What to make of the A.J. Pierzynski signing

The Cardinals made a move to try to shore up their catching situation tonight by signing A.J. Pierzynski.  Per Ken Rosenthal, Pierzynski will join the Cardinals tomorrow in Chicago. 

Should we be worried?

Pierzynski has a reputation around the league as a clubhouse cancer.  A reputation that apparently goes back to at least 2004. 

The Red Sox were undoubtedly aware of his reputation before they signed him to a one-year $8.25 million deal. 

According to Ricky Doyle of NESN, Pierzynski has received the following "honors" from his peers in his career:

• the player they would most like to see beaned (2006);
• the meanest player (2011); and
• the most hated player (2012).

After the signing, Doyle tried to downplay Pierzynski's reputation, saying his "reputation as baseball villain likely overblown, shouldn't be an issue in Boston."  Even when he was designated for assignment, Doyle downplayed his reputation as a reason, saying "his on-field work simply didn't fit the Red Sox's mold."

fit the Red Sox’s mold.

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2014/07/a-j-pierzynskis-on-field-work-made-catcher-imperfect-fit-for-red-sox/

fit the Red Sox’s mold.

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2014/07/a-j-pierzynskis-on-field-work-made-catcher-imperfect-fit-for-red-sox/

Others were not so kind.  Rob Bradford of WEEI didn't hold any punches saying that "the A.J. Pierzynski problem was worse than anybody could have imagined."  Bradford further states that, "according to multiple sources within the Red Sox clubhouse, Pierzynski had become such a negative influence on the team that players approached both the Sox coaches and front office to address the problem."

So, the Cardinals are bringing in a catcher with a bad reputation, at least some of which is probably warranted.  The questions is whether he is a cancer only when his team is losing, as was the case with the Red Sox, or if he is a cancer all the time.  The Cardinals will find out soon enough. 

Will the Cardinals make a big splash this trade season?

With the All Star Break out of the way (finally) and meaningful games being played again, many will be turning their focus to the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline. 

The last couple years have seen little trade activity for the Cardinals.  Last year, the Cards acquired John Axford, but not until after the trade deadline.  Before that, in 2012, the team acquired Edward Mujica. In fact, you have to go back to the July 2011 trade deadline for the last significant move at the deadline.  That was the year that saw the club trade Colby Rasmus, Trever Miller and a couple prospects for Edwin Jackson, Marc Rzepcynski, Octavio Dotel and Corey Patterson.

Now, with the deadline less than two weeks away, we're left to ponder what John Mozeliak has up his sleeve this year.  Will he make the big move to acquire a hitter or a pitcher or will he just tinker with the bullpen (or make some other minor adjustments)?

The Cardinals have been reportedly looking at adding an offensive upgrade at second or third, which would likely push Kolten Wong to the bench.  Ben Zobrist is a prime trade candidate for the Cards, but the Mariners are reportedly pursuing him, according to Jon Paul Morosi. 

On the other hand, the season-ending injury to Jaime Garcia and the uncertain status of Michael Wacha, not to mention the recent demotion of Shelby Miller to the pen, have many concerned about the Cardinals pitching depth.  Jeff Samardzija is already off the market and while David Price is available, the Cards will have many competitors to acquire his services (including the aforementioned Mariners.).

Derrick Goold was a guest on Buster Olney's Baseball Tonight podcast, in which he indicated that he thinks the Cardinals would at least be willing to discuss a deal involving Oscar Taveras for David Price.  At a minimum, Goold says that the Cards will have to address their surplus of outfielders at some point.

Another concern is the loss of Yadier Molina, who will likely be out for the rest of the regular season.  ESPN's Jim Bowden (subscription required) reports that the Cardinals are planning to scout the Twins' Kurt Suzuki as a potential upgrade over Tony Cruz and George Kottaras.

