The St. Louis Cardinals full system rosters are refreshed to reflect spring training camps, both major and minor league.
Welcome to first-time readers arriving here due to the first of my weekly Cardinals Minor League Notebook columns in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. With the start of major league spring training camp and minor leaguers reporting in less than two weeks, it is time for a refresh of the St. Louis Cardinals system roster matrix.
If you are new to the site and aren’t sure what the Cardinals organization roster matrix is all about, here is quick summary.
At the time of this posting, the St. Louis Cardinals have 285 players under contract from top to bottom. The matrix places each one at his current assigned level in the system as well as by position. It is kept updated throughout the season as transactions occur.
Nowhere else will you find this current and comprehensive single-page view of the entire Cardinals organization.
Its major scope in this update is to highlight those invited to each of the two spring training camps. The rosters upon which the players are listed generally reflect where they concluded last season or the type of contract they signed and frankly mean very little at this stage.
The 38 players on the 40-man roster, who received automatic invites to major league camp, are called out in bold. They have been joined at spring training by 19 non-roster invitees, denoted in italics.
147 more players will arrive in minor league camp starting on March 8. Starting from the top of the matrix, those players include all those not in bold or italics down through Batavia. All of the 2009 Johnson City players with the exception of two, John Durham and Kleininger Teran, have also been invited.
The final group of minor league camp invitees consists of eight designated players from the 2009 Gulf Coast League team and one from last season’s Dominican Summer League squad. These JC, GCL and DSL players are broken out separately below. (Players noted on the suspended or restricted lists are excluded until reinstated.)
In a look ahead, the two Johnson City players, the remainder of the 2009 GCL roster and a good helping of the older players from the Dominican Summer League and Venezuelan Summer League will join the spring camp leftovers in extended spring training, starting in early April. Along with this June’s draftees, these players will staff the 2010 Batavia, Johnson City and GCL clubs.
You may note that I separated the pitchers on the short-season rosters between 2009 draftees and returning pitchers. At this point, starting and relieving roles at the lower levels can and will change. There will also certainly be some positional adjustments coming.
Remember that to get detailed profile information on every single one of these 285 Cardinals players, simply check out their free player profiles now updated for 2010 at The Cardinal Nation / Scout.com. You can see bios, photos, videos, articles, news items, links to current season and career stats and much more – everything you need to know about a player in one place.
For example, this is the link to the 2010 roster page for Memphis. Click on an individual player’s name to be taken to his profile page. Here is Adam Ottavino’s profile.
This will be the version of the roster matrix I will be updating the rest of the spring, so now that you’ve found this page once, remember one of three ways to get back here. Bookmark the page, type “Roster Matrix” in the dark blue search box at the upper right or use the dropdown menu at the top of the page: “Players/Staff” > “Depth Charts/Roster Matrix”.
For details behind past 2009 rosters and 2010 transactions to date, check out the earlier versions of the Cardinals organization roster matrix as follows.
Link to previous matrices: Jan–March 2009, April 2009, May 2009, June 2009 July 2009-February 2010
Transactions
2/26: Signed IF Felipe Lopez. Signed 14 DSL players: C Fernando Baez, 2B Starlin Rodriguez, SS Rafael Medina, SS Junior Agustin, SS Daniel Barbuena, OF Amauris Capellan, OF Ronald Castillo, OF Eduardo Celestino, RHPs Ariel Gonzalez, Jean Carlos De La Cruz, Victor De Leon, Hansel De Los Santos, Eduardo Hiraldo and Arturo Toribio. Signed seven VSL players: C Jose Gomez, OF Jose Martinez (noted as Jo Martinez2 below), OF Jhohan Acevedo, RHPs Alberth Almeida, Silfredo Garcia, Anderson Gerdel and Geudy Guerra. New total 307.
3/17: C Paul Vazquez retired. OF Kaiser Inojosa released. New total 305.
3/18: Rule 5 pick LHP Ben Jukich returned to CIN after clearing outright waivers. New total 304.
3/23: Seven released. Ps Justin Fiske, Andres Rosales, Jonathan Gonzalez, Reynier Gonzalez and Marco Gonzalez, 1B Matt Arburr and C Blake Murphy. New total 297.
