Inbox: Are the Cardinals set in left field?
ST. LOUIS -- With less than a month remaining until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, there’s a lot to discuss about the Cardinals’ offseason -- what they have done and what they haven’t.
Many of you asked about the health of Carlos Martínez, Alex Reyes and Jordan Hicks heading into the season. All three will be available to the media this weekend at the Cardinals’ Winter Warm-Up, so make sure to stay up to date with coverage here at cardinals.com for those updates and much more.
Does the organization think it has its starting left fielder on the roster right now?
-- Eric, Buffalo, N.Y.
The Cardinals believe they do, and they are confident in their starting left-field options if they end up not adding a left fielder before the season begins. The front office recognizes it needs to fix the offensive problems that plagued last season and that left field is an open spot for them to do so, but they have consistently said they’re not going to make a deal unless it’s the right one for them. As things stand right now, the starting left fielder is someone in the mix of the outfield group we’ve talked about all offseason -- Lane Thomas, Tyler O'Neill, Justin Williams or even Dylan Carlson, although I wouldn’t pencil him in for Opening Day just yet. Austin Dean, who was acquired earlier this week from the Marlins, has played primarily left field, so he is also in that group.
But the Cardinals aren’t using that competition to say they’re not looking for a left fielder. They are interested in bringing Marcell Ozuna back -- even after acquiring Dean, who has had limited playing time in the Majors over the past two years -- and they can explore ways to move around the roster if they do add offense at another position.
Good question, and I’ll point you to this story for which I teamed up with some of my colleagues. In this scenario, I offered catcher Andrew Knizner, right-hander Dakota Hudson, center fielder Harrison Bader and top pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore, whom the Cardinals acquired in a trade with the Rays last week. Without knowing what the Rockies’ goal is in potentially exploring trading Arenado, I thought a mix of Major League talent and the Cardinals’ top pitching prospect in Liberatore would do the trick. It didn’t, as the Braves won the hypothetical trade offer with their top pitching prospect, Ian Anderson, who is closer to the Majors than Liberatore. If I were to refine my offer, though, I’d add in Seth Elledge, the Cardinals’ No. 25 prospect per MLB Pipeline, or Tommy Parsons, the No. 20 prospect, who both are closer to the Majors, could still be in the rotation or be solid out of the bullpen for Colorado.
What do you think, with the guys on the roster now, the five-man rotation will look like?
-- J.D. McMillian, Collierville, Tenn.
My prediction, as of Jan. 17, is: Jack Flaherty, Hudson, Miles Mikolas, Adam Wainwright and Kwang-Hyun Kim. I’m not sold on Martínez’s shoulder health just yet, and I think he could be more of an asset in the bullpen right now than the rotation. I don’t know how Kim’s stuff will play in the Majors, but having a consistent left-handed starter is something the Cardinals haven’t had since Jaime Garcia in 2015. I think it will help make their pitching even better than what it was in 2019. I’m interested to see the competition in Spring Training for that fifth spot, though, because I also don’t want to rule out lefty Austin Gomber or Daniel Ponce de Leon.
You have a good eye, because the Cardinals were impressed with Ryan Helsley, too. While Helsley will come to Spring Training stretched out as a starter, the Cardinals will see how the competition fares. It seems likely that Helsley will be moved to the bullpen and get a chance to pitch in higher-leverage situations depending on how he does. Giovanny Gallegos, Andrew Miller and possibly Martínez (depending on his health in the spring) will all be closer options while Hicks is recovering from Tommy John surgery, and I’d put Helsley in that group as well. The right-hander has the power -- he sat around 98 mph on his fastball in 2019, according to Statcast -- and has a solid mix of pitches for a reliever. If Gallegos or Miller takes over the closer role, someone will have to take over their setup spot, and I can see Helsley thriving in that role, too.
This is a good question the Cardinals will have to address, and it’s something we’ll get clarity on first in the spring and as the season opens. My gut reaction is Rangel Ravelo, who can play first base and outfield and might benefit the most from the 26-man roster this year. While he doesn’t have the experience that Martínez has in clutch situations, Ravelo has the power -- he had a .473 slugging percentage in Triple-A last year and a .410 slugging percentage over 29 games in the Majors -- to be the pinch-hitter the Cardinals might want to see. I could also see Yairo Muñoz, who has been in the Majors a little longer than Ravelo, taking on that role.
Is Jeff Albert in the clear? With the recent news of others associated (with the sign-stealing allegations of the Houston Astros), will this have any impact?
-- B.D., Denver
Albert was Houston’s Minor League hitting coordinator in 2017 and was promoted to the Majors in 2018. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said at the Winter Meetings that Albert told the Cardinals he was not involved and that he cooperated fully with MLB’s investigation. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently reported that hitting coach Jeff Albert will not face any punishment from MLB.