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Central Notes: Happ, Merrifield, Cabrera

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With the Cubs currently sitting on a record of 27-44, speculation has naturally started building about players nearing free agency that could be moved at the August 2 trade deadline. One such player who will be coveted by rival teams is Ian Happ, though Happ doesn’t seem to be bothered by being the subject of rumors. “At some point, you get numb to it,” Happ tells Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. “Everybody’s been through it at certain points. It’s something that you just kind of get numb to and understand it’s part of the job.”

Happ’s case will be an interesting one to watch this year, as there are arguments for holding onto him as well as arguments for trading him. He’s slated to reach free agency after the 2023 season, making him a fairly logical trade candidate for a rebuilding team that isn’t likely to be competitive within that time frame. He’s also having the best season of his career, meaning the club might want to put him on the block while his value is at high tide. He’s hitting .288/.385/.475 on the year for a wRC+ of 138. Combined with solid outfield defense, he’s produced 2.2 fWAR on the year, which is already a career high, even with more than half the season still to be played.

However, the Cubs could also extend Happ and keep him around for the next competitive window. Happ seems open to that idea, saying “I’ve always been very clear, too, that I like playing here. This is a great place to play. I would love to be a part of competitive groups in years to come here.”

Some other notes from Central teams…

  • The Royals are 26-43 and will have to decide which of their players will be moved as part of their deadline strategy. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that a Whit Merrifield trade is being given more consideration than in previous years. Merrifield has been the subject of trade rumors for a long time, as the club has been mired in a years-long rebuild for essentially his entire big league career. The Royals went 81-81 in 2016, Merrifield’s debut season, but have been below .500 ever since. Despite that, the club has eschewed all trade overtures in past seasons. It would certainly come as a shock if the team were to suddenly change course and agree to a deal now, as Merrifield is having easily the worst season of his career. Through 69 games, he’s hitting .230/.277/.314 for a wRC+ of 66. To spurn offers for years and then suddenly relent when his value is at a low ebb would be a very surprising turn of events. Perhaps the club is concerned that the 33-year-old won’t be able to turn things around, though there’s time for him to do so. His contract runs through next year, with a club option for 2024.
  • The Cardinals announced that left-hander Genesis Cabrera is going on the injured list. No designation for his injury was given, implying that Cabrera has gone on the COVID-related IL. Righty Jake Woodford was recalled to take his place on the active roster. This is the second time COVID has hit the St. Louis bullpen in recent days, as T.J. McFarland also was sidelined earlier this week. Notably, both Cabrera and McFarland are southpaws, leaving the club short-handed on that side of their bullpen. There are two lefties now remaining, although Packy Naughton is more of a long relief option. That leaves Zack Thompson and his 14 2/3 innings of MLB experience as the club’s primary left-handed reliever. Cabrera has become a key asset for the club in recent years, notching 28 holds last year and 10 so far this year. He has a 2.27 ERA here in 2022, despite generating fewer strikeouts. His .193 BABIP and 93.1% strand rate are surely giving him an unsustainable boost, but he’s also lowered his walk rate to 9.3%. That’s still above league average, but much improved over his 12.1% career mark.

Cardinals Notes: O’Neill, Dickerson, Hicks, Thompson

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Tyler O’Neill is back on the injured list, as the club put him on the 10-day IL before this evening’s contest with the Brewers due to a left hamstring strain. Lars Nootbaar was recalled from Triple-A Memphis to take his place on the active roster, while utilityman Brendan Donovan kicked out to left field for tonight’s game.

The team didn’t provide a timetable for O’Neill’s recovery. It’s the latest in what has been a very disappointing season for the slugging outfielder. He lost a couple weeks in May battling a right shoulder impingement, and he’s not been as productive as anticipated even when healthy. Through 185 plate appearances on the season, the 26-year-old (27 on Wednesday) owns a .241/.292/.361 slash with only four home runs. That’s on the heels of a 34-homer campaign, and O’Neill’s had a rather startling dip in batted ball quality (barrel rate, hard contact rate, etc.) to go along with the lesser results.

Donovan figures to step in fairly regularly in left in O’Neill’s absence. The lefty-hitting rookie has a .315/.424/.434 mark through 170 plate appearances. That relatively quiet excellence has earned him a spot in the regular batting order, although manager Oli Marmol has had to shuffle Donovan around the diamond with Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Gorman, Tommy Edman and Nolan Arenado serving as the primary infield.

