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Latest On Kolten Wong

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3:22pm: Wong asked the Post-Dispatch to clarify his earlier comments and emphasized that he’d like to remain a Cardinal. Wong’s full statement is available at this link. Here’s an excerpt:

“I’m not trying to sell my self to any other team. My play speaks for itself and what kind of player I can be. I want to be that player for the Cardinals. If the worst-case scenario comes down, I understand there are a lot of good guys on this team right now. If it’s my time to get moved, it’s my time to get moved. But at the end of the day, I want to be a Cardinal. And that’s the most important thing.”

1:35pm: With Jhonny Peralta set to open the season as the Cardinals’ third baseman, they’ll need to find a place for Jedd Gyorko, who swatted a team-high 30 home runs in 2016. Gyorko could wind up at second base, where the right-handed hitter would platoon with the lefty-swinging Kolten Wong, though the latter made it clear Sunday that he wants no part of a timeshare.

Asked if he’d rather the Cardinals trade him than use him as a part-time player, Wong told Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “One hundred percent. I don’t want to be here wasting my time. I know what kind of player I am. If I don’t have the belief here, then I’ll go somewhere else.”

Wong hasn’t requested a trade – notably, the Cardinals rebuffed at least one interested suitor during the winter – and he indicated he’ll “be ready to do what I gotta do to help the team win.” Still, Wong’s frustrated that the Cardinals might not follow through on general manager John Mozeliak’s offseason plan to get him more second base time this year. In fairness to the Redbirds, though, Wong hasn’t necessarily established himself as a full-time-caliber player since debuting in the majors in 2013. The 26-year-old owns a modest .248/.309/.370 batting line in 1,469 plate appearances, including an even worse .247/.290/.327 in 336 PAs versus same-handed pitchers, and is coming off a year which featured a demotion to Triple-A. Plus, it would behoove the Cardinals to find at-bats for Gyorko, the better offensive player.

While Wong has underwhelmed at the plate, that hasn’t been the case at the keystone, where he has totaled 19 Defensive Runs Saved and put up a 9.0 Ultimate Zone Rating in the majors. Wong’s cognizant of the value he has provided the Cardinals in the field.

“On defense, I’m one of the best second basemen in the league,” he declared. “I believe that and I know that.”

Both Mozeliak and manager Mike Matheny agree with Wong, having heaped praise on his defensive skills during the offseason. Of course, Mozeliak was responsible for giving Wong  a five-year, $25.5MM extension last March. Wong addressed that deal Sunday and wondered aloud whether he’ll finish the contract in St. Louis, per Frederickson. Regardless, he believes the pact entitles him to a longer leash.

“When you are given a contract, you are expected to get a chance to work through some things and figure yourself out,” he said. “Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, all these guys never figured their stuff out until later on down the road. It’s the big leagues. It’s tough, man. For me, the biggest thing is I just need people to have my back. When that comes, it will be good. But, I think right now, it’s just staying with my play, understanding I’m working toward getting myself more consistent, understanding what kind of player I can be. If that’s going to be with another team, so be it.”

Despite Wong’s displeasure with his current situation, he noted he doesn’t “want to come off as being like bitter or anything” and credited Gyorko for an “amazing” 2016.

Latest On Yadier Molina Extension Talks

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SUNDAY: The Cardinals are “prepared to make a significant offer to keep” Molina in the fold, according to chairman Bill Dewitt Jr. (via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). “We’d love to have him stay,” Dewitt added. While Molina “would love to stay,” he noted that there are “too many catchers making more money” than him (though only Buster Posey, Russell Martin and Brian McCann have higher salaries among backstops). On whether the Redbirds would be willing to make Molina the majors’ highest-paid catcher, Dewitt stated: “He would certainly be one of the highest-paid catchers. Part of that is (annual average value), part of it is length. That all factors into what he ends up looking for and what makes sense for the club.”

SATURDAY: Yadier Molina has set Opening Day as the deadline to reach a contract extension with the Cardinals, the catcher tells MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch (Twitter links) and other reporters.  Like most players, Molina doesn’t want to be distracted by negotiations dragging on into the season.  If a new deal isn’t reached, the longtime St. Louis star said he isn’t afraid to hit the open market.

