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Cardinals Rumors

Cardinals Notes: Gorman, Winn, Walker

By Darragh McDonald | March 6, 2022 at 10:28pm CDT

As part of the ongoing lockout, MLB staff are not allowed to discuss any of the locked out players with the media. However, this doesn’t include players that aren’t on a 40-man roster, leaving front office members free to discuss prospects that have yet to earn a roster spot. As such, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak provided some comments to John Denton of MLB.com about Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn and Jordan Walker. (Twitter links 1, 2 and 3.)

On Gorman, Mozeliak had this to say: “Very impressive. His development & how he’s growing & creating more value for himself by playing multiple positions it’s a positive. From an offensive standpoint we’re all excited to see what he’s capable of doing.” Gorman had an excellent year at the plate in 2021, playing 119 games between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting a combined .279/.333/.481, wRC+ of 115. The 21-year-old is now considered among the top 60 prospects in the game by each of Baseball America, FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline. As Mozeliak points out, Gorman also expanded his positional versatility last year. Prior to 2021, he had only played third base in the Cardinals’ system, but he played 77 games at second base last year, compared with 32 at the hot corner. Of course, the club already has an excellent third baseman in Nolan Arenado, who is under contract through 2027. (He can opt out of his contract after this year but, based on the fact that he just declined an opt out last year, it seems unlikely he would do so.) Second base, however, seems likely to be manned by Tommy Edman this year, though he could be bumped into a super-utility role if Gorman were able to force his way into the picture.

As for Winn, Mozeliak tells Denton that the youngster will be focused exclusively on playing shortstop this spring. The Cardinals drafted Winn as a two-way player in 2020 and he plied both aspects of his trade last year. However, he only logged a single appearance on the hill, throwing one inning. As for the other part of his game, he made 438 plate appearances between A-ball and High-A, hitting .242/.324/.356. It seems his pitching aspirations will be taking a backseat for now, though it’s always possible he could return to the mound in the future.

When asked about Jordan Walker’s future positions, Mozeliak said, “He’s gonna get work at places, but he’s such a good athlete I don’t think that’s a panic moment for us. … As (most) have heard me say before, if you hit, we will find you a place to play.” Walker certainly did hit in 2021, his first year of game action in the professional ranks. Between A-ball and High-A, he made 366 plate appearances and hit .317/.388/.548, wRC+ 151. On the defensive side of things, Walker only played third base last year. But given the presence of Arenado, it makes sense to give him an opportunity to try to find another home, just like Gorman.

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Notes St. Louis Cardinals Jordan Walker Masyn Winn Nolan Gorman

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Cardinals Interested In Colin Moran

By Anthony Franco | February 22, 2022 at 7:07pm CDT

As part of a chat with readers this week, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals have some interest in free agent first baseman Colin Moran. The 29-year-old hit the open market just before the lockout after the Pirates designated him for assignment in late November upon re-signing Yoshi Tsutsugo.

That served as akin to a non-tender, as Moran had been projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $4MM salary via arbitration. It seems unlikely he’ll land that amount in free agency. That’s particularly true in a post-lockout environment that might be unkind to free agents of Moran’s ilk, as it’s widely expected that there’ll be a hectic transactions spree as teams have a tight window to sort out their rosters before the start of the regular season.

Moran played almost exclusively at first base last season. The Cards obviously have Paul Goldschmidt locked in there, but it’s almost certain the next collective bargaining agreement will add a designated hitter to the National League. Most AL clubs have preferred to rotate bat-first regulars through the position to serve as quasi-rest days rather than devoting everyday DH duty to one player. Certain hitters (i.e. Nelson Cruz and Shohei Ohtani) have been so impactful offensively they’ve proven exceptions to that trend, although it’s likelier the Cards would eye Moran as a possible corner infield/DH rotation option than as an everyday player there.

Over the past four seasons, Moran has typically proven a capable but unexceptional hitter. He’s a .267/.329/.418 performer for his career, and he’s coming off a .258/.334/.390 mark over 359 plate appearances with the Bucs. That’s roughly a league average showing once one accounts for the extremely pitcher-friendly nature of PNC Park (by measure of wRC+) but it’s not the kind of impact offense teams would desire from an everyday DH.