Nootbaar and the righty-hitting Juan Yepez will likely also cycle through the corner outfield and designated hitter. Veteran Corey Dickerson was signed to a one-year deal over the offseason to play a similar role, but he’s been out for a couple weeks with a calf strain. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that Dickerson felt continued discomfort after a rehab appearance in Memphis last Thursday, causing him to transition to non-game activities for a few days. The hope is he could resume the rehab stint as soon as tomorrow.

Dickerson would be joined by Jordan Hicks, who is set to start a rehab assignment of his own there tomorrow (relayed by Katie Woo of the Athletic). Hicks has missed the past three weeks with a forearm strain in his throwing arm, the latest issue for a pitcher who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and missed two months with elbow inflammation last season. It’s a welcome development that Hicks is set to return to the mound in relatively short order this time around.

Woo adds that the club is planning to deploy Hicks out of the bullpen. The flamethrowing righty worked exclusively in relief for the first few seasons of his major league career, spending a chunk of the 2018-19 seasons as the club’s closer. He surprisingly lengthened out into a starter this year and cracked the season-opening rotation, making his first seven big league starts (in nine outings) before landing on the IL.

Hicks had a rough showing in that role, though, posting a 5.02 ERA through 28 2/3 innings. He’s struck out a decent 23% of opponents while racking up grounders on more than half the batted balls against him, but he’s also struggled significantly to throw strikes. Hicks walked almost 16% of batters faced, and the club seems set to transition him back to his more familiar relief role.

That could suggest Andre Pallante is ticketed for a longer look in the rotation. The rookie right-hander opened the season in the bullpen, but he’s started three of his four most recent appearances. Pallante, who started in college and in the minor leagues, reached 5 2/3 innings yesterday against the Red Sox — suggesting the Cards are comfortable with him turning lineups over at least twice in an outing.

The rest of the starting staff is established, with Jack Flaherty, Miles Mikolas, Dakota Hudson and Adam Wainwright making a strong top four. Offseason signee Steven Matz is on the IL with a shoulder injury, but Pallante seems to be settling into the #5 role. Former first-round pick Zack Thompson is also on the active roster and has worked as a starter this season with Memphis, but it appears the club views him as a primary relief option at the major league level for now. Marmol indicated this afternoon that Thompson could see more higher-leverage work moving forward (via John Denton of MLB.com).

Tigers Claim Ali Sanchez Off Waivers From Cardinals

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The Tigers have claimed catcher Ali Sanchez off waivers from the Cardinals and optioned him to Triple-A, per the team. In addition, Jacob Barnes was granted his release after clearing waivers.

Sanchez, still just 25 years old, has appeared in the Majors in each of the past two seasons with the Cardinals and Mets, respectively. He has yet to garner more than a dozen appearances, however. Of course, the Cardinals and Mets were both been pot-committed to their starting catcher, whether by performance and pedigree in the case of Yadier Molina or by contract in the case of James McCann. He has posted solid offensive numbers in Triple-A, slashing .255/.333/.409 across 123 plate appearances this season.

Sanchez may find more of an opportunity in Detroit playing behind Tucker Barnhart and Eric Haase, who sees as much time in the outfield and designated hitter now as he does at catcher. Sanchez also has an option remaining, which may put him in front of veteran Dustin Garneau on the short-term call-up list.

As for Barnes, the 32-year-old journeyman is granted free agency after making 22 appearances and posting a 6.10 ERA/5.51 FIP across 20 2/3 innings.

Cardinals Sign Austin Romine To Minors Deal

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The Cardinals announced that catcher Austin Romine has been signed to a minor league contract, and assigned to Triple-A Memphis.  Romine opted out of his previous minors deal with the Angels earlier this month.

With Yadier Molina sidelined due to knee soreness, the Cardinals were in need of some veteran catching depth, given the inexperience of both Andrew Knizner and Ivan Herrera.  Romine will essentially take the place of Ali Sanchez, who had been playing for Triple-A Memphis, but the Cards designated him for assignment two days ago.

After signing with the Angels in March, Romine appeared in three MLB games with the team, briefly filling in when both Max Stassi and Kurt Suzuki were on the COVID list.  Romine was optioned back to Triple-A, and then had the right to exercise an opt-out clause in his contract on June 1 if the Angels hadn’t recalled him back to the majors.

