With the departure of TLR and Pujols, it's time to try something new
In the aftermath of the Albert Pujols decision to abandon St. Louis for Anaheim, Cardinal fans blew through all seven levels of grief and went straight into mind-melting insanity. They flooded message boards and call-in shows with demands that the team “go get somebody” to replace Pujols’ production. The fans, shocked and grieving, want to see the Cards rebound with stars to fill the team’s needs at first base, right field, second base, shortstop, and left-handed relief.
Most of the suggestions seemed to center around purchasing Carlos Beltran or Jimmy Rollins from the free agent market, as if paying older, declining stars free agent money would somehow help. Apparently everyone failed to get the team’s message: we aren’t paying top dollar for older, declining stars, which is why Pujols is no longer with us.
Beltran (34 years old) made $17 AAV over the last five years. He averaged 16 home runs and 68 RBI’s during that time, supposedly the “peak” period of his career. He’s also represented by the infamous market manipulator Scott Boras. So no, he’s not going to be a cheap or effective option, particularly when the Cardinals are stocked with outfielders already.
Rollins is an even worse choice. Troubled by injuries the last two years, the 33 year-old shortstop had a decent year in 2011. He hit 16 home runs and drove in 63 runs. He also had the worst slugging percentage of any healthy year in his career. Rollins is unlikely to be a good option anyway, given that he will probably command around $65 million for five years, if not more. Rollins is another Pujols – a player who has served his entire career with one team – and the Phillies have deep enough pockets to make him a Phillie for life. Besides, it doesn’t help that hooker salesman/civic villain Dan Lozano is his agent, either.
So what should the Cardinals do now that they live in a post-Pujols world and money to spare?
I say KEEP THE MONEY! The 2012 team will be just fine if they follow this game plan:
FIRST BASE
I don’t really like the idea of playing Lance Berkman at first, mainly because of his knees. However, the team has already strongly indicated that Berkman is the favorite to inherit the position from Pujols, so I guess this is what we will see on Opening Day.
Matt Adams, our slugging stud first baseman who tore through Double-A ball last year, is probably not ready to face major league pitching. But he’s close. I’d plan the team around trying to introduce this guy into the lineup in September.
With Berkman at first (I’d rather see Allen Craig there, personally), we should be fine.
SECOND BASE
John Mozeliak has already hinted that he could handle Daniel Descalso as our second baseman. This is okay with me, too, although Descalso can be inconsistent offensively. Given that we’ve won two World Championships with people like Skip Schumaker, Ryan Theriot, or Aaron Miles at the position, I’m prepared to deal with Descalso there.
We should avoid a long-term free-agent investment in second base because we have Kolten Wong, one of the best hitters in the minors, waiting in the wings. This exciting talent should finally be a long-term solution to a position that has long been a grab-bag of incompetence.
SHORTSTOP
The Cardinals need to keep this position available as well, since we are waiting the emergence of Ryan Jackson as a long-term, cost-effective solution there. In the meantime, we have Tyler Greene as a viable candidate now. Most fans are down on Greene because they feel he hasn’t hit or played well defensively to this point. However, Greene was never given an adequate opportunity to prove himself – he’s never played more than four consecutive games in the major leagues. Former manager (how great does THAT sound?!?) Tony LaRussa didn’t care for the nervous and uncomfortable Greene, and refused to play him. In my opinion, Greene should be given the job for the first half of the season. If it doesn’t work, a move can be made mid season to replace him at that time.
However, if the team simply cannot stomach the idea of giving Greene a shot, then Rafael Furcal should be retained to temporarily take over. I wouldn’t give him more than a one year deal or more than $3 million per season. Let’s face it – Furcal is a light-hitting, mediocre shortstop (now) with a good attitude and the medical history of an impoverished 95 year-old diabetic. He’s not a long-term, high salaried player.
RIGHT FIELD
In a perfect world, Allen Craig plays here. Unfortunately, Craig will probably miss the first two or three months of the season while he recovers from a knee operation. We need another option.
My first option would be to move Jon Jay to right field and play Adron Chambers in center. Chambers is an exciting, Vince Coleman-like player with tons of enthusiasm and lots of speed. Seeing Chambers and Greene batting 1-2 in the order would transform this offense into something closer to a Whiteyball-era slap-and-run engine. Imagine Chambers and Greene creating havoc on the bases in front of RBI machines like Berkman, Matt Holliday, and David Freese! It could be a good time at the ballpark watching that!
My second option would be signing Ryan Ludwick to a one or two year deal at around $3 million a year. Luddy is coming off of a terrible stretch in his career, plagued by a power failure in San Diego (Petco does that to many hitters, though) and injuries. But Ludwick is deeply loved in St. Louis, which could soothe some of the ache left by the Pujols situation. Luddy is a terrific teammate, a “clubhouse guy” of the sort that proved so valuable to last year’s championship team. He would also very likely welcome the chance to be a utility guy, easily moving into a platoon role as Jay’s right-handed counterpart after Craig returns.
If neither of those options work, then I would possibly consider Beltran. However, this would be a last-resort move for me given Beltran’s cost in years and money, as well as his unlikely acceptance of a platoon role at just 33 years old.
LEFT HANDED RELIEF
There aren’t many (if any) left handed relievers on the market. However, a trade could be possible. In return, we could send out a couple of our promising right handed relievers/starters.
Imagine sending Kyle McClellan and Mitchell Boggs (I’d even send one more) to Baltimore for promising left handed fireballer Zach Phillips! Or perhaps someone like San Diego’s Josh Spence! Coupled with Marc Rzepczynski, we could have two of the better left handed relievers in the game!
Unlike Cardinal Nation, John Mozeliak and Bill DeWitt need to remain calm and focused despite the destruction wrought by the Pujols defection. This is a perfect chance to lean on our vastly-improved minor league system, and a perfect opportunity to make some slight-but-strategic moves to change the complexion of this team. With TLR and Pujols gone, the Cardinals have the chance to transform the makeup and strengths of a team that used to be geared primarily toward groundballs and home runs.
The answer to this challenge is not to spend millions of dollars on sub-Pujols power hitters and marquee-valued names. Instead, the Cardinals need to look within and build a brand new nucleus that is faster, more athletic, and affordable.
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