Yadier Molina’s one-year extension is finalized.
Adam Wainwright’s new deal should come soon now that he’s made it clear he’s in for 2022.
Who else?
When it comes to figuring out which Cardinals on expiring contracts should be pursued after the end of a meandering season that is still somehow an unlikely surge away from reaching the playoffs, there should not be much suspense.
In addition to Wainwright, two other Cardinals look like no-brainers. Most of the others are just nos. And then there is Friday night starter Jon Lester, who is somewhere in the middle, but trending up.
Manager Mike Shildt has understandably advocated for the return of both Molina and Wainwright, and on Friday afternoon he added relievers T.J. McFarland and Luis Garcia to his 2022 wish list.
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The southpaw McFarland and the hard-throwing right-hander Garcia can’t seem to be mentioned separately. Signed within nine days of one another during an overdue in-season pitching recalibration, the duo helped bring stability and depth to a bullpen that was leaning too heavily on a few reliable arms. Entering Friday’s series opener against the Reds, the two had totaled 48 innings while allowing only 10 earned runs.
“Yes, absolutely,” Shildt said when asked if he sees both Garcia and McFarland as candidates for the Cardinals’ bullpen of the future. “They go about their business and prepare well. They know what they’re doing, and who they are. They have been aggressive with what they are doing, trusting it. They’ve both done really nice jobs. It’s out of my hands but those guys have definitely done enough to merit an opportunity to come back, for sure.”
Garcia backed up his manager’s endorsement with a scoreless eighth inning Friday, his 23rd scoreless inning in a row.
McFarland had a rare stumble in the ninth as a tie game turned into a 4-2 loss.
The Reds improved to 10-7 against the Cardinals this season.
(There’s a reason we’re talking about next season.)
After Wainwright, Garcia and McFarland, the sorting should get pretty easy.
Matt Carpenter, hitless in his last 27 at-bats, will not trigger the vesting option included in what became a contract extension that was as regrettable as it was unnecessary. Among the 81 National League hitters who have as many at-bats as Carpenter since the start of the 2019 season, only one (Kevin Newman) has a lower on-base plus slugging percentage than Carpenter’s .674. Carpenter’s Cardinals career should be remembered for much more than its rapid decline, but if his career continues, it must come with a team not named the Cardinals.
Carlos Martinez’s $17 million contract can’t even be considered. He can’t stay healthy and has made it clear in recent seasons he doesn’t think much of being a reliever despite his sagging performance as a starter. Martinez’s 6.23 ERA in 16 starts this season before a torn thumb ligament ended his season dragged his ERA as a starter down to 5.20 since the start of the 2018 season. Time to turn the page.
Starter Kwang Hyun Kim has shown a willingness to shapeshift between starter and reliever based on what is best for the team. Problem is, major leaguers have caught up to his stuff and injuries continue to slow him down. Probably best to part ways.
Veteran reliever Andrew Miller has been twice sidelined by foot blisters this season and when he is healthy, he can’t escape a low-leverage role. More affordable help for that kind of work will be easily available.
Wade LeBlanc’s willingness to pound the strike zone and lean on a strong defense made him a refreshing in-season addition and intriguing candidate to return. Then the injury bug arrived. That’s bad news for a 37-year-old. The Cardinals have enough injury unknowns on their future pitching staff.
They don’t need more. Same goes for reliever Justin Miller, who surrendered eight earned runs in 12 innings before a nerve issue shut him down.
Veteran starter J.A. Happ’s first five starts for the Cardinals – four of which came against the meager Pirates and Royals – were promising. Each lasted five innings or longer and limited the opposition to a combined seven earned runs. Happ had a 2.22 ERA with his new team. The more potent Reds and the Dodgers changed the optimistic tune, thumping him for a combined 11 earned runs in his last two starts, which combined to total six innings. Suddenly Happ’s Cardinals ERA is up to 4.72, and his average innings per start is under five. Right-handed hitters are averaging .301 with a .354 on-base percentage and a .569 slugging percentage against the 38-year-old southpaw this season. Not good.
Right before our eyes, Lester has become a much more interesting candidate for a potential return. His first two starts as a Cardinal were rough — 11 earned runs allowed in 10.1 innings — but in the six that have followed he has allowed only 10 earned runs over 33.2 innings. On Friday night against the Reds, he shrugged off two solo home runs, set up shop in the bottom of the strike zone and stayed there for seven innings. That plays whether you’re 37 or 27, whether you’re throwing 100 mph or, like Lester, in the high 80s. If only Lester could have belted a homer or two. His teammates’ at-bats left a lot to be desired. Again.
Don’t get me wrong. Lester alone won’t fix this Cardinals rotation. And he said late Friday night he has not yet decided if he will pitch in 2022. But if he's interested, the Cardinals should be getting interested. Bringing him back would be the kind of depth-boosting move the Cardinals got burned for not making before they were chasing this season from behind. He’s one of the few soon to be free agent Cardinals making you want to see more.