Hopes For The Offseason: Daniel Descalso

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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. 

I’ve noted before that the more work you get at a position, the better you become at it. The more time hitting, the more time fielding, the better. That was definitely the case this season for Daniel Descalso.

For whatever reason, Descalso was never put in a position to be consistently successful off the bench.

A poor pinch hitting appearance here and there. Filling in on the field in spotty situations. Meh. It wasn’t good.

Manager Mike Matheny saw fit to use Mark Ellis instead. … Done rolling your eyes?!

Here are Dirty Dan’s numbers for this season:

YearAgeTmLgGPAABRH2BRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPSOPS+GDPHBP
201427STLNL10418416120391110132033.242.333.311.6448222

Matheny finally did give Dirty Dan a shot at the end of the season. And with consistent play time at various infield positions, Dirty’s numbers picked up. He ended the season with an overall WAR of .1; an offensive WAR of .4 and a defensive WAR of -.3. And, his RAR (runs above replacement) is 2 and his Rrep (Runs from Replacement Level) is 6. So, he grew into a better bench option.

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That said, GM John Mozeliak is looking to give his bench a big lift this offseason and it’s unknown if Descalso will be back. The 2015 season will be his second arbitration eligible season. He made $1.29 million this season. He will more than likely want more money and playing time.

I thoroughly enjoy watching Dirty Dan play. But. He may be a better option for consistent play time elsewhere. If he stays here, he will just be a bench option. An inconsistent bench option.

Here are my thoughts on Dirty’s offseason:

* Get ready to be the talk of trade speculation.

* Get ready to be a part of a new team.

* Work on your fundamentals and get some consistency.

I’d love to see him play more and have a better opportunity. Unfortunately, I just don’t think he’s going to get that in St. Louis. If he’s back, he’ll be a bench player. If he goes elsewhere, he could be a starter. What he does will speak to what exactly he is ok with being.