change to try to light a fire under the team.
The Cardinals have recalled Greg Garcia to replace Wong on the roster. Mark Ellis should get the lion's share of the starts at second, however, with Ellis hitting only .100 since coming off the DL, don't be surprised to see Garcia split time with Ellis.
In addition to Wong's demotion, the Cardinals also sent down Shane Robinson and called up Randal Grichuk. Grichuk was hitting .313/.356/.542 in AAA and will look to provide a spark off the bench.
Hopefully Wong's demotion will be short-term as he looks to get his stroke back. However, it is good to have a veteran like Ellis available to plug into the void and hopefully either he or Garcia can provide the offense with a boost.
Shortstop Jhonny Peralta (.195/.290/.476) is not doing much to make Cardinals fans forget about Pete Kozma and his offensive struggles. "Clutch" hitter Allen Craig is sporting a .177 average and just 6 rbi's and offseason acquisition Peter Bourjos has lost his starting job to Jon Jay thanks in large part to his .163 average.
Unfortunately, the Cards cannot demote their entire team, so they are making this change to try to light a fire under the team.
The Cardinals have recalled Greg Garcia to replace Wong on the roster. Mark Ellis should get the lion's share of the starts at second, however, with Ellis hitting only .100 since coming off the DL, don't be surprised to see Garcia split time with Ellis.
In addition to Wong's demotion, the Cardinals also sent down Shane Robinson and called up Randal Grichuk. Grichuk was hitting .313/.356/.542 in AAA and will look to provide a spark off the bench.
Hopefully Wong's demotion will be short-term as he looks to get his stroke back. However, it is good to have a veteran like Ellis available to plug into the void and hopefully either he or Garcia can provide the offense with a boost.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Bird's Eye View: Cardinals Season Preview
Each year, a group of us Cardinals bloggers puts together a newsletter that is e-mailed out before each series. The bloggers take turns writing the newsletter, so you get a different style and viewpoint each time.
This year, we put together a season preview as well. I did the writeup on the infield, while other bloggers discussed the lineup, outfield, bench, defense, starting pitching, bullpen, manager and front office.
Here's a sneak peak at my section:
This year, we put together a season preview as well. I did the writeup on the infield, while other bloggers discussed the lineup, outfield, bench, defense, starting pitching, bullpen, manager and front office.
Here's a sneak peak at my section:
The Cardinals infield underwent some significant changes over the
winter, as the team looked to shore up its defense while also improving
the offensive production from the shortstop position. Here’s a
position-by-position look at the Cards 2014 infield.
First Base
With the free agency
departure of Carlos Beltran, Allen Craig moves to right field to replace
him and Matt Adams steps into a full-time role at first base. After
hitting .284 with 17 homers in just 296 at bats, Cardinals fans are
excited to see what numbers Adams can put up in a full season.
Second Base
The departure of David
Freese caused the biggest shake-up, allowing Matt Carpenter to move to
his natural third base position and opening the door for rookie Kolten
Wong at second. Wong didn’t hit much in his limited exposure to big
league pitching last season (.153 in 59 at bats), but is a career
.301/.365/.446 hitter in the minors.
Third Base
Matt Carpenter takes
over at third for the departed Freese. He hit .318/.392/.481 and
finished 4th in the MVP voting last season. His shift to third and the
addition of Wong at second should greatly improve the Cardinals’ defense
at those positions.
Shortstop
Obviously displeased with
the offensive production they received from the shortstop position in
2013, which finished 13th in the league in OPS (.583), the Cardinals
quickly addressed that issue in the offseason by signing Jhonny Peralta
to a 4-year, $53 million contract. While the Cards may lose a little
bit defensively over the displaced Pete Kozma, Peralta, and his career
.755 OPS, should make up for it offensively.
Utility
The Cardinals brought in
second baseman Mark Ellis as an insurance policy for rookie Kolten Wong
and holdovers Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma should back up the other
positions. The X factor is recently signed Cuban defector Aledmys Diaz.
Capable of playing second, third or short, he could replace Descalso
or Kozma on the Cards bench when ready.
