For three consecutive seasons, the St. Louis Cardinals have found a way to sneak into the National League playoffs, but they also haven’t found a way to make significant headway in such play. The status quo will be the same for the Cardinals under new manager Oliver Marmol, which is aiming to win the NL.
St. Louis has a sturdy pitching staff from top to bottom. They need more offense, which is a combination of internal improvement and fine-tuning the positional depth chart.
Here are two players the St. Louis Cardinals should sign after the MLB lockout.
Andrew McCutchen gives St. Louis Cardinals outfield depth
The Cardinals have a relatively young, homegrown starting outfield in Tyler O’Neill, Harrison Bader and Dylan Carlson. These individuals had quite possibly the best offensive outputs of their respective MLB careers. That said, the Cardinals shouldn’t bank on all three outfielders replicating and/or building on their 2021 campaigns. McCutchen helps that cause.
Yes, McCutchen strikes out a little too much and has struggled to hit his way on base with consistency of late. On the other hand, he still brings a lot of tangible positives to the table. McCutchen has a smooth, level swing from the right side, is a respectable power threat and a reliable everyday left fielder.
McCutchen likely begins the year as the Cardinals’ fourth outfielder, but, of course, there’s likely a universal DH in the sport next season. The veteran could be the Cardinals’ DH.
- Andrew McCutchen stats (2021): .222/.334/.444, 27 home runs and 80 RBIs across 482 at-bats
The Cardinals have some elite players (Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado), a handful of compelling youngsters (Tommy Edman and their starting outfield) and capable veterans. At the same time, this group continually leaves much to be desired at the plate as a collective whole. St. Louis needs all the offensive ammunition it can get. A more competent offense to complement a well-rounded pitching staff could make the Cardinals the best team in the NL Central.
Plus, while he hasn’t played the position in five years, McCutchen could likely start in center field in a pinch. The same logic goes for right field. He provides a versatile, starting-caliber player.
McCutchen is an ideal pickup for the Cardinals. From McCutchen’s point of view, he likely wants to play for a team that has a chance at winning the World Series, anyway.
Related: MLB top prospects 2022: Tracking latest stats and potential call-up dates
Stephen Vogt gives St. Louis Cardinals defensive versatility
Yadier Molina says he’s retiring after the 2022 season, which means the Cardinals could just have him catch 150 games and get every last ounce of production out of him. More realistically, they need a viable starter who can give Molina a breather. Vogt fits the bill.
The 37-year-old Vogt is a unique player. While he hasn’t consistently played other positions in recent memory, Vogt has experience playing first base, as well as both corner outfield positions. In other words, he’d be the Cardinals’ backup catcher and an emergency option at other positions if injuries pile up.
- Stephen Vogt stats (2021): .195/.283/.333, seven home runs and 25 RBIs across 210 at-bats
Vogt is fresh off a pair of rough seasons at the plate. When healthy, though, he’s a plausible option behind the plate. He serves as a respectable backstop who provides pop. Vogt has been an efficient slugging threat from the left side who frequently puts the ball in play.
The Cardinals are a win-now team, which is exemplified by players like Molina, Adam Wainwright and a pair of infielders with $30 million salaries (Goldschmidt and Arenado) holding pivotal roles. That adds merit to signing veterans who may only have a season or two left in the tank like Vogt.
The universal DH could come into play with the Cardinals’ catching rotation. Vogt can occasionally start behind the plate, allowing Molina to DH. Maybe Vogt is on a hot streak at the plate resulting in Marmol keeping the former in the everyday order as the DH for some time?
Vogt is a savvy option for the Cardinals.