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St. Louis Cardinals: 4 Winter Meetings Takeaways
By Chris Gigley
Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
The Big Free Agent Signing
Ben Zobrist took his sweet time to decide where to sign, whittling his list down to the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs before deciding on the latter on the second day of the Winter Meetings. His choice instantly made this signing the most impactful one for the St. Louis Cardinals so far.
I like the move for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs are getting a 34-year-old player with declining skills whose value is largely pegged on his defensive versatility and accomplishments with the Tampa Bay Rays several years ago. Zobrist is a different player now. He’s increasingly inflexible (he crossed San Francisco off his list of suitors because he would have to play the outfield with Joe Panik at second) and his defense is rapidly eroding.
But enough about Zobrist. The sentiment in Nashville was that he was holding up deals with all the other hitters still on the free agency market, former St. Louis Cardinals rightfielder Jason Heyward among them. Yet, days have passed with no movement. Could the St. Louis Cardinals be preparing to break the bank to resign Heyward?
Next: A Trade for Later?