St. Louis Cardinals: 4 Under the Radar Outfield Free Agents to Consider

The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to make some changes this offseason so that they don’t repeat a postseason-less season like in 2016. General Manager John Mozeliak has already stated his interest in adding a center-fielder but with a weak free agent market, he may have to go with someone who isn’t at the top of everyone’s wish list.

While the Chicago Cubs were busy winning the 2016 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals were experiencing the offseason earlier than usual. It was the first time the Cardinals haven’t played a game in mid-October since 2010.

Because of that, the Cardinals front office and GM John Mozeliak have the opportunity to be more prepared for free agency than they are used to. One of the moves they are looking to make is adding a center fielder while Randal Grichuk gets moved to Matt Holliday‘s old stomping grounds in left field.

While every team in need of an outfielder will be focused on Yoenis Cespedes and Dexter Fowler, the St. Louis Cardinals may have to consider someone a bit deeper on the list of free agents. The following four players could prove to be valuable assets at a fraction of the cost. Signing one of these guys could very well be another one of Mozeliak’s great moves that is credited by the Cardinals “magic.”

1.  Rajai Davis – Can play LF, CF, or RF

After his Game 7 game-tying home run, Rajai Davis may get quite a bit of attention this offseason and the St. Louis Cardinals would be smart to at least consider him. The 36-year old veteran has proven to be a very valuable player despite his age. In a Cardinals organization that was 5th youngest in the MLB last season, his presence could really benefit the team in more ways than one. His age also could work in the Cardinals favor since he won’t require a long term contract and could serve as a stop-gap for someone else in the system or elsewhere.

Ultimately, he could serve as either a full-time outfielder or as a platoon partner. While in Cleveland, Davis mainly served as a platoon partner in CF with left-handed rookie Tyler Naquin. Davis batted .243/.306/.388 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs in 134 games. While that slash-line may not blow anyone away, it should be noted that Davis led off for the Indians and also batted in the 6-9 spots for the Indians. If the Cardinals did add him, he’d obviously be a bottom of the order hitter and with numbers similar to those, it would be welcomed production.

Davis’s main value to the team however, comes through defense and base running. At age 35, Davis led the American League in stolen bases with 43 and added 4 more in the postseason. He is an absolute menace on the base paths and that alone would benefit the Cardinals considering they were one of the worst teams in all of baseball at base running.

He’s no gold glove winner, but Davis is an adequate defender. He can man all three outfield positions without being a liability. Much of his defensive success is due to his speed but Davis actually grades better in CF than he does in LF according to his Ultimate Zone Rating scores. In 2016 as a CF, Davis had a 1.3 UZR while only a 1.0 in LF. And that imbalance is consistent throughout his 11-year career.

Davis is going to get some calls this offseason, and the Cardinals would be wise to make one. He is a short-term answer that would help the team in the areas they struggled in most while also buying the front office time to find a full-time answer for the future.