St. Louis Cardinals Agree With Schumaker and Non-Tender Theriot

The St. Louis Cardinals came to a two-year/$3 million agreement with utility-man Skip Schumaker according to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cards will tender contracts to Kyle McClellan and Jason Motte. They will either settle with the players or go to arbitration. General manager John Mozeliak, not surprisingly, decided to part ways with middle infielder Ryan Theriot.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, Theriot was set to make close to $4 MM next season, so it was not surprising that the Cardinals let him go on his way. The Cardinals have Daniel Descalano and now Schumaker who can fill the role at second base, though the Cardinals could still look to upgrade at the position. Mozeliak hinted that he may also try to bring back reserve infielder Nick Punto. Add Tyler Greene to the mix and there was no room for Theriot especially at his potential salary.

Mozeliak described Schumaker’s role as that of the “super-utility” man and most of this time would come in the outfield due to the mix mentioned above. Last season, Schumaker hit .283 during the regular season and was a big contributor in the World Series run hitting .383.

There were two notable names also non-tendered last night including lefty relievers Jose Mijares and Hong-Chih Kuo. These names are of interest as the Cardinals are looking to add a lefty reliever. Kuo has had two Tommy John surgeries and underwent arthroscopic surgery on the same elbow after the 2011 season, though it is anticipated that he will be ready for spring training. In addition to the elbow problems, Kuo had a case of anxiety disorder last season while with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Due to these issues, I’m not certain the Cardinals will take a chance on Kuo. The rub is that Kuo is extremely effective when healthy and is just 30 years old. His injury issues make Kuo a less expensive option.

Mijares pitched in 59 games for the Minnesota Twins in 2011. His ERA was a bloated 4.59 which marks the third straight season his performance declined. There is a chance that a move the National League could benefit Mijares. Mijares would also fetch as small salary as he made only $445K last season. We’ll have to see if Mozeliak gives either of them a call.

Check back later for a full analysis of the Schumaker signing.

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