The St. Louis Cardinals’ lengthy vacation is really hurting the team going forward
The St. Louis Cardinals keep getting smaller in the rear view mirror as the 2020 Major League Baseball season continues without them.
It’s pretty bad when they’ve been idled so long that rescheduled make-up games from the beginning of this club outbreak are being canceled before the team can return to action. That’s the case for a catch-up double header scheduled for Thursday against the Detroit Tigers. We have a situation where the team is trying to make up two games in one day because it’s so far behind. And now another date has to be found when there are only three other open dates left on the schedule. I’m totally for a triple header, although I’m sure the commissioner’s office will take any novelty out of it by reducing the games to five innings apiece. The next thing we know, he’ll be deciding outcomes of games with a flip of a coin or rock-paper-scissors.
Baseball, and other sports, are supposed to make us forget about our troubles and give us three hours of entertainment and distraction. This season has been exactly the opposite, heightening my anxiety and frustration when I desperately need a dose of normalcy.
The Cardinals have been off for so long that it would probably be in order to re-run all the opening day specials introducing fans to the players. I’ll readily admit that I have tried not to think about baseball because it bums me out so much that the Cardinals can’t get back on the field because of the scourge that is COVID-19. Besides, with nearly half of the roster ill, it’d be nice to have the how-do-you-dos to let us know who’s going to be able to play and who the replacements are going to be.
Should St. Louis get back in action Friday, I sure hope one of those players is Dylan Carlson. I am way past hoping the Cardinals win the division when they’re more than a dozen games behind their competitors in the schedule. I think it’s more likely that the Cardinals won’t play another game in 2020 than it is that they’ll somehow win their division and make a run in the playoffs. So, if they do come back, give us something to be excited about. Let the kid play. If this team is going to have any hope to catch fire and make a run, they’re going to have to have some element from outside the roster that started the season. It would have been that way had everyone remained healthy, and that’s certainly the case now when this club will be scrambling to find enough healthy people to put on the field.
Another problem with the Cardinals lack of activity is that they’re in absolutely no position to make a move as the trade deadline nears. How can you make any conclusions about your needs that you didn’t know over the winter when you’ve only played five games?
There are a few teams out there looking for a first baseman. I wonder if anyone would be willing to take a flier on St. Louis lefty hitter Matt Carpenter who has spent most of his time in the field over the past few years at third base and all of this season as a designated hitter. When Carpenter wears a glove, the one that suits him best is a first baseman’s mitt. He can’t play first in St. Louis because that spot is occupied by Paul Goldschmidt. So, while the Cardinals couldn’t expect much in return for Carpenter, at least they could clear $18.5 million from the payroll for 2021. I won’t even pretend that the Cardinals might be able to find a club willing to take on Dexter Fowler’s salary for the 2021 season. There’s nothing about the way he’s played for the duration of his time at Busch Stadium that should make another general manager believe he is capable of being an impact hitter in a pennant race.
In a dream world, the Cardinals could use some Carpenter savings toward a deal for Nolan Arenado. But the truth is that this team likely is going to be looking to shave payroll after suffering a devastating interruption to its revenue stream this year. Getting rid of Carpenter might give the team some room to be able to bring back catcher Yadier Molina or pitcher Adam Wainright, or keep it from cutting into the muscle and bone of its roster to make ends meet.
One way or another, let’s hope this team can do something constructive during this waste of a season.
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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.
