A stream of consciousness on local and national sports headlines…
- Too often, we in the media feel the need to…
…make proclamations. I’m as guilty of this as anyone. I search for the “why” in efforts to make declarative statements on something or someone. It’s an important aspect of the job, because we can’t always live in the present. That said, I’m going to live in the present for a moment. Michael Wacha pitched one of his best games of the season Monday afternoon, against one of the better offenses in baseball. (The Reds aren’t good, but they can hit.) It doesn’t mean, as many have suggested, that his best role isn’t in the bullpen. It also doesn’t mean that he’s about to turn things around. In five of his previous six starts, he failed to reach the fifth inning. One good outing doesn’t erase the issues Wacha has had this season with command and efficiency. At this point, he’s closer to being a fourth starter than the intriguing arm that backed up an impressive spring with a productive April. With Luke Weaver waiting in the wings, Wacha is still on thin ice. But it’s a start. And after he deserved a better fate against the Phillies in his previous start (remember the defense was atrocious in that game), perhaps Wacha is slowly trending in the right direction. Perhaps. Maybe.
- Speaking of living in the moment, I don’t know what the future…
…holds for Tommy Pham but I know he’s a good ball player. I realize that’s not a dynamic scouting report on the 29-year-old, but it’s an apt description nonetheless. Is he a star? No. Is he a core player? No. Is he a late bloomer or a player that is merely riding out a hot streak? No idea. What I do know is that he’s the only player on this 2017 roster with any “oomph” to his game. He plays angry and motivated, which is refreshing for a team that often plays lethargic and uninspiring. Based on his post-game comments, he’s never content, even when he’s had a great game. He also makes plays, which is something that should be common for baseball teams, but has eluded the Cardinals this season. He takes walks, he gets on base, and is a heady player on the base paths. When he read the body language of Patrick Kivelhan on Monday and bolted for second base after the center fielder was nonchalant about throwing a ball in, it was a reminder that not every Cardinal is abysmal on the base paths. Pham has a chip on his shoulder and he’s been fun to watch the past two months. I have no idea what the future holds for him, but I’m enjoying watching him in the moment.
- It’s uplifting to see Randal Grichuk make a grand return, but…
…questions remain. Grichuk’s 478-foot bash on Sunday night and his home run against the Reds on Monday are reminders of his raw power. Then again, his power potential has never been in question. It’s his plate discipline. It’s what he does in between home runs that has been the issue. Grichuk put together an eight-game hitting streak in Memphis before being recalled on Sunday, and had homered five times in his last six games. He also struck out 21 times and walked just four times in his 66 minor-league at bats before re-joining the big league club, which is an indication that he’s no more patient now than he was before he was sent down. Granted, the at bat Sunday night against Pittsburgh reliever Juan Nicasio was encouraging. Grichuk saw nine pitches against Nicasio and didn’t flail at the reliever’s breaking ball, which has been one of the outfielder’s biggest nemesis. Grichuk still wound up striking out, but in this case, the process was more important than the results. If more of his at bats look like the one against Nicasio, then a new-look Grichuk would be a huge boost for the offense. Huge. Of course, we’ve seen this before. We’ve seen him return from Memphis, get on a tear, and then eventually revert back to the same undisciplined hitter he was before the demotion. Grichuk credited Mark Budaska with helping him get back on track a year ago in Memphis. With “Budda” now on the big-league staff, perhaps Grichuk will finally find traction and take off. Time will tell.
- I drew the ire of some Cardinal fans last Friday when I tweeted…
…how I didn’t care that Adeiny Hechavarria couldn’t hit and that the team should “make it happen” and acquire him from the Marlins anyway. Understandably, those Cardinal fans didn’t want to sacrifice offense given how the club is 24th in runs scored as it is. But as I responded to one tweeter, I would sacrifice offense for the multiple plays that are not being made defensively each night. Hechavarria is a big-league shortstop with elite range, which is something Aledmys Diaz does not posses. This isn’t an indictment on Diaz’s overall game; I’m merely stating what should be obvious: Diaz is limited defensively at a premier defensive position. He also isn’t the two-hole hitter that we all envisioned, so his defense is even less tolerable than it was a year ago. Hechavarria wasn’t going to turn the Cardinals into NL Central champs this season. But he would have made a significant difference defensively, which has been a critical weakness for the Cardinals in consecutive seasons. I know this team needs better pitching. I know this team needs more offense. I know this team is horrid on the base paths. Hechavarria wasn’t going to solve all of those issues, but legit contenders don’t play amateur defense. Acquiring him would have gone a long way to improve this club in that area, which is why I was hopeful that John Mozeliak would make a move when I saw the report that the Cards were interested in the shortstop. It’s a moot point now, as Hechavarria was acquired by the Rays on Monday (for cheap, I might add). Still, much like international prospect Luis Robert (who signed with the White Sox), this feels like a missed opportunity for the Cards.
- I said it weeks ago when the Cards were still hovering around .500…
…and I’ll say it now: They need to be buyers at the deadline, but not in a traditional sense. Buying teams feel as though they’re contenders, which the Cardinals are not (even in a weak NL Central). That doesn’t mean the Cards should bypass the opportunity to acquire an elite bat. If the Marlins are serious about dumping salary and making Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna or Christian Yelich available, there’s no reason why Mo shouldn’t kick the tires. Matt Carpenter, Dexter Fowler, Stephen Piscotty, Kolten Wong, Jedd Gyorko and Aledmys Diaz are complimentary players. Pham is having a great season. Paul DeJong shows promise…but none are cornerstone players. They’re pieces. Good pieces, but pieces lacking something or someone that brings the big picture together. You pop Stanton, Ozuna or Yelich into the middle of the lineup and suddenly there’s a presence for opposing pitchers to fear. Understand what I’m saying: The Cards don’t need to acquire a big bat in efforts to contend this season. They need to acquire a big bat, period.
- This will sound contradictory after writing that they should buy…
…but it would be pragmatic for the Cards to sell some of their assets at the deadline. That big bat isn’t currently in the organization, which is why I stated in “Pick No. 5” that the Cards should “buy” one at the deadline. (I know many fans believe the Cards should sign Manny Machado when he becomes a free agent after the 2018 season, but 29 other teams will be lined up for his services as well, making it difficult to land him.) That said, when it comes to Lance Lynn, Seung Hwan Oh and Trevor Rosenthal, it would behoove Mo to listen to any offers. Granted, Lynn and Oh continue to sink their own trade value by under performing, but perhaps things will change over the next five weeks. Rosenthal, meanwhile, might have the most value of any of the Cards’ assets. He has experience as a closer, he’s under team control for another year, and he’s only 27. One would think a team like the Nationals, who have blown multiple leads/games this season due to a shaky pen, would be very intrigued by Rosenthal’s skill set. The point is, the Cards don’t have to fit comfortably into the “buyer” or “seller” category. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. If Mo is creative, perhaps the Cards can both sell assets and still buy for the future at the end of July.
More – Bird Bytes: Cardinals Have Lost Home Field Advantage During This Two-Season Downturn