A veteran of 11 MLB seasons, Romine has mostly worked in part-time or backup roles, appearing in 436 games and hitting .238/.276/.357 over 1322 career plate appearances.  The 33-year-old might not be long for the Cardinals organization depending on how quickly Molina is able to return to action, but since Molina might not be back before the All-Star break, Romine will get an opportunity to work at Triple-A and perhaps get another shot on the active roster.

Mike Shildt Interested In Future Managerial Opportunities

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Mike Shildt has worked in a hybrid coaching/player development job for the Padres this season, monitoring the organization’s farm system while occasionally joining the MLB dugout when other coaches are unavailable. It’s a less visible role than his previous position as Cardinals manager, a job he held for three-plus seasons before being fired after the 2021 campaign.

After some time away from the managerial office, Shildt expressed a desire to return to that role in a recent chat with Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’ve won my whole life. I’m more convinced now that I’m ready to manage again and win,” the 53-year-old told Hummel. Shildt conceded he’s “not sure what the market looks like” but added he feels he “more than (deserves) the opportunity to do it.”

As Shildt alluded, the Cardinals had no small amount of success under his watch. St. Louis went 252-199 (55.9% winning percentage) during his tenure, making the postseason in two of his three full seasons. He was named the National League’s Manager of the Year in 2019, and his dismissal registered as a shock after the Cards had reeled off a 17-game win streak down the stretch to land a Wild Card spot. Nevertheless, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak pointed to “philosophical differences” between Shildt and the front office as the reason for going in another direction.

Within days of the manager’s dismissal, reports emerged that Shildt had bristled at the front office’s attempts to more rigorously incorporate analytics into in-game decisions. Katie Woo of the Athletic wrote at the time that the front office’s quiet 2021 trade deadline also “played a role in the growing disconnect” between the front office and the skipper.

In his recent conversation with Hummel, Shildt largely passed on the opportunity to revisit the end of his Cardinals tenure. He conceded the firing is still painful but said he’s “getting beyond it and ready to get back into the fray with the right opportunity.” He declined to elaborate further on the reported disconnect between himself and organizational higher-ups, stating only that “a combination of things happened. … The past is the past. It’s time to move on.”

Shildt will presumably remain in his role with the Friars for at least the rest of this season, but his name figures to be on the radar during next winter’s managerial hunts. He’d reportedly been set to interview in San Diego’s own managerial search last offseason, but Shildt tells Hummel he declined that opportunity.

The Friars eventually poached Bob Melvin from the A’s, a hiring with which they’re surely thrilled after opening the season 41-24. The Cardinals are no doubt happy with how things played out themselves. St. Louis promoted bench coach Oli Marmol and is off to a 37-28 start. The teams hold small leads in their respective divisions entering play Friday.

Cardinals Place Yadier Molina On IL With Knee Soreness

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The Cardinals are planning to place catcher Yadier Molina on the injured list tomorrow, reports Katie Woo of The Athletic. Molina has been battling knee soreness this year and will be sidelined for “at least a few weeks.” Catching prospect Ivan Herrera will be recalled to take his place on the active roster.

Molina, 39, is a career-long Cardinal, having been drafted by the team in the year 2000. In August of last year, he and the team agreed to a one-year, $10MM extension, with Molina announcing the next day that 2022 would be his final season. It hasn’t exactly been the dream season that he and the club likely hoped for, as he has slumped to a .213/.225/.294 batting line on the campaign so far. That amounts to a wRC+ of just 47, though it seems quite likely that the knee issues are having an impact on that, as Woo reports that he’s been dealing with this soreness all year.

According to the report, Molina received multiple cortisone shots last weekend to try and quell the soreness. While the club wanted a 48-hour grace period to let the shots take effect, Molina evidently lobbied his way out of the confines of that timetable. He then caught games on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, though apparently the issue hasn’t abated enough for him to continue playing.

With Molina on the shelf, the Cardinals will now turn to a couple of other options for catching duties, both of which come with unknowns. Andrew Knizner has formed the other part of the club’s catching tandem this year, though hasn’t impressed much, producing a .198/.283/.257 line, 63 wRC+. Woo spoke to Cardinals manager Oli Marmol about Knizner’s disappointing results so far, despite getting more playing time with Molina’s knee issues. “When you’re backing up Yadi in the previous years, that’s tough,” Marmol said. “Now that (Knizner) is actually in there three times a week, four times a week, the expectations are no longer ‘trying to find my timing.’ You’re getting a real opportunity, so the expectations are different. He knows that. Now, he’s just got to get going.”

