The Cardinals have a number of roster decisions to consider even before beginning to look at free agency this winter, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Jordan Walden‘s option will be bought out, while Seth Maness, who is currently on the 60-day DL, is a possible non-tender candidate in Goold’s eyes (though that decision won’t come until later this winter). Plenty of deliberation will need to be dedicated to the Rule 5 Draft, Goold writes, as the Cardinals have a large number of players to consider protecting. Last year, St. Louis opted not to protect right-hander Luis Perdomo, believing him to be too inexperienced to stick in the Majors for a full season, but the Padres hung onto him and received 15 starts with a 4.13 ERA in the final few months of the year. Goold lists 15 players that are in need of protection this winter, headlined by infielders Eliezer Alvarez, Edmundo Sosa, Allen Cordoba and Juan Herrera as well as outfielder Magneuris Sierra. Goold’s piece has quite a bit of additional info on each prospect listed, so Cardinals fans (and those who track the Rule 5 Draft in general) will want to check out his column.
More from the game’s Central divisions…
- Dexter Fowler tells Bob Nightengale of USA Today that his options in free agency last winter were “few and far between” before he decided to return to the Cubs. “My agent, Casey (Close), was talking to everybody, and I felt like this was the best fit to come back here,” Fowler explained. One reason for Fowler’s struggles on the open market last year, he says, was a perception of his defense. “They said I was a bad outfielder, and I kind of took offense to that,” he explained. “So I just moved back a few steps. I didn’t really do anything too different.” Fowler says that he approached Joe Maddon and other Cubs decision-makers in Spring Training about playing deeper in the outfield and was informed that they’d been hoping to talk to him about that very same strategy. Fowler rated +1 in both UZR and DRS this season, which may not seem overly impressive, but that DRS rating is a stark improvement from his 2015 mark of -12. Fowler implied that he’ll again aim for a long-term deal this winter, though obviously he’ll have more pressing needs on his mind over the coming two to three weeks.
- Poor fastball command has become a systemic failure for the Twins, writes Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and it was one of the chief reasons for the struggles of top prospect Jose Berrios in the Majors this season. Berardino examines the struggles that the Twins have had up and down their ranks with fastball location and spoke to pitching coach Neil Allen about the problem. While Allen isn’t even sure that he’s going to be employed by the team next season — the fate of the Twins’ coaching staff will be largely determined by new chief baseball officer Derek Falvey — but he’s taken steps to impress his new boss by compiling a comprehensive pitching plan that he hopes to have implemented throughout the entire organization. Allen said that a more stringent organizational emphasis was placed on fastball command while he was serving as the Rays’ Triple-A pitching coach before joining the Twins, and he hopes to deploy a similar philosophy in Minnesota in 2017 if retained.
That better be one heck of a plan by Neil Allen. My guess is he gets the axe.
I agree. I’m surprised Molitor is being retained.
I really hope can sign Fowler. He could defenitly fill the Angels left field and lead off hitter needs over the next few years.
None of the bigger free agents will want to sign with the Angels because they are not contenders and won’t be for a few years.
Free agents will sign with the Angels if they offer the most money
Money always talks. I always thought fowler not signing anywhere else this past winter was because he was tied to losing a draft pick along with his play in the field. Will he again be tied to a draft pick after this season?
The CBA is rumored to have a clause preventing a team to give a player back to back qualifying offers. If the new system is implemented then Fowler will be safe. If not, I wouldn’t really be surprised if the Cubs extend him one.
The CBA won’t be in place and teams can still apply back to back tags
the angels have a top 10 protected pick
First of all, the Angels have the money to fill their holes enough to bounce back into contention. Second of all, if they’re not contenders, then a bigger name free agent signing with them would certainly help bring them back into contention… Hmm… Pro athletes aren’t geniuses but are smart enough to understand what adding their presence does to help a team get back into contention. And of course there’s the money and what’s best for them and their families.
I’d like to hear your plan for that with this free agent market.
They already have $100M committed to 7 players+HamBone.. Then you have to factor in arbitration raises, rookie contracts, etc. and then they’re probably up closer to $130-140M. They have holes in the lineup, bullpen, and rotation…..And then the biggest factor…..their owner won’t allow the team to exceed the luxury tax limit. So no, they don’t have the payroll to fill all of their holes. Let’s say they have $50M to play with….please explain your plan to get back into contention.
There is not one starting pitcher that will make an immediate impact for the Angels this offseason. Unless they trade to get one, who has a bad contract. Or is going into the last year before he becomes a FA. The Angels won’t lose their first round pick, even if the sign someone who was offered a Qualifying offer. Maybe offer Street and Escobar to the Giants for Matt More. And one more starting pitcher who is a FA. Cron will more than likely get traded this offseason.
