Sports Illustrated - USA (2020 - Spring)

71

FEW TEAMS DID less this offseason than

the Cardinals, who lost outfielder Marcell

Ozuna to free agency and added just two

players. It was an oddly passive winter for a

front office that in recent years had brought

in Ozuna, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt,

outfielder Dexter Fowler, starter Miles

Mikolas and lefty reliever Andrew Miller.

Perhaps the reason for that inertia lies

in that list. While Ozuna, Goldschmidt and

Mikolas all contributed last season, Fowler

and Miller failed to justify their high price

tags. In fact, the four best players on the

NL Central champs were all drafted and

developed by St. Louis: starter Jack Flaherty,

second baseman Kolten Wong, shortstop

Paul DeJong and utilityman Tommy Edman.

That homegrown core plays fantastic

defense. Despite unimpressive strikeout and

walk rates by the pitching staff, the Cards,

who ranked third in defensive efficiency,

allowed the second-fewest runs in the NL

last season. They let the fewest runners

reach base on grounders in the league,

excellent support for a pitching staff that

yielded the fourth-highest groundball rate.

And per MLB.com they had three of the

22 players who saved at least 10 outs above

average: centerfielder Harrison Bader, 13;

DeJong, 13; and Wong, 10.

Another farm-raised talent will help ease

the loss of Ozuna: Dylan Carlson, who should

arrive this summer, had 26 homers and

20 steals between Double and Triple A and

projects as a plus defender in the outfield

corners. For all the Cards’ magic with run

prevention, though, they may be a little light

on run production. Last year’s team ranked

ninth in the NL in OBP and 12th in slugging.

A late-career bounceback from catcher Yadier

Molina or third baseman Matt Carpenter

would be a huge help.

As usual, the Cardinals will be just good enough to stay in the playoff hunt.

Unfortunately for them, they’ll be joined by at least two of their division rivals.

OVER

UNDER 87.5

| YA DIER MOLINA | PLAYER/MANAGER| Molina enters his

27th season behind the plate—and his seventh at the helm—of

a hard-nosed, opportunistic Cardinals team that has been

modeled in his image. It remains unconventional to have your

Sunday catcher also manage the club, but the St. Louis brass

stands by its long-held stance that it will keep Yadi active until

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also the best catcher in baseball history. Strange times, these.

2030 PREDICTION

MOVING UP

TYLER

O’NEILL

88 OPS+ | 0.1 WAR

With more

than 700 plate

appearances

freed up in

the outfield,

this is O’Neill’s

best shot at

establishing

his powerful

bat in

the majors.

MOVING DOWN

PAUL

GOLDSCHMIDT

113 OPS+ | 2.8 WAR

Even though

he hit better

in the second

half, the

first baseman

slugged just

.476, his

worst mark

since his

rookie season,

in ’11.

CARDINALS

NL CENTRAL

JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES

It was an oddly passive winter

for a Cardinals front office

that in recent years has brought

in a handful of key pieces.