My guess is that the Cards will be relatively active this go around.  They won't make any big moves, but will make a series of middle-tier moves to shore up their lineup and rotation.  I think they will go after Suzuki, then add an infielder, such as Zobrist or Martin Prado and maybe an innings eater, such as Jake Peavy.  None of these guys will cost the Cards a lot, but each of them would be an upgrade at the respective positions.


At this point, its all speculation as its difficult to tell which direction Mo will go or if he even will make a move.  The team certainly has the pieces in place to make a splash, with an abundance of major league ready outfielders and young arms to dangle in front of selling teams--basically, the Cards have the pieces to acquire any player they want. Its just a question of who do they want and how much are they willing to give up.

Revisiting the Cardinals and Troy Tulowitzki rumors (again)

Don't look now, but Ken Rosenthal is stirring up rumors regarding Troy Tulowitzki and a possible trade.  Per Rosenthal, Tulo indicated that he would be open to a trade, saying "I want to be somewhere where there’s a chance to be in the playoffs every single year.”

However, before we all get our hopes up about the possibility of adding a true impact bat this month, Rosenthal is quick to point out that its more likely that Tulowitzki would be traded in the offseason rather than now.  

Still, it makes one wonder if the Cardinals might pursue the Rockies All-Star shortstop this winter.

This season might be lost for the Redbirds, as the recent injury to Yadier Molina and the general malaise of the team have this writer wondering if they have what it takes to even make the playoffs.  The Cardinals considered a trade for Tulo last winter before they ended up signing Jhonny Peralta to play short and they might revisit the idea again, if the Rockies make him available.

Peralta can easily shift over to third base, with Matt Carpenter moving to second, to make room for Tulowitzki.  Kolten Wong would be the odd man out, but he hasn't exactly shown that he is major league ready.  Perhaps he could end up being a trade piece (maybe even this month).

As Rosenthal points out, I'm sure many Cardinals fans would be willing to trade Allen Craig, Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal to the Rockies for Tulo, as he suggested last year.  The Rockies are in desperate need of pitching help and the Cards still have a nice stable of young arms.

The only thing that concerns me about Tulowitzki is his home/away splits.  While he is a career .299/.374/.518 hitter, he has hit .324/.398/.565 in Colorado and just .275/.349/.470 on the road.  However, fans had the same concerns about Matt Holliday and he's turned out alright.  Besides, if those road numbers are his standard with the Cards, its still better than any shortstop we've had since I don't know when.

Its an interesting situation and one that bears watching this winter, however, its not gonna help the Cardinals this year.

Cards Claim George Kottaras

In other news, the Cardinals claimed catcher George Kottaras off waivers from the Indians.  He will provide the Cards with much needed depth after Molina's injury.  Kottaras is a career .216 hitter, but does have some power, as his career ISO (isolated power) is .199, which is above league average.

He will replace Audry Perez on the active roster and will likely split time at catcher with Tony Cruz while Molina is out.

How do Cardinals replace Yadier Molina?

Short answer:  You can't.

The Cardinals playoff chances took a big hit today as the team found out that starting catcher Yadier Molina would miss 8-12 weeks after suffering a ligament tear in his right thumb. That timetable puts him out until mid-to-late September, effectively ending his season, although he could be back in time for the playoffs (if the Cards make it).


This is the worst thing that could have happened to an already struggling team.  Not only are the Cardinals losing one of their better hitters, but they are also losing the leader on defense and a guy who acts like a manager on the field.

Molina has been invaluable in working with the Cardinals young pitchers and helping them develop, while his throwing ability as well as his ability to frame pitches saves the team several runs each year.

Backup Tony Cruz will take over for Molina in the short-term, while GM John Mozeliak has already acknowledged that he will scour the market for any available catchers, according to Jennifer Langosch.

But what catchers might be available?

Well, the Yankees have an abundance of catchers in their system and Brian McCann, who they signed to a 5-year deal prior to the season, blocking them all. 

According to David Lennon of Newsday, the Yankees could make Francisco Cervelli available.  He is a career .271/.342/.368 hitter, but has only thrown out 22% of base stealers in his career. 