Wait, the only holes they have are at catcher, second base, left field, the rotation, the bullpen, …. yeah lots of holes. Pretty sure signing guys like Wieters, Neil Walker, Ivan Nova, etc. isn’t getting them back into contention.
Matt Moore is signed for three more years well under market ($26 million total). Going to take a lot more than a pair of older free agents to be.
Since I’ve seen it mentioned a few times … Huston Street on a $9MM salary doesn’t look to me like a positive value trade asset after the season he just had.
The Angels don’t have a hole at catcher. As for the bull pen, there is plenty of FA who will be available. Yes more than likely it will take more than that to get Moore. I was giving a example.
Street and Escobar for Moore?!!? Dude Matt Moore is going to take an elite package. Rays sold low. Still got more value than those 2.
Please explain how the Angels don’t have a whole at catcher. There are also only about 3-5 relief pitchers that are worth having and the Angels will get none of them.
Bandy and Perez that is how. Taylor Ward, if he continues the way he is, will be ready in a couple of years. No neither Bandy or Perez will be all stars, but they don’t need to be. The Angels have other glaring needs. Bandy put up average numbers offensively. Perez is above average defensively. As for your bull pen comment, the Angels cannot afford to spend 20 million on a guy like Chapman. Street granted had a down year, namely because he was injured all year. They still have him for next season, with an option for the following year. I think it’s funny how mostly everyone thinks that the team either has too buy every top free agent. Or tank and build a great farm system. Hell the Tampa Bay Reys had a top 10 pick every year, for like 10 years. They haven’t won anything. It’s about the balance between FA and home grown talent. Just because someone is a top 50 prospect doesn’t mean they will be good.
It shows that GMs are human and make mistakes, Fowler and Desmond are at the top of the list. I think they will get 3 or 4 year deals this winter.
I would take a look at Céspedes as well…
It’s funny how little metrics played into Fowler last winter…a leadoff man who can draw walks at an above average rate and can steal bases…this is what makes a good offense great. When the Jays installed a then-good Ben Revere at the top of their lineup last summer, they became a powerhouse. Without him this year, they went through long stretches where they couldn’t score. Offenses are always better when a fast guy is at the top of the lineup with a .350 OBP.
Urge Jay’s two primary leadoff hitters, Travis and Bautista, have been Better than revere was last year. Guys like revere are very overrated, he was basically an over glorified singles hitter. I’d rather have Bautistas .230/.350/410 line than reveres .300/.330/.310
Don’t know where urge came from, but that should say the lol
And Bautista can hit the cutoff guy without bouncing the ball three times for whatever that’s worth.
Not arguing any of that, but results are results too. The Jays offense was clicking like no other when Revere was at the top. And after scoring three runs in three ALCS games thus far, it’s hard to argue that this offense is any more than a shadow of the one that the Jays trotted out last year. If anything, guys like Revere are only underrated.
Just so you know, the Luis Perdomo linked in this article is the incorrect one. The one linked is a Luis Perdomo that pitched for the Padres in 2009-2010 and the Twins in 2012.
Thanks, I’ll fix it. Our auto-linker sometimes snags the wrong guy and we don’t always catch it.
I doubt fowler signs with a team with a CF already. He wants to play CF and that’s what he will get signed as. Especially with teams like Houston, Texas, St. Louis, Cubs, White Sox, and possibly the Indians looking for Center fielders.
The Cubs would move him to left for Almora to play CF. Guys love to corner spots later in their careers. He’ll be 32 next year. A 3 year 43-45 million deal to play left field through age 35 season, sounds about right.
I’d agree with your comment, however, they have Heyward, and then factor in Schwarber coming back. Add to all of the above that they have Zobrist who can play left. Because after the season and so far postseason Javier Baez has had, he’s going to be starting at 2nd a majority of next season.
then they would also have to add Ian Happ in the mix, He’s gonna be their next young star on the roster next year or 2018
And eloy Jimenez right behind him. Wow what a future for Cubs
As it stands they have Hayward, Schwarber, Solar, Almora, and Sczezur (how ever you spell it). That’s just their dedicated outfielders. Not sure if they’ll carry the catchers again next year or make Contrares the primary with Montero the backup. If they carry the Contrares plays out field some too. Baez and Zobrist fighting for time in the IF. I assume all of this means La Stella and Coughlan are gone. This means they don’t resign Fowler unless there is a trade for a young controllable arm involved to move some of those other pieces.
Nice Goold article. The Cardinals have some decisions to make.
The cards need to make a splash in free agency to even threaten the Cubs. Double E from Toronto seems to be the only guy who could have that kind effect.