It’s been largely quiet from the Cardinals for the reason that crew inked longtime division rival Willson Contreras to a five-year contract, formally tabbing him because the inheritor to franchise icon Yadier Molina. Filling the void left by Molina was clearly the highest precedence for the Playing cards this winter, although they have been additionally loosely tied to the marketplace for the highest obtainable shortstops and a few free-agent pitchers.
With Contreras now signed, a glance up and down the roster in St. Louis reveals a robust group that’s prone to contend for one more NL Central crown in 2023. The Cardinals might use one other left-handed reliever — Andrew Chafin, Matt Moore, Zack Britton and Brad Hand are among the many still-available names — and maybe they might stand to discover a stronger backup to Contreras. Broadly talking, nonetheless, it’s a deep and gifted roster with a pleasant group of relievers, loads of rotation depth and an excellent little bit of positional flexibility, because of the flexibility of gamers like Tommy Edman and Brendan Donovan.
All that mentioned, it additionally doesn’t really feel as if the Cardinals are executed this winter. For one factor, their whole rotation, except for lefty Steven Matz, will attain free company subsequent winter. The Playing cards might additionally stand so as to add one other bat to the combo; whereas younger sluggers Juan Yepez and Nolan Gorman provide upside as candidates who can spend a while at DH, neither has fairly established himself as a confirmed massive league bat simply but.
In left discipline, the Cardinals have a high quality choice in Tyler O’Neill — if he’s wholesome. A shoulder impingement and two hamstring strains restricted O’Neill to 96 video games and fairly probably contributed to a diminished .228/.308/.392 batting line. In heart, 24-year-old Dylan Carlson is a former prime prospect whose numbers have been stable in ’22 however not fairly what they have been in 2021. Lars Nootbaar had a breakout second half in proper discipline. It’s a gifted trio, however to not the extent of the Cardinals’ star-studded infield. Moveover, the Cardinals produce other younger outfield choices ready within the wings, with Alec Burleson already having made his debut, Moises Gomez all however prepared on the heels of an enormous minor league season, and uber-prospect Jordan Walker additionally looming in Triple-A.
It seems like, for all of the younger expertise the Playing cards have, there’s room for no less than yet one more notable bat to be plugged into the lineup. And, with so many beginning pitchers set to achieve the open market (or, in Adam Wainwright’s case, retire) subsequent offseason, the Cardinals would most likely love so as to add some controllable pitching.
Trying via the Cardinals’ depth chart, there’s nearly no participant who might each be conceivably obtainable and likewise unattainable for the Playing cards. The Redbirds have prospects and younger, MLB-ready expertise at nearly any place, which units them up for innumerable commerce potentialities, be it with the Marlins or one other membership.
Let’s run via a few of the expertise they might dangle when looking for an affect bat or high-end pitcher to fit into the rotation:
A High Catching Prospect
Ivan Herrera was seen because the Cardinals’ catcher of the longer term for the previous a number of years, however with Contreras now signed for a half decade, a cloud has been solid on his function with the membership. Herrera might nonetheless perform as a high-quality backup to Contreras, and Contreras is an effective sufficient hitter that he might slot in as a DH on days he’s not behind the plate. Maybe that opens the door for Herrera to carve out a bigger function than most backup catchers would possibly maintain, however this can be a 22-year-old who simply batted .268/.374/.396 in opposition to older Triple-A contest and ranks as the sport’s No. 84 prospect over at Baseball America. He’s a pleasant security web and a probably very overqualified backup to Contreras… however he’d even be extremely interesting to any membership missing a long-term choice behind the plate.
Outfielders Galore
As talked about above, any of O’Neill, Carlson or Nootbaar would maintain attraction to different golf equipment, albeit to various extents. O’Neill has simply two years of membership management remaining and is coming off a down season … however he additionally mashed at a .286/.352/.560 clip and clubbed 34 homers whereas taking part in sturdy protection in 2021. Loads of groups are in search of a righty bat and may be intrigued to gamble on a rebound. Each Carlson (who was talked about in Juan Soto rumors) and Nootbaar (who was reportedly of curiosity to the Jays and A’s of their talks about catching trades this offseason) provide much more membership management and loads of long-term upside.
Buying and selling anybody from that group would completely require the Cardinals to obtain massive league expertise in one other space: be it a extra impactful, established offensive presence to fit into the outfield or maybe a high quality beginning pitcher with a number of years of membership management remaining. In both occasion, any of O’Neill, Carlson or Nootbaar would most likely be simply one in all a number of gamers moved as a part of the return for a longtime massive leaguer.
Past their steady of present MLB outfielders, the Playing cards have Burleson, Gomez and Walker. Burleson, the No. 68 prospect on Baseball America’s High 100 checklist, struggled in 53 plate appearances throughout final 12 months’s MLB debut however posted an enormous .331/.372/.532 slash in 109 Triple-A video games. Gomez performed 60 video games apiece in Double-A and Triple-A, hitting a mixed .294/.371/.624 with 39 dwelling runs. Walker, a 2020 first-round decide who ranks among the many sport’s prime ten total prospects on nearly any publication, is probably probably the most “untouchable” of all of the Cardinals’ younger hitters. Nonetheless, like Gomez and Burleson, he additionally gives a near-MLB alternative ought to the Playing cards transfer one in all their present massive league outfielders in a commerce package deal. Walker was drafted as a 3rd baseman, however Nolan Arenado’s presence means he’ll probably debut as an outfielder. After hitting .306/.388/.510 as a 20-year-old and one of many youngest gamers in Double-A, he’s most likely not far off.
