The biggest ***** in the Cardinals' offense is the glaring hole in the middle infield. The Redbirds rank dead-last in shortstop batting average, second to last in OBP, and 5th from the bottom in OPS. Advanced metrics tell the same story - the Cardinals are... how you say... weak in the shortstop department.
It's true, the starting rotation probably is the biggest need facing St. Louis, but the annual argument holds constant: if you can get to the postseason, starting pitching depth becomes less crucial. Carpenter, Wainwright, and Garcia are three top-caliber starters, and Hawksworth and Suppan have provided replacement-level numbers in the four and five slots. Available starters, aside from Oswalt and Haren, are pretty underwhelming and would represent marginal improvements to the back end of the rotation.
Which leads me to the question... should the Cards inquire about Stephen Drew? Drew 2.0 is 27, plays good defense, and won't be a free agent until 2013. The D'Back shortstop comes with a first round draft pick pedigree and is making $3.4 M this year. His line is .275/.348/.416 with 4 home runs and 43 RBIs. Like many in Arizona, he strikes out more than usual (18.8%), but he has a 2.1 WAR and has been worth around $8.2 M this year. With Drew, you get an above-average-hitting shortstop under club control for 2.5 years.
Sounds great, like many other shortstops out there, but is it really worth the haul it would take to get him? My proposed deal would include Lance Lynn, Eduardo Sanchez, and Allen Craig. The Cardinals get a shortstop for the next 2.5 years, and Arizona gets a future mid-rotation starter, back-end reliever, and a Cardinal misfit who's raked at every level of the minors.
The Gist of It: What do you think? Is Lynn/Sanchez/Craig too much for Stephen Drew or not enough? Should we focus on pitching instead and go after Danny Haren? Let us know on Twitter (http://twitter.com/JawatheHutt) or in the comments!
Original Story:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Rockin...
It's true, the starting rotation probably is the biggest need facing St. Louis, but the annual argument holds constant: if you can get to the postseason, starting pitching depth becomes less crucial. Carpenter, Wainwright, and Garcia are three top-caliber starters, and Hawksworth and Suppan have provided replacement-level numbers in the four and five slots. Available starters, aside from Oswalt and Haren, are pretty underwhelming and would represent marginal improvements to the back end of the rotation.
Which leads me to the question... should the Cards inquire about Stephen Drew? Drew 2.0 is 27, plays good defense, and won't be a free agent until 2013. The D'Back shortstop comes with a first round draft pick pedigree and is making $3.4 M this year. His line is .275/.348/.416 with 4 home runs and 43 RBIs. Like many in Arizona, he strikes out more than usual (18.8%), but he has a 2.1 WAR and has been worth around $8.2 M this year. With Drew, you get an above-average-hitting shortstop under club control for 2.5 years.
Sounds great, like many other shortstops out there, but is it really worth the haul it would take to get him? My proposed deal would include Lance Lynn, Eduardo Sanchez, and Allen Craig. The Cardinals get a shortstop for the next 2.5 years, and Arizona gets a future mid-rotation starter, back-end reliever, and a Cardinal misfit who's raked at every level of the minors.
The Gist of It: What do you think? Is Lynn/Sanchez/Craig too much for Stephen Drew or not enough? Should we focus on pitching instead and go after Danny Haren? Let us know on Twitter (http://twitter.com/JawatheHutt) or in the comments!
Original Story:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Rockin...