While Moran played first last year, he does have plenty of prior experience at third base. Public metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average panned his work at the hot corner, but a signing team could still view him as an emergency option at the position. Nolan Arenado is set to play third on a near everyday basis in St. Louis, but the front office could target Moran as a bat-first lefty complement to Arenado and Goldschmidt in the corner infield.

The Cardinals DH mix is understandably unsettled, with young players like Lars Nootbaar, Juan Yepez and perhaps top prospect Nolan Gorman set to factor into that mix. St. Louis also added bat-first utilityman Brendan Donovan to the 40-man roster to keep him from selection in the Rule 5 draft. Donovan is coming off an impressive high minors showing and could get an MLB look this year as well. There’s a chance one of those internal options proves worthy of regular playing time, but there’s enough uncertainty that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Cardinals pursue an affordable veteran bat like Moran once transactions resume. Old friend Brad Miller fits a similar bill on paper, but Goold adds that the Cards haven’t pursued him this winter.

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NL Notes: Brito, Cardinals, Kelly, Bradley, Rockies, Black

By Mark Polishuk and Anthony Franco | February 9, 2022 at 10:21pm CDT

In a terrifying late July incident, Phillies prospect Daniel Brito collapsed during the first inning of a Triple-A game. The young infielder was rushed to a Rochester, New York hospital and details about his recovery were understandably sparse over the next few months. Matt Gelb of the Athletic provided a remarkable update on Brito’s story this morning, catching up with him, his family and members of the Philadelphia organization a bit more than six months later.

Brito suffered a brain hemorrhage, Gelb writes, the product of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) that had been present since birth. He spent nearly two months in the hospital, half of it in a medically-induced coma and required a pair of brain surgeries. Doctors questioned at the time whether he’d be able to again perform basic life tasks, but Brito has already progressed far more quickly than expected. He’s even recently begun baseball activities, with the 24-year-old expressing a desire to continue his playing career. Gelb’s full post — which goes into detail about Brito’s condition, rehab process, and the support he’s received from family, teammates, medical staff and team personnel — is well worth a read in full. MLBTR sends our best wishes to Brito on his continued recovery.

Other news and notes from the Senior Circuit:

  • As the Cardinals look for relief help post-lockout, the team is prioritizing pitchers who throw strikes, throw a sinkerball, and generate soft contact and a lot of grounders, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.  Goold lists several available free agents and trade targets who fit at least a couple of these parameters, and also provides some details on specific pitchers.  Goold linked Joe Kelly (who pitched in St. Louis from 2012-14) to the Cardinals last week, and now adds that the club’s pre-lockout conversations with the right-hander were “initial but not aggressive.”  The Cardinals hadn’t yet been in touch with Archie Bradley’s agents prior to the lockout, though Bradley is seemingly a good fit as a sinkerball pitcher who keeps the ball on the ground and doesn’t allow much hard contact.
  • The Rockies tacked on a season to Bud Black’s contract yesterday, keeping their skipper in the fold through 2023. Nick Groke of the Athletic looks into that decision, writing that the organization’s faith in Black’s ability to coax the best out of their starting rotation played a key role. Black, who was also a longtime MLB pitcher and pitching coach, is well-regarded for his ability to work with young arms. Last season, Colorado starters posted a 4.77 ERA/4.44 SIERA — decent production given the extremely hitter-friendly nature of Coors Field. That said, Black and his staff could have an uphill battle in replacing Jon Gray, who signed a four-year deal with the Rangers before the lockout. Beyond the top four of Germán Márquez, Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber, Peter Lambert and Ryan Rolison look to be the current favorites to step into the final rotation spot.
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NL Notes: Wainwright, Dodgers, Phillies

By Mark Polishuk | February 3, 2022 at 8:40pm CDT

A 2022 season shortened by the lockout would have a statistical impact on every player, particularly veteran names like Adam Wainwright.  The Cardinals veteran is looking forward to one final season with retiring longtime teammate Yadier Molina, and if the duo joins forces for 20 more Wainwright starts, they’ll set a new record for most games started by a battery (breaking the Mickey Lolich/Bill Freehan mark of 324 starts).  “Any time you can say you had the most all-time ‘anything’ in baseball is a real accomplishment,” Wainwright told Rick Hummel of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  “I just look so much forward to having an opportunity to break that record with my buddy, Yadi.  I hope we get enough starts to make that happen.  We just need the season to start.”

