A quick look around the National League…
- The 2019 season was surprisingly pedestrian for Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter, a normally excellent producer who fell flat after the team signed him to a two-year, $39MM extension in April. Carpenter stepped to the plate 492 times and hit a mediocre .226/.334/.392 with 15 home runs, giving him the lowest wRC+ (95) and fWAR (1.2) he has posted over a full season since debuting in 2011. But Carpenter, who will turn 34 later this month, seemingly hasn’t lost the confidence of Cardinals brass. ”‘Carp’ obviously will have a better season, we expect. He’s highly motivated,” chairman Bill DeWitt said this week (via Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). President of baseball operations John Mozeliak echoed that sentiment, saying the Cardinals’ confidence in Carpenter is “high” and calling this year “an outlier.” Of course, the Cardinals don’t have much choice but to publicly show faith in Carpenter, whom they’re likely stuck with because of the money left on his contract and his no-trade clause.
- As of last week, Royals quality control coach Pedro Grifol was reportedly one of the finalists to become the Giants’ next manager. That no longer seems to be the case, though. Grifol is now completely out of the race, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea, who names ex-Phillies manager Gabe Kapler, current Astros bench coach Joe Espada and Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro as the last candidates standing. Grifol, Kapler, Espada and Quartaro make up four of 10-plus candidates who have interviewed with the Giants, per Shea. There’s no deadline to hire a new skipper, however, and with the Giants one of just two teams without a manager, there’s seemingly no reason to rush.
- The Mets negotiated with relievers Daniel Hudson and Jake Diekman when they were free agents a year ago, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. The club ultimately didn’t land either, instead watching Hudson sign with the Angels on a minor league contract and Diekman land with the Royals for a guaranteed $2.75MM. Hudson then wound up with the Blue Jays and finished the season as a member of the Nationals, with whom he emerged as one of many key cogs during their improbable World Series run. Diekman concluded the campaign with the Athletics, who traded for him in July. Now that Hudson and Diekman are back on the open market, the Mets – who remain in need of competent relievers – could again push for one or both, though there’s no indication they plan on doing so.
Is any team ever “stuck” with a player? 2 years at 39MM isnt that bad. There have been worse contracts traded. I wish they would at least explore trading him. If not now then certainly by the trade deadline. We have both Edman and Gorman(soon) that the team seems high on.
I have a feeling this off season will be quiet. Wacha will likely sign elsewhere. We will resign Waino and Weiters and that will be about it.
Carpenter has a full no trade clause in his contract…..that plus the money owed on the deal, for a declining player, will make trading him a nonstarter……The Cardinals are playing the only card available to them, publicly supporting Carpenter and hoping for a rebound season next year…..
Seattle moved Cano. He can be moved.
Yes they did. They also included a “great” player with him. The Brewers will take Carpenter if you include Flaherty.
If you consider Edwin Diaz “great” then I’m sure the Cardinals would trade with you all day!
He probably could be moved, but as bad as his season was overall, and it was really bad through June, he did rebound after coming back from the IL 8/4 and finished the season with a 115 wRC+ after that date.
He’s a 3 outcome, fly ball hitter. The decline was so dramatic, that it is easy to bet on him resurging enough to create value for the club.
I get believing in him, but it could also just be public posturing.
Trying to trade would not only be nearly impossible, but could be selling low on a player who could rebound and provide a nice shot in the arm. When Carpenter is right (and he was for 6 straight years) he’s one of the most productive players in the league
Carpenter is a streaky .220 hitter,He will never hit 20 bombs again. He sucks and would be a marginal AA hitter if he were coming up now.
All of that is inaccurate except the useless part about batting average. If he played a full season this year, his pace was easily 20 (15 in less than 500 PA)
The newly minted, extension boy known as Mr. Pompous Mo, is notorious for bad contracts to aging players and giving full no trade protection. I would love to play poker with him. His “tells” must be glaring.
