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. 

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.

Cardinals buy low (and sell low) in David Freese trade

After a couple of days of talking, the Cardinals and Angels finally agreed to a trade yesterday sending David Freese and Fernando Salas to the Angels for Peter Bourjos and prospect Randal Grichuk.

When I first heard the news, I wasn't too thrilled with the idea.  First, Freese, who hits lefties pretty well, could provide the Cardinals with a platoon option for Kolten Wong.  Second, what do the Cardinals need with another outfielder? 

However, the more I looked into Bourjos' stats, the more I liked him.  He is generally considered one of the best center fielders in baseball.  Per Fangraphs, his 20.2 UZR/150 since 2010 is the highest in all of baseball during that time.

In addition, his platoon splits do not scream part-time player (like Freese's do).  For his career, he has a .706 OPS against lefties and a .703 OPS against righties.  You can't get much closer than that. 

Granted, Freese has a career .783 OPS and is arguably the better hitter than Bourjos, but Bourjos' defense more than makes up for it.  During his career, Freese has a cumulative WAR of 8.2, however, Bourjos' career WAR is 9.0 in 619 fewer at bats.

Bourjos will take over center field for Jon Jay and Wong will take Freese's spot in the lineup, playing second while Matt Carpenter moves over his natural third base position.  Thus, not only will the center field defense improve, but the infield defense should as well.

The only drawback I can see is that there is now no spot for Oscar Taveras, as some had suggested he could take over center for Jay.  However, Taveras has to prove himself healthy next season, after missing significant time with an ankle injury.  Once he does, the Cardinals will find a spot for him.

Finally, I haven't even talked about the other piece the Cardinals got, Grichuk.  Grichuk ranked 6th among the Angels top prospects prior to the 2013 season, according to Baseball America.  Grichuk had 22 homers in AA last season, but hit only .256.  In general, he shows above average power, but is a bit of a free-swinger.

Overall, the general consensus is that it was a good deal for the Cardinals and I see no reason to disagree.

Latest Trade Rumors: Cardinals actively looking to trade David Freese and Rangers' shortstops may no longer be an option

Things are heating up on the David Freese front while Texas' trade of Ian Kinsler has many wondering where the Cardinals will find a shortstop, as the Hot Stove Heats up.

David Freese

Reports surfaced yesterday that the Cardinals were talking to the Angels about a possible David Freese trade (first reported by Ken Rosenthal via Twitter).  Rosenthal further reported that the Cardinals were looking for outfield depth and that the sides were still in the "discussion phase".  The Angels have young outfielders, such as Peter Bourjos, J.B. Shuck and Kole Calhoun that could interest the Cards.

I find it somewhat puzzling that the Cardinals would be looking for additional outfielders, when the have some talented youngsters of their own, such as Oscar Taveras, Stephen Piscotty and even Mike O'Neill waiting in the wings.

Perhaps its an indication that the Cardinals may be looking to move someone like Matt Adams or Jon Jay in another trade to acquire a shortstop.

In any case, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register indicated that the Cardinals would not trade Freese for Bourjos straight up and that some more pieces need to be involved, but they are still working on it.

Update:  The Cardinals have traded Freese and Fernando Salas for the Angles' Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk.  I will post details later...

Shortstop

The Cardinals search for a shortstop hit an unexpected roadblock this week when the Rangers traded second baseman Ian Kinsler to Detroit for Prince Fielder.  Although Ken Rosenthal indicated that the Rangers are still open to trading either Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar, it seems less likely now.

With Andrus and Profar off the table, Bernie Miklasz breaks down the other options for the Cards, with J.J. Hardy listed as his "best fit".

While Hardy won the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove last year, it appears that he has his drawbacks as well.  For one thing, he is only signed through the 2014 season and it appears that the Orioles asking price (Shelby Miller) is pretty high.

I, for one, do not want to give up Miller for a one-year rental, however, as Miklasz points out, there doesn't appear to be a lot of other great options.

Perhaps the Cardinals can find some way to pry Erick Aybar away from the Angels while they are working on the Freese trade or perhaps the Rangers might be more willing to trade Andrus or Profar if the Cardinals include Kolten Wong (to replace Kinsler at second).  However, that won't happen if the Cards trade Freese.

In any case, it looks like Freese could be on the move soon and we might have to wait a while before the shortstop position is filled.

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?