St. Louis Cardinals: Five Corner Infield Options for 2017

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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.

1B – Edwin Encarnacion

The Cardinals have already lost their first round pick by signing Fowler. To quote Chicago White Sox announcer Ken Harrelson, “Don’t stop now, boys.” They may as well sacrifice their second round pick at this point and sign someone like Edwin Encarnacion to play first.

Edwin turns 34 in January and has been one of the most consistent power bats in the game over the past few seasons. Take a look at the numbers over the last three seasons:

2014: .268 BA, .901 OPS, 152 OPS+, 34 homers, 98 RBI

2015: .277 BA, .929 OPS, 148 OPS+, 39 homers, 111 RBI

2016: .263 BA, .886 OPS, 133 OPS+, 42 homers, 127 RBI (led AL)

Encarnacion would give the Cardinals their best bat since Pujols left. With the market drying up for him, he could take a shorter deal and re-enter the market like Fowler did. This would help the Cardinals as well so they aren’t locked into him if he starts to break down physically.

Adding Fowler and Encarnacion to a lineup with Carpenter and Gyorko and Yadier Molina would certainly keep the Cardinals in the playoff hunt.

1B/OF – Mark Trumbo

If the Cardinals don’t want to go after EE, they can target Mark Trumbo instead. Trumbo can play first and even play a bit of corner outfield if the Cardinals want to throw him out there in a pinch.

Like Encarnacion, Trumbo comes with draft pick compensation, so the Cardinals would have to forfeit their second round pick for him.

Trumbo will turn 31 in January and is coming off an absolute monster campaign for the Orioles. He led the majors with 47 homers, drove in a career high 108 runs and had a career high OPS of .850. He also made his second All-Star Game appearance.

You could make the case that Camden Yards was just the perfect place for Trumbo to be in a lineup with guys like Chris Davis, Manny Machado and Adam Jones around him. Trumbo’s best place defensively is first, but the flexibility can help the Cardinals.

This is also a player who was on the fourth team of his career, struck out 170 times and is coming off a career year. Can Trumbo put up those kinds of numbers again, or will he go back to hitting 22 homers and driving in 64 runs like he did in 2015?

1B/OF – Jose Bautista

Like Trumbo, Jose Bautista can play outfield, first and even some third base (though I’d probably advise against that at this point). Bautista is coming off an injury plagued season and his worst defensive season in right field in a long time. Bautista was a -8 defensive runs saved player in right last season. Maybe it’s time for him to move to the infield?

Bautista is going into his age-36 season. With a quiet market, it’s possible they can sign him to a shorter term deal. Playing first on a consistent basis could help Bautista’s value when he heads back onto the market.

Prior to last season, Bautista had made the All-Star team every year since 2010. He was coming off two straight seasons of 35+ homers, 100+ RBI and an OPS over .900.

He picked a bad year to get injured and hit just .234 with an .817 OPS, but when he’s been healthy, he’s been one of the best right-handed power threats in the game. Plus he’ll have a huge chip on his shoulder after probably not getting the contract he thinks he deserves and could take it out on the rest of the NL.

INF – Luis Valbuena

If the Cardinals don’t want to spend at the top of the market, and want someone with power and more versatility, Luis Valubena could be their guy.

Valbuena is going into his age-31 season and also has no draft pick compensation attached to him unlike the previous three hitters we talked about. He has experience playing every position along the infield, but has mainly been a third baseman and second baseman.

He was having his best offensive season last year before hurting his hamstring. In 90 games, he hit .260 with a career high .816 OPS, 13 homers and 40 RBI. In 2015, he hit just .224 but with 25 homers.

If the Cardinals were to sign Valbuena, they could then trade Jhonny Peralta and use Valbuena as a lefty version. Peralta hit for more average (.260), but with a lower OPS (.715) last season and turns 35 during next season.

The question they have to ask is how much better is Valbuena than who they have on the roster. If they think he is and can add more pop without spending a ton of money and losing a pick, then he could be a target.

3B – Todd Frazier

If the Cardinals want to enter the trade market for a corner infielder with some power, they could go after someone who has hit 12 homers in 67 career games against the Cardinals. Todd Frazier should be available for trade from the Chicago White Sox. They already dealt Chris Sale and Adam Eaton this offseason as they have finally decided to rebuild.

Frazier is going into his age-31 season (he turns 31 in February). He is also going into a contract season. He seemed to struggle a bit adjusting to the American League and being traded for the first time in his career, but in the last month hit .281 with an .868 OPS, seven homers and 15 RBI. All told, he hit .225 with career highs in homers (40) and RBI (98).

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Frazier is a guy who can hit homers and get extra base hits, but doesn’t walk much (although he set a career high with 63 last season). The Cardinals do have prospects to get the deal done (maybe Dakota Hudson and another prospect?) to bring Frazier to St. Louis.

The Cardinals have plenty of options out there to get another bat in the corner infield. They have money and prospects to play with. They are in a great situation as they look to make the playoffs in 2017.

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