3/26: Ten released. Ps Brad Furnish, Tyler Lavigne, Randy Santos, Adam Veres, Santo Maertz, Charlie Zink, Pedro Rodriguez and Yoffri Martinez, OFs Travis Mitchell and Edwin Gomez. New total 287.
3/31: SS Julio Lugo traded to Baltimore Orioles. New total 286. 40-man at 37.
The St. Louis Cardinals Organization Roster Matrix (effective 03/31/10)
| St. Louis (25) | 40-man (37) | ||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| C Carpenter | Franklin | LaRue | Pujols | Schumaker | Ryan | Freese | Holliday |
| Lohse | Kinney | Molina | Lopez | Ludwick | |||
| Penny | Boggs | Rasmus | |||||
| Wainwright | Motte | Craig | |||||
| McClellan | Hawksworth | Stavinoha | |||||
| T Miller (L) | Mather | ||||||
| Reyes (L) | |||||||
| Memphis (24) | 9 NRI | ||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| O Perez | Parise | Anderson | Hamilton | Descalso | Greene | Solano | Jay |
| MacLane | Salas | Pagnozzi | Gotay | Howard | Cazana | ||
| Scherer | Shorey | ||||||
| Ottavino | Rundles (L) | Robinson | |||||
| Ja Garcia (L) | Meyer (L) | ||||||
| R Hill | Norrick (L) | ||||||
| Walters | |||||||
| Springfield (30) | 7 NRI | ||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Lynn | Freeman (L) | S Hill | A Brown | Jo Garcia |
Kozma | Folli | Jones |
| Hearne | Sanchez | T Cruz | Jo Martinez1 | Henley | |||
| Gorgen | Samuel | Derba | Sedbrook | Ant. DeJesus | |||
| Dickson | Rapoport | ||||||
| Kulik (L) | Fick | Luna | |||||
| Additon (L) | Dew | ||||||
| King | |||||||
| Summers | |||||||
| Daley, Jr. | |||||||
| Mura | |||||||
| Mulligan | |||||||
| Palm Beach (22) | 1 NRI | ||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Broderick | Buursma | Cutler | Rivera | Marmol | M Carpenter | Chambers | |
| Ri Castillo | Eager | C Smith | A Castellanos | Pham | |||
| Nieto | Bradford | Morales | Swauger | ||||
| Reifer | |||||||
| Diapoules | Garceau | ||||||
| G Brown (L) | |||||||
| Kopp | |||||||
| Bittle | |||||||
| Quad Cities (25+1) | 2 NRI | ||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| S Miller | D Carpenter | Stock | Scruggs | Stidham | Curtis | Parejo | |
| Fornataro | Delgado | Espinoza | Bolivar | Racobaldo | Ingram | ||
| Schneider | Pichardo | R Rodriguez | |||||
| Thomas | McCully | Bogany | |||||
| Cardenas (L) | M Tapia | ||||||
| Zawacki | Frevert | ||||||
| McGregor | |||||||
| Rondon | |||||||
| M Harris (mil) | |||||||
| Batavia (23+1) | |||||||
| 2009 draft P | Other P | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Calhoun (L) | Blazek | L DeLaCruz | Adams | Jackson | N Vasquez | Swinson | |
| Corrigan | Hooker | Castro | Ahmady (susp) | Goodwin | |||
| Ju Edwards (L) | |||||||
| Kelly | Mayes | Jo Edwards | |||||
| Siegrist (L) | Conley | ||||||
| Moss | Shepherd | ||||||
| Squatrito | |||||||
| J Smith | |||||||
| Simpson | |||||||
| Terry | |||||||
| Johnson City (29) | |||||||
| 2009 draft P | Other P | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| C Johnson | A Ferrara (L) | Tartamella | J Rodriguez | L Mateo | Y Castillo | Beatty | |
| Heim (L) | North | A Perez | Obregon | R Smith | |||
| Kington | Notti | R Ruiz | Lara | ||||
| Lawler | Russell | Alvarez | R Rosario | ||||
| Butler | Rada | Hage | |||||
| Novak | |||||||
| Daugherty (L) | Ang. De Jesus | ||||||
| M Thompson | |||||||
| Extended spring | |||||||
| Durham (L) | Teran | ||||||
| GCL (19+1) | |||||||
| 2009 draft P | Other P | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| M DeLaCruz (L) | Calero | D Medina | Mambell | Babrick | |||
| Avendano | Bighames (susp) | ||||||
| A Castillo | Rivero | ||||||
| Munoz | |||||||
| Orozco | |||||||
| Pasen | |||||||
| Regular spring | |||||||