The two sides began preliminary talks about a new deal over a month ago, and Cards GM John Mozeliak said last week that the team would be open to continuing discussions into the season, since the Cardinals “are not a deadline organization, historically.”  It seems as if the Cardinals are trying to be as flexible as possible in handling Molina’s extension case, perhaps a wise tactic when determining the future production of a workhorse catcher who turns 35 in July.

Molina has already signed two extensions with the Cardinals during his career, and is entering the last guaranteed season of a five-year, $75MM pact.  (That deal contains a $15MM mutual option for 2018 with a $2MM buyout, though like most mutual options, it seems quite unlikely to be exercised.)  It’s hard to argue that the catcher hasn’t been worth that investment, as Molina has hit .296/.341/.412 since the start of the 2013 season while generating 12.1 fWAR and has continued to provide his customary strong defense behind the plate.  While Molina’s performance dipped a bit in 2015, he bounced back to hit .307/.360/.427 over 581 PA last season.

While the Cardinals have extended certain veteran stars (such as Molina himself and Adam Wainwright) rather than letting them test free agent waters, the club has also been willing to let franchise icons leave — i.e. Albert Pujols — if it feels the cost will be too prohibitive.  While Molina obviously won’t require nearly as massive a commitment as Pujols, there aren’t many catchers who have remained both healthy and productive enough to merit an eight-figure annual salary into their mid-to-late 30’s.

Molina, for his part, tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other reporters that he isn’t close to the end of his career.  “I’ve still got many years in the tank.  Believe me,” Molina said.  “I feel great.  I feel like a 20-year-old kid.”  Molina’s remarkable durability notwithstanding, the Cardinals could explore extending Molina and then using him at first base in future years to keep him fresh and to ease top prospect Carson Kelly into catching duties.

NL Notes: Cubs, Padres, Cardinals, Dodgers

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Unlike last season, when he took nearly three weeks to accept a summer demotion to Triple-A, Cubs infielder Tommy La Stella would be willing to head to the minors without incident this year, according to manager Joe Maddon (via Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago). A season-opening role with Triple-A Iowa is a possibility for La Stella, who’s battling outfielder Matt Szczur for the Cubs’ final bench spot. Szczur is the only one of the two who’s out of options, which could bode poorly for La Stella. The Cubs “haven’t decided everything or anything yet,” per Maddon, but he believes Szczur is a major league-caliber player and an ideal teammate.

More from the National League:

  • Yangervis Solarte (second base) and non-roster invitee Erick Aybar (shortstop) are likely to open the season as the Padres’ double-play combination, manager Andy Green suggested to Owen Perkins of MLB.com on Saturday. Solarte has spent the majority of his career at third base, but he also has experience at the keystone. His move across the diamond will open up the hot corner for a combo of Ryan Schimpf, who emerged from anonymity to hit 20 home runs as a 28-year-old rookie last season, and Cory Spangenberg. Aybar, meanwhile, has long been a capable shortstop, but he endured a poor 2016 split between Atlanta and Detroit and then settled for a minor league deal with the Padres last month. Nevertheless, the 33-year-old has impressed Green. “Erick’s done a lot of things we really like in camp so far,” said Green. “I enjoy the type of person he is, the way his mind works, the way he’s hit the ball around the yard.”
  • Career minor leaguer Jose Martinez has won the Cardinals’ fourth outfielder spot, leading the team to demote Tommy Pham to Triple-A Memphis. This is the second straight year the Cardinals have chosen an untested 28-year-old for a reserve outfielder role. Jeremy Hazelbaker, now with the Diamondbacks, unexpectedly emerged last spring and then slashed a useful .235/.295/.480 with 12 homers in 224 plate appearances as a rookie. Martinez, a .324/.392/.483 hitter in 885 Triple-A plate trips, has mashed this spring en route to a roster spot. Pham hasn’t, further influencing St. Louis’ decision, but he does own a quality .245/.333/.455 line in 358 major league PAs.
  • As of earlier this week, the Dodgers considered outfielder Andre Ethier doubtful for Opening Day on account of a “mild” herniated disk in his lower back. It now appears Ethier’s a lock to miss the beginning of the season, as the soon-to-be 35-year-old won’t resume baseball activities until the first week of April, tweets Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times. The Dodgers don’t consider Ethier’s injury a serious one, though. “I think it’s actually a good sign,” said manager Dave Roberts. “It’s not a six- to eight-week thing as I understand it” (Twitter link via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register).

