St. Louis Cardinals MLB Notebook – Week of March 7-13

The MLB lockout ended with the full regular season saved. The Cardinals have signed two right-handers likely slated for the bullpen. Our history feature highlights the 1943 National League Champion Cardinals.



The lockout ends and baseball begins

After 99 days with no end in sight, the MLB lockout came to an official end on Thursday, March 12 with an agreement between the league and the MLBPA on a five-year collective bargaining agreement. Late Thursday afternoon, the union voted on whether to accept the last MLB proposal. The vote was 26-12 in favor. The owners voted unanimously for the proposal a few hours later.

The 12 “no” votes came from all eight of the members of the MLBPA executive board plus four team representatives. One of the team no votes came from St. Louis Cardinals team rep Jack Flaherty.

The agreement contains many provisions, but the following are some key changes.

  • The minimum salary for pre-arbitration players rose to $700,000 for 2022, with increases each year after to $720,000 (2023), $740,000 (2024), $760,000 (2025) and $780,000 (2026). The rise to $700,000 is a 22.7% increase over the 2021 salary.
  • The Competitive Balance Tax, which was the major issue of contention between the two sides, will have minimum thresholds that rise progressively from $230 million in 2022, up to $244 million in 2026. The 2022 threshold is a rise of 9.5% from the 2021 minimum threshold. A fourth tier threshold was added for 2022 of $290 million, which is a change from the prior three tiers. Many are calling this additional tier the “Steve Cohen tax” after the Mets new owner who has shown himself to be a prolific spender. The tax penalties for the first three tiers remain the same as in the prior CBA, but the fourth tier has a high penalty of 80%.
  • The postseason will expand to 12 teams. The format includes a bye for the top two division winners, who will be seeded # 1 and #2. The third division winner will be seeded #3. Three Wild Card teams and the #3 division winner will play in a three-game Wild Card round. The #3 seed will play the #6 seed, with the winner opposing the #2 seed in the Division Series. The #1 seed will play the winner of the #4 vs #5 game in the Division Series. There will be no re-seeding in the Division Series. The game 163 tiebreakers will disappear. NFL style tiebreaker formulas will be used.
  • A pre-arbitration bonus pool is established for each year of the CBA. The pool is $50 million dollars to be split among the top 100 players who have not yet reached arbitration eligibility. MVP and Cy Young Award winners will receive a $2.5 million bonus. Next places in both the MVP and Cy Young will receive $1.75 million (2nd place), $1.5 million (3rd place), and $1 million each for 4thMVP and 4th and 5th Cy Young. For Rookie of the Year, the winner will receive $750K and 2nd place gets $500K.
  • Players with options remaining can only be optioned a maximum of 5 times per season. There were no limits in prior CBAs.
  • There will be a universal designated hitter starting in the 2022 season.
  • A draft lottery for the top six picks in the MLB draft is being established. All 18 teams which do not reach the playoffs are eligible for the lottery. The bottom three teams in record will have a 16.5 percent chance while the remaining 15 teams will have a 15 percent chance. Revenue sharing teams are limited to two consecutive years in the lottery. The larger market non-revenue sharing teams will not be eligible in consecutive years.
  • Arbitration eligible players will receive guaranteed contracts for the first time in CBA history.

Spring training will be shortened, with games starting on March 17 and extending through April 5. Opening day of the 162-game regular season will be April 7. The regular season will be extended three days. Cancelled games will be made up on off days and via nine inning doubleheaders throughout the season.

The agreement will run until December 1, 2026.

Cardinals sign two pitchers

The ink had barely dried on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement when the Cardinals announced the first signing of the post lockout Hot Stove, right-handed pitcher Drew VerHagen to a two-year deal.

VerHagen is a six-year MLB veteran who spent the last two seasons pitching for the Nippon Ham Fighters of the NBP in Japan. His aggregate record was 5-8 with an ERA of 3.84.

