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Cardinals Notes: Wainwright, Stanton

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  • More on the Cardinals, whose refusal to match the Angels’ 10-year, $240MM offer to St. Louis icon Albert Pujols in 2011 is a sign that they won’t pursue a trade for Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Post-Dispatch reasons. Stanton is a potential trade candidate who’s due $295MM from 2018-28, and that enormous commitment could cause a mid-level payroll team like the Cards to shy away. Indeed, Mozeliak expressed wariness toward Stanton-like contracts to Ortiz, saying: “When evaluating long-term investments you have to understand the impact on the out years and not simply on the day it’s signed. These types of investments tend to have a lot of risk or downside.” Chairman Bill Dewitt Jr. offered a similar sentiment. “As you can see, some of the long-term free agent contracts don’t really work out toward the end,” Dewitt said. “Clubs wish they hadn’t done them. We can afford a payroll that is very competitive and in the top third, which is where our revenues are, and that’s the way we look at it.”
  • The Cardinals placed righty Adam Wainwright on the DL on Thursday with an elbow impingement, but president John Mozeliak is “optimistic” the former ace will pitch again this season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. However, it’s uncertain whether Wainwright will reclaim a spot in the team’s rotation if he does return in 2017. “I think how he’s used will really be dictated by where he’s at,” Mozeliak said. “Prior to his last outing, he indicated to us that the more he threw the better he felt. That would indicate that it would be very difficult to be used in a short-reliever role, then the other relief roles — would he be able to go back-to-back and get hot?” Wainwright received a platement-rich plasma injection Friday and won’t throw for 10 to 14 days. Luke Weaver will slot into St. Louis’ Wainwright-less rotation for the time being.
  • More on the Cardinals, whose refusal to match the Angels’ 10-year, $240MM offer to St. Louis icon Albert Pujols in 2011 is a sign that they won’t pursue a trade for Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Post-Dispatch reasons. Stanton is a potential trade candidate who’s due $295MM from 2018-28, and that enormous commitment could cause a mid-level payroll team like the Cards to shy away. Indeed, Mozeliak expressed wariness toward Stanton-like contracts to Ortiz, saying: “When evaluating long-term investments you have to understand the impact on the out years and not simply on the day it’s signed. These types of investments tend to have a lot of risk or downside.” Chairman Bill Dewitt Jr. offered a similar sentiment. “As you can see, some of the long-term free agent contracts don’t really work out toward the end,” Dewitt said. “Clubs wish they hadn’t done them. We can afford a payroll that is very competitive and in the top third, which is where our revenues are, and that’s the way we look at it.”

Cardinals Select Josh Lucas' Contract

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  • The Cardinals have announced that they’ve selected the contract of righty Josh Lucas, optioning fellow righty Mike Mayers (who allowed five runs against Pittsburgh yesterday) to Triple-A Memphis to clear space. The 26-year-old Lucas is a former 21st-round pick and took a slow path through the minors, but he’s generally fared well since converting to relief in 2014, and this year he’s posted a 3.34 ERA, 10.3 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 56 2/3 innings with Memphis.

Cardinals Thought They Were Going To Sign David Price In 2015-16 Offseason

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  • In the 2015-16 offseason, the Cardinals thought they were going to land David Price, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes. The Cards had reportedly offered Price $180MM, and they were located relatively near the Nashville area, where Price grew up. “We felt there were some synergies in his being a Cardinal — his Nashville roots, [and] he had made it fairly public that we were a team of interest,” says Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.” The Red Sox increased their offer to $217MM, and Price also says he liked the Red Sox’ young talent as compared to the Cardinals’. Price headed to Boston, and the Cards signed Mike Leake at a considerably lower price. As it turns out, the Cardinals’ miss on Price (who is currently on the DL with elbow trouble) turned out fairly well for them. “When I look at our organization, our pitching depth today is much stronger than it was in ’15,” says Mozeliak. “Those are always difficult negotiations and tough decisions that you do agonize over, trying to decide what’s best because of the long-term ramifications of what it could mean to your franchise. It could be quite punitive if it doesn’t work out.”

Trevor Rosenthal Seeking Second Opinion For Ligament Issue

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TODAY: A surgical approach is on the table for Rosenthal, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports on Twitter. Rosenthal is set to receive a second opinion on how best to deal with the “stability of his ligament,” per the report.

It certainly sounds as if a Tommy John procedure is at least a possibility. Even if it isn’t ultimately pursued, a rehab course for UCL damage typically involves a fairly lengthy rest and rehab program. Were Rosenthal to require TJ surgery, he’d almost certainly be non-tendered this fall; 2018 is his final season of arbitration eligibility. And avoiding the knife would still seemingly leave it uncertain whether he’ll be able to return this season.

