photo: Willson Contreras (St. Louis Cardinals)
The St. Louis Cardinals landed free agent catcher Willson Contreras during last week’s Winter Meetings and added a free agent pitcher and a Rule 5 hurler to the roster. Our weekly history feature reviews key Cardinals Rule 5 losses during prior Winter Meetings.
Cardinals sign former Cubs catcher Willson Contreras
On the last day of the Winter Meetings, national reporters said that the St. Louis Cardinals had reached a deal with free agent Willson Contreras, formerly the catcher for the Cardinals’ traditional rival, the Chicago Cubs.
The deal was later confirmed by the Cardinals and made official. A Friday morning press conference introduced the new catcher to the media and the public.
The five-year deal worth $87.5 million dollars includes a club option for a sixth year and a full no trade protection for the first four years of the contract. The final year and the potential option year contains a 10-team no trade clause. The club option has a $5 million dollar buyout.
The Astros reportedly made Contreras a multi-year offer. The Los Angeles Angels are also said to have made overtures to the free agent.
The contract is the largest financial deal in team history for a player who had not previously played for the Cardinals.
St. Louis had previously been active in the catcher trade market, but no deal materialized. President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak was reported as saying the price for one of those catchers, Oakland’s Sean Murphy, was “too high”.
Contreras told reporters at the press conference that he first imagined coming to the Cardinals when he watched Albert Pujols hit his 695th career home run at Busch Stadium against the Cubs. Seeing the celebration in the stadium and in the Cardinals’ dugout made Contreras imagine himself in that uniform. A positive conversation with former teammate Jose Quintana also contributed to his desire to play in St. Louis.
Contreras was drafted by the Cubs and played for them for six seasons. He was reportedly on the trade block in July 2022 but a deal with Houston fell through.
The Cubs were reported to have made little to no effort to re-sign Contreras either during the season or after, though they did issue him a qualifying offer, which he declined. As a result, St. Louis forfeits their second draft pick next July plus $500,000 of international signing bonus allocation.
Free agent Zuniga snares a 40-man roster spot
In other acquisition news, the Cardinals signed minor league RHP Guillermo Zuniga to a major league deal. Zuniga split his minor league career between the Braves (2016-17) and the Dodgers (2018-22).
His most recent season was with the Dodgers Double-A Tulsa Drillers. He posted a record of 11-6 with an ERA of 4.10. He struck out 115 in 90 innings.
Rule 5 pick Rodriguez joins the 40-man
In the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft held on Wednesday, December 7, the Cardinals claimed RHP Wilking Rodriguez from the New York Yankees. St. Louis must keep Rodriguez on the active roster for the entire 2022 season or lose him through waivers or a return to the Yankees.
Rodriguez has not been in affiliated ball since 2015. He pitched in 2022 in the Mexican League and was signed by the Yankees to a minor league deal late in the 2022 season. The Yankees failed to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and the Cardinals, who had long sought to acquire him, snagged him. The Cardinals had earlier attempted to acquire him from his Mexican League club but were unsuccessful.
The Cardinals selected four pitchers and a catcher in the minor league phase of the draft. They lost infielder Evan Mendoza in that phase to the San Diego Padres.
News and Notes from the Offseason
In this space look for various news items which are of interest but do not necessarily justify a separate news story. For the week of December 5 through December 11 the following events occurred.
- Various awards were given out at the Winter Meetings in San Diego. Cardinals Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Development Gary LaRocque was the recipient of the Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award. It is presented to an individual with distinguished service who has been instrumental in player development. The Bender award was first given out in 2008 but LaRocque is the first Cardinals employee to receive it. LaRocque has been with the Cardinals for the last 15 years.
- Major League Baseball made their first distribution this past week in the new Pre-Arbitration Bonus Pool Program, which was a component of the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement. A total of 100 players received bonuses under this program, 11 of whom were given bonuses of more than $1 million. Two Cardinals were awarded bonuses slightly under a million dollars – Ryan Helsley and Tommy Edman. Helsley received $865,011 for placing on the Second All-MLB Team. Edman gets $712,375 for finishing fifth in the Joint WAR ranking.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
- Mark Bowman, MLB.com beat writer for the Atlanta Braves, tweeted that the Cardinals are one of four teams showing the most interest in free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson.
- The New York Post’s Jon Heyman tweeted that a “mystery team” that he identified as the Cardinals (thus making them not a mystery team), were ‘in on” free agent pitcher Carlos Rodon. This declaration by Heyman contradicts previous assertions by John Mozeliak that the Cardinals were not looking to sign a starting pitcher. It also should be noted that Rodon’s agent is Scott Boras, who often floats “mystery team” interest through Heyman for negotiation purposes.
However, Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch, in a Sunday morning article, suggested that the door for a starting pitcher acquisition may not be completely closed. The reasoning begins with the fact that those in the current rotation other than Steven Matz are not signed beyond 2023. Four of the pitchers, Miles Mikolas, Adam Wainwright, Jack Flaherty, and Jordan Montgomery, will be free agents at the end of the 2023 season. If the Cardinals do not sign a starting pitcher this year, they will have to add several starters next season. There is no way of knowing how the starting pitcher market will shake out for 2024.
Further, on Sunday morning John Mozeliak told listeners on KMOX Radio the following:
“In terms of making the big splash, I wouldn’t believe many of the rumors you’re reading about now.”
It is quite possible he was referring to the Swanson and Rodon rumors.
Transactions
- 12/6 The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Guillermo Zuniga
- 12/7 The Cardinals claimed RHP Wilking Rodriguez in the Rule 5 draft from the New York Yankees.
