Starting in June, the St. Louis Cardinals called on five minor league castoffs with below-average results.
The St. Louis Cardinals have long professed a desire to build a steady supply of low-salaried prospects to fuel the needs of the major league club. Its implementation had some major ups and downs in 2010, however.
As the minor league pipeline was tapped and soon went dry, the organization went outside for a number of 30-something veterans. Most of them performed below expectations for a 2010 Cardinals club that can be summarized similarly.
Here is a bit of how it came about.
As May concluded and the first third of the schedule was history, it was clear that the Cardinals had lost their early-season momentum. A National League Central lead that had grown to five games on May 3 had eroded to a one-game divisional deficit as June began.
Rookies Jaime Garcia and David Freese contributed out of the gate, but reserve outfielders Allen Craig and Joe Mather had been among the strugglers. Jon Jay had posted an unimpressive OPS of .625 in his first full month as a major leaguer in May.
Starting pitchers Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse went down due to injury on consecutive days in mid-May and Freese would soon be sidelined for an extended period as well. Pitchers P.J. Walters, Adam Ottavino and Evan MacLane were tried but lacked desired consistency.
Rather than continuing to exclusively call on players from Triple-A, the Cardinals instead began to turn to a series of in-season additions of fringe major leaguers no longer wanted by other clubs. They included veterans Aaron Miles, Randy Winn, Jeff Suppan, Mike MacDougal and Pedro Feliz. In each case, a younger player was returned to Triple-A to make room.
Each of the five veterans ended up playing a considerable role for the 2010 Cardinals. By necessity, several may have been asked to do more than ideal.
The three position players saw approximately 440 plate appearances in total while the two pitchers tossed almost 90 innings. Suppan was the only one of the five that delivered above-average results as measured by OPS+ and ERA+.
On June 1, the Cardinals were 30-22 (.577). The rest of the way, the club went 56-54 (.509), falling short of the post-season. While there were many favors behind the struggles, on the whole, these additions certainly didn’t spark a playoff run.
| Date | Added | Pos | Age | Previous | Sent down | PA/IP | OPS+/ERA+ |
| 6/1 | Aaron Miles | 2B | 33 | Rel Cin | Allen Craig | 151 | 73 |
| 6/5 | Randy Winn | OF | 36 | DFA NYY | Jon Jay | 162 | 89 |
| 6/14 | Jeff Suppan | SP | 35 | Rel Mil | Adam Ottavino | 70 1/3 | 102 |
| 7/28 | Mike MacDougal | RP | 33 | Rel Was MiLB | Fernando Salas | 18 2/3 | 55 |
| 8/19 | Pedro Feliz | 3B | 35 | Trade Hou | Nick Stavinoha | 125 | 32 |
Miles was the first notable veteran signed. The Cardinals placed the second baseman on their 40-man and 25-man active rosters on June 1. The 33-year-old had been playing with Springfield since joining the Double-A club on May 13. Released by the Cincinnati Reds in the spring, the switch-hitter signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals on April 27. Miles was given the most time at second base, but also appeared at short, third and even pitched twice.
Four days after Miles reported, on June 5, the switch-hitting outfielder Winn joined St. Louis after having been designated for assignment by the New York Yankees. The 36-year-old had batted just .213 while wearing pinstripes. Winn performed better with the bat as a Cardinal, but it became clear his defensive skills had eroded.
The next addition was Suppan, a familiar face. The 35-year-old former Cardinal returned to the team on June 14 after being released by Milwaukee. In 15 games with the Brewers, he had gone went 0-2 with a 7.84 ERA. Following eight appearances with St. Louis, Suppan was placed on the disabled list on July 31 due to a groin injury and was not reactivated until rosters expanded in September. His appearances seemed carefully selected and his work monitored closely.
On July 8, a day after their bullpen had an embarrassing meltdown in Colorado, the Cardinals added a reliever in the former MLB All-Star MacDougal. The 33-year-old right-hander had been released by Florida in spring training and opted out of his minor league deal with Washington on July 1. Upon signing with the Cardinals, MacDougal was assigned to Triple-A Memphis. On July 28, the Cardinals purchased his contract. In 17 games with St. Louis, MacDougal continued his long-established pattern of hard-throwing inconsistency.
The ongoing health problems of Freese coupled with the struggles of Felipe Lopez led the Cardinals to acquire a third baseman for the stretch run. On August 19, Class A reliever David Carpenter was sent to the Houston Astros with Feliz and cash considerations heading in the other direction. The 35-year-old Feliz was batting .221 for Houston before losing his starting job and performed even worse offensively in his brief stint with St. Louis.
Each of the five is among the team’s six free agents not expected back for 2011. (Brad Penny is the other.) Though more players could be added between now and spring camp, the current outlook for the opening-season bench once again includes a generous quantity of youngsters.
If the kids struggle, will the organization stick with them or import a new crop of golden oldies, and if so, will the results be better next time?
