St. Louis Cardinals: Old Cards Faces in Brand New Places

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The St. Louis Cardinals have made a number of roster moves the past couple of off-seasons, and the organization has said goodbye to some familiar names in the process.

Over the past two free agency periods, the St. Louis Cardinals have said goodbye to more than a handful of guys that were brought up through the organization, guys who made Major League debuts with the club.

While they each had varying levels of success, and wide-ranging impacts on the club while they were here, each guy undoubtedly made a positive contribution to the organization while they were Cardinals.

In the end, it was determined that parting ways was the best option for each player, the Cardinals, or for both parties together. Whether guys decided to move on in search of more playing time, or if they were dealt to acquire more talent in line with the Cardinals’ needs at the time, it is never easy seeing a player go that you watched develop through the Cardinal system.

Now is an opportunity to reflect on a number of less-celebrated Cardinals of the past couple of seasons and to appreciate the time that they put in with the club.

Consider this piece as an extension of types on the check-in I did with Joe Kelly and Allen Craig. I will look back on each guy’s time with the Cardinals. Then, I will give a break down of where each guy ended up ahead of 2016. I will end with an outlook of what the coming season might hold.

For starters, let’s check out former Cardinal catcher Tony Cruz.

Next: Tony Cruz

Tony Cruz

The Cardinals drafted Tony Cruz in the 26th round of the 2007 MLB draft out of Palm Beach Community College in Lake Worth, FL.

Cruz moved quickly through rookie ball and then each level of A-ball, reaching AA Springfield for the start of the 2009 season. However, after slashing just .220/.281/.366 in 110 games with Springfield that year, Cruz found himself back in High-A ball at Palm Beach to start the 2010 season.

After 46 games with Palm Beach to start the 2010 campaign, Cruz returned to Springfield where he slashed .289/.363/.477 with six home runs in 40 games played. He appeared in four games with AAA Memphis at the tail end of 2010.

Sep 30, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Tony Cruz (48) rounds the bases on a two run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. The Cardinals won 11-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Cruz played 45 games with Memphis in 2011 before being called up to the Major League squad when former Cardinal catcher Gerald Laird was placed on the disabled list with a fractured finger. Cruz made it onto the team’s 40-man roster going into the postseason and was a member of the 2011 World Championship club.

In all, Cruz slashed .220/.262/.310 while appearing in 259 games across five seasons in St. Louis. While he never had impressive offensive numbers in his time with the Cardinals, Cruz’s presence proved to be invaluable when he did a very quality job of filling in for Yadier Molina during his 2014 and 2015 DL stints.

After the Cards signed veteran catcher Brayan Pena this offseason to serve as Molina’s new backup, the team traded Cruz to the Kansas City Royals for shortstop prospect Jose Martinez.

Cruz will compete with Drew Butera for the backup job of starting catcher Salvador Perez this spring. Butera slashed just .198/.266/.267 in 45 games with the Royals last year, so Cruz will have his fair shot at earning that spot in 2016.

It would be nice to see Cruz earn the backup job ahead of 2016. If he is able to improve on his swing and become a formidable offensive option at the catcher position, he could warrant enough interest to be considered for a starting job somewhere down the line.

If Cruz struggles this spring and Butera looks like the better backup option, Cruz could find himself back in AAA with the Royals. At 29-years-old, that would be a pretty big blow to the future career prospects of the former Cardinal catcher.

Daniel Descalso

Daniel Descalso was drafted by the Cardinals in the 3rd round of the 2007 MLB draft out of the University of California-Davis.

The Mountain View, CA native moved through the Cardinal system quickly, reaching AA for the first time at the very tail end of 2008. He slashed .351/.405/.432 in the final nine contests of the 2008 season with Springfield.

From 2009-2010, Descalso slashed .290/.357/.439 between Springfield and Memphis, before making the Cardinals’ 2011 Opening Day roster at 24-years-old. Descalso actually beat out a guy by the name of Matt Carpenter for the team’s final roster spot ahead of that World Championship season.

Aug 30, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Daniel Descalso (3) throws to first base against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. The Rockies won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Descalso’s first full season with the club was actually his most productive one, at least from an offensive numbers standpoint. Serving as the team’s utility infielder, Descalso slashed .264/.334/.353 in 148 games with the Cardinals in 2011. He was on the field for the final out of Game 7 of the World Series that year, playing third base.

Descalso’s biggest Cardinal moment came in Game 5 of the 2012 NLDS against the Washington Nationals. In overcoming a 6-run deficit while facing elimination, Descalso homered and doubled early in the game.

Then, with the Cardinals trailing 7-5 in the top of the ninth, Descalso stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. He abruptly lined Drew Storen‘s 94 mile-per-hour first pitch fastball off of shortstop Ian Desmond‘s glove and into shallow center field.