If you're interested in seeing the rest of the season preview as well as receiving the newsletter before each series, you can signup using the following link:
Thanks and Go Cards!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Cardinals sign Aledmys Diaz. But where will he play?
According to Jennifer Langosch (and other) the Cardinals have signed infielder Aledmys Diaz to a major league deal. The team did not release details, but it is believed to be for 4 years.
This represents the biggest investment ever by the Cards in a Cuban player and while that is all fine and good, the first question I asked myself is where will he play?
According to scouts, Diaz is capable of playing second, third and short. However, the Cardinals currently have Kolten Wong, Matt Carpenter and Jhonny Peralta manning those positions. Carpenter just received an extension from the Cards, which has him under team control through 2019. Peralta was signed as a free agent through the 2017 and Wong is under team control through 2019. So, there is no obvious spot for the young Cuban.
But there are some scenarios under which he could make an impact this season:
1. Kolten Wong struggles
This is Wong's first full season in the majors. He was a September callup last year and hit an uninspiring .153 in 59 at bats (small sample size rules apply). However, he is a career .301/.365/.446 hitter in the minors.
He could hit the ground running or he could struggle in his first extended taste of the bigs. If its the latter, look for Diaz to get the call.
2. Someone gets injured
Obviously, the addition of Diaz gives the Cardinals some much needed infield depth. Behind the starting 3, there is only Daniel Descalso, Pete Kozma and Mark Ellis. Ellis has only really played second base in his career and while Descalso and Kozma can play short, neither is a very good hitter.
Diaz would give the Cards a decent hitting backup to Wong, Carpenter or Peralta, should they get injured and would not be as big of a downgrade as Kozma or Descalso would be.
3. Trade
The Cardinals could decide to jettison one of their infielders for an upgrade elsewhere. This doesn't seem likely though, as it appears that the Cards are committed to Carpenter, Peralta and Wong on the infield.
4. Utility Infielder
This seems to be the most likely scenario. With his ability to play 3 different positions, Diaz could become a better hitting version of Descalso. Despite hitting a meager .238 with a .656 OPS last season, Descalso still managed to play in 123 games last season "earning" 328 at bats. He played 39 games at second, 55 at short and 38 at third.
Diaz does not have a lot of pop, but he showed the ability to hit for average, batting .315/.404/.500 with 12 homers and 11 stolen bases in his last season in Cuba. In fact, Diaz' presence could spell the end of Descalso's career with the Cards.
My guess is that the Cardinals will start Diaz in the minors to get him accustomed to American baseball. Ones he proves himself, he will get called up to play a utility role. He could get significant playing time if there is an injury or Wong struggles, so I could see him getting around 300 at bats.
This represents the biggest investment ever by the Cards in a Cuban player and while that is all fine and good, the first question I asked myself is where will he play?
According to scouts, Diaz is capable of playing second, third and short. However, the Cardinals currently have Kolten Wong, Matt Carpenter and Jhonny Peralta manning those positions. Carpenter just received an extension from the Cards, which has him under team control through 2019. Peralta was signed as a free agent through the 2017 and Wong is under team control through 2019. So, there is no obvious spot for the young Cuban.
But there are some scenarios under which he could make an impact this season:
1. Kolten Wong struggles
This is Wong's first full season in the majors. He was a September callup last year and hit an uninspiring .153 in 59 at bats (small sample size rules apply). However, he is a career .301/.365/.446 hitter in the minors.
He could hit the ground running or he could struggle in his first extended taste of the bigs. If its the latter, look for Diaz to get the call.
2. Someone gets injured
Obviously, the addition of Diaz gives the Cardinals some much needed infield depth. Behind the starting 3, there is only Daniel Descalso, Pete Kozma and Mark Ellis. Ellis has only really played second base in his career and while Descalso and Kozma can play short, neither is a very good hitter.
Diaz would give the Cards a decent hitting backup to Wong, Carpenter or Peralta, should they get injured and would not be as big of a downgrade as Kozma or Descalso would be.
3. Trade
The Cardinals could decide to jettison one of their infielders for an upgrade elsewhere. This doesn't seem likely though, as it appears that the Cards are committed to Carpenter, Peralta and Wong on the infield.