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I wouldn`t be surprised to see AAron Miles in Spring training as a NRI type.Winn has been checked out by a few teams according to traderumor site.Feliz seemed finished and not a word about Suppan or MacDougal.
And though I would normally be opposed to Miles be brought in since he is only going to take away from Theroit or Skip I can live with it
Bw52 didn’t say which team he sees Miles coming into camp with!
CC-I hope you are joking
Why would i be jesting about this?
CC- another gloom and doomer huh.End of the world.Armegeddon.Cards are going to stink type?Not feeling real optimistic?
No, is there a reason I should be optimistic about Theroit?
CC-Lets wait and see how he does before you decide .OR are you predetermined to rip him because he`s not BR.
First, just because I think he’s a down grade does that mean I’m ripping him? I’ve ripped the trade (mostly because of the money he’s going to make) but I haven’t ripped him. Maybe you are the negative one?
Just because I’m not optimistic that he’s our MI upgrade answer that Mo said was a priority also doesn’t mean I’ve decided. I have an opinion based on prior results. You express that kind of opinion all the time as well — does that mean you’ve already decided?
Interesting article Brian. The entire saga, combined with our signings/trades this off-season is a huge indication of the failure of Jeff Luhnow’s drafts (to this point) and his management of the farm system.
The only impact players he’s provided, arguably, were Jaime and Colby. Jay provided a brief spark before hitting the skids. He was hitting .396 on July 30th, the day before the Ludwick trade, but lost 96 points off that average from that point to the end of the year. Salas did OK when he wasn’t being yo-yo’ed between Memphis & St. Louis, but he wasn’t a draftee. He was purchased from the Mexican League in 2007.
When Craig was sent down he was hitting .056. When Mather went down he was hitting .208. Stavinoha, despite sticking with the club most of the season, was able to generate only 2 HR and 9 RBI while hitting .256. Tyler Greene hit .221 for the year after hitting .222 in 2009.
Ottavino was a bust, a #1 pick in 2006. The Cards lost 4 of the 5 games he appeared in, but did win one of his 3 starts, though he got a no-decision. PJ Walters won 2/3 starts, but was shelled in his other start (7 runs, 4 IP) and in a split/start in LA shared with Hawks (6 runs, 4 IP). His relief work was a tad better, 7 runs in 10 innings over 3 games.
Despite all the ridicule about dumpster diving for golden oldies and castaways from other clubs, for the most part the vets did better than the youngsters they replaced. Miles hit .281, Winn .250 (though his defense was overrated & he could not hit LHP). Even the lowly Pedro Feliz, who hit .208 as a Card, hit BETTER than Lopez & Greene over that same time frame.
People put the blame on TLR/Mozeliak for these moves… but the blame, IMO, should really fall squarely on the shoulders of Jeff Luhnow. Where is the help that his SABR/Moneyball approach was supposed to bring the club?
It would be fair to note that some of Luhnow’s draft picks have been traded for MLB-ready talent. Only the trade of Mortensen/Wallace/Peterson for Holliday has brought us real value in return. The trade of Perez/Todd for DeRosa turned sour when DeRosa got hurt 3 games into his tenure and Gregerson/Worrell for Khalil Greene was a disaster of epic proportions.
Mo has been singularly unlucky in some of his deals. He’s still learning, but his isn’t in the same league as Jocketty yet… not by a long shot.
HBT-give Mo some time.Jocketty wasn`t a instant star either.Sometimes you just get lucky.Sometimes you don`t.
From reading the constant whining teeth gnashing second guessing and general negative posts a person would think the Cards just changed into the Pirates or the VBad news bears.Amazing.Just amazing.A board full of debby downers.
Differing opinions are expected and second-guessing is part of what keeps the stove hot!
The younger players will not get better if they don’t play enough. But this won’t happen because TLR would rather rob nursing homes for players.
Well, unless they sign someone else the Ryan trade opened the door for Greene and Descalso. I dont see either of them using canes.
The nursing homes are still open and there is still time.
Reading this thread isn’t to encouraging for meriting the title “progress/informed”.
Tex- another voluminous recapitulation of the obvious. Try distilling some of this. Come into the present.
52 – you seem intent on setting yourself up to be an “antagonized victim”…… the term “angry pirate” comes to mind……holding on to the last vestige conservative naivety…….. without CRD here to punctuate the thread with small talk, it just kind of stands out.
Brazilian – you seem like a wiley veteran genius……….from the rain forest…….. now becoming wary, beyond superstition and need………… coming to grips with a sobering reality.
Jumbo – you are once again perfect.
Brian flirts with the political line………..access or investigative journalism………………
WC says the Mo and Tony are working freely within restricted parameters, this is completely new…………..Mo knows the risk of standing so near a sacrificial goat me thinks……..tiny beads of sweat on his brow…………… lots of moves to be made, and no slack from his handler……. Lozano is setting the Cardinals and AP up…………. he appears to be the real deal.
