With about 20% of the 2023 regular season already in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Mervis to debut:
The Cubs are reportedly set to call up first base prospect Matt Mervis to the major league team ahead of this afternoon’s game against the Marlins. Mervis broke out in a big way in 2022, advancing from High-A all the way to Triple-A over the course of the season, with his strikeout and walk numbers improving as he advanced through the levels of the minors. In all, Mervis has slashed .293/.387/.573 in 367 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, with 21 home runs in just 85 games. While power is Mervis’s primary calling card, he’s also shown remarkable discipline at the plate, with a strikeout rate of 15.8% and a walk rate of 12% at the Triple-A level in his career so far.
Mervis figures to draw regular starts at first base, where veteran Eric Hosmer was signed over the offseason to act as a bridge to Mervis. Hosmer has struggled with the Cubs so far this season, slashing just .250/.294/.363, good for a wRC+ of 79. Hosmer is also striking out at a 24.7% rate that would be a career high for the 33-year-old veteran if it continued over the full season, while walking at just a 5.9% rate that would be his lowest in a full season, with only the shortened 2020 season clocking in lower at 5.8%. A 40-man roster move won’t be necessary to accommodate Mervis, as the club’s 40-man roster stands at 39 currently. Still, a move of some sort will be necessary to add Mervis to the active roster.
2. Wainwright to return:
The Cardinals are set to receive a boost to their pitching depth this weekend when veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright is activated to start Saturday afternoon’s game against the Tigers. Wainwright, who posted a decent 3.71 ERA (104 ERA+) with a 3.66 FIP last season, figures to help stabilize a Cardinals rotation that has been a major reason why the club’s 4.70 ERA is bottom ten in the majors this season. At 41 years old, age-related decline is always a possibility, but Wainwright has already battled back from a difficult stretch of seasons in his mid-thirties to produce a 3.57 ERA (112 ERA+) since the start of the 2019 season, giving reason for optimism that Wainwright can remain productive in this final season of his career. Wainwright’s return couldn’t come at a better time for the Cardinals, who have lost six straight games and 13 of their last 16.
3. Glasnow headed for rehab:
Oft-injured Rays ace Tyler Glasnow figures to begin a rehab assignment for the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Durham today, with a return later this month as a potential target. Glasnow has been on the injured list all season after suffering an oblique strain during Spring Training. Though injuries have limited Glasnow to just 212 2/3 innings of work since the beginning of the 2019 season, those innings have been phenomenal, with a 2.75 ERA (151 ERA+) and a 2.87 FIP with a fantastic 36% strikeout rate and a walk rate of just 7.8%.
Upon his return, Glasnow will join a rotation that last Jeffrey Springs to Tommy John surgery earlier this season alongside Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, and Zach Eflin. The likes of Josh Fleming, Yonny Chirinos, and the recently acquired Chase Anderson are among the club’s bulk options who have filled out the rotation so far this season, though McClanahan, Rasmussen, and Eflin are the only regular starters currently on the roster.
Let’s hope he gets a chance to show off how amazing of a Relief Pitcher he can be and not just a First Baseman.
If Waino gets shelled, any remaining wind in the sails of Cardinals fans (of which there is very little) will almost immediately vanish. One game doesn’t mean that much, but his return is more symbolic as the one hope people have been latching on to.
Marmol is this season’s Girardi… send him packing and watch the RedBirds soar.
Soar…kinda like their team ERA this year?
Face facts, your GM failed miserably last winter addressing the pitching staff even though seemingly every Cards fan was begging him to go get help.
Now Cards fans can enjoy seeing how the other half live for once.
Completely agree. Anyone who followed this team knew the starting pitching—and the ‘pen for that matter—had to be addressed if this team was going to compete. I didn’t expect it to be this bad, but I can’t figure out how everyone could see it except the guy getting paid millions to do something about it.
They probably needed more pitching (as does every team), but you’re spot on that the current group shouldn’t be anywhere near as poor as they have been. This is actually a pretty solid group of arms. Not elite but certainly not the complete fiasco which has played out either. In that sense, I put this more on the plate of whomever is implementing game strategy and pitching approach. If that is Mo and he’s meddling that much then so be it.
Scott please enlighten everyone who the cardinals should have got that would have helped the pitching staff? besides Degrom and Verlander, which everyone knew the cardinals had no chance of signing, what else could have been done? There was no FA pitcher worth signing and no one was trading an ace or for that matter a decent pitcher, or a pitcher that was better than what the cardinals currently have. The cardinals have fell on some bad luck plus I do think Oli needs to go at this point…but please stop with this “they should have done more” when really there wasn’t much of an option to do anything
Mozeliak had/put way to much faith in Flaherty being able to stay healthy and regain his form as the Ace of their pitching staff. Which was a very big risk IMO.
