St. Louis Cardinals: 3 Trade Candidates to Become Their New Closer
The St. Louis Cardinals had a steady closer in Jordan Hicks until the fireballer went down with an elbow injury that will leave him on the shelf for the rest of the season. With the Redbirds an earshot away from a playoff spot heading into the All-Star break, who should they acquire to replace Hicks as their 9th inning guy?
It was a gloomy Monday in St. Louis when it was announced that Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. This is the worst-case scenario as it was originally believed Hicks had suffered triceps tendinitis, but now the fireballer will be sidelined until mid-2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery today to repair the torn UCL.
This is a bad blow for the 22-year old phenom as well as the Cards’ bullpen, as Hicks has been the anchor of St. Louis’ relief corps and one of the best firemen in the league; not to mention also the hardest throwing pitcher in baseball. Hicks’ injury marks a significant blow to his club who is now without their reliable 9th inning guy. This comes at a crucial point in the season for the Redbirds as they are currently sitting 2.5 games back in the crowded National League Central and just 0.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. With roughly half of the season under their belt, St. Louis finds themselves in the midst of a tight division and can’t risk falling behind heading into the All-Star break as the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are still ahead of them.
Now that Hicks is out for the rest of the season, the Cardinals need to figure out who will replace him as their closer, and rather quickly to avoid the risk of losing ground in the standings and playoff race. They could always turn to an internal option to fill their 9th inning needs; Andrew Miller, John Gant, and Carlos Martinez are the likeliest in-house candidates, however the once-dominant Miller has struggled mightily this season (as evident by a -0.3 WAR, 5.22 FIP, and 2.1 HR/9) while the latter two don’t have the closing experience nor the overpowering arsenal to serve as a formidable closer for the long haul. Thus, it would be wise for the Cardinals to look to acquire a reliever who is available on the market and capable of closing for a contending team.
Continue through the slider for the 3 best trade candidates to replace Jordan Hicks as the 9th inning guy for the Redbirds.
#3: Alex Colomé, Chicago White Sox
After thriving in a set-up role for the majority of 2018 for the Seattle Mariners, “The Horse” has been even better as the 9th inning guy for the Chicago White Sox this season. Colomé has gone a perfect 16-for-16 in save opportunities with a 2.15 ERA, 214 ERA+, and career-low 3.4 H/9. This is perhaps the best Colomé has ever been, with a 0.68 WHIP that ranks first in the junior circuit amongst qualified relievers and a wOBA that ranks in the 2nd percentile.
The cutter-hurling veteran would be a formidable replacement for Hicks as St. Louis’ closer. Although he’s never pitched for a playoff team, Colomé’s thrived in high-pressure situations this season and would be shopped by the White Sox for the right return since they don’t appear to contend this season. On top of that, Colomé has a year and a half left before he reaches free agency thus he would be back next season as the Cards’ closer until Hicks is ready to return near the 2020 All-Star break.
There are some signs of concern with Colomé given his elevated FIP (4.22) and well-below-usual 7.8 K/9, but the 30-year old appears to be in his prime and is getting outs in the closer role nonetheless, which is what the Cardinals need.
#2: Ken Giles, Toronto Blue Jays
Another closer the Cardinals could go after to make their own is Ken Giles of the Toronto Blue Jays. “100-Miles Giles” (though 99-Miles Giles is more realistic nowadays) has been the lone bright spot of an otherwise uninspiring Toronto bullpen going 12-for-13 in save opportunities, which would certainly be higher if it weren’t for a brief IL stint as well as the Jays sucking.
Giles has been incredible across the board, pitching to the tune of a 1.33 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 0.3 HR/9, 335 ERA+ (!!) and otherworldly 15.7 K/9 innings. After having trouble finding his footing with the Houston Astros at the beginning of last season, the 28-year old New Mexican is back to pitching at an elite level, and a microscopic 1.07 FIP suggests he’s even been a little unlucky.
If the Cardinals are looking to replace a flamethrower in Hicks with another flamethrower, Giles is their guy. Like Colomé, Giles isn’t a free agent until the end of 2020, and having him at the back of the bullpen for a year and a half would give St. Louis one of the NL’s most daunting bullpens especially when Hicks returns next season.
It depends whether the Blue Jays will want to trade Giles, as I mentioned earlier this month they only should if they receive a deal they can’t refuse because he’s under team control for another season and a half. However, with how good he’s been it seems like any team would give up a good amount to get him.
#1: Will Smith, San Francisco Giants
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While Colomé and Giles would be great candidates to become St. Louis’ new closer, the best person available for the job is San Francisco Giants fireman Will Smith. The 29-year-old southpaw has recorded 21 saves this season, and like Colomé, has been perfect in save opportunities. His 0.74 WHIP is the second-best in the NL among qualified relievers and has career-bests in ERA (2.01), H/9 (4.9), K/9 (13.5), ERA+ (212) and K/BB (6.71).
Smith’s average 92.8mph fastball won’t knock your socks off, but his ability to mix it in with other pitches has made him practically unhittable when closing out games. Unfortunately, Smith’s success hasn’t exactly reverberated throughout San Francisco, as the Giants possess the second-worst record in the senior circuit. As a result, they’ll certainly be open to discussing moving one of their most coveted trade chips.
In fact, Smith will be perhaps the most desirable reliever available by the July 31st trade deadline. He’s been especially elite recently, posting a 0.86 ERA while averaging nearly 2 strikeouts/inning in June, numbers that will make any rival general manager swoon. On top of that, Smith is an impending free agent thus a “rental” player, and with a $4.23 million contract this season he’s relatively inexpensive.
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It appears as if teams have already begun inquiring on the dominant lefty, such as the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins. The Cardinals may have to act fast in finding a new closer if they choose to do so via a trade, as other contending teams will be hunting the market for the same guys.