Joining Knizner on the roster will be Herrera, who is considered by many to be one of the top 100 prospects in baseball by FanGraphs, Keith Law of The Athletic and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. He was briefly called up to the big leagues earlier this year when Molina went on the bereavement list, but got into just one game and didn’t make a plate appearance. Apart from that, he’s spent the year in Triple-A, putting up an impressive .291/.388/.436 line for a 125 wRC+. He’ll now get a proper chance to see if he can carry his skills over to the majors, though it’s quite common for prospects to struggle in their first tastes of major league action, even the highly-regarded ones.

This situation now presents a big unknown for the Cardinals that will need to be resolved in the coming weeks. The club is currently atop the NL Central division standings with a 37-28 record, though it’s far from a secure perch. They are just a game and a half ahead of a Brewers team that is one game behind the Giants for the final Wild Card spot, coming into tonight. With the trade deadline now just six weeks away, the Cards will have to decide if their in-house options are sufficient enough to carry them through the final few months of the season. Of course, much of that will depend on how Molina’s knees recover and how Knizner and Herrera fare over the next stretch of play, though if none of that trio seem capable of taking the job, it’s possible the Cards will have to look for outside help.

Cardinals Activate Jack Flaherty, Designate Ali Sanchez

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The Cardinals announced they’ve reinstated Jack Flaherty from the 60-day injured list. He’s set to make his season debut tonight against the Pirates. In corresponding moves, the Cards optioned lefty Packy Naughton to Triple-A Memphis and designated catcher Ali Sánchez for assignment. Additionally, left-hander Matthew Liberatore has been sent back to Memphis after being added as the 27th man for yesterday’s doubleheader.

Flaherty went down in Spring Training with shoulder bursitis, an issue that required platelet-rich plasma treatment. He was shut down from throwing for a few weeks and the club gradually built him back into game shape once he was healthy enough to pick up a ball. That’s hardly a surprise considering the righty missed a month last season due to a shoulder strain (in addition to an extended absence because of an oblique issue). Flaherty told reporters in March he’s pitched through a small labrum tear for a while.

The 26-year-old has gotten through a brief rehab stint without incident, however, making a start apiece with Double-A Springfield and Memphis. He tossed 59 pitches last Friday, and manager Oli Marmol figures to play things cautiously with his pitch count in the early going. It’s unlikely Flaherty will toss 100+ pitches out of the gate, but he’ll offer an immediate boon nonetheless to a rotation without Steven Matz. The left-hander has been on the injured list since May 23 due to a shoulder impingement, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters yesterday he recently underwent a second cortisone injection to manage continued discomfort (via John Denton of MLB.com).

Flaherty is one of the game’s top starters, owner of a 3.34 ERA in just under 500 career innings. He has punched out a strong 28.7% of opposing batters on the back of an excellent 13.3% swinging strike rate. It was more of the same last season when Flaherty was on the mound, as he pitched to a 3.22 ERA with a 26.4% strikeout percentage across 17 outings. He’ll join Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas and Dakota Hudson among the top four in the starting staff.

Sánchez loses his spot on the 40-man roster to accommodate Flaherty’s return. The 25-year-old backstop has been on the 40-man since being acquired from the Mets in February 2021, but he’s only appeared in two games with the big league club. Sánchez has spent the majority of his time in the organization on optional assignment to Memphis, where he’s hitting .255/.333/.409 through 123 plate appearances this season.

The Cardinals will have a week to trade Sánchez or look to run him through waivers. He’s never been an impact offensive player, but scouting reports praised his defense during his time climbing the New York farm system. He’s in his final option year, so another club could stash him in the upper minors for the rest of the season if they were to devote him a spot on the 40-man roster.

Cardinals Place Corey Dickerson On 10-Day Injured List

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The Cardinals placed outfielder Corey Dickerson on the 10-day injured list due to a left calf strain.  Right-hander Jake Walsh was called up from Triple-A to take the open spot on the active roster, and in another move, Jake Woodford was also optioned back to Triple-A after serving as the 27th man for yesterday’s doubleheader.

Dickerson left the first game of that doubleheader in the second inning, so it isn’t surprising that he’ll now head to the IL.  The injury adds to what has been a rough season for Dickerson, as he has hit only .194/.245/.286 over 106 plate appearances since signing a one-year, $5MM free agent in March.  In a cruel twist of fate, Dickerson’s injury comes just a day after his best performance in a St. Louis uniform, as Dickerson hit his first two home runs of the season in Friday’s 14-5 win over the Cubs.

