As they further trim to set their four full-season club rosters, the St. Louis Cardinals made seven minor league player releases on Tuesday morning. They are:
- Justin Knoedler
- Ricky Noland
- Dylan Gonzalez
- Davis Bilardello
- Ryan Bird
- J.D. Stambaugh
- Josh Hester (pictured)
Of the list, the first two are catchers while the other five are pitchers. Two of them are left-handed.
It was a bad day for second-generation Cardinals as two sons of team employees were among the released players, Bilardello and Gonzalez.
Knoedler was on Memphis’ working roster, Bird, Bilardello and Stambaugh were competing for spots with Palm Beach while the others were fighting for a place on the Quad Cities club and apparently were considered too old and/or did not show enough to compete for one of the short-season clubs in extended spring training coming up.
Justin Knoedler, 28, was seemingly brought in to become the Cardinals’ third catcher, ready in Memphis for a call, as was veteran Mark Johnson last season. He had cups of coffee with the San Francisco Giants in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Yet amid whispers of being a defensive disappointment, Knoedler was a surprise name among the first cuts from major league camp.
With Matt Pagnozzi, Bryan Anderson, Steven Hill, Tony Cruz and Brandon Yarbrough all at the top two levels of the system, there seemed no place for Knoedler to go, other than to be released. I am not surprised by this move in the least.
Also a catcher, Rickey Noland was signed by the Cardinals as a non-drafted free agent last June from Division II Delta State University. The 23-year-old batted .231 in just 39 at-bats for Johnson City of the Appalachian League during 2008.
Dylan Gonzalez was taken by the Cardinals in the 31st round in the 2007 Draft from Pepperdine. The 24-year-old right-hander posted a 2.66 ERA in 20 games of relief for Johnson City in 2007, but struggled at times with Quad Cities last season. There, his ERA was 5.31 as he fanned 41 in 42 1/3 innings while walking 15. Dylan is the son of Cards area scout Charlie Gonzalez..
The son of Cardinals minor league catching coordinator Dann Bilardello, Davis Bilardello is a 24-year-old left-handed pitcher taken in the 43rd round of the 2007 Draft from the University of South Florida. Between Batavia in 2007 and Palm Beach in 2008, his ERA was 4.21 as he struck out 45 but issued 31 free passes in 72 2/3 career innings.
A minor league free agent signing last October, Ryan Bird was a 2008 standout in the independent Frontier League, where he paced the circuit in wins and strikeouts and was third in ERA. The 24-year-old right-hander from St. Louis University apparently couldn’t carry over that indy ball success to his time with the Cardinals.
J.D. Stambaugh is a 24-year-old lefty originally taken in the 25th round of the 2007 Draft from Brigham Young. His 3.15 ERA during 2007 with Batavia ranked in the top ten of the New York-Penn League, but he found less success with Quad Cities in 2008. There he registered a 6.43 ERA over 35 innings, with four starts and 11 relief appearances and missed time due to injury.
Josh Hester was the earliest draft pick of the group, having been selected in the 16th round of the 2008 Draft from Freed Hardeman University. The 23-year-old righty was a tandem starter for short-season Batavia last summer, where he appeared in 14 games, including seven starts. He posted a 2-2 record with a 4.31 ERA, striking out 47 and walking just nine in 48 innings with better results as a reliever than as a starter.
5 pitchers, 2 catchers, 1 AAA, the others A level. Like Miguel Flores released earlier, Hester was an 08 draftee. Gonzalez the son of a scout, Bilardello the son of a Cards coach.
Extra pitchers and catchers may be helpful early during spring training, but now this surplus must be trimmed. In times past, recent signees like Flores, Pitts, and Hester might have filled out minor league staffs. Now the system must have better alternatives. So far in 2009, about 37 minor leaguers have quit or been cut.
Brian–
What is the organizational wisdom on up-and-coming catchers? It looks like the sub-AAA ranks are filling out pretty well. Shouldn’t we be looking to trade someone soon? While you’re at it, maybe you can explain if Bryan Anderson is still considered a prime prospect. Last I looked his offense had fallen considerably and people were stealing bases on him like crazy.
The twitter feed that I ran across said the Tony was pissed at the team and chewing some ass. He made all players make the Road trip today regardless of practicality trying to stop the loosing streak now. (Santana tomorrow)
RedC, I am not sure what the organization honestly thinks, but my view is that like at so many other positions, there is more quantity of solid catchers than true standouts. Anderson probably should have been traded a year ago. The jury is out on Hill and Cruz’ ability to thrive at the position. Some Cards org members are positive about Hill’s spring, but they could not answer if his release time has improved. That is why Pags stands out. He is a defense-first player at a position where the Cardinals have more offensively-minded players.
WC, if that is true, I guess TLR wants to avoid establishing a “losing is ok” culture.
WC–
I’m glad he did that. Yesterday’s performance was pitiful in many ways, and the day’s before was worse. Today was at least okay for the sluggers who played.
I’m still puzzling through this Mather-retakes-third-base meme that’s percolating through the St. Louis media. I’m thinking if anything Mather is the No. 5 or No. 6 outfielder, depending upon whether Rasmus makes the club. Lots of people are saying Barden is in there, but today Strauss intimated Ryan was also in, and in days past Thurston has been called likely. I’m going to be a contrarian and Rasmus and Mather are your outfield bench and Freese and Thurston are your infield bench.
Seems that Lohse got hit in the leg while stretching in the outfield too. Ouch!
Albert has to bat 4th! Its the only way he might run into complicated enough scenarios that he has to be pitched to instead of around. It would be so much better for his team mates. Less pressure.
RedC, I haven’t seen the Mather retakes 3B storyline, but I don’t put a lot of stock in it. You are not a contrarian with me based on your picks. I drew a similar conclusion when asked my opinion on Scout.com this morning with the main difference being Freese as a starter, not a reserve. Ryan on the bench and Barden to Memphis. It’s the same I have felt since I was in camp last week.
Brian,
Good to know someone else thinks Freese will make it. I think he’s got the best glove/bat combo of the three or four realistic candidates. I also believe his injury has been overstated, as he is moving fine in the field so far. I think Rasmus has been in for a few days now, barring a sudden meltdown. That’s why they’re trying to get him time at the corners, as the P-D reported today.
Re the Mather chatter, it was on the radio show following the game today, and also implied in the story about today’s game. The radio guys also denigrated Rasmus because of his batting average and strikeouts. But they apparently don’t know how to calculate OBP, because it tells a different story about his value with the bat.
Bryan Anderson threw out 38 percent of attempting basestealers in 2008, when the youngest regular catcher in the PCL. We have him right where we need him, at AAA.