| H Hernamdez (L) | A Garcia | Washington | Valera | R DeLaCruz | V Hill | ||
| Rosenthal | Moscatel | ||||||
| DSL (46+1) | |||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| A Tapia | Concepcion | J Castillo | Pimentel | W Perez | G Hernandez | Beras | |
| Santana | L Mata | L Perez | V Ferreira | J Lopez | R Medina | Encarnacion | |
| Jimenez | Rudecindo | Baez | S Rodriguez | Barbuena | J Pena | ||
| Uribe (L) | Urena | Agustin | R Reyes | ||||
| Pinard | D Rodriguez (L) | Sandoval | |||||
| Herrera (L) | Mercedes (L) | Taveras | |||||
| S Lopez | P Pena (L) | Capellan | |||||
| Paulino | Ro Castillo | ||||||
| A Gonzalez | Segundo (susp) | Celestino | |||||
| JC DeLaCruz | B Martinez | ||||||
| DeLeon | Estalis | ||||||
| DeLosSantos | L Polanco | ||||||
| E Hiraldo | |||||||
| A Toribio | |||||||
| Regular spring | |||||||
| Alcala | |||||||
| VSL (39+1) | |||||||
| SP | RP | C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF |
| Colorado (L) | Cedeno | Rivas | R Perez | Vivas | O Medina | H Garcia | Argenal |
| Bier | Cueto | Viloria | Vargas | R Garcia | Martines | ||
| Corpas | Guzman | Velazco | H Martina | Fonseca | |||
| Nieves | Jh Polanco | Montero | Inojoza | ||||
| Oraa | Ulacio | J Gomez | A Castellano | ||||
| Escudero | Jo Martinez2 | ||||||
| Almeida | Solarte | Acevedo | |||||
| S Garcia | Weffer (L) | ||||||
| Gerdel | Montanez | ||||||
| Guerra | De Aguas (L) | ||||||
| Echeverria (L) | |||||||
| Villanueva (susp L) | |||||||
Codes
(i): injured – on the disabled list
(t): temporary inactive list
(susp): suspended list
(L) left-handed pitcher
bold: on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster
italics: non-roster spring training camp invitee
(#+#) number of active players on the roster plus number of inactive (i+t+susp) players
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Liked your Globe-Democrat debut, Brian. Interesting to hear where KHP Hill arrived from.
Thank you, Jumbo.
Like Wellemeyer, Hill was a 4th round pick of the Cubs. His out pitch is a big sweeping curve that he throws a lot. This can be a very effective pitch. For instance, Steve Stone won a Cy Young tossing a curve.
Yet a big curve can be hard to throw consistently for strikes. Hill had bouts of wildness that led to falling out with Lou PIneiella. Also throwing a lot of curves can lead to arm injuries. After Stone’s great season with the Orioles, his arm was shot.
The Cubs invested $30MM in signing the southpaw Lilly a few years ago. Hill may have been crowded out of Chicago. If his arm is repaired, Hill could turn out to be a nice upgrade over Wellemeyer. He is 30 years old, mature enough to do well. 6′5″, has the size. If he can get the curve over for strikes, Hill could excel.
As an indicator of Hill’s curve, he struck out more than 12 batters per 9 innings during his 500+ minor league innings. He dominated at AAA, got some starts in Chicago in 2006, and then had a really good year for the Cubs during 2007.
After that he had wildness in 2008, was picked up by ex-Cub GM Andy McPhail in Baltimore and pitched poorly again.
But if Hill’s arm is feeling better after some kind of operation, his minor league stats and what he did in Chicago during 2006-07 shows his potential.
Jaime Garcia also throws a nice curve, though I believe it tends to be lower.
Garcia is young and does not have a lot of AAA experience. I could see where the Cards could give the first opportunity to Hill over Garcia. Its Show-time for Hill. At age 30, he needs to seize the opportunity and try to get back to where he was in 2007, whereas Garcia can get more useful training at Memphis and be ready if Hill falters.