YESTERDAY: The Cardinals have placed reliever Trevor Rosenthal on the 10-day DL with what the team is calling right posterior elbow irritation, per an announcement. Young righty Luke Weaver has been recalled to take his spot on the active roster.

Rosenthal had recently regained the team’s closer role, turning in quality results as the Cards surged in the standings. But the hard-throwing righty left last night’s outing after exhibiting diminished velocity, with indications at the time that he was experiencing tightness in his pitching arm.

The 27-year-old hurler has turned in a bounceback year after a rough 2016 campaign that was marred by arm problems. Through 47 2/3 innings to date, he carries a 3.40 ERA and has racked up 14.3 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9. Rosenthal has not only reversed last year’s walk problems, but has worked at a career-high 98.9 mph and generated a personal-best 15.9% swinging-strike rate.

While any elbow problems are of concern, the outlook on Rosenthal remains unclear at this point. Certainly, the Cardinals will hope that he can recover after a relatively brief DL stint and return to the pen down the stretch.

After all, St. Louis remains in the hunt for the NL Central title and it’s a difficult time to find a quality replacement via trade. The team could return Seung-hwan Oh to closing duties, give lefty Tyler Lyons a shot, or utilize a committee to finish out games. Internal solutions will still leave the club down a late-inning arm, though Weaver certainly represents a quality new addition to the unit.

Cardinals Place Adam Wainwright On 10-Day DL

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The Cardinals have placed righty Adam Wainwright on the 10-day DL with an elbow impingement, as MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reports on Twitter and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had previously indicated (Twitter links). He’ll be replaced on the roster by righty Mike Mayers.

It isn’t yet clear just how serious the issue is for the veteran Wainwright, who had exhibited a concerning velocity loss of late. The 35-year-old has battled with some back issues recently, too, though this new problem is perhaps of greater concern. Wainwright has been knocked around while failing to touch 90 mph with his fastball in his past two outings.

For now, the Cards appear set to lean on Luke Weaver in Wainwright’s stead. The impressive young righty makes for quite the insurance policy: he has briefly contributed at the majors in each of the past two seasons while dominating in the upper minors. But that doesn’t mean the loss won’t tell, particularly with Trevor Rosenthal also just going on the DL with elbow troubles of his own. St. Louis will not be able to utilize Weaver in a relief role to help make up for the loss of its closer.

Mayers, 25, has minimal experience at the game’s highest level. He has been rather productive in the upper minors over the last two seasons, though. This year, over 99 frames at Triple-A (including 15 starts and ten relief appearances), Mayers carries a 3.36 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9.

Wainwright Traveling To St. Louis For Arm Exam

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  • Adam Wainwright is on his way back to St. Louis to have his arm examined by Cardinals team physicians, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Wainwright allowed five runs in three innings yesterday and has been plagued by persistent pain in his elbow when pitching. MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch notes that Wainwright hasn’t reached 90 mph in either of his past two starts and has yielded nine runs on 15 hits and nine walks with just one strikeout in his past 11 innings (Twitter link). Wainwright recently spent a bit more than two weeks on the disabled list due to a back injury.

Tommy Pham, A Long-Term Piece For The Cardinals?

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  • Tommy Pham’s breakout season has been an enormous boost for the Cardinals, though Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders if the Cards see Pham as a big part of their future.  Dexter Fowler obviously isn’t going anywhere thanks to his big contract, while Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk are still important future pieces, though both have struggled and spent time in the minors this year. (Piscotty, of course, is also locked up in a contract extension.)  Hochman suggests that Pham could be a big trade chip for the Cardinals in the offseason, which is certainly true given Pham’s excellent performance and his four remaining years of team control.  In my opinion, I’d say that Pham is too valuable for the Cards to deal for anything less than a huge return, especially given the uncertainty around Piscotty and Grichuk.

Cardinals Unlikely To Make Big Upgrade On August Trade Market

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  • The Cardinals are comfortable with their outfield and will not be pursuing Jay Bruce-type trades in the August market, GM Mike Girsch tells MLB Network Radio (on Twitter). (Bruce himself, of course, is no longer available after being traded to Cleveland, but Girsch is saying the Cardinals do not intend to pursue that sort of player.) Girsch says the Cardinals remain open to making trades, as one might expect. But, he adds, “Realistically, making meaningful upgrades in August is a challenge.”

