These two players would look good in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform

The St. Louis Cardinals have been playing hard to get with the free agent market so far this offseason.

If they’re going to get involved, they better do so quickly. Because, with former San Francisco Giants closer Will Smith signing a three-year deal with the Atlanta Braves that guarantees him at least $40 million, the hot stove is heating up fast.

St. Louis is seemingly up against its self-impose payroll cap, especially after re-signing long-term ace Adam Wainwright to an extension that could pay his as much as $10 million. But there are still a few players who could make sense for the Cardinals.

Marcell Ozuna hasn’t exactly been the player the Cardinals hoped he would be when they traded to acquire him from the Miami Marlins. Still, he’s a guy who is capable of hitting .30 homers, carrying a .280 batting average and he’s only 29 years old. So, it would be pretty tough to replace Ozuna’s offensive production. When he switched agents to join catcher Yadier Molina’s agency, it seemed to support the outfielder’s claim that it is his priority to remain in St. Louis. But Ozuna is going to have to be reasonable if he want to come back to the Cardinalss. There is some speculation that he’ll pull down a contract in excess of $100 million this winter. If he does, he’s not likely to get it here.

What if Ozuna goes away?

The single biggest area of need the Cardinals have is at third base where former starter Matt Carpenter has become a mediocre offensive player while his already poor defense has continued to erode. With a heard of young outfielders eager to have a chance to make their mark in the big leagues, it would make more sense to look for a cleanup hitter who can hit third. The guy who could carry the offensive weight, improve the defense and not break the bank is Josh Donaldson.

Like they did with Smith this year, Atlanta struck quickly last winter to pull Donaldson off the board. While a lot of prognosticators believed Donaldson was a fit with St. Louis, he chose to play for the team he grew up supporting. All things equal, it seemed like Donaldson would be back in Atlanta after a 2018 season that was good for both the player and his team. But the Braves have a limited amount of money to spend. They already invested a lot of it in Smith, and it’s expected the team will spend even more on fortifying it starting rotation. The Braves had a $115 million opening day payroll in 2019 and they’re already committed to nearly $114 million next year. With expected raises for their younger players coming the next two years, it seems Atlanta might have only one more move left in its bag of tricks.

If Donaldson doesn’t go back to Atlanta, he would make a nice pickup for the Cardinals if he’d sign a one or two-year contract. He’d further improve a defense that made great strides in 2019 and his 37 homers last year certainly qualify him to take over the cleanup role behind Paul Goldschmidt. Donaldson could keep the seat warm at third base until Nolan Gorman is ready for the big leagues.

Realizing that Anthony Rendon and Gerrit Cole aren’t on St. Louis President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak’s shopping list, Donaldson might be the most impact the Cardinals can find in a single free agent move.

Dallas Keuchel makes sense for the Cardinals, too

With St. Louis area native Jake Odorizzi off the board, accepting a qualifying offer from the Minnesota Twins, the other move the Cardinals should consider is signing another former Braves short timer, left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel.

While he may not be an ace anymore, Keuchel still has the stuff to be a top half of the rotation starter who could give St. Louis a chance to win every time it takes the field. He’s pitched in one of the toughest ballparks in baseball when he was with the Houston Astros. Keuchel ought to find more neutral Busch Stadium to be an easier place to work. And the Cardinals could benefit from adding a different look to their rotation with a lefty hurler.

Keuchel wouldn’t be as flashy of a signing as Cole or Madison Bumgarner. But he could give the starting rotation some stability for a fraction of the price.

This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 9:34 AM.

Scott Wuerz

Belleville News-Democrat

Scott Wuerz has written “Cheap Seats,” a St. Louis Cardinals fan blog for the Belleville News-Democrat, since 2007. He is a former BND reporter who covered breaking news and education.