The Cardinals tied the game on that play and would take a 9-7 lead on a Pete Kozma single, right after Descalso stole second base. They would hold on in the bottom of the ninth and move on to their second consecutive NLCS.

Descalso was a valuable utility man for the Cardinals in each of his four seasons with the club. At the tail end of 2014, he set a record by being the first player to start at each different infield position in four consecutive games (catcher excluded).

Following the 2014 season, Descalso elected free agency in search of additional at-bats that he was not going to get in St. Louis. As a result, he signed on with the Colorado Rockies to a two year, $3.6 million deal.

Unfortunately, Descalso struggled with the bat in 2015, despite playing home games at the hitter-friendly Coors Field. Over 209 plate appearances last year, Descalso slashed just .205/.283/.324 with five home runs and 22 runs batted in.

Descalso is listed on the Rockies’ MLB.com page as the backup shortstop to Jose Reyes heading into 2016. With 2016 being a contract year for Descalso, he will look to make some positive strides with the bat and make a case for himself headed into coming free agency.

Jon Jay

Yet another castaway from that 2011 World Series squad. Jon Jay was taken in the 2nd round of the 2006 MLB draft out of the University of Miami.

Jay made his way through the Cardinal system quickly. He spent most of the 2007 and 2008 seasons in AA Springfield, hitting well over .300. Jay hit .345 in 58 at-bats with Memphis over the last 16 games of the 2008 season.

Before being called up to the big club at the end of April in 2010, Jay slashed .299/.359/.435 in a season and a half with Memphis.

During Jay’s rookie season with St. Louis, he slashed .300/.359/.422 over 323 plate appearances. When the Cardinals traded Colby Rasmus in late-July of 2011, Jay took over full-time center field duties in St. Louis.

Apr 5, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay (19) catches a fly ball off the bat of Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross (not pictured) during the second inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

As the Cardinals starting center fielder, Jay slashed .290/.357/.382 from 2012 through 2014. Lackluster defense in 2013 led the team to acquire center fielder Peter Bourjos as a push on Jay, and he responded in 2014.

Jay took control of the center field job, virtually from day one, and finished the 2014 campaign with a .303/.372/.378 slash line.

Jay played in just 79 games in 2015 due to left wrist issues. He turned in a measly .210/.306/.257 slash line with one home run and 10 runs batted in last season.

With the emergence of young outfield talents like Stephen Piscotty, Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham, as well as the anticipated presence of a name like Jason Heyward for years to come, Jay became expendable during free agency this year.

In exchange for power-hitting utility man Jedd Gyorko, Jay was dealt to the San Diego Padres this past December. In the deal, the Padres will send $7.5 million cash to the Cardinals over the next two seasons and will absorb the remaining $6.225 million Jay is owed in 2016.

Jay will be one of the Padres Opening Day starters in the outfield, likely either in left or center field. Assuming he is healthy, Jay will look for production similar to his 2012-2014 years, hopefully as a key contributor at the top of the San Diego order.

Like Descalso, Jay will also be in a contract year this season. Jay’s value in 2016 free agency could swing wildly, depending on his performance. A season similar to any of his time in St. Louis (outside of 2015) could earn the 30-year-old a multi-year deal.

If Jay struggles in 2016, whether it is due to injury or some other circumstance, he could be caught looking for work on somebody’s bench in 2017, or possibly even worse than that.

Next: Pete Kozma

Pete Kozma

Pete Kozma was selected in the 1st round (18th) overall in the 2007 MLB draft by the Cardinals. The Owasso, OK native elected to sign with the Cardinals out of Owasso High School, to the tune of a $1.395 million signing bonus.

Kozma spent 2007 and 2008 playing in rookie and A ball before joining Springfield at 21 years of age in 2009. Kozma never hit higher that .243 in 2009 or 2010, but moved up to Memphis to start the 2011 season thanks to his elite defensive ability at the shortstop position.

Jul 18, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma (38) looks to make a play during a baseball game against the New York Mets at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won 12-2. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports /

Kozma was a September call-up in 2011, where he recorded three hits in 17 at-bats. He spent the majority of 2012 in Memphis where he turned in just a .232/.292/.355 slash line over 500 plate appearances.

He did show promise during brief stints with the big club during the 2012 season, as he slashed .333/.383/.569 with five doubles, three triples and a pair of long balls over 82 plate appearances.

Kozma’s performance at the tail end of the 2012 regular season and into the postseason earned him a shot at playing shortstop every day in 2013. Kozma was fantastic defensively, committing just nine errors in 397 attempts for a .984 fielding percentage.

Unfortunately, though, Kozma struggled mightily with the bat once again in 2013. He slashed just .217/.275/.273 over 448 plate appearances with the Cardinals that year.

Ahead of 2014, the Cardinals signed Jhonny Peralta to a three-year deal, relegating Kozma back to a backup shortstop role, at best.

