Should the St. Louis Cardinals bench or trade Allen Craig?
The biggest question surrounding the St. Louis Cardinals is not as much the promotion of Oscar Taveras in as much as what happens with Allen Craig.
More from St Louis Cardinals News
- MVP voter listed Cardinals’ Arenado 8th on ballot
- St. Louis Cardinals non-tender former All-Star closer Alex Reyes
- St. Louis Cardinals sign Oscar Mercado and four others to MiLB deals
- St. Louis Cardinals: Paul Goldschmidt named 2022 NL MVP
- Lars Nootbaar is a prime Cardinals trade candidate
Craig has had a trying year during the 2014 campaign. He’s not producing at the levels in which he needs to be producing.
Craig’s AVG/OBP/SLG numbers this season are as follows:
March – .000/.000/.000
April – .229/.287/.381
May – .291/.354/.427
June – .255/.286/.311
2014 – .255/.305/.368
Craig only had six extra base hits during the entire month of June, none of which were a home run. His ten RBI in June were on par with the 11 runs driven in in April, rather than the 19 runs knocked in in May.
Fans were hopeful with Craig heating up in May but he regressed during the month of June. I was, too. I thought it would carry over into June. For all of the offseason talk that the Cardinals should trade Matt Adams for a shortstop, I’m glad that they didn’t because Adams is performing while Craig isn’t.
I’m finding myself in agreement with Viva El Birdos’ Ben Humphrey, who wrote this morning that Craig should be benched in favor of Taveras. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny
Bernie Miklasz opines that Taveras must play and stay. Bernie even invokes the feelings factor when it comes to veteran players. I’m sorry but if veterans aren’t performing at the level where they should be, why is Taveras held to a higher standard for production. Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Brooks Robinson, and Mike Schmidt are all in the Hall of Fame. Like Bernie writes, they didn’t have the red-hot starts seen in players like Yasiel Puig or Gregory Polanco of late.
If the Cardinals aren’t able to find the at-bats for Taveras, the best hitting prospect in the organization since Albert Pujols, somebody has to be traded to make the room. The best bet appears to be Allen Craig. I wish things could have worked out better but he’s regressed from his form of the last two seasons.