4. Utility Infielder
This seems to be the most likely scenario. With his ability to play 3 different positions, Diaz could become a better hitting version of Descalso. Despite hitting a meager .238 with a .656 OPS last season, Descalso still managed to play in 123 games last season "earning" 328 at bats. He played 39 games at second, 55 at short and 38 at third.
Diaz does not have a lot of pop, but he showed the ability to hit for average, batting .315/.404/.500 with 12 homers and 11 stolen bases in his last season in Cuba. In fact, Diaz' presence could spell the end of Descalso's career with the Cards.
My guess is that the Cardinals will start Diaz in the minors to get him accustomed to American baseball. Ones he proves himself, he will get called up to play a utility role. He could get significant playing time if there is an injury or Wong struggles, so I could see him getting around 300 at bats.
Monday, February 17, 2014
St. Louis Cardinals offseason moves and outlook
The Cardinals won the NL Central on their way to the NL championship and their second World Series appearance in the last 3 years before losing to the Red Sox in 6 games. The Cardinals hope to continue that hot streak in 2014.
Key Losses
Carlos Beltran, John Axford, David Freese, Edward Mujica, Jake Westbrook, Fernando Salas
Key Acquisitions
Peter Bourjos, Jhonny Peralta, Mark Ellis
Coming off a NL championship, the Cardinals did not have many holes to fill this offseason. GM John Mozeliak worked quickly to fill those holes, trading David Freese for Peter Bourjos and signing Jhonny Peralta before Thanksgiving. Mo added Mark Ellis in December to complete the 2014 roster.
With the trade of Freese, the Cardinals greatly improved their overall defense. Bourjos is a superior center fielder to Jon Jay and, with Freese gone, Matt Carpenter can move to his more natural third base position while making room at second for Kolten Wong. Thus, with one move, the Cardinals improved their defense at 3 positions.
On the flip side, Peralta is a worse defender that the man he's replacing at short, Pete Kozma, however, the Cardinals are counting on his offense more than making up for that difference.
Besides those moves, the biggest change from 2013 is the loss of Carlos Beltran. He will be replaced in right by Allen Craig, with Matt Adams taking over at first. However, keep an eye on top prospect Oscar Taveras this spring as he could force his way into the Cardinals plans.
Yadier Molina and Matt Holliday will round out the lineup. Molina continues to be a MVP caliber player each year with his offense, defense and leadership, while Holliday just continues to rake.
On the pitching side, Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Lance Lynn and Shelby Miller should make up 4/5ths of the starting rotation. The Cardinals lost free agent Jake Westbrook, who ended up retiring this offseason, but the team has plenty of options to replace him.
Jaime Garcia is option number one for the Cards, should he prove to be healthy. There are always concerns regarding pitchers coming off shoulder surgery, but the Cardinals could use a lefty in the rotation.
If he is not ready, then one of Carlos Martinez, Joe Kelly or Tyler Lyons could step in. However, it seems more likely that Martinez will work out of the pen, while Kelly serves as the long man and Lyons starts the season at AAA.
In the pen, Trevor Rosenthal will handle the closer duties, after his stellar performance in the postseason. Jason Motte is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will likely start the season on the DL. Carlos Martinez, Kevin Siegrist, Seth Maness and Randy Choate will also work in relief.
Overall, with their abundance of young arms and improved offense and defense, the Cardinals should once again be the team to beat this year in the NL Central.
SHAMELESS PLUG
For you followers of this blog and Cardinals fans in general, be sure to check out this year's United Cardinals Bloggers annual "Purpose, Perseverance and Power Arms: The 2013 St. Louis Cardinals". In this collection you'll find writing from 17 different Cardinals bloggers (including yours truly), plus a capsule on every player that wore the Birds on the Bat in 2013. Not only that, but you'll get an overall look at what's to come in 2014.
Purpose, Perseverance and Power Arms is available as an e-book at the Amazon Kindle store for $2.99. The book can be read on any of the devices in the Kindle family as well as by downloading Amazon's free reading apps for your computer, tablet or smartphone. It may also be read in your browser directly on Amazon.
