St. Louis Cardinals: 2015 PCL batting champ joins Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals acquired the 2015 PCL batting champ via a cash considerations trade with the Kansas City Royals.  Why?  Is this a precursor of things to come?

Jose Martinez, the 2015 AAA Pacific Coast League batting champion joined the St. Louis Cardinals via trade yesterday, the 25th of May.  My initial reaction: why?

Let’s first look at the numbers for this 10-year-veteran of the minor leagues.  In 2,941 career at-bats, Martinez holds a slash line of .296/.357/.410.  In 2015 when he earned the batting championship, his slash line was .382/.456/.559.  In 2016, thus far, he has appeared in

In 2016, thus far, he has appeared in 141 at-bats and owns a slash line of .298/.356/.433.  Remind you of anyone?  Perhaps Jeremy Hazelbaker who currently owns a major league slash line of .255/.296/.528.  While not exactly the same, very similar.

Part of my reason for asking why involves the full roster of outfielders already donning the birds on the bat.  Martinez joins an overloaded outfield roster including Hazelbaker, Carlos Peguero, Anthony Garcia, Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham, and the list goes on.

So, why pay for another outfielder?  I refuse to see this as a one-and-done move by Mozeliak.  Despite his quotes shared on the air during the almost-Cardinals-win yesterday wherein Mo stated that we aren’t working any trades and that our starting rotation is set and will not be changing, I feel that the tea leaves in this move indicate the exact opposite of Mo-speak.

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Mozeliak is the consummate politician, may we all remember, and I feel that his quote is fog-of-war hiding in it a great deal of truth.  Furthermore, if I were in the midst of negotiations with other teams, I would go on the air and make statements that I wasn’t looking anywhere and that nothing was in the works.

So what do I think is coming?  Perhaps a pitcher.  Perhaps picking up another strong outfield bat means that someone like Hazelbaker could be used for value in a trade.  Perhaps this power bat allows the likes of Brandon Moss finding himself another team.

I am no expert but I just feel like the tracks are rumbling with more coming.  To add to this, let me interject that Martinez has appeared at first base in fifty games.  Most recently in 2015, Martinez appeared at first base in AAA in twenty-three games.  Does this color the fog in any manner?

In light of recent efforts of the Cardinals, I hope my gut feelings are correct and that another move is quickly approaching.  Moreover, I think the addition of one more outfielder spells the likelihood that a three- or four-team trade might be more likely than a one-to-one trade.

Next: This Team Needs Alex Reyes

Follow me on Twitter and let’s keep our ears near the tracks to see what might be rumbling along.  Perhaps someone like the Blue Jays would have interest in someone we have or maybe even the Braves or maybe even… Is my excitement showing?