ESPN's Jim Bowden (via Bernie Miklasz), also lists the following catchers as being available:

Kurt Suzuki, Twins.
Carlos Ruiz, Phillies.
Hector Sanchez, Giants.
John Buck, Mariners
A.J. Pierzynski, Red Sox
Ryan Hanigan, Rays.
Jose Molina, Rays

Buck and Pierzynski were recently designated for assignment and can probably be acquired for cheap.  Ruiz would only be available if Phillies GM Ruben Amaro finally admits defeat and starts selling.  Yadier's brother Jose is also well known for his defense (37% CS) and pitch framing, but is a career .235 hitter and is hitting only .187 this year.  Suzuki and Sanchez are pretty similar.  Sanchez has a career .257 average and has thrown out 26% of basestealer, while Sanchez has a .251 average and 26% CS).  Hanigan has thrown out base stealers at a career 39% rate, but his offense has dropped off considerably the last two years.

None of these guys are going to replace Yadier, but there are a few who could be upgrades over Tony Cruz and that's all Mozeliak will be looking for at this point.  What this really means is that other Cardinals need to step it up to help replace Molina's production.  If not, this season could be over in a hurry.

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:

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. pitcher

2015

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:

1. Matt Carpenter, 3B
2. Jhonny Peralta, SS
3. Yadier Molina, C
4. Allen Craig, RF
5. Matt Adams, 1B
6. Oscar Taveras, LF
7. Peter Bourjos, CF
8. Kolten Wong, 2B
9. pitcher

2016

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:

1. Kolten Wong, 2B
2. Matt Carpenter, 3B
3. Yadier Molina, C
4. Allen Craig, RF
5. Matt Adams, 1B
6. Oscar Taveras, LF
7. Peter Bourjos, CF
8. Yunel Escobar, SS
9. pitcher

2017

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:

1. Kolten Wong, 2B
2. Matt Carpenter, 3B
3. Yadier Molina, C
4. Allen Craig, RF
5. Matt Adams, 1B
6. Oscar Taveras, LF
7. Yunel Escobar, SS
8. James Ramsey, CF
9. pitcher

Overall, the Cardinals are setup pretty well for the future and do not have to make any moves in the foreseeable future.  There are some tweaks they can make along the way to avoid being stuck with a large contract for an aging veteran (i.e. Holliday) or having to make due with an aging veteran at a key position (Peralta).

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.

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.

Annual United Cardinals Bloggers Awards

Since its the end of November, its time for the annual United Cardinals Bloggers awards.  This is my first year running a Cardinals blog and thus my first year voting.  Below you can find the official ballot and my selections for each.  To check out the other bloggers' ballots, go to unitedcardinalsbloggers.com.


Team Awards

1) Cardinal Position Player of the Year
–Matt Carpenter
–Allen Craig
–Yadier Molina
–Write-in: ___________

To me, this was a no-brainer.  Not only did Yadi have another fine offensive year, but he was another pitching coach on the field and the Cardinals went through a seemingly endless supply of rookie pitchers.  Without him, I do not think we would have made the playoffs.

2) Cardinal Pitcher of the Year
–Edward Mujica
–Trevor Rosenthal
–Adam Wainwright
–Write-in: ___________

Another no-brainer.  Adam Wainwright was the best starter and returned to his proper place as ace of the Cardinals staff.  

3) Game of the Year
–May 10 vs. Colorado (Miller’s almost-perfecto)
–May 11 vs. Colorado (Wainwright’s no-hitter into 8th)
–August 26 vs. Cincinnati (comeback capped by Craig slam)
–September 4 at Cincinnati (Adams 2 extra-inning HR)
–September 24 vs. Nationals (Wacha near no-no)
–Game 4, NLDS
–Write-in: ____________

I went with Game 4 of the NLDS.  Facing elimination, Michael Wacha pitched a 1 hitter through 7.1 innings, giving up only a solo homer to Cardinals killer Pedro Alvarez in the 8th, before fellow rookies Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal shut the door.

