The Cardinals accomplished their to-do list for the MLB Trade Deadline Tuesday, but some moves weren't made that President of baseball operations John Mozeliak could soon regret.
Mozeliak and the Cards went into this deadline to aim to improve their pitching for the future. The team made several moves to complete that goal. But some deals were not done that could create more headaches as the club's miserable 2023 campaign ends.
The deals completed by the Cardinals include Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Adam Kloffenstein and RHP Sem Robberse; Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton to the Texas Rangers for LHP John King, RHP Tekoah Roby, and SS Thomas Saggese; Paul DeJong and cash to the Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Matt Svanson; and Jack Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles for 2B César Prieto, LHP Drew Rom and RHP Zack Showalter.
That's seven new pitchers that the Cardinals are adding to their system, with only King joining the 40-man roster in the bullpen.
It will be interesting to see where the remainder of the new pitchers will land as they will likely remain in the minors at AAA Memphis, AA Springfield, or High-A Peoria. The Cards have several talented pitching prospects, including Michael McGreevy, Gordon Graceffo, Cooper Hjerpe, and Tink Hence. These deadline moves add desperately needed depth and could allow some prospects to get promotions within the system.
The new arrivals should be making their way to St. Louis or their training facility in Jupiter, Fla., and fans should have a better grasp of what to expect moving forward.
Let's consider what moves could have been made and how Mozeliak may grow to regret those non-moves.
5. Not clearing the logjam in the outfield
There were speculations one or more of the Cardinals outfielders could have been traded at the deadline. Instead, that logjam still exists.
Tyler O'Neill, Lars Nootbaar, Dylan Carlson, Alec Burleson, and Jordan Walker are on the active roster. Juan Yepez and Moises Gomez are on the 40-man roster but are with AAA Memphis. Walker and Nootbaar were known to be untouchable. O'Neill contributed well after his lengthy stint on the injured. Burleson is a versatile roster member who can also help in the infield when Paul Goldschmidt needs an off day.
Carlson was believed to be the odd man out, with manager Oli Marmol even saying their outfield would be O'Neill, Nootbaar, and Walker moving forward.
Instead of Carlson, Yepez, or Burleson being flipped for starting pitching, the three remain on the team. This doesn't, however, mean they will be part of the Cardinals' plans. Mozeliak has said the offseason will be used to continue improving the pitching staff, which only has Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz set for the rotation next season.
4. Getting middle infielders with Masyn Winn on the way
The Cardinals' middle infield has a few questions now that Paul DeJong is playing for the Blue Jays.
The Cardinals got some good news with Tommy Edman returning from the injured list, as Brendan Donovan is expected to undergo season-ending surgery on his right elbow. Nolan Gorman has had some injury concerns and shined as the club's second baseman and designated hitter. Taylor Motter and Jose Fermin have served as nice backups.
And then, the Cardinals' No. 1 prospect, Masyn Winn, could make his way to St. Louis before the end of the season. At 21, Winn is putting up ridiculous numbers at Memphis hitting .284/.356/.467 with an OPS of .823. He has 14 doubles, six triples, and 16 home runs. He has 86 runs scored and 55 RBI. That offense would be very welcome in St. Louis.
Considering this, the acquisition of Saggese and Prieto is interesting. Both are nice pieces to add depth, but will they create a middle infield logjam? Edman and Donovan are super-utility players who can play infield and outfield. Gorman has been a top prospect in the organization and has worked hard to make the second base position his. With the arrival of Winn around the corner, will more deals become necessary? Could Prieto and Saggese be flipped again? Will this allow for Edman, a fan favorite, to be moved?
The middle infield depth is great for now, but it could be a headache down the road.
3. Still have three Major League catchers
The Cardinals still have a trio of MLB catchers in Willson Contreras, Andrew Knizner, and Ivan Herrera. All three have their plus sides. Contreras and Knizner split duties in St. Louis, and with Knizner off the injured list, Herrera remains in Memphis.
Contreras was signed to a five-year, $87.5 million contract to be the team's catcher. That would be a bad signal to move him. Knizner has been the Cardinals' top backup. He has excelled more at the plate than in years past. Herrera, once Yadier Molina's heir apparent, was impressive while with the Cardinals when Knizner was on the injured list.
It would be hard to get rid of either of these three. It is curious whether the Cardinals listened to offers on any of them. Knizner has shown much power at the plate and handles the pitching staff well. It would seem the team could have flipped Knzner to get pitching. It makes one wonder if Knizner might be one of the players who flipped in the offseason to improve the pitching.
The Cardinals may once again have three catchers in St. Louis to have all their assets available at the big league level. Their talents should be used.
2. Not getting a proven starting pitcher
Mozeliak's goal was to get pitching help for the future. He met that goal. But with all of the assets still available to flip, it would have been nice to see the Cardinals get a proven starting pitcher to help them now.
Matz pitched Sunday, and Mikolas pitched Tuesday. Dakota Hudson has started in previous seasons but had been in AAA Memphis most of this season, and Matthew Libertaore will start on Wednesday or Thursday, with Wainwright going Friday. What happens from there is up in the air.
Mozeliak made significant moves to help for the future, but it would have been nice to have a young, major league-ready starting pitcher to look forward to joining the club. This does provide more to look forward to for next season.
1. No moves with immediate, plus impact for the Cardinals
These trade deadline moves were meant to help the future. And that's exactly what they did.
King did make his debut with the Cards Tuesday evening as he pitched an inning of relief. He gave up a hit. Not a bad debut.
But it may be a while before we see anyone else. Mozeliak said we may see someone this season, but they will likely make their debuts in 2024.
Rom, now ranked as the Cardinals' 26th prospect, could debut this season. In 18 games started, Rom is 7-6 with a 5.34 ERA. He's struck out 100 batters over 86 innings. Allow him to get a little work in Memphis, and we could see him in St. Louis soon.
Kloffenstein is now the 22nd-ranked prospect in the Cardinals system. He is in AAA and has started 17 games this season. He has a 5-5 record with a 3.24 ERA. He pitched 89 innings, striking out 105 batters for AA New Hampshire. Kloffenstein could also spend some time in Memphis before making his debut later this season to get an idea of what can be expected.
Robberse is the No. 6 prospect in the organization now. He is now with AAA Memphis. He played for AA New Hampshire this season, compiling a record of 3-5 with a 4.06 ERA. In 88.2 innings pitched, he's struck out 86 batters. At 21, Robberse will likely make his debut in 2024.
Roby is now the No. 4 prospect in the organization. He is currently on the injured list and is expected to be evaluated by the Cardinals to assess his path forward. He struggled in his ten starts at AA Frisco. Once he's healthy, it should be fun to see what to expect
Showalter is the 23rd ranked prospect in the Cardinals system. He is in High A ball and is not expected to debut until 2026.
Svanson's debut timeframe is not clear, but Saggese and Prieto could debut in 2024.