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Cardinals willing to eat money
The Cardinals likely aren’t done on the outfield side of things, either. They could conceivably bring back free agent Marcell Ozuna, and have been willing to eat money to move Dexter Fowler’s contract, per league sources.
Wondering if this is move was made to set up an additional move or two.
I don’t think they acquired Liberatore to trade him away as part of another trade, if that is what you are asking. I think they saw an opportunity to improve future Cardinals teams without trading away anything that hurts them now.
Now, if you are asking if the two roster spaces are going to be used, well, yes. They are likely going to resign Wieters, they might resign Ozuna if they can trade away Fowler, they still need a closer, and Carlson will join the 40 man sometime this year…
Is the Passan news that the Cardinals are shopping Fowler a precursor to Ozuna’s return? Feels like it from a payroll fit perspective.
Yes, I hope so. The Cardinals need two MOTO bats to be successful. And, I am guessing the Cardinals want at least one veteran outfielder.
Not sure about the payroll fit, as I assume the Cardinals will have to eat $6+ million per year to trade Fowler. But a modest increase won’t hurt them.
I really like this trade for the Cardinals, cleared the roster, upgraded the farm system…
PLUS, Passan is reporting the Cardinals are shopping Fowler…If they can trade him as well this will be a very productive offseason…
That said: The Cardinals traded from an area of extreme depth in their outfield and got someone in Liberatore regarded as one of the best pitching prospects in the game. Gives them tons of options. This can't be seen as anything but a win for them, too.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 10, 2020
While Matt Liberatore is a very highly touted prospect, one NL evaluator likes this deal for the Rays: They get a bat in Martinez that kills LHP, a guy in Arozarena who has hit everywhere and move up about 40 spots in the draft. Called it "an excellent move for a win-now team."
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 10, 2020
I am glad they got rid of Jose Martinez to open up playing time for the players that are left.
This is the kind of trade the Cardinals need to do more often – consolidation trades of people ready to go for high upside prospects…
The St. Louis Cardinals are trading OF Jose Martinez, OF Randy Arozarena and a Compensation A pick (after 1st round) to the Tampa Bay Rays for LHP prospect Matt Liberatore, a low-level catching prospect and Compensation B pick (post-2nd), sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 10, 2020
What we do know is the Cardinals had $6.4 million available to spend, and they did not acquire any of the Top 30 international prospects. Even though they signed something like 23 kids, I haven’t heard of any of them signing for $300,000 like Malcolm Nunez did.
So, hopefully, they can redirect some of that unspent money to Colas…
I wonder at what level the Cards would become interested in a reunion? If it was 1 year and $14M? I’m not sure where the point is that they’d find the certainty of a solid bat in the lineup better than the draft pick.
Probably not until spring training and until his price has dropped below the qualifying offer….The rest of the NL Central isn’t exactly having a stellar offseason so far.
Due to his injury, he missed some games. Given his HR/game average, he would’ve had about 33-34 HRs without the injury.
Had he not missed a month of the season, and had he hit 34 HR’s, he would have wound up tied with Paul Goldschmidt, as a point of reference.
I didn’t realize the Dbacks would even be trying this year. Seems like a poor move for a marginal (and sinking) team.
They had $30 million to spend. They just spent $14 million.
Maybe they can get Calhoun + Akiyama for less than $20 million per year.
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.