Cardinals Interested In Adding To Bullpen

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The Brewers have gone a horrid 9-17 since the All-Star break, yet they’re still only two games behind the Cubs for the National League Central lead. As such, general manager David Stearns remains on the hunt for potential upgrades, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The Brewers “are constantly monitoring the waiver wire,” revealed Stearns, who’s optimistic that he’ll be able to add outside help in the coming weeks. “I wouldn’t put it as a definite, but I certainly think it is a possibility that between now and the end of August we are able to pull something off,” he said. Milwaukee is specifically looking to breathe life into its sputtering offense, according to McCalvy, which aligns with their reported interest in Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler. The veteran might not even make it to the Brewers via waivers, though, and McCalvy relays that the team has failed in its attempts to add players via claims this month. When the Brewers have claimed players, clubs ahead of them in the waiver pecking order have either beaten them to the punch or the players’ teams pulled them back.

More from the NL:

  • In an effort to put a disastrous 2017 behind them and return to relevance next year, the Giants could make big offseason changes, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Manager Bruce Bochy admitted that the Giants must add to their offense, telling Nightengale, “We really need a big bopper in that lineup, just to take the pressure off everybody else.’’ In response, Nightengale lists free agents-to-be J.D. Martinez and Jay Bruce as potential targets for the outfielder-needy Giants. The club could also explore trades involving the likes of first baseman Brandon Belt and second baseman Joe Panik, relays Nightengale, though moving either or both would not signal a rebuild. “We’ve had a lot of heavy lifts over the years in the 25-year history of this investor group, but we don’t believe we have to have a tear-down,” said CEO Larry Baer. “We’re not fearful, but actually very optimistic we’ll turn this around. Our history shows us that if we have a down year, we bounce back.”
  • The surging Cardinals are now within a game of the Cubs, and they’re largely content with their roster as a result, tweets Jon Morosi of MLB Network. The Redbirds do have interest in trading for a reliever, though, Morosi adds. St. Louis’ bullpen has already been a bright spot this year, as the group entered Thursday seventh in the majors in ERA and 10th in fWAR. Cardinals relievers have been even better in the season’s second half, having posted a 2.83 ERA with 9.99 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9. In any event, if they do look to further bolster their bullpen, MLBTR’s Steve Adams just named some relievers who could change homes this month.
  • Newly promoted slugger Rhys Hoskins will initially play left field for the Phillies, but he’ll shift to his natural position – first base – when Aaron Altherr returns from the disabled list in a few weeks, reports Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. That will relegate first baseman Tommy Joseph to the bench. The Phillies were unable to find a taker for Joseph before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, and they’re likely to resume their efforts to move him in the offseason, notes Zolecki. As for other Phillies prospects, neither second baseman Scott Kingery nor shortstop J.P. Crawford are shoo-ins for season-opening spots in the club’s lineup in 2018. The Phillies instead seem content to continue with Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis if they win spring training position battles. GM Matt Klentak doesn’t believe Hernandez or Galvis have reached their peaks yet, so he’s fine with keeping the soon-to-be 28-year-olds around in prominent roles.

Cardinals Option Stephen Piscotty To Triple-A

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The Cardinals announced on Monday that they’ve activated center fielder Dexter Fowler from the disabled list and optioned Stephen Piscotty to Triple-A Memphis to clear a spot on the roster.

[Related: Updated St. Louis Cardinals depth chart]

The move marks the third Opening Day regular to be optioned to the minors this season — both Randal Grichuk and Aledmys Diaz have been sent down in 2017 — and also makes this the second straight season in which St. Louis has optioned a recently extended player to the minors. In 2016, it was second baseman Kolten Wong that was sent down after struggling in the wake of signing a five-year, $25.5MM extension. Piscotty, 26, inked a six-year, $33.5MM pact prior to the 2017 season but has struggled to live up to the expectations that accompanied that deal thus far.

Piscotty batted .282/.348/.467 with 29 homers through his first 216 Major League games (905 plate appearances), prompting the Cards to make that show of faith just as the 2017 campaign got underway. However, he’s yet to find a groove at the plate this year and currently has just a .232/.340/.362 slash through 291 plate appearances. Piscotty has seen his walk rate spike to 12.7 percent this season, but his power has largely evaporated; he’s hit just six homers in 2017 and has an isolated power mark (.130) that is 54 points lower than his 2016 level (.184). He’s also missed time due to a hamstring strain and a groin strain through the season’s first four-plus months.

With Piscotty out of the picture for the time being, the Cards seem set to go with an outfield mix featuring Tommy Pham, Fowler and Grichuk. Jose Martinez, too, should factor prominently into the mix on the heels of his strong play in recent weeks. Some have even argued for Martinez to remain in the lineup on a regular basis, including Bernie Miklasz of ESPN 101, who made a lengthy pitch for the Cardinals to keep Martinez in the heart of the order earlier today.

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