NL Notes: Peralta, Aybar, Padres’ Pen, Bradley, Goeddel, Susac

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Cardinals manager Mike Matheny suggested Friday that Jhonny Peralta, not Jedd Gyorko, will win the team’s third base job, according to Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s looked as good as we had hoped,” Matheny said of the 34-year-old Peralta, who dealt with a thumb injury last season and slashed a modest .260/.307/.408 in 313 plate appearances. Gyorko posted far superior production last year, when he hit .243/.306/.495 with a team-high 30 home runs in 438 PAs. Nevertheless, it appears he’ll open 2017 as a frequently used utilityman — a role he’s better suited for than Peralta.

Here’s more on some roster situations around the National League:

  • It seems that Erick Aybar currently holds the inside track to the Padres’ starting shortstop job, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. Aybar hasn’t hit much this spring — he’s slashing .273/.319/.318 through 16 games — but seems to be the logical solution barring a trade. Luis Sardinas, meanwhile, is competing for a spot as a utility player, per manager Andy Green. He has spent some time in left field in a bid to enhance his versatility, and will seemingly be jockeying with options such as Cory Spangenberg and Rule 5 pick Allen Cordoba.
  • Meanwhile, the Padres are still sorting through a variety of bullpen options, as AJ Cassavell of MLB.com writes. Rule 5’er Miguel Diaz seems to be well-positioned, while either Trevor Cahill or Jarred Cosart will also likely crack the pen if either fails to make the rotation. (The odds of both functioning as starters increased, it seems, with an injury to Christian Friedrich.) Veterans Craig Stammen, Carter Capps, and Kevin Quackenbush are among the notable names also in the running. Capps seems unlikely to be ready in time, per Cassavell, while Quackenbush’s poor showing in camp could result in an assignment to Triple-A.
  • The division-rival Diamondbacks have settled on their own starting five, as MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports. That grouping — Zack Greinke, Taijuan Walker, Robbie Ray, Shelby Miller, and Patrick Corbin — contains no surprises, but manager Torey Lovullo did note an interesting decision on another hurler. Former top prospect Archie Bradley will open the year in the major league bullpen. The 24-year-old has struggled in his MLB opportunities over the past two seasons and has allowed 13 earned runs on 23 hits over 14 2/3 innings this spring. While he could still factor as a long-term rotation possibility — Bradley has produced quality results of late at Triple-A — the club will see whether the move to a relief role helps spur some positive momentum.
  • When the Phillies optioned outfielder Tyler Goeddel to minor league camp Friday, they informed him he’d likely start 2017 at the Double-A level, writes Matt Breen of Philly.com. Considering he spent all of last season in the majors, Goeddel isn’t thrilled with his multi-level demotion. “I’m not too happy about that but you can’t control it,” said Goeddel, who hit a meager .192/.258/.291 in 234 PAs as a Rule 5 pick in 2016. With Nick Williams, Roman Quinn and Dylan Cozens set to comprise the Phillies’ Triple-A outfield, there aren’t any openings for Goeddel at that level. Regarding those three, Goeddel stated: “I know who’s at Triple-A with Cozens, Williams and Quinn. But I was still surprised. They hadn’t really told me anything so it was definitely surprising.”
  • A neck issue has kept Brewers catcher Andrew Susac out of action for the past week-plus, but an MRI on Friday revealed no structural damage to his trapezius, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Susac will be able to ramp up his rehab as a result, though he’ll still start the year on the disabled list. Milwaukee will open with Jett Bandy and Manny Pina as its top options behind the plate.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/22/17

