Marcell Ozuna’s first season with the Cardinals has had its ups and downs, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch chronicled today, with a particular focus on the shoulder injury that has hampered Ozuna since last offseason. The Cardinals were undeterred by Ozuna’s shoulder issues when they traded for him, but increasingly recognized the effects the injury was having on his power output as he continued to turn in sluggish results. Ozuna finally relented to treatment in the form of a cortisone shot and a quick trip to the 10-day DL in late August. Since his return, Ozuna has performed much more in line with the team’s original expectations, hitting .324 with a .997 OPS in September. He’ll undergo further testing and strength training for the shoulder in the offseason, but presently, Ozuna is focused on the Cardinals hunt for the wild card and a potential one game playoff – likely against a division rival in Milwaukee or Chicago.
Here’s more recent news from the Redbirds…
- The Cards recalled Giovanny Gallegos from Triple A today, the club announced and Joe Trezza of MLB.com tweeted. The 27-year-old reliever – whom you’ll recall was one of the arms acquired from the Yankees in the late-summer swap for Luke Voit – will be available out of the St. Louis bullpen. With the playoff race nearing its apex, Gallegos isn’t likely to see a lot of usage, but an extra arm never hurts this time of year.
- Trezza also tweeted that Cards manager Mike Shildt expects Bud Norris (blister) to be available out out of the pen tonight. Norris was pulled in the 7th inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Sunday when the blister surfaced. Though the deposed closer has struggled at times this year, he figures to be an important piece of the puzzle in the final week. With the final six games against the division-rival Brewers and Cubs, there figure to be more than enough high-leverage, heart-pounding situations to go around – even if he’s not closing games.
- In a separate piece from Goold, Cardinals president of baseball ops John Mozeliak confirms some items of interest about the club’s future bullpen. Namely, current closer Carlos Martinez will indeed return to the starting rotation next season. A tight rehab timeline, coupled with the team’s needs, prompted Martinez’s move to the pen late this year. While it has worked out quite well thus far, however, it seems more happy accident than long-term strategy.
- Speaking of the late-inning mix, flame-throwing rookie Jordan Hicks will have no restrictions the rest of the way because of the built-in days off. Though he’s still roughly 25 innings shy of his total innings tally from last season, when he was pitching as a starter in the minors, Hicks has still been relied upon rather heavily in 2018. Pitching every couple of days is a different animal, as is the pressure the 22-year-old faces as a late-innings reliever in a pennant race. Regardless, Shildt will have unfettered access to his young fireballer as the Cardinals try to lock down a spot in the playoffs.
- As Goold also covers, the Cardinals have no intention of altering their starting rotation for the final week of the season. It’ll be Austin Gomber, Jack Flaherty, and John Gant facing off against Milwaukee starting Monday.
The Cardinals brought all these young players up to the big leagues and Memphis still managed to win the PCL and the AAA championship. The Cards minor league system is full of talent.
You do understand that there are more than 1 levels of minor league ball right? You do understand that the sum of the parts is the total picture?
Or, are just a member of the ‘worlds greatest fan base’?
What are you talking about? It takes a talented minor league roster to win the PCL and the AAA championship.
Strike3yerout! (Spock)
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Im sure he understands that there are multiple levels in the minors like all baseball fans. Only a condescending wannabe professer of baseball would make that comment. Yes the Cardinals have a great farm system….just waiting on the next Pujols!!
Maybe you should look at history?
Maybe you should conduct a quick check on a teams farm strength vs winning a championship at any level.
Oh, how about if your triple A team roster is full of bunch of AAAA veterans with a little MLB experience? Wow, thats a prospect laden system!
No….dont do that. Just read what you want to read and those are the “facts”.
Thanks for playing. By the way, by some of the national experts, who happen to look at facts, STL has a middling farm system. But, discount those facts too.
According to the August 1 Bleacher Report, the Cardinals have the 17th best farm system. The Cubs rank 29th.
I do think the cards system has numerous big league hitters but no elite superstars. They do however have some elite young pitchers. Middling? Its pretty darn good. Plenty good enough to feed the big league team with good enough players to compete for a playoff spot almost every year or enough players to trade for other pieces…just waiting for a superstar!