Idiot
Mozeliak and the Cardinals owners love their new extension with Matt Carpenter!! Their statement is They are looking forward to Carpenter having a great season in 2020. To us realistic fans and Mike Schildt, —-because of the president of baseball operations and ownerships statements—-They will mandate that Matt Carpenter be an an everyday starter!!! That right there dictates the Cardinals will be weaker on offense and defense every time he is penciled in to start over Edman. It also dictates the Cardinals will not be a player in acquiring either Rendon or Moustakes from the free agent list. Because Carpenter has to have somewhere to play and downgrade the Cardinals starting lineup!!! Or, the Cardinals could trade Wong, ( A much better current player than Carpenter), and insert Carpenters weak arm, lack of fielding range, and pull hitting into shifts), in Wong’s position. Carpenter had a couple of very fine years when he had All-Star seasons. Face it Matt, those days left years ago!!! Carpenter should have retired while the Cardinal fans dearly loved him for his past accomplishments. For the next 2 seasons, the fans who follow the Cardinals every day and night, will get sick of Carpenter not hitting in the clutch because he is too bullheaded to quit hitting into the shift. They will get sick of him defensively not being able to make the plays at 3rd or 2nd that Edman or Wong or Moustakus or Rendon or Lindor could make. The 2020 Cardinals fans will blame Carpenter’s contract and him for the Cardinals not upgrading to acquire the above players——-JUST TO KEEP (an inferior player) CARPENTER IN THE LINEUP!! Thus keeping the Cardinals from being the best they could be in 2020!!!!
142 ops+ in 2018
120 ops+ in 2019
Guess which player? I wouldn’t think, based on recent memory, that this would be what I thought. Who didn’t like not watching a third baseman who shot put the ball to first? Edman, like Bo Hart years ago, was simply more fun to watch. Edman looks like a big part of the future of the team but not sure for what position? Nolan Gorman looks to be the future third baseman.
Carpenters overall offensive track record would lead me to believe, even based on a real rough year for him, that he isn’t done for good.
Never liked this extension. Carpenter is a butcher in the field and that is why they put him at 1st but now with Paul what is the point of keeping him. I didn’t like the second Ryan Braun extension ether. That was too early as well.
He’s not a butcher in the field. He’s just declining offensively
1 bad year is not a sure sign of decline. Good lord people
Look at Carpenters batting average numbers over the past 5 seasons and tell me they are not declining. I like Carpenter as well as anybody!! But he has too many lifelong injuries he fights every day. He gets worse every season in every category. He’s toast. He may hit another 25 homeruns, but is that enough to offset 160 strikeouts???
Yep. I just looked up Matt Carpenter in baseball reference. The past 5 years tell me his batting average is in decline. Nearly every other category is strong. Nope, not toast. Nope, not getting worse in every category.
As for the injuries, I think most of it is between the ears.
Mike how much of those are because of the shift? If he bunts more they will stop the shift and play him straight up.
Maybe just a down year maybe he needs to get his role changed to what kinda hitter he needs to be. Let’s face it if he learns to bunt his average will sore then they will stop the shift and play him straight up again where he can start hitting again.
I hope Carpenter goes to the Angels one day so it would be Carp and Trout. I know that’s a long shot for a pun but it’d be hard not to smirk when they say “Trout followed by Carp.”
Funny
What about acquiring Tony Bass or bringing back Catfish Hunter?
What about…. Mo thinks he’s God, so he needs a Carpenter on his team.
Great post, but change “thinks” to “knows”.
Your knowledge of the fundamental use of words is lacking. If the second person thinks they are something it is redundant to say they know. The second person is already of that belief because they think it. But lame attempt at a cut down noted.
I feel like if that happened the GM would almost owe it to the fans to go after Pollock.
I’m really hoping the Giants pick Espada. I know next to nothing about Quartaro tbh, but the Rays have a lot of brilliant minds in their organization so I wouldn’t be against him being the pick, but I REALLY don’t want Kapler…
Couldn’t any team in need of bull pen go after those 2? I guess because it was NY we need to write about it.