Instead, Kozma spent virtually all of 2014 in Memphis. Again, Kozma struggled to hit AAA pitching, turning in a .248/.330/.372 slash line in 437 plate appearances. Kozma appeared in just 14 games with the big club in 2014.

In 2015, Kozma struggled the most offensively that he has in his professional career. Since Kozma was out of Minor League options, he spent all of 2015 with the big club serving as Peralta’s backup once again.

Kozma slashed just .152/.236/.152 without a single extra-base hit and two runs batted in over 111 plate appearances.

With the Cardinals showing very little interest in resigning the now 27-year-old shortstop this offseason, Kozma elected free agency. On December 4, the Yankees signed Kozma to a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Kozma is not on their 40-man roster.

Kozma is as good as they come when it comes to playing the shortstop position defensively. He has plus range to both sides, remarkable footwork, and he possesses excellent arm strength that is needed at the position.

Unfortunately, he has been just about as bad of a hitter as he’s good at playing defense. If Kozma has any hope of developing some sort of Major League career, he is going to have to figure things out with the bat in some kind of way.

There is hope there, considering the compact and simple swing that Kozma has. Kozma’s lack of hitting never seemed to be as much of a mechanical issue as it was a simple lack of the ability to square up the baseball.

Shelby Miller

Shelby Miller was the Cardinals’ 2009 first-round pick out of Brownwood High School in Brownwood, TX. Shelby elected to sign with the Cardinals as opposed to attending college, thanks to the $2.875 million signing bonus the Cardinals offered him.

Miller needed just 78 minor league starts before being called up in September of 2012 at 21-years-old. He threw 13 2/3 innings at the tail end of 2012, winning his only start to the tune of a 1.32 ERA.

Miller went 15-9 in his first full season starting with the Cardinals. He sported a 3.06 ERA in 2013 with 169 strikeouts in 173 innings pitched.

Despite the solid regular season performance by Miller in 2013, Mike Matheny left him out of the starting rotation for the Postseason. Miller threw just a single inning during the Cardinals’ National League Championship run.

Sep 21, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski (15) talks with starting pitcher Shelby Miller (17) on the mound during the second inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Shelby was good again in 2014, logging a 10-9 record with a 3.74 ERA in 183 innings pitched. He picked up a no-decision in the clinching game four of the NLDS against the Dodgers, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing 2 earned runs. Miller picked up the loss in game four of the NLCS against the Giants after surrendering three earned runs over 3 2/3 innings.

While Miller had yet to experience a great deal of Postseason success in his brief Cardinal career, he certainly looked to be a centerpiece in the St. Louis rotation for years to come. The tragic passing of Oscar Taveras changed all of that.

With a sudden vacancy in right field, GM John Mozeliak sent Miller and pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for five-tool freak Jason Heyward and the very imposing setup man Jordan Walden.

In hindsight, knowing where Heyward is playing now and considering the uncertainty about Walden’s future, the trade looks like it could cost the Cardinals a lot more than they got out of it. The fact that Stephen Piscotty has arrived ahead of schedule as a very promising right field talent adds to that concern.

Still, I think that the trade was the absolute right move at the time that it was made. Mozeliak was absolutely correct in filling the right field void with the games best defensive outfielder. He was absolutely correct in filling that void with a 26-year-old freak of an athlete who (by stature, anyways) just seems destined to be a 30-homer man at some point in his career.

Had the Cubbies not done what they did in 2015, I’m pretty sure Heyward would have been a lock to re-sign with the Cards. As it stands, I am no longer too fond of the Cardinals’ 2015 right field rental. I cannot help but to notice the holes in that man’s swing, and I look forward to watching Cardinal pitching attack said holes in 2016.

Anyhow, back to Shelby Miller.

Shelby got absolutely hosed in 2015, at least from a win/loss standpoint, in his single season with Atlanta. Miller turned in a 3.02 ERA, struck out 171 batters and made the NL All-Star team. Yet, he finished the year with a 6-17 record.

I have to imagine that Miller would be lying if he said he didn’t feel some relief being out of Atlanta, no offense to the Braves. This year, he will pair up with solidified ace Zach Greinke in Arizona, who’s fresh off of a dominant 2015 season with LA.

Greinke went 19-3 with an NL-best 1.66 ERA last year. Greinke is 142-93 over his now 12-year MLB career. Since getting out of Kansas City in 2011, Greinke is 97-31 (.758 win pct) while pitching mostly in the National League.

Those two together have a chance to be one of the best 1-2 starting pitching combos in the National League. I’m not entirely sold on the rest of the D-Backs squad for 2016, but it would be really, really difficult to see Miller experiencing the same issues he faced last year.

I see Miller turning in a very strong 2016 campaign, and at just 25 years of age, I see a long and successful career ahead of him. I’d love it if he were still in St. Louis.