Key Losses
Carlos Beltran, John Axford, David Freese, Edward Mujica, Jake Westbrook, Fernando Salas
Key Acquisitions
Peter Bourjos, Jhonny Peralta, Mark Ellis
Coming off a NL championship, the Cardinals did not have many holes to fill this offseason. GM John Mozeliak worked quickly to fill those holes, trading David Freese for Peter Bourjos and signing Jhonny Peralta before Thanksgiving. Mo added Mark Ellis in December to complete the 2014 roster.
With the trade of Freese, the Cardinals greatly improved their overall defense. Bourjos is a superior center fielder to Jon Jay and, with Freese gone, Matt Carpenter can move to his more natural third base position while making room at second for Kolten Wong. Thus, with one move, the Cardinals improved their defense at 3 positions.
On the flip side, Peralta is a worse defender that the man he's replacing at short, Pete Kozma, however, the Cardinals are counting on his offense more than making up for that difference.
Besides those moves, the biggest change from 2013 is the loss of Carlos Beltran. He will be replaced in right by Allen Craig, with Matt Adams taking over at first. However, keep an eye on top prospect Oscar Taveras this spring as he could force his way into the Cardinals plans.
Yadier Molina and Matt Holliday will round out the lineup. Molina continues to be a MVP caliber player each year with his offense, defense and leadership, while Holliday just continues to rake.
On the pitching side, Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Lance Lynn and Shelby Miller should make up 4/5ths of the starting rotation. The Cardinals lost free agent Jake Westbrook, who ended up retiring this offseason, but the team has plenty of options to replace him.
Jaime Garcia is option number one for the Cards, should he prove to be healthy. There are always concerns regarding pitchers coming off shoulder surgery, but the Cardinals could use a lefty in the rotation.
If he is not ready, then one of Carlos Martinez, Joe Kelly or Tyler Lyons could step in. However, it seems more likely that Martinez will work out of the pen, while Kelly serves as the long man and Lyons starts the season at AAA.
In the pen, Trevor Rosenthal will handle the closer duties, after his stellar performance in the postseason. Jason Motte is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will likely start the season on the DL. Carlos Martinez, Kevin Siegrist, Seth Maness and Randy Choate will also work in relief.
Overall, with their abundance of young arms and improved offense and defense, the Cardinals should once again be the team to beat this year in the NL Central.
SHAMELESS PLUG
For you followers of this blog and Cardinals fans in general, be sure to check out this year's United Cardinals Bloggers annual "Purpose, Perseverance and Power Arms: The 2013 St. Louis Cardinals". In this collection you'll find writing from 17 different Cardinals bloggers (including yours truly), plus a capsule on every player that wore the Birds on the Bat in 2013. Not only that, but you'll get an overall look at what's to come in 2014.
Purpose, Perseverance and Power Arms is available as an e-book at the Amazon Kindle store for $2.99. The book can be read on any of the devices in the Kindle family as well as by downloading Amazon's free reading apps for your computer, tablet or smartphone. It may also be read in your browser directly on Amazon.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Projecting the Cardinals future lineups
According to GM John Mozeliak, the Cardinals are likely finished with their offseason moves, meaning that, besides adding some minor league depth, the Cards roster is pretty much set.
Thus, as I did with the starting rotation a little while ago, its time to look at the projected Cardinals lineups not only for 2014 but for future years as well.
In case you missed it, as I had just started up this blog at the time, I did a similar exercise last year, which can be found HERE.
Its always interesting to see how my projections look a year after they are made. The main restriction I put on myself is to assume that all openings will be filled in-house (i.e. no free agents or trades), thereby relying only on the Cardinals farm system to fill holes, which, as we have seen this offseason, is not always the case.
Thus, last year, I showed 2013 free agents Rafael Furcal and Carlos Beltran being replaced by Pete Kozma and Oscar Taveras in 2014 and then 2015 free agent David Freese being replaced by Kolten Wong with Matt Carpenter moving over to third.
However, this year, with the likely starters all locked up through at least the 2016 season, taking the above approach would be pretty boring, thus, I decided to shake things up a bit by assuming some possible trades and free agent signings.
