While the Cardinals are still going to explore trade deadline opportunities, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told The Athletic’s Mark Saxon and other reporters that his club faces something of a unique roster crunch due to the coronavirus outbreak that ravaged the Cards earlier this month. “I think that’s the biggest issue at hand for us, sort of navigating the health of the club vs. what potentially we could do in a trade,” Mozeliak said. “Candidly, the timing of it [the deadline] is not ideal for us, as we start to unwind people coming off of COVID back onto the roster….What it is to say is we haven’t been a team together, with the exception of the first five days together.”
With a whopping seven players still to be activated from the COVID-19 injured list, 40-man roster considerations will start to become a mounting concern for the Cardinals in the coming days, and certainly not everyone will be back before Monday’s trade deadline. One potential wrinkle, Mozeliak said, is that “other teams might be dealing with roster crunches, too, as they navigate Aug. 31,” and thus these rivals might not be as eager to make claims on any players the Cards might be forced to expose to waivers.
More from around the National League…
- Manny Pina left tonight’s game with a right knee injury, the Brewers announced. Pina suffered the injury while getting back to first base on a pickoff attempt during the second inning, and was replaced by Omar Narvaez. The initial outlook isn’t good, as manager Craig Counsell told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other reporters that Pina is on crutches and is having trouble putting weight on his right leg. Pina is in his fifth year in Milwaukee and has been hitting respectably well, bringing a .231/.318/.410 slash line (roughly his career average) over 44 plate appearances coming into today’s doubleheader with the Reds. Pina’s steady production has been helpful given Narvaez’s struggles this season, so Milwaukee would be particularly hampered behind the plate if Pina has to go on the injured list. Jacob Nottingham and David Freitas are the only catchers with MLB experience at the Brewers’ alternate training site.
- Kevin Gausman allowed two runs on three hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings in the Giants’ 2-0 loss to the Dodgers today, and with the trade deadline looming on Monday, Gausman might well have thrown his last pitch in the black and orange…at least in 2020. Gausman told Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group and other reporters that he would be open to re-signing with the Giants in free agency this winter, even if the club moves him prior to the deadline. His preference, of course, is to not be dealt at all, though the right-hander’s overall quality work this season and rental player status makes him one of the trade deadline’s top candidates to be sent elsewhere.
- Madison Bumgarner will throw a simulated game Saturday in the next step of his rehab plan, though Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including the Arizona Republic’s Mark Faller) that the southpaw is still over a week away from returning to action. Assuming all goes well in the sim game, Lovullo said Bumgarner would still need another 7-10 days to ramp up for activation from the 10-day injured list. Bumgarner has been out of action since August 10 due to a back strain.
The Yankees have no need for Kevin Gausman. Hopefully he stays in San Fran or goes somewhere else.
Excited to hear Gausman wants to stay in SF. He’s more than serviceable and would be great for the next 3 years.
If the Giants lose out the rest of the month I think they need to sell; if they can win a few I think they should go for it.
What would be news is If a player stated he never wanted to play for his current team and was looking forward to leaving. They ALL say what Gausman said.
@stymeedone- I love these power arms that are “so hittable” Smh. Gausman isn’t worth Andujar at all. Lance Lynn might be. So scared to bring him to NY. He pitches like a deer in headlights here. My preference is Trevor Bauer who is a rental. And like Lynn has been excellent this season. Problem is Gerrit and Bauer hate each other all the way back from their UCLA days. lol
The Brewers need to only make a trade if they get a player that has multiple years of control. Otherwise they need to bring up Erceg, Nottingham, Taylor, and Ray. Send Sogard, Smoak, Gamel, and Peterson packing. i love the Brewers but take a step back see what we got the rest of the year for hitters. Pitching is very strong up and down on the roster.
Anybody else see a Cleveland/St Louis match on a blockbuster Involving Clevinger ???
No. This doesn’t sound like a normal Mo type move. He doesn’t normally trade for stars with team control. He gets them and resigns them.
What would be the type of package you think the Cardinals would send to Cleveland?
Knizner, Bader, Jordan Walker & Kodi Whitley for Clevinger & Zimmer
I don’t see that Cleveland would be interested in that offer. Bader is and has struggled to hit in MLB. That offer does not meet Cleveland’s needs.
bader has actually been doing really well lately but understandable that is a very short span i am talking about…but he is a great base runner and defender
Jordan Walker cannot be traded until the offseason as he was just drafted. The Cardinals need offense, not pitching (they have more starters than spots to put them) moving forward so this would not help them to remove two pieces of next years offense. The only guy they would target from Cleveland would be Lindor.