Drew VerHagen

The 31-year-old pitched in the major leagues from 2014 to 2019 for the Detroit Tigers. He compiled a record of 10-10 with an ERA of 5.11 in those six seasons, mostly as a reliever. It is likely that VerHagen will be assigned to St. Louis’ bullpen but has the flexibility to start if needed.

On Sunday, the Cardinals announced the signing of another right-handed reliever to a one-year contract. Nick Wittgren is also a six-year MLB veteran. From 2016 to 2018 he pitched for the Miami Marlins and he spent 2019-2021 with the Cleveland Guardians (formerly Indians). The 30-year-old’s record over the six seasons was 18-15 with an ERA of 3.75.  He made one start with Cleveland in 2021 but is primarily a reliever.

Nick Wittgren

Wittgren ranks sixth best in MLB in allowing inherited runners to score and ranks 20th in K/BB ratio (3.49) in a class of pitchers with 250 appearances. He set career highs in 2021 in strikeouts, innings, and appearances.

The Cardinals had emphasized prior to the lockout their intention of focusing on the bullpen during the Hot Stove season. These two relievers join a bullpen that consists of Giovanny Gallegos, Alex Reyes, Ryan Helsley, and Genesis Cabrera among other potential relievers.

More news on both signings at The Cardinal Nation

Cardinals Sign Reliever Nick Wittgren

Cardinals Make Drew VerHagen First Post-Lockout Signing

Revised spring training schedule announced

Following the end of the lockout, MLB announced the spring training schedules for both the Grapefruit League and the Cactus League had been revised. Spring training games will officially begin on Thursday, March 17.

The number of games played varies based on location. The Cactus League will play a minimum of 17 or 18 games. The Grapefruit League will play either 15 or 16 games. In Florida, the games will be regionalized, with West Coast teams playing only each other and East Coast teams playing each other. For the Cardinals this means 15 games with the Marlins, Mets, Astros, and Nationals. The Cardinals’ first game will be Friday, March 18 against the Astros at Roger Dean Stadium.

Players began reporting to Jupiter on Friday, March 11. The official report day is Sunday, March 13. Workouts are set to begin on Monday, March 14.

The Cardinals revised spring training schedule can be found here.

(The reworked regular season schedule is still under development.)

Albert Pujols (USA TODAY Sports Images)

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals have considered a reunion with franchise icon Albert Pujols as a potential designated hitter and pinch hitter.  Pujols has relatively good numbers against left handed pitching and could offer some power potential as a part time DH and pinch hitter against lefties. On the other hand, Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr, in a statement to reporters, cast some doubt on the idea, telling the media “we’ve got most of our club pretty well set”.

Transactions

  • 3/11 The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Drew VerHagen
  • 3/13 The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Nick Wittgren

Injury Report

There are no new injuries to report.

Looking Ahead

The lockout is finally over, and baseball has returned. On Thursday, March 10, an agreement was reached between MLB and the MLPA for a five year collective bargaining agreement. The union voted to accept MLB’s proposal by a vote of 26-12.

The agreement provides for a full 162-game season with Opening Day on April 7. A shortened spring training has already begun in both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues.

Spring training games are set to begin this week. The Cardinals first game will be on March 18. The Cardinals will play 15 games against only their East Coast neighbors the Marlins, Mets, Astros, and Nationals. The Cardinals begin the regular season at home on April 7 against the Pirates. The complete schedule can be found here.

The end of the lockout means the Hot Stove is back. Also put back on the schedule is the day for submitting salary figures for arbitration purposes. That new date is March 22. Arbitration hearings will be conducted during the season. The Cardinals have seven arbitration eligible players. Four of the seven are in their second year of arbitration: Jack Flaherty, Harrison Bader, Alex Reyes and Jordan Hicks. The remaining three, Tyler O’Neill, Giovanny Gallegos, and Dakota Hudson, are first year arbitration eligible.

The major league phase of the Rule 5 draft has been cancelled and will return in December 2022.

