St. Louis Cardinals: Five low cost high reward free agents to sign
The St. Louis Cardinals intend on improving at a bargain this offseason. Here are five low-cost free agents for them to consider.
It’s the holiday season, a time when kids wish for the hottest and trendiest items, regardless of price, and parents find the closest things to them, with price firmly in mind. In the case of the St. Louis Cardinals, the fans are the kids, and the front office is the parents.
The terms ‘cut’ and ‘freeze’ have circled conversations regarding the Cards’ payroll this offseason. They’ve yet to complete a notable transaction, and there’s hardly a spark to the hope that they’ll spend on impact players leading up to spring training. Thus, for those of us wishing for George Springer this December, Santa and the Cardinals’ front office have other plans.
St. Louis must spend to some extent, however, if they want to improve their squad and return to the playoffs in 2021. It sure is daunting imagining nine-time Gold Glove winner Yadier Molina absent from behind the plate for the first time in 18 years. Replacing or bringing back Yadi should be atop the St. Louis Cardinals’ priority list this offseason, in addition to filling gaping voids at third base and throughout the outfield.
Their internal options at those positions are not favorable, which is why they’ll need to look to the free agent market for low-cost, high-reward-type players. Here are five to consider.
Maikel Franco
Maikel Franco posted the best numbers of his seven-year career in 2020 with the Kansas City Royals. Playing in all 60 games, he slashed .278/.321/.457 with eight home runs and 16 doubles. His 34.2 O-Swing% was his lowest since 2017, contributing to an impressive 15% strikeout rate.
Talent has always been within Franco, who was the Philadelphia Phillies’ #2 prospect in 2013 and peaked at #54 in MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospect Rankings. Power was his premier tool, and he showed an ability to hit for average in the minor leagues. He hasn’t lived up to expectations at the major-league level, though this season has him trending in the right direction.
Franco, 28, is no budding superstar, but he should strengthen a St. Louis Cardinals’ offense that finished 28th in runs scored in 2020. He’d undoubtedly provide more power to a third base position that reaped a sub-.400 SLG for the Cards this year.
In terms of affordability, Maikel Franco’s price tag falls within the $2-4 million range. He made $2.95 million with the Royals in 2020; his strong showing this season may earn him a marginal salary increase in 2021.
The St. Louis Cardinals can hire him for cheap. They would gain a power line drive bat capable of fitting each segment of the batting order.
Nomar Mazara
Entering his third and final year of arbitration eligibility, Nomar Mazara is likely to earn less than he did in year one ($3.3 million) and year two ($5.5 million). The 25-year-old right fielder notched career lows in batting average, OBP, and SLG in 2020 with the Chicago White Sox, along with a career-high 29.5 K%. These numbers came as a surprise as he was far more impactful throughout his previous four seasons with the Texas Rangers.
Mazara was Texas’ #2 prospect in 2015 and the 14th-ranked MLB prospect. He went 3-for-4 with a home run in his major league debut as a 20-year-old in 2016. Scouts saw superstar potential in his effortless power, ability to use all fields, and stunning maturity at a young age.
Unfortunately, Mazara hasn’t soared at the highest level like many had predicted. He’s struggled to adjust at the plate, timing is often an issue for him, and his game has not adapted to key sabermetrics. His GB% surpassed 50% for the second time in his career in 2020, and his FB:HR ratio fell from 17.8% in 2019 to a frightening 4.3% in 2020. It’s safe to say he has not embraced launch angle like many of his peers have.
At the same time, Mazara’s barrel percentage and hard-hit percentage have kept pace or exceeded those of Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, and Francisco Lindor.
Under the right tutelage, Nomar Mazara could escape his hitting faults and become a middle-of-the-order force. He’s only 25 years old; there is plenty of time left for him to tap into his potential. He showed signs with the Rangers, but maybe the St. Louis Cardinals can be the club that fully enlightens him.
Danny Santana
Next on the St. Louis Cardinals’ shopping list is another ex-Texas Ranger, Danny Santana. After a career year in 2019 with Texas in which he slashed .283/.324/.534 with 28 home runs over 130 games, a torn ligament in his right elbow prevented a potential encore performance in 2020. The Rangers non-tendered Santana on December 3rd.
The 30-year-old is a cheap option for the Cardinals, perhaps as cheap as a minor league contract. He possesses a strong throwing arm and profiles at any outfield position. Throughout his major league career, Santana has also played first base, second base, third base, and shortstop. His versatility lends to a St. Louis lineup that, as we’ve mentioned, has a few holes.
On that note, Santana is also a switch-hitter. He miraculously showed no side of favor in 2019 when posting nearly identical splits when hitting right-handed and left-handed. Right-handed, Santana slashed .276/.325/.531; while left-handed, he slashed .286/.323/.535.
For Danny Santana, it’s a matter of proving 2019 was not a fluke season for him offensively, as well as finding a club that believes he has another strong campaign in him. The St. Louis Cardinals would be wise to at least extend him an invite to spring training to see what he has to offer.
Kurt Suzuki
Kurt Suzuki, 38, is one of the better offensive catchers on the free agent market. He did not slug at a high rate in 2020, though he did manage a quality .270 batting average and .349 OBP.
If the St. Louis Cardinals were to sign Suzuki, they would replace a 17-year veteran with a 14-year veteran. Suzuki is not Yadier Molina behind the plate, but he does have experience curating a championship pitching staff, as he did so with the Washington Nationals two seasons ago.
Built on pitching but in great need of offense, the St. Louis Cardinals would find a worthy hybrid option in Suzuki. He’d put forth strong at-bats from a bottom-third spot in the batting order; however, maintaining the well-being of the staff would be his top priority.
If St. Louis does move on from Molina, bringing aboard a battle-tested and wise Kurt Suzuki would smoothen the transition.
Nelson Cruz
The St. Louis Cardinals pursuing Nelson Cruz would be contingent on the National League adopting the DH for the upcoming season. Cruz was the Minnesota Twins’ full-time designated hitter in 2019 and 2020. Both years he emerged as one of the top sluggers in MLB.
St. Louis needs another power bat to coincide with Paul Goldschmidt‘s. The Cardinals finished dead-last in MLB in home runs in 2020 by a significant margin. Brad Miller and Tyler O’Neill led the team in long balls with seven; Nelson Cruz hit more homers (16) than those two combined.
At 40 years old, Cruz won’t drive a high price. He’s, without a doubt, the least expensive 40-home run-potential player available, and that won’t change even if another 15 MLB teams unlock for him.
He’s gone on record requesting a two-year contract. It feels risky for any team to commit two seasons to a 40-year-old, but Cruz has been unphased by age for so long that a move specific to him hardly does feel risky. He may regress, though his regression would likely still result in 25+ homers in a season.
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Freeing the NL to enforce the DH would uncloud a dark market for Cruz, who’s deserving of many opportunities after a decade of offensive domination. St. Louis should jump at the chance to sign Nelson Cruz if the universal DH comes to fruition.