Five Second Half Concerns Necessary for the St. Louis Cardinals to Address

Apr 24, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez (18) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

1. Will the starting rotation’s dominance continue?

When three-time All Star Adam Wainwright suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, there were doubts looming the around the Cardinals’ rotation. But St. Louis’s starting pitchers have stepped up in Wainwright’s absence, living up to expectations with a Major League leading 59 quality starts.

Young starters Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha have impressed in growing roles, combining for 20 wins and 199 strikeouts collectively. John Lackey has also provided consistency on the mound, tossing at least 7 innings in seven of his last nine outings.

However, the rotation has been impeded by physical concerns recently in manners that don’t shape well for long-term success. Lance Lynn has worked deeper into pitch counts since returning from a forearm injury in June, while Wacha has shown signs of fatigue in high stake starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs this season. Unless Jaime Garcia is rushed back from his groin injury, the Cardinals may have to roll with less than ideal spot options in Tim Cooney and Tyler Lyons in the foreseeable future.

Apr 18, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher

(36) reacts after being pulled after pitching to one batter and giving up a hit to Cincinnati Reds right fielder

(not pictured) during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won the game 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports

2. Will the bullpen be utilized more effectively?

In 2014, the St. Louis Cardinals relief pitchers accounted for over 20 losses losses and 16 blown saves. One year later, St. Louis’s bullpen is still experiencing inconsistencies in the back end of games, having accounted for 12 losses and 9 blown saves through the first half.

Plenty of positive surprises have emerged in the bullpen, including Trevor Rosenthal‘s All Star campaign highlighted by a 1.49 ERA and 26 saves. Kevin Siegrist picked up 4 saves in spot duties as an eighth inning specialist, but he’s shown signs of weariness along with teammates Seth Maness and Randy Choate, all who place within the Top 5 for MLB relief appearances.

July has proved the roughest month of any on this year’s Cardinals bullpen so far, as four relief pitchers have given up multiple earned runs in July alone. Even with veterans Jordan Walden and Matt Belisle expected to return from the disabled list later this month, the bullpen may consider a slight reconstruction to bring more team stability moving forward.

Jun 5, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter (13) drives in a run with a sacrifice fly against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 8th inning during the game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

3. Who steps up to boost an inconsistent offense?

After finishing April with a 15-6 record, four starting position players were hitting above .300 for St. Louis. Heading into All Star break, only injured outfielder Matt Holliday stands above this mark. Offense has become scarce to the extent that the Cardinals’ run-per game totals have decreased each month.

Despite streaky play, St. Louis’s recent lack of offensive production does not necessarily fall on the hinges of one player. The Cardinals have used hot streaks of different players to excel each month, including Matt Carpenter’s .372/.438/.651 stat line in April before fatigue issues. Kolten Wong worked his way up in the Cardinals batting order with a .318 in May, while Jason Heyward prompted a power showcase in June with 4 home runs.

Season-long statistics have demonstrated St. Louis’s need for a bonafide offensive leader, but one constant has been shortstop Jhonny Peralta. The All Star starting shortstop is the only Cardinal with multiple home runs each month, improving in spite of injured outfielder Matt Holliday, who reached base in his first 45 games of the season before a quad injury last month. Essentially, without consistent production of these two leaders, the Cardinals may not have seen as much first half success.

Jun 20, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman

(7) tags out St. Louis Cardinals center fielder

(8) during the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. The Cardinals won 10-1. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

4. Will the Cardinals find production off the bench?

Coming off the bench isn’t necessarily an easy task, especially when playing in several close contests that St. Louis has been a part of recently. The Cardinals have relied primarily on Peter Borujos, Pete Kozma and Tony Cruz as late inning substitutes, but despite some moving pieces, the bench has experienced a wide range of troubles involving offense, defense and base running.

Besides Tony Cruz, all of St. Louis’s bench players were used in their last two extra-inning losses to Pittsburgh. In short, the Cardinals came into the season with higher expectations for the bench, but have ultimately been impeded by mistakes that generally characterize their specialists’ strengths. For instance, Bourjos’s 6 attempts caught stealing may be hurting St. Louis just as much late in contests as Kozma’s batting average below the Mendoza Line.

Looking for feasible short-term boosts amidst injuries and struggles, the Cardinals have also called up six different minor league hitters in 2015. But the bench provides an unfamiliar twist for call ups like Xavier Scruggs, Greg Garcia and Tommy Pham, who have grown accustomed to starting roles in Memphis. Mark Reynolds and Randal Grichuk also began the season in bench roles, but both moved into starting roles after teammate injuries, making St. Louis’s bench even more inexperienced.

Jun 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak before the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

5. Will the Cardinals make a splash at the trading deadline?

With various aforementioned issues regarding pitchers and position players, the Cardinals are anticipated to be one of this busiest teams before the non-waiver trading deadline on July 31. Although it seems unlikely that St. Louis would trade multiple farm pieces for a superstar rental player, the Cardinals have plenty of options that can help address short-term issues.

From a pitching perspective, it seems more realistic for the Cardinals to land a bullpen piece over a starting pitcher. Some intriguing targets include Jim Johnson, Joaquin Benoit or basically anyone in a losing team’s bullpen that can be acquired on a short-term clip. St. Louis could also look for a sport starter to limit the physical demand of Wacha and Martinez, so possibly a veteran pitcher with the caliber of former Cardinals prospect Dan Haren could make sense.

Adding a few power hitters could also prove beneficial to a Cardinals team that places 12th in the National League with 69 home runs. Potential trade nominees could include Adam Lind, Yonder Alonso and Logan Morrison, who all can play first base and outfield and historically hit for power. While St. Louis’s struggles in early July may prompt some sudden moves, the Cardinals are currently in a favorable postseason position and should not jeopardize their near future with blockbuster trades.

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