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.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Cardinals are "looking for offense not Peavy"
In case you missed it, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the Cardinals and Jake Peavy yesterday, with Gordon Edes, Peter Gammons and Jayson Stark all reporting the Cards interest in the Red Sox pitcher. Jon Morosi even indicated that the Cards and Red Sox were in active trade talks regarding Peavy.
However, Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch put the brakes on that talk with a report that the Cardinals are "looking for offense not Peavy", saying there is no match with Boston given that Joe Kelly is expected to return to the starting rotation on Friday.
Goold also tweeted that Cards GM John Mozeliak believes that the team would have to give up one of its starters to acquire a top starter, resulting in a net loss in years of control.
This is yet another example of why trading season is so much fun. You never know who is telling the truth (or even what the truth is) and what is just info that is being "leaked" to try to leverage ongoing negotiations.
In any case, I wouldn't be surprised if the Cardinals land both a starting pitcher and a hitter. Their pitching depth has taken a big hit lately and its no secret that their offense could use some help. Bringing is a "cheap" pitcher (in terms of prospects) like Peavy would allow the Cards to use their bigger trade chips to land a bat.
With a little over 3 weeks remaining until the (non-waiver) trade deadline, we do know this: Mo is definitely looking to do something significant to shake up this team.
However, Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch put the brakes on that talk with a report that the Cardinals are "looking for offense not Peavy", saying there is no match with Boston given that Joe Kelly is expected to return to the starting rotation on Friday.
Goold also tweeted that Cards GM John Mozeliak believes that the team would have to give up one of its starters to acquire a top starter, resulting in a net loss in years of control.
This is yet another example of why trading season is so much fun. You never know who is telling the truth (or even what the truth is) and what is just info that is being "leaked" to try to leverage ongoing negotiations.
In any case, I wouldn't be surprised if the Cardinals land both a starting pitcher and a hitter. Their pitching depth has taken a big hit lately and its no secret that their offense could use some help. Bringing is a "cheap" pitcher (in terms of prospects) like Peavy would allow the Cards to use their bigger trade chips to land a bat.
With a little over 3 weeks remaining until the (non-waiver) trade deadline, we do know this: Mo is definitely looking to do something significant to shake up this team.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Are the Cardinals pursuing Jake Peavy?
With injuries to Jaime Garcia and Michael Wacha, as well as concerns surrounding Shelby Miller's performance (5.81 ERA in his last 5 starts) and overextending Carlos Martinez, who has not pitched more than 132 innings in the regular season, it makes sense that the Cardinals would be looking to add another starting pitcher.
But, Jake Peavy? Really?
According to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com, the Cards scouted Peavy's start on July 6 and Peter Gammons is reporting that the Cardinals have interest in the righthander. For what its worth, the Cards also showed interest in Peavy last year around this time, before he ended up going to the Red Sox.
On the plus side, Peavy, who has approximately $7 million remaining on his contract for this season, would likely not cost the Cardinals much in terms of prospects, if they agreed to pick up the remainder of his contract. He has proven his durability this year, logging 110.2 IP so far, and is unlikely to meet the 400 IP minimum, for 2013 and 2014 combined, for his 2015 player option to kick in.
Thus, from that standpoint, its a low risk, high potential reward move for the Cardinals.
On the downside, despite his durability, Peavy hasn't exactly been tearing it up this season, with a 4.64 ERA, including a 5.89 ERA for May and a 5.40 ERA for June. Would he really be an upgrade over any of the Cardinals current starters?
If the Cards can get him for some low-level prospect or two, then it might be worth it, as the team could use some pitching depth. However, if the Red Sox ask for anything of significant value, then the Cards should pass.
But, Jake Peavy? Really?
According to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com, the Cards scouted Peavy's start on July 6 and Peter Gammons is reporting that the Cardinals have interest in the righthander. For what its worth, the Cards also showed interest in Peavy last year around this time, before he ended up going to the Red Sox.