- 12/9 The Cardinals signed free agent C Willson Contreras, filling the 40-man roster.
Injury Report
There are no new injuries to report.
Looking Ahead
In the 2022-23 offseason, all unsigned eligible free agents have elected free agency. Trades and free agent signings will continue to occur through spring training.
Now that the Winter Meetings have concluded and all awards have been given out, the next dates on the offseason calendar of note have to do with player arbitration.
January 13, 2023 is the date when teams and arbitration eligible players must submit salary figures. Prior to that date the parties are free to come to an agreement on the player’s salary for 2023 and avoid arbitration. After January 13, 2023, if no agreement is reached, the dispute is scheduled for an arbitration hearing to take place during in February. The parties may still reach agreement between the two dates date and avoid the hearing.
The Cardinals have 10 arbitration eligible players – Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, Chris Stratton, Jordan Hicks, Dakota Hudson, Tyler O’Neill, Tommy Edman, Ryan Helsley, Andrew Knizner, and Genesis Cabrera.
The Cardinals and Stratton have already reached an agreement for Stratton’s 2023 salary. The parties agreed to a one-year deal for $2.8 million on November 17. Stratton, along with Montgomery, Flaherty, and Hicks, are in their final year of arbitration eligibility.
Hudson and O’Neill are in their second year of eligibility. Edman, Helsley, Knizner, and Cabrera are first year eligible.
Other offseason events coming up in January are:
- January 14-16 – Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up.
- January 15 – The 2023 international signing period begins.
- January 24 – The 2023 inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame are announced.
Blast from the Past
In last week’s Blast from the Past, we looked at acquisitions by the Cardinals at the Winter Meetings, and players claimed in the Rule 5 Draft during past Winter Meetings. This week’s Blast recalls Cardinals players lost in past Rule 5 Drafts. The focus is on Cardinals players lost in the major league phase of the draft.
The Cardinals did not lose a player in the major league phase of the 2022 draft. There was no major league phase of the draft in 2021 due to the lockout and no Rule 5 draft at all in 2020 due to the pandemic. The list of players lost in the major league phase is listed below in descending order for the period 2000-2019.
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Chris Ellis (Springfield Cardinals) December 18, 2018, in Las Vegas – P Chris Ellis. Ellis had been acquired in the Jaime Garcia trade with the Braves in 2016. He spent 2017 and 2018 with Springfield and Memphis. He was claimed by the Rangers in the Rule 5 draft and traded to the Royals on the same day. Ellis was later returned to the Cardinals but never reached the majors with them. He later pitched briefly for Tampa Bay and Baltimore.
- December 8, 2016, in Washington D.C. – SS Allen Cordoba. Cordoba was an international free agent signing in 2013. He did not play above the Rookie League in the Cardinals minor league system. The Padres took him in the Rule 5 draft in 2016 and he played in 100 games for the Padres in 2017. He was optioned to the minors after the season and remained in their system through the 2021 season. The Reds signed him as a free agent, then released him in June 2022.
- December 10, 2015, in Nashville – P Luis David Perdomo. Perdomo was an international free agent signing by the Cardinals in 2011. He was assigned to the Peoria Chiefs at the time of the Rule 5 draft. The Rockies chose him in the draft and traded him to the Padres on the same day. Perdomo was a starter for the Padres in 2016 and 2017 and spent the next three seasons going back and forth between the majors and the minors. He was released at the end of the 2020 season and signed by the Brewers to a minor league contract in 2021. He elected free agency in November 2022.
- December 9, 2010, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida – P Brian Broderick. Broderick was drafted by the Cardinals in 2007. He spent the 2010 season between Palm Beach and Springfield. The Nationals took him in the Rule 5 draft. He pitched in 11 games for the Nationals out of the bullpen but was returned to the Cardinals on May 23, 2011. The Cardinals released him from Triple-A Memphis on July 21, 2012.
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Mike Parisi (Brian Walton/The Cardianl Nation) December 10, 2009, in Indianapolis – P Mike Parisi. Parisi was drafted by the Cardinals in 2004. He debuted on May 5, 2008 and pitched out of the bullpen in 12 games for the Cardinals. He was outrighted to Memphis in November 2008. The Cubs selected him in the Rule 5 draft in December 2009. The Cubs released him in 2011.
- December 11, 2008, in Paradise, Nevada – P Luis M. Perdomo (not the 2015 Luis Perdomo, but his cousin). The Cardinals acquired this Luis Perdomo in the Anthony Reyes trade to the Indians in July 2008. Perdomo played the remainder of the season with the Springfield Cardinals. The Giants selected Perdomo in the Rule 5 draft. He was claimed off waivers by the Padres on April 10, 2009.
- December 13, 2004, in Anaheim – P Tyler Johnson. Johnson was drafted by the Cardinals in 2000. The left-handed pitcher was selected by the Oakland A’s in the 2004 Rule 5 draft and returned to the Cardinals in March 2005. Johnson debuted with St. Louis on September 6, 2005. Johnson pitched in 116 games over three seasons with the Cardinals. He missed the 2008 season due to injury and was non-tendered after the season.
- December 16, 2002, in Nashville – P Blake Williams. Williams was St. Louis’ first-round draft pick in 2000. The highest level he reached in the system was High-A Palm Beach. The Reds selected him in the 2002 Rule 5 draft. Williams was returned to the Cardinals in March 2003 and released by the Cardinals in April 2004.
The Cardinals did not lose any players in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft in 2019, 2017, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2001 and 2000.
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