Some guy named Quintana would’ve maybe fit considering he was the best SP on the team the last two months of the season after he was acquired at the trade deadline.
Perhaps but he’s hurt for the entire year so even had they signed him that would have changed nothing.
Are you suggesting Cards management knew he was going to be injured, and thusly was wise to not sign him?
Wow, that Cardinals Devil Magic really is real.
I’m not sure how anyone with even a GED level of reading comprehension could read the statement I made and jump to that conclusion, but you’re welcome to your opinion, man.
Lol the guy hurt and not pitching…good one…I will say maybe they should have traded for Lopez…but honestly at this point they should have traded for Murphy as catcher and saved the money for pitching…plus I said a pitcher who is better than what they have
Unless the new manager can pitch the birdos are gonna need more than a change in the dugout.
The Cardinals literally won the division last year with a worse pitching staff and a worse offense…it’s been a weird season and they have fallen on bad luck so maybe a coaching change will help…look at the Phillies last year
Cards have been in a downward spiral since the O’Neil fiasco. Not sure how much of the blame for this mess can be laid at the feet of Marmol, but the manager is typically the one to go when a team is on an epic skid for a couple months. Replacing him with Yadier Molina probably won’t solve the core problems, but it will make everyone feel better.
@nottinghamforest13
The team has talent but the manager has lost the clubhouse. Do these players want to play for the team when they don’t know if the coach is going to rant about them in public instead of confronting them in private?
Yea Marmol dosent get to the all-star game.
Cheap skate cardinals ! You have literally no starting pitching. Should have spent some money or prospects this off season suring that up.
Won’t matter to owners though ! Stands will still be packed in the lou
I believe you mean figuratively as there’s been pitchers used in all games played thus far.
Mozeliak announces entire organization is scheduled for primal scream therapy on the Cardinals’ next off day. Marmol immediately responds, “WE CAN’T AFFORD TO WAIT THAT LONG!!!”
Rebel yell.
His return ensures the fan’s hopes don’t wane, right?
Well played. Adam good pun if I do say so myself.
Haha!! As is yours sir!
I hope Wainwright doesn’t read these and gets mad.
It’s just a rib, Adam.
On the Eve of his return, no less.
):^)
“Hosmer has struggled” seems awfully familiar.
The Cubs cannot do anything but help themselves by replacing Hosmer on this roster. His current defensive abilities are average at best. And I doubt the Cubs would have even signed him, if they had already had signed Mancini. It’s definitely time to move on, I’m looking forward to hearing whatever the team decides – for the time being.
Careful dogbone, as someone pointed out elsewhere, even Rizzo took a couple years to become Rizzo. Mervis did not look good in spring or WBC. There is a chance that he doesn’t take, and needs to be sent down. Hosmer has been ok v righties. Even if he’s just a lefty bat off the bench, I have no problem with that. Hosmer is a better option than Rios.
A couple weeks ago people were calling for Mancini’s head. Things change.
I’ll also add, if everyone in Iowa who deserved to be promoted was promoted, the Cubs lineup would look an awful lot like the Iowa lineup does every night.
Waino should not only pitch immediately, but bat third. Every day.
If our hopes rest on Wainwright we are in big trouble. He’s a serviceable pitcher (hopefully) at this point, but he’s not a savior.
There was a post on redbird rants regarding a conversation with a former Cardinals pitcher who discussed the team’s approach to pitching in the minors being out of touch and out of date. It was pretty revealing.
Bring back Yadi
You are not supposed to notice that Eric Hosmer can’t play anymore.
If you do, you must suppress the urge to voice it. He is very sensitive and will be quite upset with you.
Hosmer is practically free so expect him to get opportunities even if the Cubs cut him loose. As bad as Hosmer has been though, Edwin Rios has been worse and probably should be the one to go in place of Mervis
Not as much as he hates himself. Clearly this dude has some major issues and needs to seek help.
Wainwright pumping that 87 is a huge boost. The team is not good if Nolan and Paul aren’t elite and edman donovan nootbar O’Neil aren’t good. And they pulled 3 of those from non prospects 43rd rounders into cardinal miracles. They may not be the real deal…
A half rotted corpse would provide a boost to the Cardinals pitching.
Just keep Pujols away from the corpse. That guy will eat anything in sight.
The future is bright in Chicago and bleak in east Missouri. Gotta love it. Top 5-10 farm system for the north siders and bottom 5 for the dead birds and little hope of improvement with their antiquated methods. Maybe they can hack someone else’s database to get more talent.
Nobody is particularly concerned. The Cubs will find a way to squander it.