The point is, they made at least some attempt to look into their availabilty before, unlike some other teams. Coupled with the fact that the Mets’ bullpen was comically bad, a mention of their previous interest in these two certainly makes some sense. Maybe you should try reading and processing instead of acting like a child and whining about it.
The point is Moot! No story today, so they had to write something! No other reason to throw speculation out there. Crazy Larry is spot on!
At least Bob Geren is not on that list. I’m hoping for Espada.
Bunting and getting on base will break the shift for Carp instead of fly all to Right center.
Unless he bunts at least twice a game for a few weeks straight, it won’t break the shift. But that’ll never happen, because Carpenter is stubborn. His favorite thing to do is walk.
It’s not like he actually hits into the shift that much. He’s a fly ball hitter
As a fan of the game and especially the NL Central, I’m a little taken aback by Cards fans here. Carpenter always struck me as a tough out and a guy who plays with intensity each time out on the field. No one can play forever but this is all a bit surprising
Do you mean tough out as a batter or as a fielder? Both ways if you see him play defense!
But yes, he has always been a killer at the plate but with Goldy there was no reason for the extension. The Cards were always known for good defense. Carpenter, Ozuna, and Martinez don’t qualify as good defense in any way!
For real as a mets fan, all I see this guy hit bombs and line drives did. I miss something here?
Yes it’s unfortunate that some so-called Cards fans are dissing Carpenter. He had a lousy season last year, but will bounce back. Coincidentally, the same “fans” who trash Carpenter are the same people who bash Mo and Schilt. They’re also the same people who wanted the Cards to give huge contracts to Heyward, Price, Stanton and Arrieta, just so you know who you’re dealing with
Hey , we love Schilt
You nailed it
Stanton would have been a trade.
You get an extension, you get one too! Everyone gets an extension! Except for you Ozuna, you can kick rocks—-Cardinals ownership……..ps Mo MUST go
I’m glad the Cardinals don’t have a GM like Jed Epstein who paid Jon Lester 27.5 million for exactly .9 more WAR than the 14.5 million that Mozeliak paid Carpenter this year. This makes Mozeliak look like a genius.
It would be great to see Carpenter rebound from a really tough 2019 season. He is proven hitter who needs to practice his hitting the ball to the left side of the diamond. I’m sure much easier said than done.
He used to hit it that way. I think once he discovered he could hit 30 home runs, his approach changed. He needs to go back to the approach he had when he broke out of spring training with…what was it…over .350 BA?
He hits to the opposite field in the top 3rd of the league. He’s just a fly ball hitter, so it’s never on the ground that way
Maybe all the extreme shifts finally got to his head? I often wondered when Carpenter was batting this year and seeing that extreme shift, that he just bunt it down the third base line. It must be one of those easier said than done things.
Agree J. Plus him standing on first still takes a string of hits to score him, and with today’s pitching that’s no easy task. So the defense essentially considers that a “win” since carp isn’t beating them with a double/HR. I know at one point last year he was hitting like .270 against the shift. He simply wasn’t getting his normal flyball and line drive rates. Hope this was just a down year for him,and the cards benefit from his “normal” production next year.
I agree
Very hard to do when you are seeing a bunch of breaking pitches and getting jammed. I would just love to see him bunt every time the shift came up. Another thing to do with him would be to move Goldy to the 2nd slot and put carp in the 3rd in front of Ozuna see if that draws some fastballs.
I like Carp as a bounce back candidate at the plate. He has to mash and draw walls because the rest of his game is subpar. Give him a good shot to turn it around but if he can’t hack it start someone who gives you the best chance to win regardless of the pay. You gotta pay him no matter what that shouldn’t affect putting the best team out there
The last section about the Mets was completely unnecessary. They liked them last year, so maybe they might now? So what
The problem with carp now is his position playing are pretty much done if the Cards eat a lot of salary he can be traded I could see a team like the Twins.