Offseason Outlook: St. Louis Cardinals
theScore's baseball editors break down the past year for each team, and look ahead to the offseason.
Free agents: Pat Neshek, A.J. Pierzynski, Mark Ellis, Jason Motte, Justin Masterson
Arbitration-eligible players: Jon Jay, Peter Bourjos, Daniel Descalso, Lance Lynn, Tony Cruz, Shane Robinson
2014 payroll: 108,020,000
What went right?
The Cardinals advanced to the National League Championship Series only to fall in five games to the eventual champions, the San Francisco Giants. St. Louis cruised to its second division title, however, with a 90-win season proving the team is still force to be reckoned with in the NL.
Pitching was once again the backbone for the Cards, who rallied behind a 20-win campaign from ace Adam Wainwright. Lance Lynn also turned in 15 wins with an impressive 2.74 ERA and closer Trevor Rosenthal earned 45 saves in 51 chances.
Matt Carpenter hit .272 with eight home runs and 59 RBIs during the regular season, but exploded in the postseason with four long balls and eight RBIs in nine games. Matt Adams and Matt Holliday were able to muster just enough offense in the middle of the order to pace an attack that averaged 3.82 runs per game - good for only 24th in the majors.
What went wrong?
The Cardinals rode some serious momentum into the NLCS after dispatching the high-powered Los Angeles Dodgers in four games to advance. An oblique injury to undisputed team leader Yadier Molina in Game 2 took the wind right out of the team's sails and lead to its ultimate demise.
A rare shoulder injury also sidetracked the season of promising right-hander Michael Wacha. The 23-year-old went 5-6 with a 3.20 ERA in 19 starts before suffering the injury and got into only one postseason game, taking the loss in a season-ending Game 5 to the Giants.
The lack of a true power hitter may have been the missing link for the Cardinals in 2014. Jhonny Peralta led the squad with 21 home runs and Holliday was the only other batter to hit 20 long balls. St. Louis batters combined to hit 105 homers. Only the Kansas City Royals (95) hit less.
Offseason needs
The Cardinals have already begun to bolster their roster for 2015 by trading for Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward and setup man Jordan Walden. St. Louis sent right-hander Shelby Miller and prospect Tyrell Jenkins back the other way. The tragic death of Oscar Taveras surely prompted the move to acquire Heyward, who hasn't lived up to high expectations in his first five seasons.
Depth starter
Miller's departure to Atlanta combined with Masterson's free agency has left a gap to fill at the back of the rotation. The Cardinals are stacked at the front end with Wainwright, John Lackey and Lynn, but the team may be skeptical about Wacha's ability to bounce back and be a part of the rotation moving forward. Marco Gonzales and Carlos Martinez could also fill in as depth starters if the team wants to fill the void internally.
Top Targets
- Brett Anderson - You can never have enough left-handers. He hasn't cracked 100 innings since 2010 due to injuries, but is extremely effective when healthy as evidenced by his 3.73 career ERA.
- Aaron Harang - The veteran right-hander proved he can eat innings after piling up over 204 frames for the Braves last season. His numbers aren't dazzling, but he's a workhorse that would fit nicely with the club as a depth starter.
Bench bat
Randal Grichuk is currently manager Mike Matheny's best option off the bench. The 23-year-old showed promising signs last season, but having a veteran bat to pinch-hit late in games would certainly help the team's cause.
Top Target
- Jonny Gomes - A proven producer in a bench or platoon role. His energy is unrivaled and he's an affordable free-agent option.
Impact prospect
Stephen Piscotty - The 23-year-old has been converted to an outfielder and is considered the team's top prospect. A supplemental first-round pick in the 2012 draft, Piscotty was a proven producer at the Triple-A level last season (.288 average, nine home runs, 69 RBIs in 136 games) and appears major-league ready. He is a strong internal candidate to help the team with his bat off the bench and fill in when needed.