4) Surprise Player of the Year
–Matt Carpenter
–Joe Kelly
–Edward Mujica
–Kevin Siegrist
–Write-in: ______________

Mujica stepped up big time this year, becoming the Cardinals closer after Jason Motte was lost to injury and Mitchell Boggs fell apart.  It was a huge leap for a career middle reliever and he took to his new role well.

5) Disappointing Player of the Year
–David Freese
–Pete Kozma
–Fernando Salas
–Write-in: _______________

Freese's lack of production in 2013 was surprising after a very good year in 2012 and may open the door for Kolten Wong (and an offseason trade for Freese).

6) Rookie of the Year
–Matt Adams
–Carlos Martinez
–Shelby Miller
–Michael Wacha
–Write-in: ______________

While Wacha was outstanding in the postseason, there would have been no postseason if not for the excellent work turned in by Miller.  His 15 wins and 3.09 ERA were second to Adam Wainwright among the Cardinals regular starters.

7) Acquisition of the Year
–John Axford
–Randy Choate
–Write-in: ______________

I'm sure most of you would pick Ty Wigginton for acqusition of the year (just kidding), but considering how few moves the Cardinals made, Choate was just what the Cards needed.  The epitome of a LOOGY, Choate only pitched 35.1, but had a 2.29 ERA and held lefties to a .176 average.

8) Most Anticipated Cardinal
–Stephen Piscotty
–Lee Stoppleman
–Oscar Taveras
–Write-in: ______________

Injuries derailed Taveras' season, but they did not diminish his top prospect status.

Blog Awards

9) Best Individual Cardinal Blog*
–Write-in: _Retro Simba

Like most baseball fans, I get caught up in the history of the game and Retro Simba provides a unique perspective on the history of the Cardinals.

10) Best Team Cardinal Blog*
–Write-in: Viva el Birdos

There is no surprise that VeB has been around for so long.

*–Individual means the blog was written mainly by one person, while a team blog is composed usually by two or more. For classification’s sake, each blog under The Cardinal Conclave label are considered separate entities and should be considered in either team (Pitchers Hit Eighth) or individual (everyone else).

11) Best Media Coverage
–Derrick Goold
–Jenifer Langosch
–Stan McNeal
–Bernie Miklasz
–Joe Strauss
–Write-in: ____________

Langosch has proven time and again that she belongs with the big boys.

12) Best Rookie Cardinal Blog
–CardinalsFarm
–Dose of Buffa
–stlcupofjoe’s Sports Page
–The View From Here
–Write-in: ____________

Good writing and analysis.

13) Post of the Year
Bad Body Language Has No Place In Baseball (Cardinals Fan in Cubs Land)
Closing The Book On The John Axford Trade (On The Outside Corner)
Doors Close On The Cardinals In 2013 (Dose of Buffa)
How A B-17 Nearly Clipped Cardinals In World Series (RetroSimba)
Matt Holliday: One Of The Most Cost Effective Players In Baseball (stlcupofjoe’s Sports Page)
Memories Help Come To Terms With The Season’s End (Aaron Miles’ Fastball)
RIP Stan The Man (Women Who Love Cardinal Baseball)
Time For The Relievers (The View From Here)
What Does Your Cardinals Jersey Say About You? (C70 At The Bat)
–Write-in: _______________

I voted for the "RIP Stan The Man" piece.  It was a fine tribute to "The Man".

14) Best UCB Project
–Cardinal HOF Inductees
–Cardinal HOF Memorabilia
–Roundtables
–Top 7 Prospects
–Write-in: ____________

I like doing the roundtables with everyone and getting their perspective on the Cardinals.

15) Best UCB Podcast
–Conversations With C70
–Gateway To Baseball Heaven
–UCB Radio Hour
–Write-in: _None-I don't follow podcasts

16) Best UCB Twitterer
–Write-in: None - I don't follow twitter much

So, those are my picks.  Who or what would you have picked differently?

