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.

3. Austin Jackson – Can play LF, CF, or RF

Austin Jackson has previously come up in St. Louis Cardinals rumors. This 2017 offseason will be his first opportunity to capitalize on free agency, but he sits behind some other outfielders that are  going to get the majority of the attention. Jackson isn’t Dexter Fowler or Yoenis Cespedes, but he gets the job done.

Austin Jackson, like Rajai Davis and Angel Pagan, would fit better into the bottom third of the batting order. He batted .254/.318/.343 with 0 home runs and 15 RBI in 54 games. Jackson suffered a knee injury that required surgery on a torn meniscus in August that shut him down for the remainder of the 2016 season. In 2015, where Jackson played 136 games, he hit 9 home runs with 48 RBI while slashing .267/.311/.385.

The 29-year old outfielder was typically known as a solid defender that can man all three outfield positions while primarily being a center fielder. However, in 2016 his UZR was a shockingly low -4.6 in CF. But, as previously stated, 2016 was a down year and he also missed the majority of the season with a serious knee injury. Furthermore, in 2015, Jackson had an above average CF UZR with a solid 7.5 so there’s reason to believe he still is a very strong defender.

Overall, Jackson would be a bit of a gamble given his injury history. His ability to bounce back from knee surgery is unknown at this point but if the St. Louis Cardinals believe he can return to form, then Jackson has the potential to be the strong defender in CF that they are looking for.

4. Matt Joyce – Can play LF or RF

Despite getting a center fielder being the priority, Matt Joyce could still fit into the plans to improve the team as a whole. With the departure of Matt Holliday and the likely loss of Brandon Moss, the St. Louis Cardinals may consider adding a bench bat that can play the corners. Joyce would fit the profile and he could come at quite the discount.

Joyce has had a bit of interesting career. He was an All-Star for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011 and was wildly mediocre for a few of the following seasons. In 2015 however, he was absolutely dreadful and batted .174/.272/.291 in 93 games for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After that, it was wondered if Joyce even could remain a big-leaguer.

In 2016, the Pittsburgh Pirates decided to take a chance on Joyce and it paid off. He played in 140 games for the Buccos and slashed .242/.403/.463 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI. Joyce didn’t have the batting average like his former All-Star self but he showed an elite ability to grind out at-bats and find his way on base. He produced a 59-67 walk-to-strikeout ratio along with a walk percentage of 20.1.

And despite his batting average only being .242, the Cardinals would have reason to believe that it should be higher given that his batting average on balls in play was a .285. The difference in the numbers suggests that Joyce may have had some bad luck.

Again, Joyce isn’t the answer that John Mozeliak is looking for in the outfield but Matt Joyce could serve as a very useful tool off the bench. He has the ability to get on base at an elite level and would be a serviceable replacement if the Cardinals are not interested in bringing Brandon Moss back.

Next: Austin Gomber is in the Spotlight

The St. Louis Cardinals are looking for an outfielder. They may not get the belle of the ball but there are some other viable options available. The previously four mentioned guys could all provide the team with some kind of production while being much cheaper than Cespedes or Fowler. Cardinal Nation may not love the signing at first, but if one of these guys agrees to a deal, give them a chance, they all have something to prove.