Blast from the Past

In the fourth installment covering the top teams in Cardinals franchise history, we take a look at a third World War II era team. This week, we covers the 1943 St. Louis Cardinals – the 62nd team in Cardinals history in its 52nd season in the National League.

The 1943 Cardinals were managed by Billy Southworth and played their home games in Sportman’s Park III.  The team finished in first place in the National League with a record of 105-49-3.

The starting position players for the 1943 team were substantially similar to the 1944 team profiled last week. Harry Walker did not leave for military service until 1944, so he remained on the team as an outfielder. Lou Klein played 2B in 1943 and left for military service in 1944.

Mort Cooper (Getty Images)

Mort Cooper and Max Lanier were two of the starting pitchers. The remaining three starting pitchers on the 1943 team on opening day were Harry Gumbert, Howie Pollet, and Ernie White. Gumbert was traded to Cincinnati on June 15, 1944. Pollet and White left for military service in 1944. Harry Breechen and Red Munger, who were starting pitchers in 1944, were relievers in 1943.

The top offensive performer was Stan Musial, who hit .357/.425/.562 with 13 home runs and 81 RBI. Musial led MLB in hits that season with 220. He also topped MLB in doubles (48) and triples (20). Musial was selected as the NL MVP for 1943, a title he won two more times in his Hall of Fame career.

The top starting pitcher was Cooper, who posted a record of 21-8 with an ERA of 2.30.  His 21 wins led MLB and his ERA topped the National Leage that season. Lanier was 15-7 in 25 starts with an ERA of 1.90.  His ERA led the NL that season.

Stan Musial

The 1943 team finished 14.5 games ahead of second place Pittsburgh. The Cardinals spent 108 days of the season in first place. Their biggest lead was 19 games on Sept 22.

The longest winning streak was 12 games from July 19 to July 27. The longest losing streak was four games from July 15 to July 17.

The most runs allowed by the 1943 team was 15 on July 5 in a 15-2 loss to the Phillies. The most runs scored was 14 twice, in a July 21 14-6 win over the New York Giants in the second game of a doubleheader, and a 14-5 win over the Boston Braves on August 23.

The Cardinals won the NL pennant and met the New York Yankees in the World Series. Despite their stellar record, the Cardinals fell to the Yankees in five games. It was the only World War II era Cardinals team to lose the World Series. The 98-win 1946 team won the World Series over the Boston Red Sox.

1943’s Game 1 was played at Yankee Stadium on October 5. The Yankees won 4-2. St. Louis starter Lanier gave up four runs in seven innings pitched. The only St. Louis run scored in the second inning on an RBI double by Marty Marion.

The Cardinals prevailed in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium by the score of 4-3. Starting pitcher Cooper pitched all nine innings, giving up one run in the fourth and two runs in the ninth inning. St. Louis’ first run came in the third inning on a solo home run by Marion. In the fourth, Musial singled and Whitey Kurowski drove him in on a single to center field. Ray Sanders added a two-run home run in the same inning.

Danny Litwhiler

Game 3 in Yankee Stadium was a 6-2 loss for the Cardinals. Al Brazle started for St. Louis and allowed six runs in 7 1/3 innings. A two-run single by Danny Litwhiler in the fourth inning were the only two runs for the team.

The Yankees defeated the Cardinals 2-1 in Game 4 in Sportsman’s Park. The Cardinals sole run came home in the seventh on a fielding error. Lanier started and gave up one run in seven innings. Harry Breechen relieved and surrendered the winning run to absorb the loss.

Game 5 in Sportsman’s Park finished the series win for the Yankees. The Redbirds were shut out, 2-0. Cooper was the losing pitcher after yielding the two runs in seven innings. Lanier and Murry Dickson relieved. Musial went 0-for-3 but Kurowski was 2-for-4, both singles.

Next week we will fast forward four decades to another World Series losing Cardinals team.


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