To this end, Wainwright is hopeful of a good result in labor talks between the league and players, but feels “these owners are going to have to come around, though. They’re kind of crazy with their asks.  I guess when you own the company, you want to see how far you can stretch it.  The game of baseball is a very lucrative thing for players and owners.  The ones that get left out of that are always the fans, unfortunately.  Baseball sometimes just needs to get out of its own way and realize we could be the only show going.”

Though a delay to the start of Spring Training seems inevitable, Wainwright is continuing to work out as usual as he prepares for his 17th big league campaign.  This work was temporarily delayed by a recent bout of COVID-19, though Wainwright said his symptoms were relatively mild.

More from around the National League….

  • “The Dodgers seem to be positioning themselves to have a young wave of pitching ready in the second half of next season,” The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya writes, citing Dustin May’s return from Tommy John rehab and the impending big league debut of prospect Ryan Pepiot.  Los Angeles hasn’t been shy about immediately putting its young arms into key roles in the rotation or bullpen, so Ardaya believes the Dodgers will look to acquire a veteran “stopgap” kind of starter to cover some innings before the youngsters arrive.  Clayton Kershaw’s free agency also continues to loom over the L.A. offseason, yet Ardaya feels the Dodgers would “likely” still try to land that second-tier arm even if Kershaw also re-signs with the team.  Such moves would give the Dodgers six starters on paper (with Kershaw and the stopgap joining Walker Buehler, Julio Urias, Andrew Heaney, and Tony Gonsolin) before even considering the likes of May or Pepiot, though having a surplus would be a welcome problem for a Dodgers team that had its depth thinned by injuries in 2021.
  • The Phillies hired Chris Fonnesbeck as the top analyst in their research and development department earlier this offseason, The Athletic’s Matt Gelb reports.  Fonnesbeck worked in the Yankees’ analytics department from 2019-21, and also spent the 2018 season working as a consulting analyst for the Brewers.  The Phils have put a new focus on their analytics team this winter, hiring Arirudh Kilambi as the team’s new assistant GM and putting him in charge of R&D.
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Los Angeles Dodgers Notes Philadelphia Phillies St. Louis Cardinals Adam Wainwright Clayton Kershaw Dustin May

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David Green Passes Away

By Darragh McDonald | February 1, 2022 at 8:45pm CDT

The Cardinals announced this morning that former MLB outfielder and first baseman David Green has passed away. He was 61 years old.

One of the first Nicaraguan-born players to crack the big leagues, Green eventually played 489 games at baseball’s highest level between 1981 and 1987, primarily for the Cards. Originally signed by the Brewers, he was traded to St. Louis after the 1980 season. After a cup of coffee as a 20-year-old in 1981, Green got into 76 games in 1982, hitting .283/.315/.373. In nine postseason games that year, he hit .273/.333/.545, as the Cardinals eventually defeated Green’s former team, the Brewers, in the 1982 World Series.

Green would stay with the Cards through the next two seasons, before being dealt to the Giants prior to the 1985 campaign. After one year in San Fran, he was dealt back to Milwaukee but was released before appearing in a game with them. He then spent some time in Japan, playing with the Kintetsu Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball before rejoining the Cardinals for part of the 1987 campaign. That was his last taste of the majors, though he did later spent some time in the minors with the Braves and Rangers.

All told, Green hit a combined .268/.308/.394 across his 489 career big league games, with 31 home runs, 168 runs scored, 180 runs batted in and 68 stolen bases.

We at MLBTR extend our condolences to Green’s family, as well as his many friends and fans.

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Cardinals Looking For ‘High-Leverage’ Bullpen Arms

By James Hicks | February 1, 2022 at 11:16am CDT

In a Monday chat with readers, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch addressed the approach of the Cardinals front office to upgrading the team’s bullpen — a known priority for the club. In response to a question regarding potential interest in longtime Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, Goold suggested that, during the free agent bonanza that preceded the lockout, the Cards had looked less for a closer per se than at other ‘high-leverage’ arms — “ones who could be used as a closer, but not only a closer.”

