I hope no St. Louis Cardinals star opts out of 2020 season, but I’m glad Mike Leake did
The COVID-19 casualties continue to mount for Major League Baseball as the St. Louis Cardinals announced their first positive coronavirus case.
Meanwhile, several players across baseball including Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals and Ian Desmond of the Colorado Rockies have decided it’s too risky to them or their family to play, so they’re going to sit out in 2020. So far, no Cardinals’ player has announced they don’t intend to play, but that doesn’t mean things couldn’t change. COVID-19 is especially risky for people who suffer from pre-existing respiratory conditions and other maladies including obesity and diabetes.
One player I am on the lookout for is closer Jordan Hicks who was lost mid-season in 2019 due to a torn elbow ligament. Hicks would have missed the first half of this season or more if not for the delay to its start. Now his arm is apparently nearly ready to go — but he has diabetes and it would be a terrible blow to see hicks damage his long-term health to get in a few games over a meaningless glorified exhibition season. I want to see him enjoy a long, productive career as a Cardinal. Is it better to be safe than sorry?
While fans might be disappointed to see some of their favorite players take a pass on the season, I bet owners don’t feel the same way. If I was Bill DeWitt Jr., I know I would rather have Hicks — or any of the team’s other productive players — be ready to play in 2021, 2022 and 2023 than for 60 games in 2020. I think the odds are 50-50 at best that the whole season will be played as COVID rages out of control across the United States.
The Cardinals have a roster full of players who appear to be fit and healthy, so the odds still look good that they won’t lose too many players to opt outs. While they want their own players to stick it out in 2020, they were likely glad to see a former teammate decide he didn’t feel comfortable playing.
The Cardinals got a gift this week when Mike Leake decided not to play during the 2020 season. Leake was due to make $15 million this year and the Cardinals paid the Seattle Mariners a couple of years ago to take him off their hands. A $5 million portion of Leake’s 2020 salary was supposed to come from St. Louis. That number dwindled as games were canceled. But he stood to cost the Cardinals about $1.5 million if he participated in the 60-game schedule.
Leake must have decided not to play because he was either concerned about a family member or because he just didn’t feel like it. Because if he opted out because he had a health issue that would have made him especially at-risk to COVID-19, he would have still be eligible to receive his salary. Leake’s $1.5 million doesn’t seem like a lot of money. But I’m sure the Cardinals are happy not to have to pay it out in a season where MLB teams have lost an estimated 70 percent of their revenue due to canceled games and a lack of fans in the stands for the ones they expect to play.
As it was announced Tuesday that the minor league baseball season will be canceled, it seems more likely than ever that the athletes with the most to play for are going to be the guys on the bubble for major league jobs. Up and coming prospects and guys who have been on the wrong side of the door to the big leagues have a chance to show what they can do on the big stage — even if there are no fans in the stands. This year isn’t going to be about the big names, it’s going to be about the Cinderella stories. Hopefully the Cardinals will have some guys prove they belong in 2020 and beyond and some guys — like Harrison Bader, Tyler O’Neill and Lane Thomas — who can prove that they can take their game to the next level.
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Scott Wuerz is a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. The Cheap Seats blog is written from his perspective as a fan and is designed to spark discussion among fans of the Cardinals and other MLB teams. Sources supporting his views and opinions are linked. If you’re looking for Cardinals news and features, check out the BND’s Cardinals section.
