Headlines

  • Bobby Jenks Passes Away
  • Braves Release Alex Verdugo
  • Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
  • Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline
  • Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim
  • Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

NL Central Notes: Molina, Wainwright, Thames, Cervelli

By Steve Adams | January 18, 2017 at 8:41am CDT

The Cardinals are readying to face some potentially tricky decisions with regard to franchise stalwarts Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. While the organization is hoping for both to finish out their careers in St. Louis, a sentiment the players share, such arrangements are sometimes easier said than done. Extension talks are planned at some point this year with Molina, who remains a highly valuable workhorse behind the dish. The guaranteed portion of his contract ends after the season, with a mutual option looming. As Goold explains, it’s hardly a straightforward matter to reach a new deal; the question of how great a commitment the team wants to make will have to account for not only the valuation of an aging catcher, but also the rise of prospect Carson Kelly. As for Wainwright, who tells Goold he’ll only be interested in single-season contracts when his deal is up (after the 2018 season), there’s more time to see how things progress and less pressure given his position.

Here are a few more notes from the NL Central…

  • Eric Thames will be the latest data point as teams try to project how star-level performance in the Korea Baseball Organization carries over to Major League Baseball, and Fangraphs’ David Laurila spoke to Brewers GM David Stearns about the factors that went into signing Thames. Stearns explained that improved plate discipline despite a vast increase in the number of breaking balls Thames saw in Korea played into the decision, as did a number of analytics processes and statistical projections. “As more players play in the KBO, or any other foreign league, and then come back to the States, projection systems are going to continue to improve,” said the Milwaukee GM. “Clearly, the translation of KBO stats to (MLB) stats isn’t as straightforward as translating a Triple-A environment to a Major League environment, but it still played a role in our evaluation.”
  • MLB.com’s Adam Berry breaks down the value that Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli brings to the team with his ability to frame pitches. While Cervelli’s lack of pop might make his three-year, $31MM deal look questionable to some, Berry points out that per MLB’s Statcast data, Cervelli rated third in the Majors in total strikes “stolen” for his pitchers in 2015 and, in an injury-shortened 2016 campaign, ranked third once again on a per-pitch basis in that same category. The skill is hardly lost on the Pirates’ young pitchers, several of whom lauded Cervelli’s receiving abilities when speaking to Berry. “He makes every pitch look really good, even your bad pitches,” said Jameson Taillon. “”That’s a big confidence-builder.” 
Share 0 Retweet 1 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers Pittsburgh Pirates St. Louis Cardinals Adam Wainwright Carson Kelly Eric Thames Francisco Cervelli Yadier Molina

White Sox, Cory Luebke Agree To Minor League Deal
Main
Indians Sign Brandon Guyer To Two-Year Deal
View Comments (13)
Post a Comment

13 Comments

  1. calikid13

    8 years ago

    Kelly looks like the real deal. I love Yadi… However, if Kelly continues strong for this season, the organization can’t hold him back. I assume 2018 will be Yadi’s last year with the Cardinals. Kelly to be called up later this season to start the mentoring and next year will be split halfway for both catchers.

    Reply
  2. calikid13

    8 years ago

    Wainwright is an amazing person and will have a bounce back year. 3.10 ERA capable with a low mileage arm.

    Reply
    • cubsfan2489

      8 years ago

      Where do you get the “low mileage arm” thing for Wainwright? You’re joking right?

      3
      Reply
    • Dookie Howser, MD

      8 years ago

      Over the last 9 years he has averaged 188 innings – and that includes 2015 when he only pitched 28 before rupturing his achilles. If you drop out that year, he is up to 207. Not exactly low mileage…

      1
      Reply
  3. TheMichigan

    8 years ago

    So is Carson Kelly Molina’s heir apparent?

    Reply
    • robertj53086

      8 years ago

      Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner

      1
      Reply
  4. daveinmp

    8 years ago

    Thames has advantage over Korean players from the KBO, in that he’s not adjusting to a totally new culture and he’s seen major league pitching before.

    While the Brewers get summarily dismissed as contenders, and are seen as one of the bottom 3-5 teams in baseball, they certainly have a number of guys with potential to break through in a big way.in 2017 and will be interesting to watch for that alone.

    Thames is one of those guys.

    Reply
  5. Mark 20

    8 years ago

    I dont see how Cervellis 3/31 looks questionable. His OBP was .370 and .377 respectively in each year with a nice batting average to boot. I know people dont like to look at batting average but I still say its worth something. Afterall, walks generally dont score runs. With Cervellis pitch framing skills and that high OBP, even with the little pop he shows, Id say his contract is very fair.

    Reply
    • npalley98

      8 years ago

      Only problem i have with Cervelli’s game is his inability to thrown anyone out. He has one of the worst stolen base percentages in the league for a starting catcher.

      1
      Reply
      • mpoweror

        8 years ago

        a lot of Cervelli’s SB% is on his pitchers… Pgh has been cursed with some very slow/lethargic pitchers. most SB’s against Pgh have been ‘on the pitcher’.

        all of Pgh’s young pitchers are slow the plate… frankly, it’s a big problem that one might think they’d address in the minor leagues, but apparently don’t.

        1
        Reply
  6. cardfan2011

    8 years ago

    I sure hope Yadi ends his career as a Cardinal

    Reply
  7. Cardinals17

    8 years ago

    I still think the Cardinals need a clean up hitter and another front line pitcher to be a contender for the Central Div.

    Reply
  8. lankm82

    8 years ago

    What’s wrong with extending Yadi a few years? Solves our 1B problem once he’s no longer an asset behind the plate and buys us time to (a) work out Marp’s glove issue and (b) groom Kelly or get a viable replacement.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Bobby Jenks Passes Away

    Braves Release Alex Verdugo

    Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

    Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim

    Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

    Brandon Woodruff To Start For Brewers On Sunday

    Royals Interested In Bryan Reynolds

    Rangers Option Josh Jung

    Kevin Pillar Announces Retirement

    Braves Place Spencer Schwellenbach On IL With Elbow Fracture

    Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin

    Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

    Astros Place Jeremy Peña On Injured List With Fractured Rib

    Tucker Barnhart To Retire

    Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline

    Reds Release Jeimer Candelario

    Dave Parker Passes Away

    Griffin Canning Diagnosed With Ruptured Achilles

    Pirates Reportedly Have Very Few Untouchable Players At Trade Deadline

    Recent

    Buddy Kennedy Elects Free Agency

    Giants Place Erik Miller On IL, Select Scott Alexander

    Yankees Sign Jeimer Candelario To Minor League Deal

    Giants Activate Matt Chapman, DFA Sergio Alcantara

    Nationals Reinstate Mason Thompson From 60-Day IL

    Bobby Jenks Passes Away

    Rangers To Sign Rowdy Tellez To Minor League Deal

    Yankees Likely To Promote Cam Schlittler

    Astros Sign Hector Neris

    Dodgers Not Planning To Add Third Base Help Before Deadline

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Alex Bregman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version