Cardinals Rumors

Jack Flaherty Undergoing Medical Evaluation On Throwing Shoulder

By Darragh McDonald | March 15, 2022 at 4:00pm CDT

Cardinals’ righty Jack Flaherty missed today’s camp activities and is undergoing medical evaluation on his throwing shoulder, per Derrick S. Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Although further details won’t be known until the review is completed, this is surely a worrying sign for the Cardinals and their fans. After developing into a front-of-the-rotation starter in 2018 and 2019, Flaherty took a step back in 2020 and then missed significant time due to injuries last year.

In that 2018-19 stretch, Flaherty made 61 starts, logging 347 1/3 innings with a 3.01 ERA, 29.8% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate. In the shortened 2020 campaign, he had a 4.91 ERA, 28.8% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate in the small sample of 40 1/3 innings. Last year, though he dropped his ERA to 3.22, his strikeouts also faded, dropping to 26.4%. In June, he went on the IL due to an oblique injury. Though he was able to return in August, he returned to the IL a few weeks later with a right shoulder strain. He did return from that injury after about a month, but only made three short appearances towards the end of the season. All told, he was only able to throw 78 1/3 innings on the year.

It now seems possible that the shoulder injury which plagued him last year might not be fully healthy, putting a significant dent in the St. Louis rotation. Flaherty was projected to be joined by Adam Wainwright, Steven Matz, Miles Mikolas and Dakota Hudson. Mikolas and Hudson are also unknown quantities this year, having each dealt with injuries last year themselves. If Flaherty or anyone else needs to miss some time, the club will have to consider other options. Drew VerHagen was just signed after a successful two-year stint in Japan. At the time of the signing, team president John Mozeliak suggested VerHagen could compete for a job in either the rotation of the bullpen. Zach McAllister and Aaron Brooks have recently signed minor league deals with the club. There’s depth options such as Jake Woodford and Johan Oviedo, as well as prospects like Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson. There has been some talk of Alex Reyes or Jordan Hicks moving from the bullpen to the rotation, though Mozeliak threw some cold water on that idea recently. If the club is unsatisfied with those in-house options, there are still free agents available due to the lockout pushing transactions into Spring Training. Some of the top options still unsigned include Johnny Cueto, Michael Pineda and Zack Greinke.

Cardinals Sign Zach McAllister To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | March 15, 2022 at 9:02am CDT

The Cardinals have agreed to a minor league deal with righty Zach McAllister, the team announced this morning. He’ll report to Major League Spring Training and provide some depth in the rotation and bullpen.

Three full seasons have passed since McAllister last pitched in the Majors. He spent some time with the Phillies organization in 2021 but logged just 10 2/3 innings in the minors. The 34-year-old was a mainstay on the Cleveland pitching staff from 2012-17, first spending some time in the rotation before solidifying himself as a quality reliever. From 2015-17, McAllister posted a 2.99 ERA with a 26.1% strikeout rate against an 8.6% walk rate — often pitching more than an inning at a time.

Now 34 year old, McAllister will give St. Louis some depth both in the rotation and in the bullpen. The Cards’ rotation is largely set, with Jack Flaherty, Adam Wainwright, Steven Matz, Dakota Hudson and Miles Mikolas the likeliest quintet to start games. Righty Drew VerHagen, signed to a two-year deal after a strong run in Japan, could also vie for some rotation work but may begin in the bullpen. In-house options like Jake Woodford and Johan Oviedo add further depth to the rotation, as does non-roster invitee Aaron Brooks. McAllister has a ways to go before he pushes his way into consideration for a big league roster spot, but he’ll give the Cards some experience depth to stash in Triple-A Memphis even if he doesn’t make the club out of camp.

Cardinals Sign Nick Wittgren

By Darragh McDonald | March 13, 2022 at 2:40pm CDT

The Cardinals have announced that they’ve signed right-handed pitcher Nick Wittgren to a one-year contract. Wittgren will make $1.2MM, per Robert Murray of FanSided.

A veteran of six seasons, Wittgren will turn 31 in May. He spent his first three seasons in Miami before being traded to Cleveland, where he spent the past three years. In his career, he’s played in 258 games and thrown 271 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.75. His 23.5% strikeout rate is right around average, though his walk rate of 6.7% is quite good.