Absolutely impossible. Rubbish! Trash! Bleacher Report is hack. They have the best farm system in all of baseball, per ‘sources’. I got proof!
It’s considered tacky to upvote your own posts, especially when they’re lame.
You’ll get a consolation prize for playing.
Changing the topic already? Hmm, speaking of lame.
Lol this guy…don’t worry everyone he is more worried about the color of the sky than making any sense
Well…you are exactly the fan type I am referencing. Never let reality get in the way of your bias. Keep on keeping on, clown.
Here is some reality…the cardinals brought up most of their Triple A team and are now competeing for a playoff spot with 6 games left…that is proof of a good system in and of itself…then they had some promotions to the Triple A team and beat the talented Rays system Triple A team in the championship…and that was without top prospect Nolan Gorman…why would you come on here and try to argue the cardinals farm system isn’t good with the facts I just gave you…that doesn’t make sense…it only makes since that you are trying to troll…by the way Bader and Dejong weren’t even top 100 prospects…so these so called experts you rely on are obviously wrong about somethings
Hey clown, does 1 team make up the strength of the entire farm system?
Any more “fact based” blogger material?
Oh by the way, the Cubs are ahead of the worlds gift to baseball…and by your logic, they must have a great farm system.
Wow. Don’t advertise as a trial lawyer anytime soon. Palm reader? Sure.
Ok. Prove it. Bet you can’t. If you had said they were 24th or 25th, you’d at least have a few believers.
It was sarcasm. I completely agree with you and I was acting like a member of the worlds greatest fan base. Someone like Cards81 absolutely would say something like that.
Wow…
Maybe!?!? You are just a loser with nothing better to do in life than troll Cardinals fans! Maybe you need help to be happy in your sad little existence if you feel the need to do this type stuff. Or maybe you are just a bad person all the way down to the core. Maybe that’s why you have so much hate in your heart. Your argument is really dumb, you should be ashamed. I feel sorry for you.
No sarcasm! I’ve seen your posts before and you are always this petty. But credit where credit is due, you showed some humility in your shame even if you won’t admit it by pretending you jest.
Cardinals and Dodgers are two teams that could pummel the cubs this playoffs. Both have solid pitching and timely hitting. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Redbirds made the fall classic. Cubs should be trying as hard as possible to sweep that last series of the year
Dodgers can pull it off if they could simply hit with consistency. They have the talent in Machado, Dozier, and others to make it happen.
Don’t sleep on the Brewers man, I’ve been saying this all year. I watch as much Brewers as I do Cubs unless they are on at the same time. I see them taking the division this week and staying there, which will probably make a Mikolas vs Lester wildcard. Cubs can’t hit him for some reason (or anyone lately for that matter). It may end up Dodgers vs Brewers Nlcs this year.
TC Zencka, I think this is your first solo article.
Let me be the first to welcome you!
Digging the article choices. Excited to see what Gallegos will do for STL.
For those of you who dont know the significance of the Gallegos call-up:
Gallegos, Shreve, $1M INT were traded for Luke Voit.
Voit is 32-for-101 (.317 BA) with 10HR, 24 RBI w/ NYY,
and hitting .304 with 11HR, 27 RBI for the season.
4-for-4, with 4 runs scored, 2 home runs, 3 RBI vs Bos, Today, went 1-for-4 with 2 RBI.
Shreve has 2.77 ERA with Cards, 3+ years of team-control. Gallegos was another piece (finally) called up. Though it’s early, and both sides benefiting Yankees are winning the trade, and Gallegos is the final wild card.
Surplus from both teams… helps both sides. Win win. I think Gallegos has the power to surprise.
But what are your thoughts on the trade?
Thoughts?