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Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • The Braves released southpaw Matt Marksberry, according to the pitcher himself earlier this week on his Facebook page.  Marksberry posted a 5.06 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 1.35 K/BB rate over 26 2/3 innings with Atlanta from 2015-16.  He suffered a severe health scare last fall when he was placed in a medically-induced coma following a seizure that caused a collapsed lung, though Marksberry appears to be recovering well from that terrifying situation.
  • The Cardinals signed righty Josh Zeid to a minor league deal, as per Zeid himself via Twitter.  Zeid pitched 48 1/3 innings out of the Astros bullpen in 2013-14, after joining the organization as part of the trade package sent by Philadelphia to Houston for Hunter Pence in July 2011.  Zeid spent 2015 and 2016 in the minors with the Tigers and Mets, respectively, and he most recently pitched for Israel in the World Baseball Classic.
  • Outfielder David Denson announced his retirement from baseball via a message on his Facebook page.  Denson made history in 2015 when he became the first active player in affiliated baseball to publicly announce that he was gay, and he tells Tom Haudricourt and Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that “leaving the game has nothing to do with my coming out.  That wasn’t a factor at all.  This was a decision I made purely from a baseball standpoint.”  Instead, Denson said that he simply lost his passion for playing the game.  Denson was a 15th-round pick of the Brewers in the 2013 draft, and he hit .229/.338/.368 over 1269 career plate appearances, making it to the High-A level in Milwaukee’s farm system.
  • The Blue Jays released outfielder Jacob Anderson, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  Toronto picked Anderson out of high school with the 35th overall selection of the 2011 draft, though he only made it as high as A-ball in five pro seasons, managing a .204/.271/.302 slash line.

Rotation Notes: Royals, Cardinals, Padres

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The Royals have named Nate Karns their fifth starter, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star writes (Twitter links). That means veterans Travis Wood and Chris Young will pitch out of the bullpen. Karns joins a rotation that also includes Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Jason Hammel and Jason Vargas. Karns, who arrived in a winter trade for Jarrod Dyson, posted a 5.15 ERA and 4.3 BB/9 with the Mariners last year, but with a reasonably promising 9.6 K/9 over 94 1/3 innings. The potential to compete for a rotation spot was a key reason Wood agreed to a two-year, $12MM deal with the Royals over the offseason, but it appears he’ll instead pitch in relief, a role in which he had success as a member of the Cubs in both 2015 and 2016. Here’s more on rotations throughout the game.

  • Manager Mike Matheny confirms that Michael Wacha will serve as the Cardinals’ fifth starter, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Wacha appeared to have the inside track on the job after the team lost top prospect Alex Reyes to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Joining Wacha in the rotation will be Carlos Martinez, Adam Wainwright, Mike Leake and Lance Lynn. The loss of Reyes and the injury situations of a number of pitchers (including Wacha, Tyler Lyons and Marco Gonzales) leave the Cardinals with somewhat depleted depth. Lynn, who is pitching without restrictions as he returns from his own Tommy John surgery, says he’s aiming to reliably make his starts and accumulate innings. “If you set yourself below that, why take the ball?” he says.
  • The Padres face a different problem as they attempt to assemble their 2017 rotation, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes. Veterans Jhoulys Chacin, Jered Weaver and Clayton Richard have nailed down rotation spots, leaving two open. Of the five remaining starters competing, though, three (Jarred Cosart, Christian Friedrich and Paul Clemens) are out of options, limiting the club’s flexibility. One or two of those pitchers could head to the bullpen (although sending two potential starters to the bullpen would create a different set of roster questions), and Friedrich, who’s dealing with arm soreness, could be placed on the DL. Still, it’s possible the Padres could end up with a starting pitcher or two on the waiver wire as the season opens. Luis Perdomo, meanwhile, led the Padres in innings pitched last year, but he’s eligible to be optioned, so he might head to Triple-A El Paso.

Pitching Notes: Cardinals, Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers

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The Cardinals have tabbed Michael Wacha to begin the season as their fifth starter, tweets Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. That’s not particularly surprising, as St. Louis optioned one of Wacha’s competitors, Luke Weaver, to Triple-A on Saturday after he showed poorly over five spring training innings. The other contender for the Redbirds’ last starting role, former closer Trevor Rosenthal, fell behind the 8-ball when he dealt with right lat muscle soreness earlier this month. Barring an injury, the other four-fifths of the Cardinals’ season-opening rotation will consist of Carlos Martinez, Adam Wainwright, Mike Leake and Lance Lynn.

  • Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright finally seems to be putting his long bout with right shoulder bursitis behind him, writes Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. Wright, a 2016 All-Star whose season ended in August after he injured his shoulder as a pinch-runner, threw three hitless innings against the Twins on Saturday. The 32-year-old indicated afterward that he’s “in good position to be ready for Opening Day.”
  • Ernesto Frieri served as a more-than-capable reliever with the Padres and Angels from 2010-13, when he combined for a 2.79 ERA, 12.28 K/9 and 4.36 BB/9 over 229 1/3 innings, before he flamed out over the next two seasons with the Halos, Pirates and Rays. After taking 2016 off to repair his mechanics, the 31-year-old Frieri believes he’s poised for a career renaissance with the Yankees, per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. “Before, I was a thrower,” Frieri said Saturday. “I’d just throw fastballs and I got away with that, too. But I had that deception. And now I have that deception back.” Frieri, who’s attempting to make the Yankees’ roster after signing a minor league contract Thursday, threw two scoreless innings for Colombia during the World Baseball Classic and touched 95 mph. His average fastball velocity in 2015 was 91.2.
  • Rangers right-hander Tyson Ross will throw live batting practice for the first time this year on Wednesday, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Ross, who’s on the mend from October surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, “has met all checkpoints on time or early so far,” Grant adds. The expectation when the Rangers signed Ross in January was that he’d be ready for major league action by May or June.

Cafardo’s Latest: Norris, Marlins, Kendrick

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In his weekly notes column for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo explores the possibility of a Cubs/Red Sox World Series while also sharing some hot stove items…

  • The Cardinals may have some interest in Derek Norris.  St. Louis currently has Eric Fryer penciled into the backup catcher role, with prospect Carson Kelly waiting in the wings at Triple-A.  Norris has received interest from multiple teams (including the Rays) since being released by the Nationals earlier this week, so he could prefer to sign somewhere that can offer him a clearer shot at a starting job, rather than settling for a role as Yadier Molina’s understudy.
  • According to scouts Cafardo has spoken to, Norris would be best served by avoiding the Cardinals and other NL teams in order to stay in the American League.  The general consensus among Cafardo’s sources is that Norris isn’t much of a defender, so playing for an AL team would allow him to take the field as a DH.  The scouts do praise Norris’ work ethic and leadership abilities, on the plus side.
  • The Marlins are looking for third base help in the wake of Martin Prado’s hamstring injury, and Cafardo suggests that Brett Lawrie could be a fit.  There isn’t any suggestion that Miami is specifically targeting Lawrie, though it makes sense that the team is doing its due diligence on third base options.  Prado is undergoing an MRI today to determine the severity of his hamstring issue.  Lawrie isn’t healthy himself, as he is looking to fully recover from a lower-body injury before signing a new contract.  The Marlins already have the left-handed hitting Derek Dietrich to fill in at third, so if the team did need depth in the event of an extended DL stint for Prado, a righty bat like Lawrie would make sense for platoon purposes (though utilityman Miguel Rojas is also on hand).
  • Along with his previously reported June 15 opt-out date, Red Sox right-hander Kyle Kendrick will also have a chance to exit his contract Aug. 15.  Kendrick signed a minor league deal in January, but he has since become a legitimate contender to serve as the Red Sox’s sixth starter at the outset of the season. The 32-year-old last pitched in the majors in 2015, when he started in all 27 of his appearances with the Rockies and logged an ugly 6.32 ERA in 142 1/3 innings.

NL Notes: Cardinals, Giants, Braves, Rockies

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Right-hander Luke Weaver entered spring training with a chance to win the last spot in the Cardinals’ rotation, but that bid officially ended when they optioned him to Triple-A on Saturday. Weaver dealt with back spasms earlier this month and performed poorly when on the mound.  In five spring innings, the 23-year-old allowed seven earned runs on seven hits and eight walks, and struck out only one hitter. Michael Wacha has fared much better, meanwhile, and taken hold of the No. 5 role as a result, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It seems Trevor Rosenthal will begin the year in the bullpen, then, though the Cards aren’t yet sure how they’ll use him. Both a long relief role and a “hybrid high-leverage job” are on the table for the former closer, per Goold.