How can the Cardinals improve their lineup against lefthanders?

Its no secret that the Cardinals struggled against left handed pitchers in 2013.  As a team, the Cards hit just .238/.301/.371 against southpaws and their .672 OPS against lefties was 13th in the NL.  This was highlighted even more in the postseason, when the Cards hit a combined .211/.268/.295 (.563 OPS) against lefties, including two losses in the World Series against Jon Lester, who allowed only 1 run against the Cardinals in 15.1 innings.

Its pretty obvious that the Cardinals need to make some adjustments to their roster in order to fare better against lefties.  Here are my suggestions for doing just that:

1.  Hold on to David Freese

The much maligned Freese had a down year in 2013, hitting just .262/.340/.381 with 9 homers, after a 2012 campaign which saw him hit .293/.372/.467 with 20 homers.  With Freese eligible for arbitration this year and projected to earn $4.4 million, per MLB Trade Rumors, many are saying the Cardinals should trade Freese and install Kolten Wong as the everyday second baseman (thereby moving Matt Carpenter back to his natural position at third).

However, I think the Cardinals would be wise to hold on to Freese.

They can make Freese a platoon partner with lefty Wong and help strengthen a pretty weak bench.  Essentially, Freese would be filling the role that Ty Wigginton was suppose to for just about $2 million more.

He would give the Cardinals some much needed pop off the bench and be a fallback should Wong struggle.

2.  Find a better shortstop

This is something the Cardinals are already working diligently on.  The Cardinals desperately need to upgrade offensively over Pete Kozma at short.

Kozma hit just .217/.275/.273 on the season, but he was even worse against lefties, hitting just .184/.280/.256, by far the worst on the team.  If the Cards want to improve against lefties, replacing Kozma would go a long way towards that goal.

The guy on the top of my list to replace Kozma would be Elvis Andrus.

Not only would provide the Cardinals with a bona fide leadoff man and some much needed speed, but look at these lefty/righty splits:

I	Split	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
	vs RHP as RHB	.275	.337	.347	.684
	vs LHP as RHB	.273	.346	.352	.698

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/13/2013.
 

You cannot get much more consistent than that.

3.  Add a righthanded OF to the bench

Kozma was just one of two Cardinals regulars who struggled against lefties in 2013.  The other was Jon Jay.

Jay hit just .220/.306/.314 against southpaws, but hit .291/.363/.386 against righties.  Maybe 2013 was an aberration for Jay, as he is a career .269/.343/.346 hitter against lefties.  However, I do not want to take that chance, not when there's an opportunity for improvement.

Jay got most of the starts against lefties as the Cardinals alternative, Shane Robinson, wasn't much better (.228/.319/.278 against lefties in 2013).

Thus, the Cardinals need to find an upgrade over Robinson for their 4th outfielder/backup center fielder.

Thankfully, this year's free agent crop offers 3 guys who can fill the bill.  Rajai Davis (.294/.354/.425), Franklin Gutierrez (.287/.344/.474) and Reed Johnson (.311/.366/.456) all hit lefties very well and would fit nicely in a platoon with Jay. 

All are capable of playing center field, but Davis is probably the best defender of the bunch.  In addition, all of them should be relatively cheap.  Gutierrez made $7 million last year, but will likely have to take a hefty pay cut, as he amassed just 295 at bats over the last two years due to injuries.  Davis made just $2.5 million in 2013 and Johnson made just $1.6 million, so neither of them will break the bank.

Personally, I would like to see the Cards sign Davis.  


