St. Louis Cardinals: The Precarious Situation of Matt Adams

Matt Adams has been a staple in the St. Louis Cardinals organization since he was drafted, but has he overstayed his welcome? His lack of versatility has relinquished his role to being solely a pinch hitter.

Clutch pinch hitting ability, improved success against left-handed pitchers, and a slimmer body. There’s a lot to like about Matt Adams yet he doesn’t add much value to the St. Louis Cardinals. Depending on how the roster shakes up after Jhonny Peralta, Stephen Piscotty and Jose Martinez return from the DL, Adams may be wasting a much needed roster spot for the Redbirds.

The best fit for Adams is likely on an American League team, but I’m going to focus less on that and more on the crossroads the St. Louis Cardinals are facing with ‘Big City.’ If you want to see possible trade suitors for Adams check out this previous post.

First off, Adams pinch hitting prowess cannot be forgotten. Last year as a pinch hitter he hit .324 (12-for-37) with three home runs, five doubles, and thirteen RBIs. Exceptional numbers that put him in a unique category of bench guys that can produce.

Adams has become the number one option off the bench for manager Mike Matheny. Adams has excelled in this role, but how valuable can a bench player really be? For a guy who gets a start once every ten days, is a $2.8 million contract worth it? It’s hard to tell, but my gut says no.

Another selling point for Adams is that he has improved against lefties. In 2014, he hit an ugly .190 against lefties in 121 at-bats compared to 2016 when he hit .283 against lefties in forty-six at-bats. His growth against lefties is notable for a power guy like him, but unfortunately he’s not guaranteed everyday at-bats.

Matt Carpenter and Aledmys Diaz are prime reasons for Adams being relegated to a mostly bench player role. Carpenter, unlike Adams, capitalized on his versatility as he has played every infield spot (except shortstop) during the last five seasons.

In 2013, Carpenter moved to second base to make room for David Freese, and Carpenter moved to third base in 2014 to make room for rookie second basemen Kolten Wong.

Fast forward to 2016 and the emergence of Aledmys Diaz which pushed Peralta to a new home at third base and Carpenter to first base. Carpenter’s offense has allowed him to move around the diamond and stay in the lineup. The St. Louis Cardinals tried to do the same with Adams with their left field experiment, but we all know how that went.

Adams and Carpenter play a similar first base. Neither are Gold Glovers, but both are able to make the routine play with an occasional web gem. The batter’s box is a different story as Carpenter is a more complete hitter. Adams’ formidable defense doesn’t make him an AL-only trade candidate. Nevertheless, the DH spot would allow Adams to gain more regular at-bats.

Adams is a solid major league hitter, but he is no Kyle Schwarber. The Cubs may sacrifice defense at times with Schwarber in left field, but he makes up for it at the plate (not at the moment, but Schwarber is too good of a hitter to be hitting below .200).

The front office is at a serious crossroads with the Matt Adams. Playing time comes and goes for Adams, but even with recent injuries to the St. Louis Cardinals he had a hard time finding the field. He doesn’t swing the stick like Schwarber and guys like Jose Martinez and Jedd Gyorko are more versatile than Adams.

What complicates this situation even more is that Adams is a fan favorite headlined by his go-ahead blast off Clayton Kershaw in Game 4 of the 2014 NLDS. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009 and has been welcomed ever since.

Unfortunately the writing may be on the wall for beloved Cardinal Matt Adams. Although I may seem anti-Adams, it may actually be in the St. Louis Cardinals best interest to keep Adams around in case of injury and because he is an above average pinch hitter. It’s a precarious situation and time will tell if Adams stays in St. Louis.

If I were St. Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, I would at least shop Adams around to see what kind of players he could attract. Some teams may be tempted to trade for Adams, who is no slouch at the plate, and if the Cardinals can get a prospect or bullpen help in return, I would pull the string.

Next: Please Mozeliak, keep Magneuris Sierra in majors

Should he stay or should he go? Let me know your thoughts on Matt Adams via Twitter.