While willing to believe Dave Duncan is very serious about looking at Kyle McClellan as a starter, McClellan has not started since low A, whereas Hill threw 190+ innings in the majors during 2007. Hill seems the safer gamble to shoulder a large number of innings.
Its too bad those early games aren’t on TV. I’d like to see all those prospects and the knucklballer that are schedule that first game on the 4th, and Hill on the 7th. Would like to get an early look at Lohse and Penny too. You would think a guy standing there with a web-cam would be better than nothing. I’d do it for free if they’d send me and set it up. My wife would be pissed but I could live with that. (I know there is some coverage from stations I don’t get ) It looks like those first couple are not on radio either. You know, there is a web-cam mounted on a pole at the south pole and you can see what’s going on there 24/7.
I hope PJ Walters can attend his family worries and still get himself caught up. He really needs to get himself back in the mix if he can. Wish him the best.
bb, do you not get MLB Network on your cable or satellite system? Even if not, you can watch the SNY feed of the March 4 game (and a dozen other Cardinals spring games) by subscribing to MLB.TV and viewing them over the internet. Even if you live in Cardinals territory, there are no blackouts of spring games. Details here.
Its nice the Cards have signed RF Capellan for $450K. Good to get back to looking for Latin talent, since the Wagner Mateo fiasco. So far, the Cards have not enjoyed a lot of success among their costlier signings. The big sign during 2008 was Roberto Delacruz. A year ago, there was buzz about him, aggravated by Luhnow speculating the kid could begin at Johnson City (against US collegiates). It turned out, Delacruz hit .225 in the Gulf Coast League. This does not indicate much, because he was green even for this lowest US league.
The biggest bonuses I can recall have been Mateo ($3.1MM, voided owing to eye injury); Delacruz $1.2MM; SS Cesar Valera, who also began in the GCL; a Dominican pitcher at around $560K (voided, probably on age misrepresentation); corner OF Ryde Rodriguez, $460K; Venezuelan C Kevin Moscatell (sp?), $325K; and RF Edgar Lara, $250K back in 2005.
So two big bonuses ended up voided. Moscatel had an injury, IIRC. Lara has been ok, but not a house of fire either. Delacruz, Valera, and Ryde-Rod have promise, but will need a couple of years to suggest their potentials.
Most Latin signees who have risen highest were not bonus babies: SS Solano (AAA); 2B Martinez, reliever Sanchez, reliever Samuel (AA), RHP Castillo (A+). Reliever Salas has also reached AAA, though got a bonus over $200K.
Given the difficulty of predicting future success by 16 year old signees, its good to load up on quantity, as the Cards may have done by recently signing another 10 Latin players.
BW
Where does Sam Freeman and and Shelby Miller fit into your Matrix?
Welcome, Twizard.
You can see Shelby Miller listed first under SPs at Quad Cities. Freeman is listed first under Relievers at Springfield. Those are the rosters at which they ended last season (and probably where they will return to start 2010 as well).
Both names are in italics because they are non-roster invitees to major league camp.
(As a tip, you can hit CTRL + F keys to get a search box to find names quicker. With so many entries, it can be a bit unwieldy at times.)
Not to split hairs, but I read where Miller and Freeman are not non-roster invitees to major league camp, but rather they are classified as early invitees to minor league camp, which hasn’t started yet. What the significance of that is beats me, but a point was made of it.
bb, where did you see that, please?
Don’t mean to assume where blingboy got that info.
Perhaps is comes from D. Goold who on 2/22/10 wrote
(regarding Miller & Freeman)
they will … “join the major-league camp Tuesday as early invitees, a club official said.”
Here is M. Leach saying they are not NRI’s. I will look for the article where I first read it.
“The Cardinals will bring in top Draft pick Shelby Miller and Minor League left-hander Sam Freeman tomorrow. Technically they are not non-roster invitees…..”
http://yourenotagolfer.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/02/monday_camp_tidbits_miller_lug.html?partnerId=rss_stl&source=rss_teams_St._Louis_Cardinals
Here is Strauss and Goold from the P-D saying they are not NRI’s, sorry guys I can’t find the source I first read, which had more deatail.
