photo: Chasen Shreve (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)
St. Louis Cardinals press release
The St. Louis Cardinals announced this afternoon (Friday, November 30) that they have reached an agreement on a one-year contract for the 2019 season with left-handed reliever Chasen Shreve who was arbitration eligible. The Cardinals also announced that all remaining players on the team’s 40-man Major League roster have been tendered 2019 contracts.
Shreve, 28, combined to go 3-4 with a 3.93 ERA and one save in a career-high 60 appearances in 2018 between the Yankees and Cardinals. Shreve appeared in 20 games (14.2 innings pitched) with the Cardinals following a July 28 trade from New York, going 1-2 with a 3.07 ERA.
Shreve ranked 5th among left-handed relievers in swing-and-miss pct. (33 pct.) in 2018, trailing only Josh Hader (MIL), Aroldis Chapman (NYY), Tanner Scott (BAL) and Jace Fry (CWS).
Brian Walton’s take
Perhaps the behind-the-scenes details will come out later, perhaps not. My guess (and it is a guess only) is that Shreve and his agent took preemptive action with the Cardinals to avoid him being non-tendered and came in to the team with a contract amount that the club was comfortable with.
As a reference point based on comparable players, MLB Trade Rumors estimated Shreve could get $1.2 million in arbitration. He immediately settled for 25 percent less, probably to avoid free agency that might not have been kind to him. The actual amount of the new deal, per national reporter Jon Heyman, is $900,000 plus incentives.
Putting aside the amount, which benefits the team only, the signing itself is limiting because Shreve has no minor league options remaining. He joins the other left-hander in the pen, Brett Cecil, in coming off a substandard 2018. The duo leave the Cards with no flexibility during the regular season if they struggle – short of a disabled list stint or release.
However, the Cardinals have bought time until the end of spring training to determine what to do with the left side of the pen. Arbitration contracts are not guaranteed until the 25-man Opening Day roster is set. If an arbitration-eligible player is released during Spring Training, the team is only responsible for 30 or 45 days of termination pay, depending on the date of release.
The three other eligible Cardinals who have been tendered contracts – but have not yet settled with the club on the amount – are pitchers Michael Wacha and Dominic Leone and outfielder Marcell Ozuna. The trio can either come to an agreement with the team on the dollar amount of their one-year deal or it will be decided in February arbitration hearings. No matter how the money turns out, the three are considered signed for 2019.
An impact of no players being non-tendered is that the Cardinals 40-man roster remains full. They have no room to add any players, whether via free agency, or in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Of course, trades or placing a 40-man roster player on waivers could create roster relief if/when needed.
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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on Twitter.
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