He writes more than TC Zencka
Glad to see Voit get a chance to play with the Yankees and being an impact player down the stretch for the Yanks!! Voit never really got a fair shot at the major league level with the Cardinals. Plus, as long as John Mozeliak will be in the Cardinal organization, Voit would have rotted in the minors. Just as some other quality players are doing now. When a player sits in the minors putting up respectable numbers until they are 28 (Tommy Pham), there are few potential peak years left in them. Therefore value dwindles
. (Carson Kelly)
John Mozeliak would have let Voit rot in the minors during his peak age years. He never got an honest shot at the Major League level with the Cardinals. Plus, he would never had gotten a fair shake as long as Mozeliak was in the Cardinal organization. Best of luck Luke Voit!!!
Tommy Pham’s health/eye issues are why he was in the minors so much. Selective memory? Everyone, including Mozeliak acknowledged if he could stay healthy he’d be great. No conspiracy to keep great players in the minors. Pham needs to grow up and stop sounding like an idiot. As far as Voit goes, I would not be surprised if he cools off significantly. He’s a surprise for the Yankees as well. If he continues playing way above expected, than good for him!
Don’t pay no mind to Cardinals17…he isn’t a Cardinals fan and knows nothin about them…his only purpose in life is to haunt Mo lol …he obviously knows nothing considering how Pham was injured for the most part while in the minors…he only complained about the year that he was brought up…he said he should have been up earlier…and Voit had no place with re cardinals…do you want carpenter at first base or Viot? We got two good relievers for him…i wish Voit the best but the trade was best for both sides
They kinda traded for the original Luke Voigt in Matt Adams. Probably should have just held on to him no? But yeah if they got good pitchers for him than I guess it’s a good trade for them.
I agree with te comparison with Adams but they didn’t trade for Adams they just picked up his salary…so the cardinals got two good relievers and they needed a lefty bat more than a right bat
Did you just summarize yourself?
If they could have found some relief help somewhere else I think they would be better off with Voit over Adams now and going forward. But both teams did trade from surplus to fill sneed though so it is hard to argue the logic of the trade. Voitts sample size at MLB level is still very small.
Gant, Gomber and Flaherty starting a huge last week series for the Cards, the future is bright when three youngsters with six total years of MLB action get these kinds of assignments.
I was curious about how the “prospect pros” felt about Voit and why he didn’t have a better profile. There were a few respected guys like Sickles who not only failed to rank Voit on his 2017 top 30 Cardinal’s list but barely made his honorable mentions list after a .297/.372/.477 campaign along with 19 hrs. Then my guess is that despite a 2017 slash of .327/.407/.565 with 13 hrs in about 70 games he was called up and used up his rookie status and perhaps the loss of rookie status kept him off of prospect lists for 2017.
People often make comments about a prospects age and use it as a negative. To me it shouldn’t matter. If a 26 yo is performing well at AAA and he’s been in the system no more than 5 years then take him seriously. It’s not like he was a back and forth up and down AAAA fringe guy who was overwhelmed by mlb pitching. My guess is that most teams are most concerned with what that player can do his first 5 or 6 years of control anyway. Who cares that he’s just starting his mlb career at age 25/26/27? You’re going to have him under control for his prime years anyway at below market cost.
Obviously I’m not privy to his internal scouting reports but he completely showed power and ability to draw a walk consistently in his minor league career.
Were Cardinal’s fans hip to and supportive of Voit?
Yes they were. Just a logjam at major league level. Matt Carpenter plays first and Voit was a 1B/DH type. He’s a good hitter but he’s kind of shaped like a bowling ball so he doesn’t fit anywhere else on the diamond.
Luke Voit is more Shane Spencer than any emerging superstar.
Yankees stadium is tiny, Voit is older, and limited positional value.
He’ll be a nice bench bat long term for them though. Maybe he’ll hit like he’s still in Memphis, but I imagine big league pitching will adjust.
I will say, I’ve heard great things about him through some mutual friends though (stl kid)
Saying he’s the next Shane Spencer is kind of silly. Maybe he will become something or maybe he won’t. 6 of his 11 homers came on the road where he also has a much higher overall OPS 1.033 vs .968. As for age, who cares? He’s still only 27 which means he should be entering his prime and IF the Yanks want him, they can control him until his age 32 and they can then let him walk.. I know it’s a small sample size but I see the 1b job as his to lose.
Nice win for Cardinals
Tyler Oneills shirt loses.