Last year was a bit of a setback for the righty, as his ERA jumped up to 5.05, a career high. His strikeout rate also fell to 23.6% after being at 26% in 2019 and 28.6% in 2020. The walk rate was still good, coming in at 6.6%. He was set to go through arbitration for a final time this winter, projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a salary of $2.8MM. However, the club decided to put him on waivers at the end of the year, effectively non-tendering him. Wittgren cleared and elected free agency.

For the Cardinals, this is their second bullpen upgrade since the lockout ended, as they also added Drew VerHagen recently. Both Wittgren and VerHagen are righties and will likely join Giovanny Gallegos, Alex Reyes, Ryan Helsley and Jordan Hicks as right-handed options in the Cardinals bullpen to start the year.

NL Central Notes: Castellanos, Reds, Reynolds, Cardinals, Pujols, Kim

By Mark Polishuk | March 12, 2022 at 4:26pm CDT

The bullpen, a fifth starter, bench help, and backup catching were cited by Reds GM Nick Krall as possible target areas, Krall told The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale and other reporters, and the Reds could turn to either Major League or minor league free agents to address any of those needs. In regards to one particular prominent free agent, Krall seemed to close the door on the chances of Nick Castellanos returning to Cincinnati, saying “we have not been engaged with his representatives.”

It doesn’t count as any big surprise that Castellanos will be moving on, since he was looking for a hefty new contract pre-lockout, and the Reds’ offseason moves have thus far been geared towards cutting and managing payroll (while still making some effort to contend for a playoff spot). Since Castellanos rejected the Reds’ qualifying offer and because Cincinnati is a revenue-sharing recipient, the team stands to receive an extra pick after the first round of the 2022 draft should Castellanos sign elsewhere for more than $50MM.

Cardinals Notes: Hicks, Reyes, Designated Hitter, Shortstop, DeJong,

By Anthony Franco | March 11, 2022 at 11:04pm CDT

The Cardinals have made one relatively minor move since the lockout was lifted, signing reliever Drew VerHagen to a two-year deal. He steps into a bullpen that also features Giovanny Gallegos, Ryan Helsley and T.J. McFarland and seems as if it’ll include flamethrowing righties Alex Reyes and Jordan Hicks.

St. Louis brass has floated the idea of each of Reyes and Hicks lengthening out into rotation roles over the offseason. Yet president of baseball operations John Mozeliak cast some doubt on that possibility when speaking with reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat) yesterday.

“I do think getting Alex and Jordan stretched is going to be much more challenging than in a normal time,” Mozeliak said in reference to the ban on staff members from communicating with players on their 40-man rosters between December 2 and March 10. While he didn’t specifically rule a rotation conversion out, that prospect always seemed a bit of a reach — particularly with regards to Hicks. Hicks pitched only ten innings in 2021, as he went on the injured list in early May with elbow inflammation that proved season-ending. That came on the heels of a June 2019 Tommy John surgery that had wiped out his prior season and a half, so building him towards a starter’s workload would’ve been a challenge even had there not been a work stoppage.

Reyes logged a full season in 2021, tossing 72 1/3 frames over 69 appearances. That marks almost exactly the same amount of work Reyes took on at the major league level from 2016-20 combined, as he also required a Tommy John procedure (in February 2017, in his case). He struggled quite a bit in the second half, and his 16.4% walk rate was higher than that of any starting pitcher last year. Between those innings and strike-throwing concerns, Reyes might also have had trouble cracking a starting rotation that currently projects to include Adam Wainwright, Jack Flaherty, Steven Matz, Dakota Hudson and Miles Mikolas.

Mozeliak also addressed the position player mix, suggesting the club might look externally for help in handling the designated hitter spot now available for National League teams (Jones link). He suggested that internal options like Lars Nootbaar or Juan Yepez could be considered for that role but noted there may be “short term solutions” available on the market. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported during the lockout that former Pirates infielder Colin Moran was of interest to the Cards, presumably as an option for such a role.