“Miller and lefty Sam Freeman are being added to the workouts as early invitees, not officially non-roster invitees. ”
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/39FD40E3B3CB5C76862576D300102983?OpenDocument
Thanks for the clarification. I think for purposes of the matrix, I will ignore the temptation to create a new category called “late invitees to major league camp who are lockering in the major league clubhouse, wearing major league uniforms with assigned major league numbers and working out with the major leaguers but are really only considered early invitees to minor league camp and therefore are not officially classified as non-roster invitees”.
To someone, somewhere, this distinction has relevance. I can assure you that after listening to Shelby Miller, when they told him of his invite, they either left out all the fine print and caveats or he didn’t hear them. He heard he received an invite to major league camp.
I suspect the reality is that they told these kids to soak up the environment for a couple of weeks but be ready to head over to minor league camp as soon as it opens. Of course, there are a bunch of “official, no doubt about it NRIs” and guys on the 40-man as well who are in the major league camp now but are in the same boat, with no legitimate change to make the major league roster this spring.
57 players is a lot, especially on a team where most of the roster positions are pretty well defined. They are needed to help soak up some of the early innings until the main guys work up to full readiness. Even after cuts, minor leaguers are often called over to the major league games as late-inning fill-ins. It is one of the nice advantages of having the two camps together.
That would look kind of clunky on their resumes.
Here are some really nice photos from ST. Be sure to scroll down after the first bunch to get to some more. Two must see photos are Brendan Ryan in street clothes with hair and his glasses, and Big Mac taking a cut with the ball right on the sweet spot. That last, if he’d been suited up, OMG.
It most likely makes a difference in their per diem rate — though can’t imagine the Cards quibbling over a few hundred dollars.
Forgot the link for the ST photos
http://www.cardsclubhouse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23238&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=75&sid=ea2d68fbf6ddbb9d0e7ca98fd4a8b1b9
Hows about the nice swing on young Albert. Wow! I guess when your pops is the best hitter on the planet you can’t help but be real good yourself.
Kids for real. I know a famous old rightie with hall of fame stuff that has faced him. Even after putting some serious screwgy on a few pitches, he never flinched the story goes. He is throwing left batting right. He won’t be as big as pop so I go ahead and let him switch hit. His lefty cut is just as good.
Thats one of those odd combinations, lefty thrower who bats right handed. I would think Albert would have him swinging it from the left side before all is said and done. There are some good pics on stltoday of little pujols’ swing.
You could do some serious teaching just from his finish, front foot closed, back side knee moving towards his front knee, backside rotation, right elbow in tight on his hip(so he can stay inside the ball and go the other way, your favorite WC), hitting behind a firm front side, liitle lean over the plate but not leaning back (so he will hit more line drives). I had my players come down to my room and take a look at his pics. Albert is one heck of a hitting instructor it seems.
On that link above to the ST photos, if you go to the bottom and click go to page 1, the last picture on the page shows Franklin and Albert with a really really big rifle with a really big scope. It would be nice for Brian’s Guns article. That page also has a nice shot with Mac suited up sitting there posing for his ST studio photo. There are a few of Mac working with Colby prior to ST where Colby looks about 16.
He is an elemental logician.
The most difficult part of hitting it seems is emotional clarity. You have to have a tactical purposefulness that overrides all of the ego distraction. I think you know that was Colby’s greatest challenge last year. You never have to give up your desire to express power, but sometimes it mustn’t be your focus. Utley, by just staying short and on balance discovered some real flaws in the way he was being pitched to in last years playoffs. He is not looking for that end result, but by god if your going to center that, or hang one there, he will show you the error of your ways. He will use all fields, and as a result if you try to take that away, better have a better plan than LA or NY……………………………. Albert Pujols’ big funk was predominately fueled by his emotional need to crush something. It just spun him open every time. To be honest, that is a classic addiction to the endorphin cascade that is created by maximum leverage and recognition of crowd reaction on many sensory inputs. ……………… I would be a junkie myself if I tasted one of those effortless moon shots………………….. that’s why I don’t hang out with users.
Nice pictures BB. The Rasmus high leg kick is just a timing and body position drill………I would think.
