This season, the St. Louis Cardinals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010 after winning just 86 games. Watching from home, they saw their bitter rivals, the Chicago Cubs, finally win the World Series. Needless to say, it was a rough start to the offseason for St. Louis. The Cardinals will look to make tiny tweaks to their roster to make the playoffs again in 2017.
St. Louis Cardinals 2016 Offseason Needs
Upgrade The Outfield
Matt Holliday, a core member of the Cardinals success in recent years, won’t be back next season. The Cardinals decided to decline his $17 million contract option, making Holliday a free agent. According to sources, an upgrade in center field is the most likely option. The Cardinals defense was terrible in 2016, ranking 25th in fielding percentage. Upgrading the outfield should see their defense improve.
Randal Grichuk profiles better as a corner outfielder and would probably slide over to left field with the addition of a center fielder. Options the Cardinals could consider, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, include Charlie Blackmon, A.J. Pollock, and Adam Eaton. A trade is more likely than adding a free-agent in a weak center field market, although Dexter Fowler or Ian Desmond could be other options. The Cardinals could also stand pat and re-sign Brandon Moss, although they have already declined his option.
Add To The Bullpen
The Cardinals will be without Zach Duke next season due to Tommy John surgery. Adding depth to the bullpen is another top priority for the Cards this offseason. Rookie Seung-hwan Oh impressed last season, notching 17 saves and an ERA under two. Trevor Rosenthal, who lost the closer job to Oh, had a disappointing season, posting a career-high 4.46 ERA.
Given Oh’s status as a relative unknown and Rosenthal’s struggles last season, the Cardinals could look to add a closer. Available options the Cardinals could go after include Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman, Wade Davis, and Mark Melancon. Another option is for the Cardinals to look to their farm system for a lefty specialist to bolster their pen. Ryan Sherriff and Cory Littrell are minor league arms that are being looked at by Cardinals brass, according to Goold.
Get Younger
The Cardinals are the seventh-oldest team in MLB in terms of average age. Moving on from Holliday is a move to get younger and establish a new core of the team. Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Jhonny Peralta aren’t likely to be moved, but are also older players who are core members of the team. With the depth the Cards feature in the infield, Peralta could be moved for a pitcher or outfielder, but Molina and Wainwright won’t go anywhere any time soon. The Cardinals should look for other players to bear the load of the 2017 team if they want to be successful next season and further down the line.
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