The 2021 Cardinals bullpen finished roughly middle-of-the-pack in most statistical metrics (11th in ERA, 8th in FIP, 24th in xFIP, 11th in fWAR) and could see some significant improvements without making a move. High-octane righty Jordan Hicks, who new manager Oliver Marmol will stretch out for an expected multi-inning role in Spring Training, is reportedly healthy after missing most of 2021 with elbow inflammation; and Ryan Helsley, who was shut down in mid-August with knee and elbow issues, is expected to regain a primary set-up role alongside Genesis Cabrera. Giovanny Gallegos will likely retain the closer role he inherited from 2021 All-Star Alex Reyes following Reyes’ substantial second-half struggles.

Goold notes former Cardinal Joe Kelly as a likely target and had previously cited interest in former Blue Jays, Cubs, and White Sox reliever Ryan Tepera; both relievers fit the bill of a versatile, high K-rate late-innings arm. Each is likely to seek a multi-year deal with a meaningful financial commitment (MLBTR projects Tepera to sign for two years and $12MM, for instance), though neither is likely to exceed the Cardinals’ budget — particularly if they remain committed to some combination of Paul DeJong and Edmundo Sosa at shortstop. Potential targets Andrew Chafin and Collin McHugh fall in roughly the same market stratum as Tepera and Kelly, while the club could also look for bounce-back candidates on one-year or minor league deals. The list of free agent relievers with a history of big-league success but who won’t command a significant investment includes Brad Hand, Chris Martin, Archie Bradley, Adam Ottavino, Sergio Romo, Yusmeiro Petit, Mychal Givens, Sean Doolittle, Pedro Strop, Richard Rodriguez, and Tyler Clippard.

Beyond Gallegos, Cabrera, Reyes, Helsley, and Hicks, the Redbirds will return journeyman and 2021 revelation T.J. McFarland (who re-signed on a one-year, $2.5MM deal in November) as well as Kodi Whitley and potential long-man Jake Woodford. Current minor leaguers Andre Pallante (who posted a 3.91 ERA in 99 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021, his age-22 season) and Jake Walsh (who’ll play at age 26 in 2022 but posted 2.86 ERA in 22 innings across the same levels) could also be asked to contribute at some point in 2022.

Should they add a high-leverage arm to what’s already a talented group, the Cards’ bullpen could prove a substantial strength in 2022, particularly if a starting rotation bolstered by the addition of Steven Matz can continue to eat innings at the pace it did in 2021 (the Cardinals’ bullpen covered 584 1/3 innings in 2021, 9th fewest in the majors). Indeed, St. Louis could showcase one of the National League’s deeper pitching staffs in 2022, particularly if Hicks and starter Jack Flaherty can both stay healthy and return to their respective 2019 forms. And though the Cardinals play in the comparatively soft NL Central, with a roughly league-average offense returning essentially intact from 2021, they’ll likely need their pitching staff to perform at a high level to return to the playoffs in 2022.

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St. Louis Cardinals Joe Kelly Ryan Tepera

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Cardinals Sign Aaron Brooks To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | January 31, 2022 at 1:41pm CDT

The Cardinals announced Monday that they’ve signed righty Aaron Brooks to a minor league deal. The Paragon Sports International client received a non-roster invitation to Major League Spring Training. He was eligible to sign a minor league during the lockout by virtue of the fact that he was a minor league free agent returning from a stint overseas.

Brooks, 31, is a veteran of four big league seasons but has spent the 2020-21 seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization, where he’s notched a tidy 2.79 ERA in 229 1/3 innings for the Kia Tigers. While Brooks hasn’t missed many bats pitching overseas — he posted a rather pedestrian 20.1% strikeout rate — he’s demonstrated excellent command and posted practically inhuman ground-ball rates. Brooks has walked just 4.4% of his opponents in the KBO, and it’s hard to think of a much better team to take advantage of his outrageous 78.4% ground-ball rate than the defensively stout Cardinals.

This past season, St. Louis had a staggering five Gold Glove winners, including three in the infield: first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, second baseman Tommy Edman and third baseman Nolan Arenado. Shortstop Paul DeJong had a rough season offensively that cost him some reps in the infield as the Cards looked to get more offense into the lineup, but DeJong is regarded as a standout defender himself — evidenced by last year’s plus-6 Defensive Runs Saved and a career plus-36 mark in 4366 innings at the position.

Royals, A’s and Orioles fans may remember Brooks for his big league work across those three franchises. A ninth-round pick by Kansas City back in 2011, he made his MLB debut with K.C. in 2014-15 but was traded to the A’s alongside Sean Manaea in the swap that brought Ben Zobrist to the 2015 World Series champion Royals.