In any case, here's how I see things shaking out over the next few years:
2014
As I alluded to before, the 2014 lineup is set, its just a matter of figuring out the batting order. I think Mike Matheny will make new addition Peter Bourjos the leadoff hitter, followed by Matt Carpenter. However, I'm not entirely sold on Bourjos as a leadoff man, given his career .306 OBP and I can see Carpenter returning to the leadoff spot with Jhonny Peralta hitting second.
From there, Matt Holliday will likely stay in his familiar 3rd spot with Allen Craig hitting 4th. Then Yadier Molina and Matt Adams following, with perhaps Adams moving down further against some lefties. That leaves Bourjos and Kolten Wong bringing up the rear.
Thus, here is my projected 2014 lineup:
At some point in the 2014 season or before the 2015 season begins, the Cardinals are going to have to make a big decision. Oscar Taveras will likely be ready to assume a full-time outfield role with the team and the Cards already have too many outfielders.
Jon Jay will likely have already been traded by the July 2014 trade deadline, but that still leaves the Cardinals with Holliday, Craig, Bourjos, Adams and Taveras to fill 4 spots (including first) and that's not even considering the Cards other top hitting prospect Stephen Piscotty. I could see the team possibly trading Holliday, who will be 35 at this time, to free up some salary and to replenish their farm system.
Holliday is owed $17 million a year through 2016, with an $17 million option for 2017 that carries a $1 million buyout. Thus, trading him at this time would save the team $35 million. Allen Craig is another trade possibility, but he's younger and under a more reasonable contract, thereby making Holliday the more appealing option.
Thus, here is how I see the 2015 lineup panning out:
Again, there would be no free agents to worry about at this time, so it comes down to whether the Cardinals feel a trade or free agent signing make sense.
My main concern around this time would be Peralta's defense at short. He will turn 34 during the 2016 season and will likely have lost a step or two on defense. Thus, it might make sense for the Cards to pursue a free agent shortstop.
Yunel Escobar will be a free agent after the 2015 season and could be a good fit for the Cardinals. While he is an average hitter, he has proven to be an above average fielder in his career and would give the team's defense a boost.
Of course, if the team signs Escobar, that leaves Peralta without a position. He could become trade bait or a super utility player, but in either case he will be out of the starting lineup.
Also, by this time, I would think that Wong will have established himself as a good major league hitter and capable leadoff man, thereby allowing Carpenter to bat second, thus giving us the following lineup:
Finally, a free agent! After the 2016 season, Peter Bourjos will likely leave via free agency. Waiting in the wings could be James Ramsey, who will have likely served a long apprenticeship, beginning in 2015 as a 4th outfielder.
Other than that, it will be more of the status quo for the team, giving us the following lineup:
However, the team is certainly set up for long-term success and, if they continue to develop players as they have recently, that success will continue.
Thus, as I did with the starting rotation a little while ago, its time to look at the projected Cardinals lineups not only for 2014 but for future years as well.
In case you missed it, as I had just started up this blog at the time, I did a similar exercise last year, which can be found HERE.
Its always interesting to see how my projections look a year after they are made. The main restriction I put on myself is to assume that all openings will be filled in-house (i.e. no free agents or trades), thereby relying only on the Cardinals farm system to fill holes, which, as we have seen this offseason, is not always the case.
Thus, last year, I showed 2013 free agents Rafael Furcal and Carlos Beltran being replaced by Pete Kozma and Oscar Taveras in 2014 and then 2015 free agent David Freese being replaced by Kolten Wong with Matt Carpenter moving over to third.
However, this year, with the likely starters all locked up through at least the 2016 season, taking the above approach would be pretty boring, thus, I decided to shake things up a bit by assuming some possible trades and free agent signings.
In any case, here's how I see things shaking out over the next few years:
2014
As I alluded to before, the 2014 lineup is set, its just a matter of figuring out the batting order. I think Mike Matheny will make new addition Peter Bourjos the leadoff hitter, followed by Matt Carpenter. However, I'm not entirely sold on Bourjos as a leadoff man, given his career .306 OBP and I can see Carpenter returning to the leadoff spot with Jhonny Peralta hitting second.