On the plus side, Peavy, who has approximately $7 million remaining on his contract for this season, would likely not cost the Cardinals much in terms of prospects, if they agreed to pick up the remainder of his contract. He has proven his durability this year, logging 110.2 IP so far, and is unlikely to meet the 400 IP minimum, for 2013 and 2014 combined, for his 2015 player option to kick in.
Thus, from that standpoint, its a low risk, high potential reward move for the Cardinals.
On the downside, despite his durability, Peavy hasn't exactly been tearing it up this season, with a 4.64 ERA, including a 5.89 ERA for May and a 5.40 ERA for June. Would he really be an upgrade over any of the Cardinals current starters?
If the Cards can get him for some low-level prospect or two, then it might be worth it, as the team could use some pitching depth. However, if the Red Sox ask for anything of significant value, then the Cards should pass.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Catching up on the Cardinals trade rumors from the holiday weekend
While the Cubs continue to stockpile infield prospects (whatever happened to Josh Vitters?), the Cardinals have more pressing matters at hand, in particular trying to win the NL Central (or at least clinch a Wildcard spot).
With the Cubs trade of Jeff Samardzija to the A's, David Price is the only ace currently on the market. To make things more interesting, Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi states that the Rays are willing to trade Price within their own division.
The Cardinals remain in the hunt for Price, according to Morosi, especially given Jaime Garcia's recent season ending surgery and the uncertainty surrounding Michael Wacha's return. However, the Rays recent hot streak has at least delayed a potential trade, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports suggests that the Dodgers could look to acquire Price as a means of forcing a compromise between media giants Time Warner and Direct TV and end the current blackout that is affecting 70% of the Dodgers viewership.
One thing is for certain, with Samardzija off the market, interest in Price will certainly heat up and it will only drive up the asking price for the ace lefty. The Cardinals will still be in the mix, but chances are that John Mozeliak will not pony up the prospects necessary to acquire Price.
With Price looking like less of a possibility, Mozeliak may be turning he attention elsewhere.
According to Jon Paul Morosi, the Cardinals, along with the Blue Jays and Giants are showing interest in Diamondbacks infielders Aaron Hill and Martin Prado. Neither of them are having stellar seasons, with Hill hitting .241/.278/.359 and Prado .268/.314/.357, however, perhaps a change of scenery (and a pennant race) could help them catch fire.
Given a choice between the two, I would rather have Prado as he is younger (30 vs 32 for Hill), has a better career average (.290 vs. .271) and OBP (.340 vs .325). Plus, Prado is more versatile, having played over 200 games at second, third and leftfield for his career (Hill has played second base exclusively since 2007).
Obviously, these are probably just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Cardinals trade rumors, as there are probably many more that are not reported (or leaked), but it looks like the Cards are at least trying to make a significant move to help this team.
With the Cubs trade of Jeff Samardzija to the A's, David Price is the only ace currently on the market. To make things more interesting, Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi states that the Rays are willing to trade Price within their own division.
The Cardinals remain in the hunt for Price, according to Morosi, especially given Jaime Garcia's recent season ending surgery and the uncertainty surrounding Michael Wacha's return. However, the Rays recent hot streak has at least delayed a potential trade, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports suggests that the Dodgers could look to acquire Price as a means of forcing a compromise between media giants Time Warner and Direct TV and end the current blackout that is affecting 70% of the Dodgers viewership.
One thing is for certain, with Samardzija off the market, interest in Price will certainly heat up and it will only drive up the asking price for the ace lefty. The Cardinals will still be in the mix, but chances are that John Mozeliak will not pony up the prospects necessary to acquire Price.
With Price looking like less of a possibility, Mozeliak may be turning he attention elsewhere.
According to Jon Paul Morosi, the Cardinals, along with the Blue Jays and Giants are showing interest in Diamondbacks infielders Aaron Hill and Martin Prado. Neither of them are having stellar seasons, with Hill hitting .241/.278/.359 and Prado .268/.314/.357, however, perhaps a change of scenery (and a pennant race) could help them catch fire.