The A’s wound up trading Brooks to the Cubs in exchange for Chris Coghlan back in 2016, setting off a sequence of scenery changes for Brooks over the next several years. He went from Chicago to Milwaukee via waivers, and the Brewers traded him back to Oakland in exchange for cash. Brooks’ second stint with the A’s lasted about a half season, as the Orioles claimed him on waivers the following summer and, after the 2019 campaign, released him to allow him to pursue his KBO opportunity.

While making the rounds on the trade/waiver circuit, Brooks appeared in 47 big league games and tallied 170 2/3 frames with an uninspiring 6.49 ERA. He was never much of a ground-ball pitcher during his prior stints in the big leagues, so it seems he’s done some work to reinvent his approach on the mound while pitching in South Korea. If he’s able to replicate that KBO success in Triple-A, it’s likely the Cardinals will find a way to get him onto the big league roster in 2022.

The Cards already have a full rotation, but adding some depth along these lines was a clear need. Jack Flaherty, Adam Wainwright, Dakota Hudson, Miles Mikolas and offseason signee Steven Matz are set to occupy the top five spots in the St. Louis rotation, but a lack of starting depth nearly sunk the 2021 Cards when they saw their entire rotation outside of Wainwright hit the IL by June. Brooks joins in-house options like Jake Woodford, Johan Oviedo, T.J. Zeuch and Angel Rondon on the depth chart, and the Cards are surely also hopeful that prospects Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson can reach the Majors in 2022.

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NL Central Notes: Haudricourt, Pirates, Flaherty, Cardinals

By Mark Polishuk | January 21, 2022 at 8:46am CDT

Veteran sportswriter Tom Haudricourt announced his retirement yesterday, as the longtime Brewers beat writer for The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel will be officially stepping away within the next month or two.  Haudricourt has been with the Journal Sentinel for the last 36 years, following an eight-year stint with The Richmond Times Dispatch that launched his baseball career when Haudricourt covered the Braves’ former Richmond-based Triple-A affiliate.

Both Milwaukee fans and MLBTR’s readers have become very familiar with Haudricourt over the years, as he has broken countless transactions and news items related to the Brewers and the greater baseball world as a whole.  In addition to his work on the beat, Haudricourt has also authored several books on the Brewers, and regularly contributed to Baseball America’s coverage of Milwaukee’s farm system.  We at MLB Trade Rumors wish Haudricourt all the best in his retirement, and congratulate him on a terrific career.

More from the NL Central…

  • The Pirates lost a member of their coaching staff earlier this week, as Glenn Sherlock is set to become the Mets’ new bench coach.  Speaking about Sherlock’s departure with The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Kevin Gorman and other reporters, Pirates GM Ben Cherington said that the team probably won’t “replace Sherls in a formal kind of way.”  Sherlock didn’t have a formal title on Pittsburgh’s staff, though his primary duties involved working with the team’s catchers.  Cherington noted that some of the Bucs’ other coaches with catching experience (such as Mike Rabelo, Radley Haddad, and bullpen catcher Jordan Comadena) can help fill the void left by Sherlock’s departure, and “there may be an opportunity to grow some people’s roles in that area.”
  • Jack Flaherty is scheduled for free agency following the 2023 season, but even with the Cardinals’ team control winding down, Ben Frederickson of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch figures the club will wait until next spring to really delve into extension talks.  After a big 2019 season, Flaherty ran into some struggles in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, and then tossed only 78 1/3 innings last year due to oblique and shoulder injuries.  Since any Cards extension offer in the near future is likely to be tempered by this recent track record, Flaherty himself would probably prefer to re-establish his value with a healthy and productive 2022 season before committing to a longer-term deal.  Flaherty is projected for a $5.1MM salary next year via arbitration, and even those shorter-term talks will be interesting considering Flaherty and the Cardinals went to a hearing (won by Flaherty) last spring.
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Milwaukee Brewers Notes Pittsburgh Pirates St. Louis Cardinals Jack Flaherty

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Cardinals Didn’t Actively Pursue Free Agent Shortstop Help Before The Lockout

By Anthony Franco | January 20, 2022 at 7:42pm CDT

The Cardinals have entered each of the past four seasons with Paul DeJong as the Opening Day shortstop. He’d earned the starting nod in 2018 after hitting .285/.325/.532 across 443 plate appearances as a rookie the year prior. DeJong’s next two seasons weren’t quite as strong, but he still combined slightly above-average offense with highly-regarded glovework.

