Signing Matz was nice. But the St. Louis Cardinals still have multiple gaps to fill
Major League Baseball’s lockout has temporarily flash frozen rosters and player movement around the game.
Coming off a season which required a literally unprecedented winning streak to propel them to the playoffs, the St. Louis Cardinals crossed off the most crucial item on their winter shopping list before the stoppage. They signed lefty starter Steven Matz to a four-year deal to supplement a rotation which needed in-season southpaw additions to make it to last year’s finish line.
Matz, however, represents the club’s only addition. With some departures due to free agency and some necessary additions both to plug leaks and adapt to expected new rules, John Mozeliak and the baseball operations group should be ready to get to work as soon as the lockout is resolved and the market re-opens.
Adding Some Thump (Preferably From the Left Side)
Matt Carpenter’s final two seasons in St. Louis were a disaster, both in terms of his production and in terms of the club’s willingness to wed him to a role for which he could clearly no longer compete. Now a free agent, the Cardinals will need to fill his spot with a player much more able to handle an every day load at the plate.
All indications are a new collective bargaining agreement will include the expansion of the designated hitter to the National League on a full time basis. Hitters support the extra jobs, (most) pitchers support no longer being forced to either put themselves at risk or potentially look ridiculous, and the decision makers around the game are looking forward to breathing more easily without worrying about as much potential for freak injury.
Adding some balance to the lineup should mean adding a hitter who can provide power to the middle of the order as well as add a little variety. Only switch hitters Dylan Carlson and Tommy Edman hit from the left side among the club’s projected starters, and the top lefty bench option at the moment — save top prospect Nolan Gorman — is Lars Nootbaar, who showed a great deal of promise in 2021 but not consistent pop.
Gorman is almost certain to make his Major League debut in 2022 and could indeed be the hitter described, but the Cardinals have the ability and obligation to buck up for a little certainty.
Best free agent fit: Kyle Schwarber
Stabilizing the Bullpen
Spending on relief pitching can be one of the great traps in the modern game. Most of the big money relievers the Cardinals have signed in recent years — Brett Cecil, Greg Holland, Andrew Miller — have fizzled out well short of expectations. Miller provided some important innings, but by the last of his three seasons was the third-most trusted lefty option from the bullpen. Cecil and Holland were abject disasters, each released with big money still owed to them.
The Cardinals, then, could be understood if they opt to stay in house and lean on their bevy of internal options rather than seeking to supplement the right side with a proven veteran. Both Junior Fernández and Ryan Helsley looked improved before their seasons ended early due to injury, and Kodi Whitley’s sparkling September should leave him on the cusp of becoming one of Oli Marmol’s most trusted options late in games.
Still, the team took off at the same time Luis García arrived to provide stability to the setup role. García parlayed his success here into a two-year contract in San Diego. At that level of commitment, and for roughly that price point ($7 million total), the Cardinals should once again consider risking paying for past performance in the hopes it portends future success.
Best free agent fit: Ryan Tepera
You Can Never Have Too Much Pitching
Entering the 2021 season, the Cardinals would have argued they had as many as 10 starters ready for the big leagues. They ended up using 13, three of whom were added during the season and seven of whom are no longer in the organization.
It’s reasonable to expect Dakota Hudson’s positive trajectory in his return from Tommy John surgery to continue, and top prospect Matthew Liberatore is knocking on the door and not among the lucky 13. Neither are Jordan Hicks and Alex Reyes, both of whom the Cardinals are at least feinting toward giving a shot at the rotation come spring training.
Jake Woodford no longer has anything to prove in the minors, and was strong enough in September to carve out a permanent spot as at least a swing man. Matz’s addition should be an upgrade — or at least a more stable version — of the roster spot previously held by Kwang Hyun Kim, and with full seasons from Jack Flaherty and Miles Mikolas, the Cardinals should improve significantly from within headed into the 2022 season.
Still, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, the Cardinals would’ve had a much more merry Christmas.
Best free agent fit: Garrett Richards
