How the St Louis Cardinals Can Win Free Agency
By Nic Moody
How can the Cardinals win free agency this year?
The St Louis Cardinals had a wonderful season this year. They finished with their first 100 win season since 2005, and captured another division title. The Cardinals also discovered many new rookie players with loads of potential, including names such as Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham, Stephen Piscotty, Xavier Scruggs, and Greg Garcia. Very rarely can a team find even one AAA option that can come into the majors and make a difference, and the Cardinals found five.
So with all of these options the Cardinals have gained, do they need anything in free agency? This is the real question, and honestly, the Cardinals can win free agency this year by simply not participating. Signing Jason Heyward and John Lackey could be huge for St Louis this offseason, but that is simply re-signing talent the Cardinals already had. Outside of the talent they had, the Cardinals don’t really have any dire needs at any position.
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The Cardinals finished with the best pitching in baseball. With an ERA at 2.94 for the season, the Cardinals had some of the best pitching ever this season. The Cardinals also managed to do this without ace Adam Wainwright for most of the year, so pitchers Carlos Martinez, John Lackey, Jaime Garcia, and Michael Wacha did most of the work all season by themselves. Pitchers Tim Cooney and Tyler Lyons also held their own in the few starts they made this season, so the Cardinals have depth at pitching as long as they stay healthy.
So the real issue would appear to be the offense, but is it really an issue? This was a very experimental year for St Louis at the plate. The Cardinals finished in the middle in total offense, but with so many call-ups and send-downs happening all season, there was little consistency in the offensive line-up on a daily basis. This should give St Louis a chance to start next season fresh, with their starting line-up already figured out and set for the season. This means there is no need for the Cardinals to chase any big names in free agency.
The Cardinals do have options if Heyward and Lackey decide to leave. If Jason Heyward signs elsewhere, the Cardinals will most likely look somewhere in the free agent pool to cover the defense that Heyward brought to the team. Do they necessarily need to though? It would be almost impossible to replace a well balanced player like Heyward, but the five rookies could certainly give it a run for the money.
The Cardinals can win free agency this year by not participating, and making sure to take care of their own.