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Goold reports the Cards have asked about left-handed hitting outfielders from the Rangers, who have an excess. Goold cited Nomar Mazara as an example, but did not say who specifically the team is interested in (probably because he does not know). Other OFs on the roster who are LHH include Joey Gallo, Shin-Soo Choo and Willie Calhoun. Goold speculates the Cards would deal from their RHH OFs.
A Fansided blogger covering the Rangers cited Goold’s article and wrote that the Cards are interested in Mazara. However, there is nothing to back that specific point up, but that didn’t stop overreactions by people on social media who are too lazy to check out sources.
It is that time of year… when sloppy reporting is rewarded with lots and lots of clicks…
I mentioned this in the winter meetings thread but I think Mazara and Calhoun would be attractive because of their age even though Mazara’s OBP is only .318. Gallo is most likely unavailable and the only way I would touch Choo is if the Rangers ate a big chunk of his remaining salary or if it was a bad contract for bad contract deal with Carp or Fowler but that is unlikely.
Supposedly the Marlins have inquired about Mazara as well per Craig Mish.
Hard to believe there would be a bidding war for Mazara, but if so, we know who will not win. Not sure if I care. My suspicion if Mazara is really a target is that they want a guy who is good, but not so good he couldn’t become a fourth outfielder when Carlson is ready.
Did anyone ever play “Telephone” as a kid? Now, the Dallas paper has picked up the questionable Cardinals-Mazara connection. Check out this weasel wording. They didn’t say, “the Fansided post that misconstrued the Post-Dispatch article”.
“The market for Mazara seems to include Arizona, a source confirmed, and St. Louis, according to a report.”
Yes, this kind of thing bothers me, but I also share it to try to educate our readers to follow the trail back to the original source, which in this case is Goold. He was very careful to cite Mazara as an example only. That care was disregarded at multiple steps down the line.
What, isn’t Drew Robinson available?
This Handedness Preoccupation Syndrome never ceases to baffle me. Unless the club intends to go with a straight platoon — and I cannot recall the last time a Redbird manager did that — they should ignore handedness completely, in every single case, hitters and pitchers alike, and focus on talent, talent, talent. If every player on the 40-man roster is a righty, so be it. Just get the best guys and forget everything else. It’ll make for a stronger squad.
Anyway, rather than rant my way through a few more paragraphs, let’s take a look at 24-year-old erstwhile top prospect Nomar Mazara.
Entering 2016 Mazara was a consensus top 25 overall prospect (I thought so too). In fact, he was #5 at Baseball Prospectus. So stardom was clearly expected. But it just has not happened, in the least.
2016 OPS+ 93
2017 OPS+ 90
2018 OPS+ 96
2019 OPS+ 96 againInteresting split info:
Career v. LHP .633 OPS
Career v. RHP .799 OPSSo, excellent platoon candidate. Except there’s another split that’s less encouraging.
Home, career: .805 OPS
Road, career: .705 OPSAnd Mazara’s defense is lacking, making him less than a 1-WAR player. So, basically, there’s no way I deal Arozarena or Tyler O’Neill for Nomar M.
A couple years ago, sure. But not now. Not with the StL guys having dominated Triple-A pitchers, and Mazara having stagnated so thoroughly. And Mazara is starting to cost actual money, on top of everything else. Heck, why trade for a guy who could be non-tendered any day now?Choo would be intriguing as a platoon possibility, but he is old, old, old and cannot play the outfield any more.
Left hand, shmeft hand. Talent. Talent. Talent.
Would this close off a potential landing spot for Ozuna?
#WhiteSox working hard to land Nomar Mazara from #Rangers
— Jim Bowden (@JimBowdenGM) December 10, 2019
I’d love to hear what Ozuna’s asking price is. No doubt Boras is trying to get him money based on his 2017 stats.
href=”https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/mlb/texas-rangers/article238254444.html”>
Looks like this isn’t a half baked rumor. Not saying the Cardinals will be the trade partner but seems they are in it.
Interesting twist on #Rangers’ trade talks involving outfielder Nomar Mazara. According to sources, the teams pursuing Mazara include two that are rebuilding – the #Marlins and #Tigers. #WhiteSox also in mix. Deal not yet close.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2019
Sources: Rangers have agreed to deal Nomar Mazara to Chicago White Sox. I have a feeling this may get overshadowed in light of Gerrit Cole news.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) December 11, 2019
Both Baseball-Reference and Fangraphs have Mazara worth less than 1 WAR in every one of his four MLB campaigns. And he’s into his arbitration years now.
Even in a straight platoon, his value is highly questionable due to poor defense. I guess as a platoon DH, he might make sense. But how many 24-year-olds cheerfully switch to DH? And don’t the Southsiders have an excess of no-glove types already? (And more on the way soon, with Collins & Vaughn?)
Weird deal, to me.
Unless the club intends to go with a straight platoon — and I cannot recall the last time a Redbird manager did that —
Bob, off the top of my head I remember Whitey doing a platoon in RF with Andy Van Slyke and Tito Landrum. The Cards then trade Van Slyke to the Pirates for Tony Pena and Andy becomes the Pirates everyday CF and a very good one at that.
I am going to have to disagree a bit with your premise. I think having a balanced lineup has advantages. Mo mentioned the other day that other teams are able to gameplan our lineup because we have so many hitters with the same weakness (low and away slider). Forcing the pitcher to adjust would be a good thing I think. It also makes it more difficult for the opposing manager to bring in relievers although the new 3 man rule may change that.
The 1985 team was so good because the lineup had so many switch hitters. Coleman, McGee, Ozzie, Pendleton, etc…
The Cardinals have Matt Carpenter & Kolten Wong, who both hit left-handed.
They have Dexter Fowler & Tommy Edman, who are both switch hitters. As is Carlson, who will inevitably be called up at some point. And they will possibly have Weiters return, who is also a switch hitter. By the end of the year, they can trot out a lineup featuring six people hitting from the left side.
But if you have a right-handed hitter that is better at hitting righties than a left-handed hitter, why do you need a left-handed hitter? That makes no sense.
Welcome, LACardFan. I get your point. All I can suggest is that many fans would prefer most of those switch-hitters to be coming off the bench rather than starting (Carpenter, Fowler and Wieters), partially because they have not excelled hitting from either side of the plate in recent years.
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