From there, Matt Holliday will likely stay in his familiar 3rd spot with Allen Craig hitting 4th. Then Yadier Molina and Matt Adams following, with perhaps Adams moving down further against some lefties. That leaves Bourjos and Kolten Wong bringing up the rear.
Thus, here is my projected 2014 lineup:
- Matt Carpenter, 3B
- Jhonny Peralta, SS
- Matt Holliday, LF
- Allen Craig, RF
- Yadier Molina, C
- Matt Adams, 1B
- Peter Bourjos, CF
- Kolten Wong, 2B
- pitcher
At some point in the 2014 season or before the 2015 season begins, the Cardinals are going to have to make a big decision. Oscar Taveras will likely be ready to assume a full-time outfield role with the team and the Cards already have too many outfielders.
Jon Jay will likely have already been traded by the July 2014 trade deadline, but that still leaves the Cardinals with Holliday, Craig, Bourjos, Adams and Taveras to fill 4 spots (including first) and that's not even considering the Cards other top hitting prospect Stephen Piscotty. I could see the team possibly trading Holliday, who will be 35 at this time, to free up some salary and to replenish their farm system.
Holliday is owed $17 million a year through 2016, with an $17 million option for 2017 that carries a $1 million buyout. Thus, trading him at this time would save the team $35 million. Allen Craig is another trade possibility, but he's younger and under a more reasonable contract, thereby making Holliday the more appealing option.
Thus, here is how I see the 2015 lineup panning out:
- Matt Carpenter, 3B
- Jhonny Peralta, SS
- Yadier Molina, C
- Allen Craig, RF
- Matt Adams, 1B
- Oscar Taveras, LF
- Peter Bourjos, CF
- Kolten Wong, 2B
- pitcher
Again, there would be no free agents to worry about at this time, so it comes down to whether the Cardinals feel a trade or free agent signing make sense.
My main concern around this time would be Peralta's defense at short. He will turn 34 during the 2016 season and will likely have lost a step or two on defense. Thus, it might make sense for the Cards to pursue a free agent shortstop.
Yunel Escobar will be a free agent after the 2015 season and could be a good fit for the Cardinals. While he is an average hitter, he has proven to be an above average fielder in his career and would give the team's defense a boost.
Of course, if the team signs Escobar, that leaves Peralta without a position. He could become trade bait or a super utility player, but in either case he will be out of the starting lineup.
Also, by this time, I would think that Wong will have established himself as a good major league hitter and capable leadoff man, thereby allowing Carpenter to bat second, thus giving us the following lineup:
- Kolten Wong, 2B
- Matt Carpenter, 3B
- Yadier Molina, C
- Allen Craig, RF
- Matt Adams, 1B
- Oscar Taveras, LF
- Peter Bourjos, CF
- Yunel Escobar, SS
- pitcher
Finally, a free agent! After the 2016 season, Peter Bourjos will likely leave via free agency. Waiting in the wings could be James Ramsey, who will have likely served a long apprenticeship, beginning in 2015 as a 4th outfielder.
Other than that, it will be more of the status quo for the team, giving us the following lineup:
- Kolten Wong, 2B
- Matt Carpenter, 3B
- Yadier Molina, C
- Allen Craig, RF
- Matt Adams, 1B
- Oscar Taveras, LF
- Yunel Escobar, SS
- James Ramsey, CF
- pitcher
However, the team is certainly set up for long-term success and, if they continue to develop players as they have recently, that success will continue.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Catching up on the Cardinals Rumors
Things have been pretty quiet for the Cardinals (and this blog) for a while, so its time to catch up with the team and where they stand with the Winter Meetings going on this week.
The Cardinals got their Christmas shopping done early this year, acquiring center fielder Peter Bourjos in a trade for David Freese and signing shortstop Jhonny Peralta, all before Black Friday. As Derrick Goold points out, that should make for a pretty boring Winter Meetings, at least by comparison.
That's not to say that the 2014 Cardinals team is complete.
The main piece remaining for the Cardinals, that Bernie Miklasz and yours truly have both pointed out, is a right handed infielder.