While Dickerson’s absence leaves the Cardinals more shorthanded in the outfield, Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson could be back from their own IL stints within a few days.  Brendan Donovan has also emerged as a multi-position option, and Lars Nootbaar is on hand to more specifically fill Dickerson’s role as a left-handed complement within a largely right-handed lineup.  Tommy Edman could also factor into the outfield picture when not playing shortstop, and Albert Pujols could get more DH at-bats against right-handed pitching while Dickerson is out.

Braves Claim Kramer Robertson From Cardinals

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The Braves announced that they have claimed infielder Kramer Robertson off waivers from the Cardinals and optioned him to Triple-A. To make room on the 40-man roster, outfielder Eddie Rosario was transferred to the 60-day IL.

A fourth round selection of the Cards in the 2017 draft, Robertson worked his way up to the bigs mostly by taking walks, as well as stealing a few bases. This year, in 38 Triple-A games, he’s walked in 19.3% of his plate appearances, producing a slash line of .220/.398/.371, 120 wRC+, along with 12 steals. He was able to make his MLB debut with the Cards but got into just two games, getting only a single plate appearance, which resulted in an RBI groundout.

Robertson’s played second, third and short at Triple-A this year, meaning he’ll provide some infield depth for the Braves. The club has Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley as their regulars and Orlando Arcia as the primary bench infielder. Robertson will likely be jockeying with Joe Dunand, himself a recent waiver claim, to be the next call-up whenever the need arises.

As for Rosario, it was announced in late April that he was undergoing a laser procedure to deal with “blurred vision and swelling in the right retina.” The expected recovery timeline for that procedure was listed as 8-12 weeks, which would likely mean Rosario won’t be returning before July. With today’s transfer, he won’t be eligible to return until 60 days from the initial IL placement, which would be late June. Though he recently started hitting in a cage, per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he’s not on pace to return in the next few weeks, making today’s transaction a mere formality.

Injury Notes: deGrom, Muncy, Heaney, Flaherty, Dickerson

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Jacob deGrom hit a notable checkpoint in his injury recovery today, as the Mets ace threw a 19-pitch bullpen session.  GM Billy Eppler told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) that deGrom threw only fastballs of “moderate intensity,” and deGrom will continue to build up his arm strength and readiness with more bullpen sessions in the coming days.

Between the planned program of these bullpens, live batting practice, and then 3-5 rehab starts in the minors, deGrom is tentatively scheduled to make his season debut in July.  This timeline is still fluid, of course, given how today’s bullpen session marked the very first time deGrom has even pitched off a mound since March.  Between a forearm issue that prematurely ended his 2021 season and then a stress reaction in his right shoulder during Spring Training, deGrom hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since July 7, 2021.

More on other injury situations around baseball…

  • Max Muncy and Andrew Heaney began rehab assignments with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, with both veterans in tonight’s starting lineup.  Muncy was only played on the 10-day IL on May 28, and given how he has been playing with a partial UCL tear since last October, it is a very promising sign to see him already on a rehab assignment, though it isn’t know how many games Muncy will play in Triple-A.  Heaney seems likely to receive multiple rehab starts considering his longer stint on the injured list, as shoulder discomfort sidelined the left-handed back on April 20.
  • Jack Flaherty is also set to start his own rehab assignment, as the Cardinals right-hander is scheduled to pitch Sunday for Double-A Springfield.  Cards manager Oliver Marmol told MLB.com’s John Denton and other reporters that Flaherty will throw 40-45 pitches, and depending on his status following that outing, will then throw either 40-45 pitches or 55-60 pitches in his next rehab start.  Shoulder problems have plagued Flaherty in each of the last two seasons, and he has yet to pitch in 2022 due to inflammation in his right shoulder during Spring Training.
  • In other St. Louis injury news, Corey Dickerson made an early exit from the first game of the Cardinals’ doubleheader with the Cubs.  Dickerson was replaced in right field prior to the bottom of the second inning due to left calf discomfort, and it isn’t clear if the injury was triggered by anything in the game, as Dickerson had yet to make a play in the field or take an at-bat.  After signing a one-year, $5MM free agent deal with St. Louis in March, Dickerson has hit only .194/.245/.286 in his first 106 plate appearances, though he is coming off his best game of the season — Dickerson hit his first two home runs of 2022 in the Cardinals’ 14-5 victory over the Cubs on Friday.
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