Over the last two years, though, DeJong’s production at the dish has tailed off. Going back to the start of 2020, he’s just a .213/.295/.378 hitter over 576 trips to the plate. That led to a fall down the batting order and eventually, a reduction in playing time. Edmundo Sosa took the lion’s share of at-bats in the season’s final month, and erstwhile skipper Mike Shildt turned to Sosa in a must-win Wild Card game.

With how the second half of the season played out, it seemed like DeJong could wind up as a trade candidate this winter. The free agent shortstop class was loaded with stars, and the Cardinals don’t have many obvious areas of need on the position player side. Yet there was no indication St. Louis made much effort to move DeJong in the early stages of the offseason, and Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch now writes that the Cardinals “were not active in discussions with any player in this marquee class of free-agent shortstops” prior to the lockout.

While it’s possible the team ignites free agent discussions after the transactions freeze — Carlos Correa and Trevor Story remain available — it seems likelier shortstop will be DeJong’s job to lose. Not only was he not the subject of any trade rumors of note, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak and general manager Mike Girsch gave DeJong a public vote of confidence at November’s GM Meetings. According to Goold, Cardinals executives also privately expressed confidence in DeJong’s ability to right the ship and reclaim the shortstop job in 2022. (Those conversations also occurred before the lockout, which includes a prohibition on contact between team staff and players on the 40-man roster).

DeJong’s contact rate and overall average exit velocity have each dipped over the past couple seasons. Yet he actually barreled balls up at a career-best 10.6% clip last year, and his exit velocity on balls hit in the air hasn’t meaningfully changed. That provides some reason for optimism DeJong’s offensive production can improve, particularly if last season’s .212 batting average on balls in play regresses closer to his .282 career mark. The 28-year-old isn’t merely resting on his laurels awaiting better batted ball fortune, however, as he chats with Goold about changes he’s made to his offseason training routine.

Regardless of whether he rebounds offensively, DeJong should be a key part of a high-end defensive infield. He’s coming off a season regarded highly by both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average, and DRS has pegged DeJong as a plus gloveman throughout his career. Sosa remains on hand as a potential fallback option, coming off a nice .271/.346/.389 showing. DeJong is guaranteed around $6.167MM next season and is controllable through 2025 under the terms of the contract extension he signed four seasons ago.

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St. Louis Cardinals Edmundo Sosa Paul DeJong

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Padres Name Shane Robinson Double-A Bench Coach

By Mark Polishuk | January 19, 2022 at 9:27am CDT

The Padres announced their 2022 minor league coaching staffs yesterday, including the hiring of Shane Robinson as the bench coach for the Double-A San Antonio Missions.  The news would seemingly indicate that the 37-year-old Robinson is retiring from playing after 15 seasons.

Best known for his time with the Cardinals, Robinson was a fifth-round pick for St. Louis in the 2006 draft, and he appeared in 268 big league games with the club from 2009-14.  Robinson then moved on to play with the Twins, Angels, and Yankees over the next four seasons, while also inking minor league deals with Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Atlanta but not seeing any action on their active rosters.  His career also took him to the Australian Baseball League and Mexican League within the last three years, and he wrapped up his playing days with a brief five-game stint with the Acereros de Monclova in 2021.

Overall, Robinson hit .221/.288/.292 over 849 plate appearances in the majors, playing in 461 games over parts of nine MLB seasons.  Strong glovework was a big reason for that lengthy career, as Robinson was a very solid outfielder capable of playing at all three positions on the grass.  Robinson posted +26 Defensive Runs Saved and +12.4 UZR/150 over his 1792 2/3 career innings in the outfield, with above-average career scores as a center fielder and both corner outfield spots.

MLB Trade Rumors congratulates Robinson on his career achievements, and we wish him the best in his move to a coaching career.

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    Rockies Move Antonio Senzatela To Bullpen

    Royals Sign Geoff Hartlieb To Minor League Deal

    Nationals To Select CJ Stubbs

    Diamondbacks Designate Tristin English For Assignment, Select Taylor Rashi

    Drew Millas Suffers Finger Fracture

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