With these moves, here's how the Cardinals lineup and bench could stack up:

Lineup vs Righties

1. Elvis Andrus, SS
2. Matt Carpenter, 3B
3. Matt Holliday, LF
4. Allen Craig, RF
5. Yadier Molina, C
6. Matt Adams, 1B
7. Jon Jay, CF
8. Kolten Wong, 2B

     Bench

• David Freese
• Rajai Davis
• Daniel Descalso
• Shane Robinson
• Tony Cruz

Lineup vs Lefties

1. Elvis Andrus, SS
2. Matt Carpenter, 2B
3. Matt Holliday, LF
4. Allen Craig, RF
5. Yadier Molina, C
6. David Freese, 3B
7. Matt Adams, 1B
8. Rajai Davis, CF

    Bench

• Kolten Wong
• Jon Jay
• Daniel Descalso
• Shane Robinson
• Tony Cruz

While not perfect (Adams only hit .231 against lefties in 2013), its still an improvement over the 2013 lineup and would give the Cardinals a more balanced team against both lefties and righties.

What would the Cardinals look like if they had resigned Albert Pujols?

With the Cardinals in the World Series and the Los Angeles Angels not even making the playoffs, its easy to say that the Cards made the right decision in letting Pujols walk after the 2011 season.  Scott Miller of CBS Sports basically says that the Cardinals are better off without Pujols, and I tend to agree with him.

But it makes one wonder what would have happened had the Cardinals beaten the Angels 10-year, $240 million offer and re-signed Pujols to a 10-year, say $245 million contract.  What might the Cardinals look like today?

Carlos Beltran

First off, we would say adios to Carlos Beltran.  Shortly after the Cardinals lost Pujols to the Angels, they signed Beltran to a two-year, $26 million contract.  Its unlikely this signing would have occurred if Pujols had stayed.

Beltran has done well with the Cards, hitting .282/.343/.493 in his two seasons with the team.  He has also hit .308 the last two years in the Playoffs, including 18 rbi's in 23 games.

Without him, Pujols would be at first and Craig would have been in right field.  However, with Craig injured for the NLDS and NLCS and Matt Adams (and Pujols, for that matter) unable to play outfield, the Cardinals offense would have had a huge hole.

Michael Wacha/Stephen Piscotty

If the Cardinals had kept Pujols, they would have lost first round pick Michael Wacha and supplemental pick Stephen Piscotty in the 2012 draft.

While Wacha did not have much impact on the regular season the last two years, he has obviously been outstanding this postseason, earning the MVP award in the NLCS.

However, even without Wacha, the Cardinals still might not have missed a beat.  Shelby Miller, who was effectively replaced in the rotation by Wacha, did win 15 games this year with a 3.06, but has been used sparingly in the postseason.  Or he could have been used in relief, while current postseason setup man, Carlos Martinez, could have been placed in the rotation.  The point being, the Cardinals still would have options.

As for Stephen Piscotty, he is often the forgotten man in the life without Pujols discussions, but he is an intriguing prospect.  He has hit .295/.362/.458 in 167 minor league games and could be an outfield fixture in the not-so-distant-future.  If the Cardinals had resigned Pujols, he would not even be in the picture.

Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright and Allen Craig extensions

The final impact that Pujols signing with the Angels had was freeing up money for the Cardinals to sign Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright and Allen Craig to contract extensions.

Molina was the first to sign, agreeing to a 5-year, $75 million extension in March 2012, with Craig (5-year/$31 million) and Wainwright (5-year, $97.5 million) following in March 2013.

With Craig, the Cardinals effectively bought out his arbitration years with a highly backloaded contract, so his signing did not have much impact.  However, both Molina and Wainwright got $7-8 million raises as a result of their extensions, which is roughly equivalent to the difference between Pujols' last Cardinals contract ($16 million) and his Angels deal ($24 million/year).  (Note: I realize that Pujols' Angels contract is backloaded too, but I'm using the average value for simplicity sake).

Its possible that, if the Cardinals had resigned Pujols, either Molina or Wainwright would not have been signed to an extension and, given Molina's value to the team, I think Wainwright would have been left out in the cold.  However, Wainwright would not be a free agent until after this season, so it would not have had an impact on this year's team.

