The Cardinals have designated right-hander Mike Mayers for assignment, tweets Mark Saxon of the Athletic. The club has since announced the move. Additionally, infielder Matt Carpenter has been activated from the 10-day injured list, pitching prospect Ryan Helsley has been recalled, while corner infielder Rangel Ravelo was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.
Mayers, 27, was out of options, so St. Louis had to keep him on the 25-man roster or cut bait. Ultimately, Mayers’ continued big league struggles did him in. He’s logged 13.2 innings in 12 appearances since coming off the 60-day injured list over a month ago, but his numbers were ghastly. Mayers coughed up 11 runs in that time, including two longballs, with matching strikeout and walk totals (10 apiece). That continued a rough MLB go for Mayers, who has a 7.17 ERA in 69 career games.
Mayers has some interesting raw material to work with, though. Per Statcast, his fastball and curveball each have above-average spin, and he’s generally performed well in Triple-A. A contender like St. Louis could no longer afford to keep giving MLB opportunities to an underperforming arm, but perhaps another organization with a less urgent competitive cycle will give a crack at straightening Mayers out. Any claiming team would have to keep Mayers on the 25-man roster or again expose him to waivers.
Carpenter returns from a three-week stint on the shelf with a right foot contusion. His underwhelming .215/.321/.373 line has been a surprising sore spot for an offense that looks stronger on paper than it has played to this point.
With Carpenter back and Mayers gone, the club swaps out the rookie position player (Ravelo) for a rookie arm (Helsley). Helsely’s mid-90’s fastball will return to the bullpen, while Ravelo will look to continue to build on a strong Triple-A body of work.
The worst start in MLB history.
I think Bundy, Dylan had a worse start.
you’re both right (in mayers case, was his debut, hence the worst start in mlb history comment)
and funny enough, the very next time he pitched, he actually won (came in relief, cards rallied in the top of the 9th to take the lead, he got the win).
I would hate to be a reliever in today’s game. Your career is shorter than a NFL RB.
They almost always get multiple opportunities. Mayer’s will get claimed or signed.
True, but unfortunately, he’ll likely never get that contract to make his life comfortable.
Well he’s made about 1 million over the last 2 years. Not many people are doing that well.
$510k signing bonus in 2013
Then an additional $1.1M over the last two years
That’s $1.6M over 6 years time gives him a gross pay of about $266K per year on average, which his net is probably 50-55% of that.
You guys MLB contracts are prorated for how long they’re on the roster.
only if he signed a split deal. otherwise, he’ll get fully paid on his deal .
the prorated thing is mostly if guys who are arbitration eligible sign deals, unless they’re fully guaranteed at time of signing, those deals can be prorated (becoming fully guaranteed as of opening day).
oh wait, the 45 day thing for older vets as well, but that clearly doesn’t apply here
He was on his original contract, it was prorated because he didn’t have the service time nor was never a UFA.
Lol when Mayers pitched at Ole Miss, a fam would always stand in the OF with a Mike Meyers mask on the entire time he pitched. Good times in Oxford
Halloween or Austin Powers?
Shrek.
Just think the organization thought he was a solution rather than go out and get an arm for the pen.
Helsley has a power arm but hasn’t really been stretched out as a starter this year. I have a feeling he’ll be the long man if guys like Wacha and Hudson struggle to find footing early in starts. Shildt I think is going to have a quicker hook than normal with these 2 the rest of the way. Also they’ll deploy Poncedeleon is similar fashion when the rosters expand in September if not sooner.
Hesley has been pitching as a starter in Triple A…so he has been stretched out
As a Cubs fan, happy to see Carpenter back in the lineup…
A lot of us Cards fans aren’t sure we want him back. But Tommy Edmand isn’t exactly setting the table on fire with his .692 OPS so might as well see Carp has anything left this season.
As all cub fans seem to be comeplete idiots knowing nothing about the game. But then again most of them have only paid attention for the last few years.
This comment is ignorant on multiple levels. Do you want Carpenter back up?
“As a cubs fan”
1. No one cares.
2. Carps history speaks for him. He very well could have been playing though an injury this year and is finally rested and ready to go.
Damn. Loved Austin Powers and Wayne’s World, hopefully he gets his career back on track soon.
I was waiting for that one. LOL
How could the front office miss again??? Rinse and repeat. Mo Ron strikes again!
Since Mo has all the answers concerning our lack of picking up anybody on the dead line I think he should suite up and leave him out there on the mound till his arm falls completely off !!!!! Is it me or does anybody remember ( back in the day ) A starting picture never even thought of coming out till late in the 7th or 8 th . Now they go 5 innings and OH MY GOOSH if they have to go 100 pitches all hell gonna break lose !!!!!!
Groovy baby!
“A contender like St. Louis could no longer afford to keep giving MLB opportunities to an underperforming arm”
But Shildt is more than happy to give as much time as possible to an underperforming bat in Carpenter. This is the issue. Edman is struggling so instead of using Carpenter’s return as an opportunity to give him a break, we stick him in right field over giving Lane Thomas a shot. So we go back to having multiple black holes in the lineup. You are essentially giving up the first two at bats and sticking Edman 8th, so about half of the at bats aren’t even competitive. Carpenter and Fowler have had 4+ months to get their swings “right” and they haven’t. It’s time to put your foot down and play the young guys.
Maybe this comes from above with DeWitt/Mozeliak. But Shildt was more than happy to give Fowler time last year after Matheny’s tenure was over. It was Fowler’s foot that kept him out. Shildt is even more apprehensive to play young guys than Matheny was due either to the “proven” sickness that infected Cardinal nation over the last offseason or to a faulty loyalty to the veterans that insist on being protected for being 1/3 of an actual ballplayer. Either way, we need a manager insistent upon winning games, not winning clubhouse points.
Unfortunately for him, Mayers has seen his best days fly by him in St. Louis. Mozeliak deemed it necessary to DFA Mayers. Why bring him back at all??? He’s another one of Mozeliak’s poor signings of Relievers. Millions have been totally waisted by John Mozeliak!!!