Younger Infielders
The St. Louis infield is generally set with Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt on the corners, Tommy Edman at shortstop and Brendan Donovan at second base. It’s unlikely the Playing cards would transfer anybody from that group, although for those who needed to argue that Donovan, the third-place NL Rookie of the Yr finisher, may very well be included in a package deal for an affect participant, that’s no less than loosely possible. The A’s reportedly requested about him in talks for Sean Murphy, though maybe the truth that the Cardinals balked at Oakland’s asking worth tells us most of what we have to learn about Donovan’s availability (or lack thereof).
It’s a robust group, and each Edman and Donovan may be deployed nearly anyplace on the diamond. Every performed no less than 5 positions in 2022 alone. Maybe Donovan will in the end settle into some kind of super-utility function, however that’d require a step ahead from one other younger infielder — which the Cardinals simply so occur to own.
Nolan Gorman didn’t precisely explode onto the scene in his rookie marketing campaign, however he held his personal with a .226/.300/.420 batting line and 14 homers in 313 plate appearances. A lot of his manufacturing got here early on and was adopted by a strikeout-laden droop — he fanned in 32.3% of his plate appearances — however Gorman is one other former prime prospect who additionally tattooed Triple-A pitching within the type of a .275/.330/.585 output, together with 16 dwelling runs in simply 188 plate appearances. Initially a 3rd baseman, he shifted over to second base due to Arenado. He now has a good bit of expertise at each spots.
Down on the farm, 20-year-old Masyn Winn occupies the No. 56 spot on BA’s High 100 checklist. Like Walker, he’s already spent a full season in Double-A. He didn’t hit fairly as effectively, however his .258/.349/.432 output was league-average by measure of wRC+ (100), and like Walker, he was one of many league’s youngest gamers. BA lauds Winn for having “by far the strongest throwing arm within the minor leagues” and touts him as a plus-plus runner and provides him an opportunity to be an above-average defender at shortstop. Winn was drafted as a two-way participant, however he’s solely pitched one inning in professional ball.
Beginning Pitching Prospects
It’s maybe counterintuitive to have simply talked about how the Cardinals want controllable beginning pitching after which tout a deep crop of high quality pitching prospects from which they might commerce. However attrition amongst pitching prospects is even larger than place gamers. That’s to not say these arms don’t have worth — in fact they do — but it surely’s simpler to financial institution on these arms changing when hoping to fill one rotation spot. Hoping to fill three to 4 rotation spots with in-house prospects is nothing wanting madness.
The Cardinals aren’t brief on intriguing arms, with Gordon Graceffo, Matthew Liberatore and Tink Therefore all actively rating, or having lately been ranked on numerous top-100 lists across the trade. Therefore (No. 57) and Graceffo (66) are just some spots aside on BA’s prime 100 for the time being.
Each Liberatore and fellow lefty Zack Thompson (the No. 19 decide in 2019) have reached the Main Leagues already however haven’t but established themselves. Liberatore posted ERAs north of 5.00 in each Triple-A and in 34 2/3 massive league innings final season, however he’s nonetheless simply 23 years outdated and has no less than six years of membership management — plus a pair of minor league choice years remaining. Thompson threw an an identical 34 2/3 Main League innings in 2022 however did so primarily out of the bullpen. He additionally pitched to a pristine 2.08 ERA, and whereas his 19.9% strikeout price and 10.3% stroll price each depart one thing to be desired, he averages simply shy of 95 mph along with his heater and did rack up a powerful 53.7% ground-ball price.
St. Louis has additional depth within the type of righty Dakota Hudson, who’s been pushed out of their rotation however is a ground-ball machine with two years of membership management remaining. Hudson has only a 4.31 ERA and 13.3% strikeout price since getting back from Tommy John surgical procedure, and his once-blistering sinker averaged simply 91.6 mph post-surgery. Nonetheless, he’s a ready-made fourth or fifth starter candidate with three choice years remaining. Jake Woodford is lower from an analogous material as a low-strikeout, ground-ball oriented pitcher who might slot into the again of a rotation, though he additionally posted a 2.23 ERA in 48 1/3 innings out of the St. Louis bullpen this previous season (albeit with some luck on balls in play and a fluky-low dwelling run price).
A few of these arms will likely be earmarked for alternatives within the 2024 rotation, and there’s an excellent likelihood some will see their inventory dip after an harm or a step again in efficiency. Nonetheless, their present-day worth offers the Cardinals the chance to condense a few of that expertise right into a commerce for a extra established participant.
—
General, the Cardinals’ wealth of younger expertise is exceptional for a perennially aggressive crew that hasn’t drafted larger than 18th total prior to now 15 years and, throughout the previous 4 years, has pulled off trades for in-their-prime stars like Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. It’s a wonderful place wherein to seek out themselves as a corporation, but when there’s one “draw back” (and I’m utilizing that time period loosely), it’s the timing of this surfeit of younger expertise.
The commerce market, basically, is kind of bleak proper now. Miami’s quartet of accessible arms has dominated headlines, however there’s little else of substance available on the market. The Pirates reportedly have a sky-high asking worth on Bryan Reynolds that makes him unlikely to be moved within the first place, and one can solely think about they’d ask for much more from a division rival. There are actually different names that might change palms between now and Opening Day, however the apparent candidates aren’t clear upgrades to the Cardinals. The Mariners have a pair of back-end starters (Chris Flexen, Marco Gonzales), whereas the Twins (Max Kepler) and A’s (Seth Brown) have some outfielders who may very well be obtainable. There’s simply not a ton to be enthusiastic about on the commerce market proper now.
That shouldn’t cease the Cardinals’ entrance workplace from attempting to pressure different groups’ palms and persuade them to half with beginning pitching assist or maybe a slugging bat that may not be a pure commerce candidate at first look. Failing that, the Cardinals are as effectively positioned as nearly any crew within the league to swing a take care of the Marlins each time Miami lastly make what seems like an inevitable commerce.