I just dont see the end game. Want to get better and pay more – OK. Want to stay the same or worse and pay more – Why? I cant believe that failing to improve the team helps our chances with Pujols regardless of the personalities. If nothing else, gives him an easy out. No reason to pay more for that!
Accept this one simple idea………………. I have started a business……. I am examining new models for running that business, not just within a society, but defining my status in its structure at the same time.
A crude but accurate example………… my dog has a tick. It is part of the nature of life. In so many ways, the tick is an irritation and unhealthy one at that. It is taking the lifeblood of my pup and using it for sustenance and reproductive purposes. It injects sophisticated painkilling enzymes so that its presents is less “noticed”………. very accommodating………………………………. What does the tick think? How does it see its existence? I’ll tell you……….it makes as many qualitative discriminations as its opportunities allow…………..the more it discriminates………the farther it travels before it feeds, the better chance it has of feeding without interruption. Its host is an unquestionable foundation for its existence. They have always been together, evolving, as part of “whole” system of variables that they share………..
Big leap necessary………….. AP is an anomaly. He occurs in nature every so often………. he is a contingency that must be dealt with. He is like Jumbo the elephant in PT Barnum’s circus…..yeah you’ve sold allot of tickets, but you also have to feed the beast……after all, thats what makes him the biggest elephant…….right………… either that or you start tying its leg ropes “very loosely”………maybe smacking him on the ass with your training hook (Theriot) as you pass by…………. run away elephants are a great show………aren’t they? You just have to be sure you aren’t run over, or that the audience isn’t crushed under foot if he makes his run………..you were smart enough to hide whats left of the food (Berkman contract) ……..so now you wait….
The Chinese, even during a great famine, continued to use rice flour in the mortar that holds the bricks and stone of the great wall in place………………. its been going on for a while.
I dont think BD’s status has been enhanced by trading for Theroit – my guess is that others are laughing at him.
The US wastes edible corn to make ethanol. This is done to provide a solution which is false (lower C02 emissions) to a problem that does not even exist in the first place (catastrophic anthropogenic global warming) for the actual purpose of raising prices for corn farmers, since Iowa holds the first presidential primary (as admitted by Albert Gore).
If the Chinese once used some rice to construct the Great Wall, at least they wound up with a nifty wall.
Solid Jumbo…………………………….. BD made the Theriot move within 24 hrs of the “accidental” financial disclosure…….taking back the press focus………….. At that point, LA was more than likely going to just release Theriot in a week………. making the acquisition seem important by sacrificing Hawksworth just makes it seem like an important move….elevating his perceived worth …………there was no market for Theriot, at least at that point…………..this was just a message for AP………….
Brendan really was just a sacrifice. ………………………
what I’m hinting at is that TLR and Mo have a shared understanding of the parameters with limitations, of BD’s offer to Albert………………. they are doing all they can to show how powerful he is. I hope he goes to Boston…….and sends Gonzales this way………..we would crush the division with that team………………..spare me the AP is better argument…………he is undoubted better……but not in this scenario…………………his strong desire to play in the World tourney is something that he craves………a chance to shed all the pressure and play like a kid……..that may be more important than any of us realize……………Lazano likely is playing that card.
I’m with you on the Theriot/Hawksworth part I think, Westy. The only reason I could think of for needlessly shipping Hawk was he might have been a Brendan cohort. Those two seemed like they were having a big hat contest. Your explaination is a good alternative.
Westy-Its baseball.Not a worldwide conspiracy.Not life or death. No grassy knoll,no area 51.etc;.Simply the business of baseball.
Was that you voted for Feliz, Bw?
I am not aware if Pedro hangs out here, but since he is currently playing winter ball, I would guess not. Must have been someone who values defense. May need to readjust thinking for 2011…
BB- no i did not .
Ankiel is with Nats, so maybe we will see him and Dunc in the same outfield again. Assuming Chris is still with their system.
For $1.5, it would have been worth it for Mo to sign him as a defensive replacement for Lance.
C’mon, bb. We all know he wouldn’t been restricted to that role…
I get your point Brian, but I was figuring that a 500 PA job.
McDougle was a piece of work. Its hard to fathom why the Cards kept him around all during August. Maybe it was to eat garbage innings, after a game had fallen out of reach. Like Esteban Yan, McDougle can throw hard and back up 3B. He was awful.
Your exaggerating Jumbo…………he had good velocity and movement………………..
Just could get it going in the general direction of the plate. It happens.
If I recall……..I don’t really remember anybody exactly “digging in” when they got to the batters box…………………..unless they were going to go ahead and complete a foxhole started by the batter before them.
McDouble, like Feliz, was deemed better than anything ready to go at Memphis. (Insert applause for Luhnow here)
Or throw darts at TLR and Mo?