More on St. Louis and three other National League clubs:

  • After sitting out nearly all of last season and then settling for a minor league contract with the Giants in December, Michael Morse could be hitting his way to a job as a bench player with the team. Regarding Morse, who has slashed .308/.400/.615 in 26 spring at-bats, manager Bruce Bochy said Friday (via Chris Haft of MLB.com), “If the bat plays, you find a place for him.” Morse had only lined up at first base this spring until he manned left field Friday, leading Bochy to note that “he needs more time out there.” It’s possible the right-handed Morse will end up platooning with lefty-swinging left fielder Jarrett Parker, writes Haft. The 34-year-old Morse realizes he’s not exactly an ideal fit for the outfield, though. “It was fun. It was like riding a bike … with two flat tires,” he quipped after playing left Friday (Twitter link via Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area).
  • Although the Cardinals’ Matt Adams has only seen action at first base since debuting in 2012, the club will give him some left field work on the back fields of its minor league complex Saturday, tweets Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. St. Louis is “curious” to see how Adams will look in the outfield, adds Langosch. With Matt Carpenter taking over at first, Adams doesn’t appear likely to receive much playing time at his typical position this season. The fact that Adams slimmed down over the winter could help make him an outfield candidate, though the Redbirds already have everyday-caliber corner options in Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk.
  • There’s “nothing happening” right now between the Braves and free agent outfielder Angel Pagan, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). The Braves have reportedly made “multiple” attempts to sign Pagan, who’s among the best free agents still on the board, though he’s holding out for a higher offer.
  • Rockies left fielder David Dahl is making progress in his recovery from a ribcage injury and could “increase activity” soon, manager Bud Black told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Dahl was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his sixth rib 12 days ago, and the Rockies said at the time they’d re-evaluate him in two weeks. The highly promising 22-year-old has only taken four at-bats this spring.

Jordan Schafer To Undergo Elbow Surgery

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FRIDAY: Fortunately, Schafer was able to receive the repair procedure rather than requiring a full ligament replacement, as MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reports. That leaves him with an approximately seven-month rehab timeline. While he won’t be able to pitch this season regardless, Schafer will have much more time to show he’s back to health before seeking his next opportunity.

TUESDAY: Cardinals left-hander Jordan Schafer, who is in his second season of pitching after opening his career as an outfielder, is headed for elbow surgery, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. It’s not yet clear whether he’ll need Tommy John surgery or the less-invasive “primary repair” procedure (the same operation that former Cardinals righty Seth Maness underwent last August), though either operation would end Schafer’s season.

An MRI taken this weak revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament in Schafer’s left elbow, per Goold, and Dr. George Paletta will determine upon cutting into Schafer’s arm which operation he will receive. (As Goold explained in reporting on the primary repair operation earlier this winter, candidates cannot yet be identified until the procedure is underway, as it’s largely dependent on the extent of and location of the tear.)

The 30-year-old Schafer had been attempting to make the Cardinals’ roster as an outfielder/reliever and had pitched 3 2/3 innings this spring in addition to making seven plate appearances. As Goold notes, Schafer making the team was contingent on how well hit pitched. Schafer felt something in his forearm in each of his final two pitching appearances this spring but attempted to pitch through the discomfort in hopes of making the Cardinals’ roster.

Once a well-regarded outfield prospect in the Braves organization, Schafer is a .228/.308/.307 hitter through 1472 plate appearances between Atlanta, Houston and Minnesota. Though he hasn’t hit much in the Majors, Schafer offers well-above-average speed and can play anywhere in the outfield, so adding relief work to his resume would’ve made him an interesting and uniquely versatile reserve piece for the Cards. In 49 1/3 minor league innings with the Dodgers last season, Schafer pitched to a 3.83 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9. Opposing lefties batted just .189/.267/.396 against him in 61 plate appearances.

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