No. St Louis has no need due to unbelievable depth, per a single source.
Teams may be reluctant to trade for Saint Louis players for COVID related reasons. They may view it as too risky for their team.
all those other guys tested positive a bit ago now. i dont think any of the other players are a concern to have it at this point.
Cardinal players don’t even touch each other…while some teams still high- five and fist bump….since the outbreak they take it pretty serious
When has Mo made a decent trade, I’m reminded of Janets infamous line,”what has he done for us lately.” (Paraphrased of course). Lance Lynn might be a good filler.
If they already had Covid, they would be less of a risk to get it than the players that didn’t. The incubation time will be up by the deadline
Exactly. COVID hits your team? This guys already had it so you can count on them
I hope Gausman is with the Giants next year. But the Yankees are showcasing some young pitchers for clubs in the near future and maybe a deal at this point, which might also get Gausman a ring, is best. You will very very rarely hear a prospective free agent bad mouth the place he’s playing at the moment–no point in removing a bidder for the upcoming auction. Players, particularly pitchers, do like San Francisco, tho.
@adultsagainsttedh- excellent point. Just letting you know right away the Yankees are NOT giving up a Frazier, Andujar, Dominguez, Florial, Seigler, Peraza, Alcantara, Schmidty, Deivi, Gil, Abreu for a rental like Gausman. Trevor Bauer could be another story. I think Andy, Mike King, Deivi Garcia or a Luis Gil could get that trade done with the Reds. Bauer could definitely turn the Yankees in to a dynasty for years to come.
Bauer has already said he won’t sign a long term deal and will sign only one year offers from here on out. That doesn’t really support a dynasty.
Nobody in the NL wants Frazier or Andujar unless the DH becomes permanent.
“You will very very rarely hear a prospective free agent bad mouth the place he’s playing at the moment–no point in removing a bidder for the upcoming auction.”
That’s true, but players will sometimes more subtly reveal how they feel through these remarks. i.e. “I am open to all possibilities”.
Any trades that are made specifically to “win” in 2020 are a very bad idea.
Winning the championship in 2020 is not going to carry much weight, certainly in historical perspective but also in the short term for anyone thinking clearly.
“Winning in 2020” is only marginally more impressive than winning the Grapefruit or Cactus League “championships.”
Roger Maris was saddled with an asterisk. The ultimate winners in 2020 are going to be forever known as the air quotes “champions.”
The only thing that rises to championship level about the 2020 season is what a joke it is.
I hear what you’re saying but I imagine the WS champs will still get a ring, and a nice check, plus the team will get a banner to hang for all time. Asterisk or not.
Roger Maris’ asterisk was removed in 1991 and never should have existed. At this moment, there are zero asterisks in the MLB record book. There will be no asterisk for the 2020 champions, nor should there be. At the end of the day, it will still be an impressive accomplishment. No amount of message-board whining will change that.
There won’t be an asterisk in the record books, but there will be an asterisk in the minds of everyone who was alive to witness this season.
For probably five years or so and then it becomes not important and it drops away. Just like the last strike season.
If a team can get a good player for not much, they’d be stupid not to do it. It doesn’t matter what the opinions are with a shortened season because the champ is the champ forever.
I agree, unless my team wins then it totally counts
The Cardinals will need to trade players rather than waive them as guys are moving off the 40-man. I doubt the trades will be blockbusters, but some of the call-ups will have to be traded or lost for nothing.
Gausman had 93 pitches in 4 2/3 innings last night, so definitely not great.
Unless Zaidi can find some naive/stupid GM to give up something decent for a #5 starter that will pitch another 3 or 4 times in 2020…I can’t see any reason to move the guy.
He threw that against the best team in baseball though. The way games are thrown these days that’s solid. Plus I believe it was only a 7 inning game so that probably was all he was gonna play for.
Zaidi managed to trade Melancon’s contract. He managed to ditch Dyson about a day before his arm died, and got Dubon for Pomeranz. If anyone can do it, Zaidi can.
It’s ridiculous to think only a naive team would be interested in Gausman based on one so-so game. Every pitcher in baseball has had a comparable start Gausman’s at some point or another.
Plot twist: Gausman gets dealt to Orioles.
The Cardinals need to get rid of Mozeliak. A roster of Mendoza line hitters, again, isn’t getting the job done
A house cleaning from top to bottom is what the cards need they have a lot of good young players a rebuild is needed along with a front office revamp.
Mad Bum – Cy Young. Has a nice little ring to it. I’m talking 2021 of course.