Overall, I think that, if the Cardinals had signed Pujols to an extension, it would not have had a significant impact on this year's team.  Beltran (.836 OPS, 128 OPS+) and Pujols (.823 OPS, 130 OPS+) have put up similar numbers in their two years with their new teams, so that's pretty much a wash.  Sure, the Cardinals  wouldn't have Wacha and may not have reached the World Series as a result.  But, they still would have been a playoff team.

The biggest impact will be on the future Cardinals' teams.  Wacha will be in the Cardinals rotation in 2014 as will Wainwright.  Beltran will need to be replaced, but the Cardinals have Matt Adams and Oscar Taveras as potential replacements.  Plus, the Cardinals will not be paying $24+ million a year to a player who's skills will likely diminish significantly over the course of his contract (think Alfonso Soriano). 

In the end, the Cardinals did just fine without him this year and will come out way ahead in the long run.

Cardinals offense sorely misses Allen Craig

The Cardinals offense is struggling.

Excluding the 12-run outburst on Sunday, the Cardinals offense has produced just 8 runs in its other 4 games, losing 3 of them.

Its obvious that the Cardinals need Allen Craig back and fast.

Since his injury, the team is hitting just .253 and, although they have had a few outbursts with two 12-run games and a 9 game, the team is averaging just 3 runs a game (excluding those 3 big games).

That's not to blame Matt Adams, Craig's replacement, for the team's struggles on offense.  Adams has hit .289 with 3 homers and 6 rbi's in 11 games since Craig's injury, however, no one player can replace Craig's clutch hitting.

Craig is hitting an astounding .454 with RISP this year, which leads all of baseball.  In 152 plate appearance with a RISP, Craig has driven in 83 runs (including 4 homers).  That is an incredible rate of success.

It hasn't helped that two of the Cardinals big bats, Carlos Beltran (.189) and Yadier Molina (.250, but just .148 excluding his 4 for 5 performance on Sunday) have not been hitting.

The Cardinals have been a feast or famine team all season, scoring 7 or more runs in 38 games.  Their only loss when scoring 7 or more runs, came back on April 3rd when they lost 10-9 against the Diamondbacks.

The Cardinals lead the NL in run differential, with 155 more runs scored than given up, yet they are tied in the NL Central with the Pirates, who have the smallest run differential (44) of all of the NL contenders.

As to Craig, his return is still up in the air.  He was put in a walking boot (again) last Thursday, which he was supposed to keep on "for a week or so".  Even if he gets it off this week, its unclear how long it will take him to be game ready.

For now, the Cardinals have to keep plugging along and try to muster some offense without him. 

All's quiet on the Cardinals trade front

The trade deadline has passed and the Cardinals didn't make any moves.  Not surprising, given the Cards current standing and the high asking price for the pieces the team was looking at.

There was a little bit of a flurry just before the deadline as the Cardinals tried to acquire Dioner Navarro from the Cubs to provide the team with a little more catching depth with Yadier Molina on the shelf.  However, the two sides could not agree on the price.

One of the more interesting rumors from yesterday was the Cardinals inquiring about the Angels' Erick Aybar, however that went nowhere fast when the Angels reportedly asked for one of Michael Wacha or Carlos Martinez in return.

So, other than trading off relievers Mitchell Boggs and Marc Rzepczynski, the trade deadline was pretty uneventful for the Cardinals. 

In fact, other than the Cubs selling off everything that was not bolted down, it was a pretty quiet trade deadline for MLB.  Sure, there were a handful of other significant trade (Jake Peavy to Boston, Ian Kennedy to San Diego, Bud Norris to Baltimore), but nothing like we use to see.

Part of that is due to the rules that no longer allow draft pick compensation for teams that acquire a player at the trade deadline.  No longer are teams willing to sacrifice as much of their farm system knowing that they will get nothing in return for their two-month rental.

In addition, the additional Wild Card team instituted last year, means there are less sellers at this time of year, as more teams think they still have a chance at the playoffs.  Thus, with fewer sellers and a larger demand for players, the price for those players skyrockets.

