GM Meetings: St. Louis Cardinals should look for Bullpen and Bench Help

The GM Meetings started on Monday as the United Cardinals Bloggers were discussing the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen on Monday. The transcript can be viewed here. What makes the bullpen discussion so hard to figure out is that I can’t read John Mozeliak’s mind and know what the St. Louis Cardinals are going to do with Randy Choate during the offseason. Certain guys seem to be a given–that’s a no brainer.

Cardinals fans would hate to lose Jason Motte but, at the same time, there is some speculation that he and the Cardinals will agree to a new deal, maybe incentive-laden with his coming off of Tommy John surgery. As I discussed during the roundtable, I’m of the belief that Pat Neshek has pitched his way off of the team. The Cardinals are unlikely to pay him $12 million for two more seasons. Another team very well might do that but not the Cardinals.

The Cardinals should use their time in Arizona this week to look into bullpen help and getting some bats for the bench, maybe one that can hit for both average and power.

The non-tender deadline is coming up in a few short weeks. Do the Cardinals tender a contract to Daniel Descalso and Shane Robinson? It seems to be unlikely that Robinson gets tendered and that was my thought even before Oscar Taveras died tragically. As for Descalso, if Jacob Wilson wasn’t injured most of the year, I would have thought Wilson would be closer. Wilson is able to play first, second, and third base. Right now, he’s playing in the Arizona Fall League and is likely to start out the 2015 season with the Memphis Redbirds.

With the Los Angeles Dodgers shopping Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford, and Andre Ethier, one has to think that the Cardinals would at the least talk with them. However, with John Mozeliak’s reluctance to block a top prospect like Stephen Piscotty, it seems to rule out a trade with the Dodgers. These three guys are signed with the Dodgers into the late 2010s and it would be unfair to a player with Piscotty’s talent to block them for more than a season.

It was discussed this morning that the Cardinals could look to a quick fix by way of a short-term replacement. I’m not opposed to that despite my belief that Piscotty should be on the Opening Day roster.

I have faith that Mo will make the right decision. Whatever that decision is remains to be determined.