Miklasz listed a virtual who's who of right handed infielders for the Cardinals to choose from, including Jeff Baker (my personal choice), Ryan Roberts, Mark Ellis, Scott Sizemore, Michael Young, Kevin Youkilis, Placido Polanco and Jayson Nix.
As Miklasz points out, the guy the Cardinals are looking for would ideally give the team an option at second against left handers, potentially as a platoon with lefty Kolten Wong, or even as a fill-in if Wong is slumping.
Beyond that, there are no glaring holes left to fill.
However, that doesn't mean that the Cardinals can't find other ways to improve their team.
For one thing, even though they have the shortstop for the near future, the Cardinals appear to still be looking for a long-term answer and have shown heavy interest in Cuban defector Aldemys Diaz. Diaz cannot sign before February 19th and has drawn interest from several teams, so the Cardinals will have a battle on their hands if they want to sign him.
Other than that, there were rumors that the Nationals might make short stop Danny Espinosa available via trade, but those were quickly shot down. Adam Kilgore of the Washington post noted that the Cardinals were already rebuffed when they inquired on him earlier this offseason.
Finally, we have Friday's Rule 5 draft to look forward to. I previewed who the Cardinals left available back on November 21st and looking around the web, it appears that Boone Whiting is the odds-on favorite to be picked by some team.
On the flip side, the Cards might be able to find a useful shortstop in this year's draft, as Cubs farmhand Marco Hernandez is available. The drawback to selecting a guy like Hernandez is that he hasn't played above class A ball and his development would likely be hindered by being buried on a big league bench for a season.
Overall, the Cardinals are sitting pretty and have time to wait for the right-handed utility infielder market to set itself before making a move there. In any case, whoever they sign cannot be any worse than Ty Wigginton.
The Cardinals got their Christmas shopping done early this year, acquiring center fielder Peter Bourjos in a trade for David Freese and signing shortstop Jhonny Peralta, all before Black Friday. As Derrick Goold points out, that should make for a pretty boring Winter Meetings, at least by comparison.
That's not to say that the 2014 Cardinals team is complete.
The main piece remaining for the Cardinals, that Bernie Miklasz and yours truly have both pointed out, is a right handed infielder.
Miklasz listed a virtual who's who of right handed infielders for the Cardinals to choose from, including Jeff Baker (my personal choice), Ryan Roberts, Mark Ellis, Scott Sizemore, Michael Young, Kevin Youkilis, Placido Polanco and Jayson Nix.
As Miklasz points out, the guy the Cardinals are looking for would ideally give the team an option at second against left handers, potentially as a platoon with lefty Kolten Wong, or even as a fill-in if Wong is slumping.
Beyond that, there are no glaring holes left to fill.
However, that doesn't mean that the Cardinals can't find other ways to improve their team.
For one thing, even though they have the shortstop for the near future, the Cardinals appear to still be looking for a long-term answer and have shown heavy interest in Cuban defector Aldemys Diaz. Diaz cannot sign before February 19th and has drawn interest from several teams, so the Cardinals will have a battle on their hands if they want to sign him.
Other than that, there were rumors that the Nationals might make short stop Danny Espinosa available via trade, but those were quickly shot down. Adam Kilgore of the Washington post noted that the Cardinals were already rebuffed when they inquired on him earlier this offseason.
Finally, we have Friday's Rule 5 draft to look forward to. I previewed who the Cardinals left available back on November 21st and looking around the web, it appears that Boone Whiting is the odds-on favorite to be picked by some team.
On the flip side, the Cards might be able to find a useful shortstop in this year's draft, as Cubs farmhand Marco Hernandez is available. The drawback to selecting a guy like Hernandez is that he hasn't played above class A ball and his development would likely be hindered by being buried on a big league bench for a season.
Overall, the Cardinals are sitting pretty and have time to wait for the right-handed utility infielder market to set itself before making a move there. In any case, whoever they sign cannot be any worse than Ty Wigginton.
Friday, November 29, 2013
On PED's, Jhonny Peralta and the Cardinals as "morality police"
Ever since Brad Ziegler made his tweet heard 'round the world saying "It pays to cheat" after hearing of the Cardinals 4-year, $53 million signing of Jhonny Peralta, there has been much debate over the whole thing.