Hopefully MM knows all about emotional clarity and can teach it. I want to see moon shots all up and down the lineup this year. Make the ball get small as they say.
I think that is his real strength BB. He is embattled on so many fronts, he probably has just retreated into “the Zone”. If he isn’t clear, he’s not there……………….. I’m noticing that Tony may have found someone to relate to on hitting matters. He has previously just stayed out of it. I think that’s good that he can find input and feedback on his hitters now.
I read where DeLaCruz is the biggest latin teen bonus guy we have. I thought he stunk up the joint last year. I see him on the matrix, but presumably won’t do a second year at GCL. What’s up with him?
He played last year at 17 and perhaps suffers a bit from having been oversold. The jury is still out.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/77C4EC186CC50853862576DB0014C38A?OpenDocument
This is truly satisfying. The hitting coach just has him go goofy to interrupt his self image and how it applies to his hitting aspirations and pitch selections. These things will fade and change as pitching adjusts to it, but he will have excepted change and his ability to adapt. Bingo. The guy has tremendous hand to eye, but now he doesn’t need to overcome Hal, with Tony’s lack of involvement thrown in…………I hope he stays healthy.
If he shines, I’ll have to catch a game or two this year, either here or down the road. 250 miles is nothing for a chance to see a couple of those throws.
Westy, I’ve been meaning to thank you for mentioning Villa-Lobos. I went digging through some stuff to find a recording I used to like a long time ago. Finally found it, ‘Forest of the Amazon’, but it’s on a cassette and I haven’t had a cassette player in years, drat. I also found Herb Albert and the Tiajuana Brass on an 8 Track tape. I might sell that on e-bay.
When the alien archeologists start a dig on this planet in a few million years, they’re bound to just cease their excavation after they unearth an 8 track tape player. At that point they will recognize the turning point that signaled the decline of our civilization and the end to meaningful evolution.
Heitor Villa Lobos (pronounced Lobosch) was a remarkable man. He wrote choral music for thousands of voices that he placed on hill sides with hundreds of orchestral musician on the next. Try u=tube. Look for the Bachianas no 5, or 10 is good too.
Maybe someday Brian will post an article about a Cardinal that likes classical music so we would have an excuse to discuss it for a while.
I find myself staring at this roster matrix for much more time than I care to admit. Thank you so much for doing this.
Any idea how the outfield situation at Memphis is going to play out? Does Daryl Jones really start the season in Springfield?
Also, I thought they shifted Aaron Luna to second base a couple of years ago. Is he still playing some left field?
Pretty much answered two of my questions here:
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20100403/SPORTS02/4030375/-1/BLOGS01/Springfield+Cardinals+set+roster
Memphis outfield isn’t so crowded with Stavi going up and Jones in Springfield.
Jon, thanks for the comments. All rosters you are reading about are preliminary at this point and may change up until Thursday. Other than making the MLB roster current, the matrix above still pretty much reflects how things looked a month ago (minus all the releases). Even so, it isn’t all that far off in many cases.
My understanding is that Luna is listed as an outfielder who may also see time at second base. My assumption is that his infield defense is not good enough to warrant a full-time shift.
Cruz catching full-time at Palm Beach is an interesting move.
Its nice to have Kary Boohner back with the Springfield paper. There is not such good coverage out of Palm Beach, unsurprising given all the baseball in S. Florida.
The idea of splitting up Cruz (to PB) and Hill, so the latter can get more play at AA is interesting and non-traditional problem solving. Some years ago, the Cards had more focus on winnowing out minor leaguers, whereas now there is more experimentation about finding their highest potentials. Cruz did not hit well at AA last year (despite a claim otherwise), so Arnoldi can take the backstep.
Hill did some catching during his four years at jucos and S A Austin. He ended up a slugging firstbaseman, but undersized and in this respect a bit like John Gall, who plateaued at AAA. Undersized 1Bmen or LFs are for the Cards like Maytag repairmen, with Pujols and Holliday blocking their road ahead. This can concentrate Hill’s mind. If he really wants to reach the majors, he may have to focus behind the plate and improve his defense there.
Jumbo takes the gratuitous swipe while refusing to engage in meaningful debate of the issue (Cruz’s hitting last year). Why am I not surprised.