Given a choice between the two, I would rather have Prado as he is younger (30 vs 32 for Hill), has a better career average (.290 vs. .271) and OBP (.340 vs .325). Plus, Prado is more versatile, having played over 200 games at second, third and leftfield for his career (Hill has played second base exclusively since 2007).
Obviously, these are probably just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Cardinals trade rumors, as there are probably many more that are not reported (or leaked), but it looks like the Cards are at least trying to make a significant move to help this team.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
The Cardinals offense needs a boost. What are their options?
After leading the NL in runs scored last year, the Cardinals offense has gone south this year, currently sitting in a 13th place tie with the Cubs for fewest runs scored. While their excellent starting pitching has buoyed them so far this year, recent injuries to their pitchers have put more pressure on the offense to perform.
What are the Cardinals options for boosting their sagging offense? Here are some thoughts.
Oscar Taveras
The first and foremost option was to promote Oscar Taveras and play him, which the Cardinals did yesterday. The only question now is where will he play?
Mike Matheny started him in right field yesterday, with Allen Craig moving to left and Matt Holliday spending a day on the bench and its likely that Matheny will work out some sort of 3-man platoon with Taveras, Craig and Holliday. I don't see the Cardinals working Matt Adams into that platoon, as he's been one of the team's most consistent hitters this season.
Taveras could also play center field, giving the Cardinals a bit more punch than the current duo of Jon Jay and Peter Bourjos, however that would come at the expense of the team's defense.
Acquire a Second or Third Baseman
The Cardinals second base duo of Kolten Wong and Mark Ellis have been pathetic offensively so far this season. As a team, the Cardinals' second basemen are hitting a combined .201, third worst in the NL, with a .534 OPS, second worst in the NL.
Rumors are already swirling that the Cardinals are looking for a second or third baseman (allowing Matt Carpenter to move back to second). I went into detail as to the Cards options in Monday's post, so I won't dwell on this too much. But let's just say that it doesn't appear that Wong is ready for prime time.
Give the bench a boost
On those days when Jon Jay starts, the Cardinals bench is downright laughable, with the likes of Peter Bourjos (.204/.270/.309), Daniel Descalso (.182/.232/.234), Mark Ellis (.194/.276/.239) and Tony Cruz (.229/.315/.271) waiting in the wings. None of those guys are going to strike fear in the heart of pitchers if they came up to pinch hit.
The addition of Taveras to the active roster helps in that it forces either Allen Craig or Matt Holliday to the bench, giving the team at least one potent bat to use in key situations. However, the bench could use more help.
The Cards have tried out Randal Grichuk and Joey Butler off the bench to no avail, so perhaps its time to dig a little deeper into the farm system for some help.
Stephen Piscotty is currently hitting .307/.368/.437 at AAA Memphis and doesn't seem to have anything left to prove there. However, he is primarily a corner outfielder and, with Taveras already up, the only one he could replace would be Bourjos, leaving the team with only Taveras as the backup center fielder.
Another option might be James Ramsey, who is hitting .307/.389/.550 at AA Springfield, including 12 homers, but the Cardinals would likely prefer to keep him in the minors to continue his development.
Aledmys Diaz is healthy and hitting .291/.311/.453 at Springfield and might be an upgrade over Descalso. However, he is hitting only .262/.295/.333 in June and may need some more time to get his stroke back.
Blockbuster Trade?
Around this time last year, Giancarlo Stanton was the subject of many trade rumors and this year Matt Kemp's name has come up. While their respective teams are still in contention, I tend to believe their GM's will not trade them, but you never know. The Cards have the kind of team depth to pull off such a move, if they so desired.
However, acquiring a guy like Stanton would likely require the Cards to give up a ton of prospects, starting with Oscar Taveras and adding a couple young pitchers to boot (Carlos Martinez and Marco Gonzales perhaps). In short, you would basically have to gut your farm system to land a stud hitter like him and, while adding a guy like Stanton would certainly give the Cardinals offense a boost, I just don't see John Mozeliak making such a move.