While I'm no expect on PED's nor am I extremely moral, I thought it was time to add my 2 cents to the discussion.
First of all, its a bit hypocritical for Ziegler to blame the Cardinals for rewarding Peralta for using PED's when the Cardinals were, after all, operating under the collective bargaining agreement that Ziegler and the other players helped create. If the players do not like what is going on, then its up to them to push for stronger penalties.
If they truly want to punish players for using PEDs, they have the power to do so. Call up the owners and ask that they reopen talks. I'm sure the owners would be willing to make the penalties harsher. After all, its bad publicity for them anytime someone is caught using PEDs.
Second, Peralta has already been tried, convicted and punished (even though we all know that baseball does not act like a true court of law). To punish him more for the same crime is ridiculous. So, even if the players and owners agree to stiffer penalties, they cannot make them retroactive for all players previously caught.
Players, like Ziegler, seem to think that this should be like the Shawshank Redemption, where Brooks is released from prison and given the menial job of bagging groceries, as that is the only thing anyone would trust him to do. Do people really think that the stigma of using PED's is so great that no one will hire a player after a suspension?
Finally, a player's price is not determined by what he does off the field, it is determined by what he does on the field and, more importantly, supply and demand. People were looking at Melky Cabrera from last year and comparing Peralta's situation to him and thinking that Peralta would get something like 2-years and $20 million. However, the supply of quality shortstops is a lot smaller than the supply of quality outfielders, so obviously the price for a good shortstop is going to be much higher. Add in the fact that signing Peralta did not cost the Cardinals a draft pick and he is even more valuable.
Thus, it did not surprise me too much to see that Peralta got a significant raise over his prior contract. Its not like the Cardinals were bidding against themselves, other teams were willing to fork over at least 4-years and $50 million plus.
Short of a lifetime ban for players caught using PEDs, baseball players coming off a PED suspension will continue to find gainful employment and some will likely get raises, much to the chagrin of the Brad Ziegler's everywhere. Instead of crying about it and lambasting teams for following the rules, perhaps players should actually do something to change the rules.
While I'm no expect on PED's nor am I extremely moral, I thought it was time to add my 2 cents to the discussion.
First of all, its a bit hypocritical for Ziegler to blame the Cardinals for rewarding Peralta for using PED's when the Cardinals were, after all, operating under the collective bargaining agreement that Ziegler and the other players helped create. If the players do not like what is going on, then its up to them to push for stronger penalties.
If they truly want to punish players for using PEDs, they have the power to do so. Call up the owners and ask that they reopen talks. I'm sure the owners would be willing to make the penalties harsher. After all, its bad publicity for them anytime someone is caught using PEDs.
Second, Peralta has already been tried, convicted and punished (even though we all know that baseball does not act like a true court of law). To punish him more for the same crime is ridiculous. So, even if the players and owners agree to stiffer penalties, they cannot make them retroactive for all players previously caught.
Players, like Ziegler, seem to think that this should be like the Shawshank Redemption, where Brooks is released from prison and given the menial job of bagging groceries, as that is the only thing anyone would trust him to do. Do people really think that the stigma of using PED's is so great that no one will hire a player after a suspension?
Finally, a player's price is not determined by what he does off the field, it is determined by what he does on the field and, more importantly, supply and demand. People were looking at Melky Cabrera from last year and comparing Peralta's situation to him and thinking that Peralta would get something like 2-years and $20 million. However, the supply of quality shortstops is a lot smaller than the supply of quality outfielders, so obviously the price for a good shortstop is going to be much higher. Add in the fact that signing Peralta did not cost the Cardinals a draft pick and he is even more valuable.
Thus, it did not surprise me too much to see that Peralta got a significant raise over his prior contract. Its not like the Cardinals were bidding against themselves, other teams were willing to fork over at least 4-years and $50 million plus.
Short of a lifetime ban for players caught using PEDs, baseball players coming off a PED suspension will continue to find gainful employment and some will likely get raises, much to the chagrin of the Brad Ziegler's everywhere. Instead of crying about it and lambasting teams for following the rules, perhaps players should actually do something to change the rules.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
