Hopes For The Offseason: Matt Adams

Note: Hopes for the Offseason will be a series of posts regarding my hopes for players on the current St. Louis Cardinals’ 40-man roster. 

Matt Adams is the Cardinals everyday first baseman. Early in the season, he was backed up by Allen Craig. After Craig’s trade in July, Adams’ wasn’t properly backed up until Xavier Scruggs was called up. Even then, many a Cardinal fan worried if Adams went down for an extended period of time… who would play first. Who would provide the pop that Adams does.

Adams hit for a .288 average in 2014, had an OBP of .321 and a slugging percentage of .457.  In 142 games, he had 152 hits, scored 55 runs, hit 34 doubles, 5 triples, 15 homer runs for 68 RBI. He even stole three bases and walked 26 times. And in the 2014 postseason, he hit .233/.343/.533. In nine games, he unfortunately struck out five times. But, he also hit three home runs and knocked in seven RBI.

Not bad for the 6’3″, 260 pound fella. Could have been a lot better though!

After Allen Craig’s trade in July, Matt Adams wasn’t properly backed up until Xavier Scruggs was called up. Even then, many a Cardinal fan worried if Adams went down for an extended period of time…

So, what are my hopes for Matt Adams this offseason?

* Get him a good back-up. Whether it will be someone currently on staff remains to be seen, but the Cardinals definitely need several upgrades on the bench this season. First base will more than likely be one of those bench needs.

* Reconnect with the Cardinals’ chef and a gym. Near the end of the season, Adams’ looked to have gained weight. It could very  well have been that bout with the stomach flu coursing through the clubhouse. Either way, Adams’ greatly resembled the Big City moniker and well… it affected his game. Getting back in touch with that chef that helped him last season will be great. And. If he does some cardio and some weight training, he’ll be good!

* Try some Yoga. You could tell Matt struggled a lot this season with his oblique. Some yoga or another form of good stretching could greatly benefit Matt.

* Keep working to improve the fundamentals. He’s a good athlete, hitter and fielder. But, any athlete could grow.

What are your hopes for Matt Adams this offseason?