One position at which it doesn’t seem the Cardinals will consider outside help is shortstop. Speaking with Dani Wexelman of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM this afternoon (Twitter link), Mozeliak downplayed the possibility of upgrading there. “I don’t think so,” he replied when asked if they’d acquire another shortstop. “We met with Paul (DeJong) prior to the lockout. We told him we thought he could be our shortstop. … Obviously, there’s going to be some competition in this camp with somebody like Edmundo Sosa, but in terms of going outside of that, I don’t think that makes a whole lot of sense for us.”

That’s not a surprise, as reports have increasingly suggested the Cardinals seem confident in DeJong’s ability to bounce back from a second straight down year at the plate. He rates highly in the eyes of public defensive metrics, and last year’s career-best barrel rate suggests he can continue to at least bring some power to the table offensively. St. Louis was mentioned earlier in the offseason as a speculative fit for star free agents like Carlos Correa or Trevor Story, but Mozeliak’s comments seem to close the book on the chances they make a run at either player.

Cardinals Sign Drew VerHagen To Two-Year Deal

By Steve Adams | March 11, 2022 at 11:13am CDT

The first Major League free-agent signing following the MLB lockout went to an unexpected player, as the Cardinals announced Friday that they’ve signed right-hander Drew VerHagen to a two-year contract. VerHagen, a client of ISE Baseball, spent the past two seasons pitching in Japan. He’ll reportedly be guaranteed a total of $5.5MM — $2.5MM in 2022 and $3MM in 2023. He can further boost his earnings via incentives.

While the 31-year-old VerHagen probably wasn’t predicted by many as the first post-lockout domino to fall, he’ll head back to the big leagues not only on a guaranteed contract but on a multi-year arrangement. The 6’6″ righty struggled for much of his six seasons with the Tigers, pitching to a 5.11 ERA over the life of 199 big league frames. His two-year stint overseas changed his fortunes, however, as VerHagen broke out as a key member of the Nippon-Ham Fighters’ bullpen.

In two seasons with the Fighters, VerHagen notched a 3.51 ERA in 2017 1/3 innings while punching out a quarter of his opponents against a strong 7.2% walk rate. He’s long had decent velocity (94 mph average) on his sinker and has a track record of inducing grounders at a high rate (53.9% in the Majors) — which fits in well with the Cardinals’ otherworldy infield defense.

Broadly speaking, the Cardinals have a track record in signing players out of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and the Korea Baseball Organization — both in terms of former big leaguers making a return and established NPB/KBO stars making their first jump to MLB. The Cardinals’ 2017 signing of Miles Mikolas (two years, $15.5MM) proved one of the better return pickups in recent memory, and KBO lefty Kwang Hyun Kim spent the past two seasons as a key member of the St. Louis pitching staff after signing at two years and $8MM. VerHagen is the latest to follow that path on a big league deal, though the Cards’ January signing of righty Aaron Brooks to a minor league contract could eventually enter that fold.

VerHagen worked out of the rotation with the Fighters, and Cards president of baseball operations John Mozeliak suggested today he’ll compete for a starting job in St. Louis as well (Twitter link via Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat). That said, a bullpen spot seems easier to carve out, given the already crowded nature of the team’s starting staff. The Cardinals’ rotation includes Jack Flaherty, Adam Wainwright, Dakota Hudson, Mikolas and lefty Steven Matz, who inked a four-year, $44MM deal earlier in the offseason. The Cards also have prospects Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson working their way toward the Majors, plus depth options like Jake Woodford and Johan Oviedo.

The addition of VerHagen gives them a potential long relief and spot-start option, but he could also find his way into a late-inning role if he can maintain some of his overseas success. Giovanny Gallegos is the current favorite to close games for newly minted manager Oliver Marmol, and there’s plenty of talent throughout the rest of the bullpen mix. Alex Reyes and Jordan Hicks have both closed games in the past, while Genesis Cabrera and veteran T.J. McFarland give the Cards a pair of solid left-handed options. It’s quite possible the Cards will make further bullpen additions, as they’ve been connected to higher-profile relievers such as Joe Kelly and Ryan Tepera throughout the duration of the lockout.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com first reported the agreement and the terms.

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.

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.

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.

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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