Jason Motte

And then, there was this guy.

Jason Motte was selected as a catcher out of Iona College in the 19th round of the 2003 MLB draft. After Motte hit a combined .191 from 2003-2005 at every level of A ball, the Cardinals decided to see what they could do with his electric arm on the mound.

In 2006, at the age of 24, Motte threw his first professional pitch while playing for Quad Cities of the Midwest League (A-ball). Five short years later, he was closing out the Cardinals’ 11th World Series title.

Aug 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Jason Motte (30) before playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Motte progressed remarkably fast once he took to the mound. After trying out pitching as a last hope at staying in baseball in 2006, Motte had worked his way up to the big club near the end of 2008.

Motte struggled in 2009 from the very start. When attempting to close out a 4-2 Opening Day lead against the Pirates, Motte gave up four runs to earn a blown save and the loss. After that, Tony LaRussa moved Motte to a middle-innings role for the remainder of the season.

Motte struggled the rest of the way in 2009, posting a 4.76 ERA with a 1.41 WHIP in 56 2/3 innings pitched.

Motte rebounded in 2010, posting a 2.32 ERA over 52 1/3 innings pitched. Down the stretch in 2011, Motte became the Cardinals’ de facto closer, and he truly shined in the Postseason.

Motte picked up five saves in the 2011 playoffs. He allowed just one hit and zero runs scored through the NLDS and NLCS. He finished game 7 of the World Series, and he was at the bottom of that dog pile on the Busch Stadium infield.

In 2012, Motte led the National League in saves when he recorded 42. His 5.06 SO/BB ratio that year was more than a point and a half higher than his career average in that category.

After inking a two-year deal with the Cardinals in January of 2013, Motte started the year on the disabled list with an elbow strain. Motte tried to rehab the injury with little success and he eventually underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2013.

Motte’s recovery from Tommy John took a full year, and he threw his first pitch of 2014 on May 21. The 32-year-old struggled the rest of the season, posting a 4.68 ERA in just 25 innings pitched.

With the Cardinal closer role long-gone to a man named Trevor Rosenthal, Motte was left off of the St. Louis Postseason roster. After the Cardinals were eliminated in the NLCS, Motte became a free agent.

Shane Robinson

Shane Robinson was selected in the 5th round of the 2006 MLB draft out of Florida State University. The Tampa, FL native signed with the Cardinals on July 21, 2006 to the tune of a $175k signing bonus.

Admittedly, I almost left Robinson off this list. I’m ashamed to admit that I nearly forgot about him… what kind of Cardinal fan am I trying to act like I am, anyway?

Jul 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Minnesota Twins left fielder Shane Robinson (21) runs to third base for a triple against the Oakland Athletics during the ninth inning at O.co Coliseum. The Athletics won 14-1. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

In all seriousness, I used to really enjoy watching Shane Robinson in a Cardinal uniform, simply because he epitomized what it meant to be a St. Louis Cardinal. The guy would do anything that was asked of him. He would grind any at-bat the absolute same, whether it was a tie game in the bottom of the 9th, or a 7-0 snoozer somewhere in the middle innings.

Robinson played rock-solid defense when he got the chance in the Cardinal outfield, and he was probably the Cardinals’ best baserunner the entire time he was here.

Robinson has spent parts of nine different seasons in the Minor Leagues, playing in some 471 games at a level lower than the Major Leagues.

Robinson appeared in nine games during St. Louis’ 2011 World Series season, although he failed to log a single base-hit in seven at-bats. He had what was probably his most successful season in 2012. Robinson appeared in 102 games that year, slashing .253/.309/.355 in 181 plate appearances. He hit three of his five career home runs that year.

Robinson appeared in another 99 games for the Cardinals in 2013, slashing .250/.345/.319. However, he struggled mightily in limited opportunities with the club in 2014. Robinson appeared in just 47 games two years ago, slashing .150/.227/.200 after hitting over .300 in half a season with Memphis.

The Cardinals released Robinson in November of 2014. He signed a Minor League deal with the Minnesota Twins and made their Opening Day roster ahead of 2015.

Robinson turned in a .250/.299/.322 slash line in 197 plate appearances with the Twins a year ago. He also made a relief appearance on the mound with the Twins trailing the Indians by a score of 17-4 on August the 8th.

Robinson worked a hitless, scoreless third of an inning for the Twins. He did surrender a walk, but countered by striking out Cleveland right fielder Jerry Sands to end the 8th inning.

Next: Dr. Miles and the history of the Memphis Redbirds

After choosing free agency following the 2015 season, Robinson signed a Minor League deal with the Cleveland Indians that included an invitation to Spring Training. He will look to earn a spot on Cleveland’s bench, hopefully staying at the Major League level as he enters his age-31 season.

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