St. Louis Cardinals: Five Corner Infield Options
By Jason Evans
The St. Louis Cardinals are looking for some more pop out of their corner infield spots. Here are five options for them.
The “Cardinals Way” has been draft and development and staying away from the mega contract that can really hurt you on the back end. That’s why they didn’t give Albert Pujols the mega deal when he was a free agent. He signed with the Angels and the Cardinals took the draft pick and used it on Michael Wacha.
Things have changed a little bit, though. There’s a juggernaut in the NL Central you may have heard of, the world champion Chicago Cubs. If you’re going to compete with them, you’re going to have to make sure that you not only develop talent, but that you also spend money.
The Cardinals are a bit of a sleeping giant themselves. That’s what happens when you secure a $1 billion TV deal with FOX Sports Midwest. That influx of cash along with making the playoffs on a consistent basis is a nice cash cow.
The Cardinals have started to chip away at the Cubs by taking one of theirs after signing Dexter Fowler to be their center fielder for the next five years. They’ve also added lefty reliever Brett Cecil in free agency. They don’t want to stop there, though.
The Cardinals are looking for some extra pop in their infield. With versatile guys like Jedd Gyorko and Matt Carpenter, they can look in any direction, whether it’s first or third.
So let’s break down the options. Here are five players the Cardinals can turn to for some extra pop on the corners as a way to get back to the postseason in 2017.