Overall, the best bets for the Cardinals to improve their offense would be to find ample playing time for Taveras and hope he hits, then go out and acquire a second or third baseman. Doing so would also improve the bench by default, by pushing Wong and either Holliday or Craig to the bench and lead to a better overall offensive team.
What are the Cardinals options for boosting their sagging offense? Here are some thoughts.
Oscar Taveras
The first and foremost option was to promote Oscar Taveras and play him, which the Cardinals did yesterday. The only question now is where will he play?
Mike Matheny started him in right field yesterday, with Allen Craig moving to left and Matt Holliday spending a day on the bench and its likely that Matheny will work out some sort of 3-man platoon with Taveras, Craig and Holliday. I don't see the Cardinals working Matt Adams into that platoon, as he's been one of the team's most consistent hitters this season.
Taveras could also play center field, giving the Cardinals a bit more punch than the current duo of Jon Jay and Peter Bourjos, however that would come at the expense of the team's defense.
Acquire a Second or Third Baseman
The Cardinals second base duo of Kolten Wong and Mark Ellis have been pathetic offensively so far this season. As a team, the Cardinals' second basemen are hitting a combined .201, third worst in the NL, with a .534 OPS, second worst in the NL.
Rumors are already swirling that the Cardinals are looking for a second or third baseman (allowing Matt Carpenter to move back to second). I went into detail as to the Cards options in Monday's post, so I won't dwell on this too much. But let's just say that it doesn't appear that Wong is ready for prime time.
Give the bench a boost
On those days when Jon Jay starts, the Cardinals bench is downright laughable, with the likes of Peter Bourjos (.204/.270/.309), Daniel Descalso (.182/.232/.234), Mark Ellis (.194/.276/.239) and Tony Cruz (.229/.315/.271) waiting in the wings. None of those guys are going to strike fear in the heart of pitchers if they came up to pinch hit.
The addition of Taveras to the active roster helps in that it forces either Allen Craig or Matt Holliday to the bench, giving the team at least one potent bat to use in key situations. However, the bench could use more help.
The Cards have tried out Randal Grichuk and Joey Butler off the bench to no avail, so perhaps its time to dig a little deeper into the farm system for some help.
Stephen Piscotty is currently hitting .307/.368/.437 at AAA Memphis and doesn't seem to have anything left to prove there. However, he is primarily a corner outfielder and, with Taveras already up, the only one he could replace would be Bourjos, leaving the team with only Taveras as the backup center fielder.
Another option might be James Ramsey, who is hitting .307/.389/.550 at AA Springfield, including 12 homers, but the Cardinals would likely prefer to keep him in the minors to continue his development.
Aledmys Diaz is healthy and hitting .291/.311/.453 at Springfield and might be an upgrade over Descalso. However, he is hitting only .262/.295/.333 in June and may need some more time to get his stroke back.
Blockbuster Trade?
Around this time last year, Giancarlo Stanton was the subject of many trade rumors and this year Matt Kemp's name has come up. While their respective teams are still in contention, I tend to believe their GM's will not trade them, but you never know. The Cards have the kind of team depth to pull off such a move, if they so desired.
However, acquiring a guy like Stanton would likely require the Cards to give up a ton of prospects, starting with Oscar Taveras and adding a couple young pitchers to boot (Carlos Martinez and Marco Gonzales perhaps). In short, you would basically have to gut your farm system to land a stud hitter like him and, while adding a guy like Stanton would certainly give the Cardinals offense a boost, I just don't see John Mozeliak making such a move.
Overall, the best bets for the Cardinals to improve their offense would be to find ample playing time for Taveras and hope he hits, then go out and acquire a second or third baseman. Doing so would also improve the bench by default, by pushing Wong and either Holliday or Craig to the bench and lead to a better overall offensive team.
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