Overall, the Cardinals were probably wise to stand pat at this point.  They have some exciting young talent coming up and should be a legitimate contender for years to come, if they play their cards right.

Who will replace Rob Johnson on Cardinals roster once Yadier Molina is healthy?

In a somewhat surprising move, but one that was long overdue, the Cardinals release Ty Wigginton and called up catcher Rob Johnson from AAA Memphis.  Johnson is needed as Yadier Molina is banged up and the Cards need an extra catcher for insurance.

However, this is only a temporary assignment for Johnson, as once Molina is healthy, its likely that Johnson will be sent back to AAA.  This begs the question as to who will replace him on the active roster?

Here are the two leading candidates:

Ryan Jackson

Jackson is currently hitting .301/.378/.399 at AAA Memphis and is probably a better defensive short stop than Pete Kozma.  With Kozma's recent struggles at the plate the Cardinals could call upon Jackson to give Kozma some extra rest.

In addition, Jackson has some versatility, having played second, third and some outfield in the minors this year, as it appears the Cards are grooming him to be a utility player.  Adding him to the roster would give the Cardinals a better defensive backup to Kozma at short than current backup Daniel Descalso, plus another right handed bat off the bench.

Brock Peterson

At age 29, Peterson is not a prospect anymore, but he is hitting .308/.381/.563 with 20 homers at AAA. He could give the Cardinals some extra pop off the bench and another right handed bat to help combat the team's struggles against lefties.

He is not quite as versatile as Jackson, but can play first, second, third and the corner outfield spots.  He has spent 11 years in the minors, but has never reached the majors. He was also recently named to the PCL All Star team.

I think one of these two will be called up after the all star break to replace Johnson on the active roster.  Of course, the Cardinals could always cross us up by calling up another reliever or someone like Adron Chambers, but my guess is that Jackson will get the call.  He gives the Cardinals what Ty Wigginton should have, at a fraction of the cost.

Is Yadier Molina more valuable than Albert Pujols?

A few months after the St. Louis Cardinals lost Albert Pujols to the Las Angeles Angels, they signed catcher Yadier Molina to an extension.  One can infer from the timing that, losing Pujols freed up the money the Cards needed to make the Molina deal and, with that, the Cardinals made Molina the face of the franchise.

Of course, ask any Cardinals fan back then who they would rather have, they would say Pujols.  Now, I'm not so sure.

In his first American League season, Pujols struggled out of the gate and had the worst season of his career (albeit still a very good season).  Meanwhile, Molina had a breakout year for the Cards. 

Which leads to the question is Molina more valuable that Pujols, at least going forward?

Looking at their raw stats, there is not much difference between the two:

Pujols - .285/.343/.516, .859 OPS (141 OPS+), 30 HR's
Molina - .315/.373/.501, .874 OPS (137 OPS+), 22 HR's

However, when you look at their sabermetrics, its pretty clear that Molina had the better year.

Take, for instance, their 2012 wins above replacement (WAR) per Fangraphs:

Pujols 3.6 WAR
Molina 6.2 WAR

In addition, Pujols has been in a steady decline over the last few years.  Here are his WAR's from 2009 to 2012:

2009:  8.7
2010:  7.0
2011:  4.3
2012:  3.6

At the same time, Molina's WARs have increased the last few years:

2010:  2.6
2011:  4.4
2012:  6.2

Pujols, at 33, is 3 years older than Molina (and some still question if that is Pujols' true age) and appears to be in the decline phase of his career.  While Molina is still in his prime. 

Plus, WAR cannot measure the intangibles that Molina brings, such as handling the pitching staff, as well as things like framing pitches to get a called strike. 

That's not to say that Pujols cannot have a bounce back year or that Molina might, as a catcher, go into a decline earlier than most everyday players.  But, going forward, I think that Molina will be the better value and considering that he makes $10 million less a year, he is an absolute bargain.