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St. Louis Cardinals 2017 Team Preview

By Anthony Sosa

Jun 22, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Kolten Wong (right) celebrates with shortstop Aledmys Diaz (center) and second baseman Matt Carpenter (left) after their victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Cardinals won 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Kolten Wong (right) celebrates with shortstop Aledmys Diaz (center) and second baseman Matt Carpenter (left) after their victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Cardinals won 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 29, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday (7) at bat against the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 29, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday (7) at bat against the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports /

Players Lost From 2016

Although with the players St. Louis gained during the offseason, they also lost some key guys from the 2016 squad.

Matt Holliday:

After seven and a half seasons in a Cardinals’ uniform, Matt Holliday signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the New York Yankees. The Cardinals expressed no interest in re-signing Holliday, and decided Fowler fit better with the club moving forward.

Holliday finished his Cardinals’ career in emotional fashion. In his second to last at-bat with the Cardinals, in a pinch-hit appearance, Holliday hit a home run. He had just come off the DL and many thought it was Holliday’s last at-bat in St. Louis. The stadium erupted with cheers and his teammates went crazy for his home run.

Holliday owns a bWAR of 44.4. In 2016, he hit .246/.322/.461 with 20 home runs and 62 RBI. He earned four All-Star Game selections and a silver slugger with the Cardinals. As the 37-year-old nears the end of his career, New York fits well for him because he can DH, if necessary.

 Jaime Garcia:

During the offseason, the Cardinals traded starting pitcher Jaime Garcia to the Atlanta Braves for minor league pitchers John Grant and Chris Ellis, and infielder Luke Dykstra. Garcia is in his final year of a six-year deal. The Cardinals attempted to get the most for him in his last season before free agency.

Garcia struggled in 2016 and finished with a record of 10-13 with an ERA of 4.67 and 150 strikeouts. His ERA reached the highest of his career and he also suffered the most losses in a single season in his career.

The 30-year-old spent his entire career with St. Louis before the trade. He now joins a Braves’ team that is young and on the rise.

Brandon Moss:

After a season and a half with the Cardinals, Brandon Moss is out of St. Louis and in Kansas City instead. In the offseason, he signed a two-year, $12 million deal with a mutual option for the 2019 season.

Moss makes more sense with an AL team. With the Royals, Moss can DH for them, something he couldn’t do with the Cardinals.

The powerful left-hander hit 28 home runs last season. With the home runs comes a high strikeout rate. He struck out 141 times in 2016. His slash line last season was .225/.300/.484.

Alex Reyes and Zach Duke to TJS:

The Cardinals enter the 2017 season without two key pitchers. Alex Reyes, MLB.com’s No. 14 top prospect, underwent Tommy John surgery in February. The Cardinals expected Reyes to compete for the No. 5 spot in their rotation this coming season. Reyes won’t return until the 2018 season.

In the bullpen, the Cardinals likely won’t have relief pitcher Zach Duke for the 2017 season. Duke, like Reyes, is recovering from TJS. The Cardinals must rely on other pitchers to step up in place of these two lost players.

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