St. Louis Cardinals: Five Players Feeling the Pressure in 2017

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The St. Louis Cardinals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010 because a handful of players underperformed. Now, those players have something to prove in 2017.

The St. Louis Cardinals signed outfielder Dexter Fowler and reliever Brett Cecil this offseason in hopes that those moves bring them back to playoff contention. Last season was disappointing to say the least after the team went from winning 100 games in 2015 to winning just 86 in 2016.

This huge drop off in games won was largely because a number of players underperformed. The pitching staff as a whole saw catastrophic drops in effectiveness and performance and the team’s fielding also went from more than capable to little-league-esq. Couple all of this with the numerous injuries and the offensive slumps the Cardinals experienced and you have a recipe for failure.

Entering 2017, the St. Louis Cardinals as a whole are feeling the pressure. Their biggest rival, the Chicago Cubs, won the 2016 World Series and don’t look like they will be slowing down anytime soon. The Pittsburgh Pirates are also hanging around while the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds have been nearing the end of their rebuilds and could threaten sooner than later.

But while the club is feeling pressure, there are specific players that are truly feeling the heat. There are some that need to perform this year to keep their jobs or to secure the next contract. Some may even need to show what they got in order to stay in the major leagues. The MLB is a tough industry to break into as a player and it can be even tougher to stay in. The following five players have something more to prove in 2017 than the rest of the team.

Honorable Mentions: Matt Adams (1B-relegated to a bench role), Lance Lynn (SP-return from TJS and an upcoming FA), Adam Wainwright (SP-coming off arguably his worst season ever)

Jun 15, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal (44) walks off the field after being removed from the game during the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Busch Stadium. The Astros won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sport /

No. 5 – Trevor Rosenthal – Reliever

The St. Louis Cardinals had an All-Star caliber closer that had two straight seasons of 45 or more saves (2014-2015) but that all disappeared in 2016. Trevor Rosenthal went from being one of the most dominant closers in all of baseball to being an arm only capable of pitching in low-stress situations.

Rosenthal is feeling the pressure this season because he truly has no role at the moment. The closer position went to Seung-hwan Oh after he proved to be more than capable of pitching in high stress games and the set-up type roles are filled by guys like Kevin Siegrist, Brett Cecil, and Jonathan Broxton. Now, Rosenthal could be a set-up arm while one of those guys becomes a middle innings reliever, but can he be trusted to keep games close late in the game?

The other reason Rosenthal doesn’t have a role is because the St. Louis Cardinals have flat out stated he doesn’t. If he had a role on this team then they wouldn’t be experimenting with him as a starter and stretching his innings out. The purpose of that is in hopes he can prove to be a multi-inning reliever but this experiment’s purpose is to find him a role.

Rosenthal is also feeling a lot of pressure because his value has gone down severely. In a time where élite closers like Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, and Mark Melancon are making north of $60 million dollar contracts, Rosenthal surely feels he could have been in those discussions before his downfall. Now, however, he’s just another middle reliever that posted an ERA over 4.00.

Hopefully Rosenthal does come out and prove something in 2017. Whether it be his return to closing and high pressure situations or his growth into a starter or super-reliever, he needs to return to dominance and the Cardinals need that.

Aug 4, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta watches from the dugout during the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 4 – Jhonny Peralta – Third Baseman / Shortstop

The St. Louis Cardinals have a bit of a position battle going on entering the 2017 season. At third base Jhonny Peralta will likely have the lead but will have to prove that he deserves more playing time than home run slugger Jedd Gyorko.

Peralta had a poor year in 2016 that was derailed by injuries but that led to the discovery of Aledmys Diaz. That is initially how Peralta lost the shortstop position and why he was transfered to third base. However, Peralta batted .260/.307/.408 in 2016 in 82 games and was heavily outproduced by Gyorko. Gyorko knocked in 59 RBI with 30 home runs while Peralta managed only 8 home runs and 29 RBI.

Peralta used to be relied on as the No. 4 or 5 hitter in the lineup but saw more time in the 6 and 7 holes due to his lack of production. His health is certainly a factor and his return from that thumb injury will be huge when considering the rest of Peralta’s career considering he’s 34-years old and will become a free agent at the end of the 2017 season.

If Peralta wants to stay in the league he will need to rebound and produce like he has in his recent All-Star years. And if he wants to remain on a playoff contender, he will have to prove that he is a benefit to the team at the plate and on defense. A major part of the problem last year for the Cardinals was infield defense and Peralta was well below average defensively.

His transition from shortstop to third base was rushed and unexpected given the emergence of Diaz, but this season he should have no excuses to any defensive woes. He will have a full spring training and offseason to prepare at his new position while he also uses that time to stay healthy and strengthen that injured thumb and hand.

Peralta is feeling a lot of pressure this season because he’s an aging veteran that is due to become a free agent. Not only is he coming off an injury, he’s coming off of one of his worst offensive and defensive seasons in his career. Any teams interested will be watching this season to see if his regression was due to age or if it was due to injury and other factors. The Cardinals surely want and need him to return to form considering the lack of power in the lineup.

No. 3 – Michael Wacha – Starting Pitcher

The St. Louis Cardinals thought that they had an elite level pitcher in Michael Wacha at one point in time. In 2013, his rookie season, Wacha put on one of the best performances ever seen by a pitcher in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He followed it up with a strong but injury-shortened 2014 season and bounced back in 2015.

In 2015, Wacha was an All-Star and was 17-7 in 30 starts posting a 3.38 ERA. He clearly looked like a top of the rotation starter that was dependable and clutch. However, in 2016, it became known that Wacha was suffering from a shoulder injury that seemed to be related back to his 2014 injuries. Ultimately, he was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his shoulder that was reoccurring.

Because of this, Wacha’s 2016 season was one Cardinals fans hope to soon forget. He posted a 5.09 ERA in 24 starts and was unable to pitch more than 138 innings. The main concern with Wacha is the health of his shoulder since it is his throwing arm and it has had a drastic effect on his control.

No. 2 – Randal Grichuk – Outfielder

The St. Louis Cardinals signed outfielder Dexter Fowler to take over the role of everyday center fielder. Part of this decision was made because management didn’t believe that Randal Grichuk was a full-time center fielder and that he was better suited in a corner outfield spot. The other part of this decision was the fact that the Cardinals wanted more consistency.

Grichuk has a few reasons to feel a lot of pressure going into the 2017 season. Firstly, that left field corner he will patrol was home to one of the best Cardinals players in recent history: Matt Holliday. Those shoes he will have to fill out there and at the plate are huge and fans will surely have lofty expectations. Given Grichuk’s defensive ability and his power, he should be able to ease the pain of saying goodbye to Holliday.

Secondly, Grichuk kind of has something to prove to management. There were numerous comments this offseason from John Mozeliak and Mike Matheny about becoming more athletic and improving defensively in the outfield. Grichuk was no slouch and after the signing of Fowler he made his point clear by stating, “It will be good having a couple of center fielders playing in the same outfield.”

Now, Grichuk went on to say that if the Cardinals want him in left field that he will do his very best to play left field but the friendly, competitive nature in Grichuk came out a bit in that quote and it shows that he wants to prove to the Cardinals and to the fans that he is more than capable of playing center.

Regardless, before Grichuk worries about which position in the outfield he is playing he needs to worry about two things: his health and his consistency. Grichuk just had knee surgery this offseason and has had various injuries in the past (although nothing major). He also went from being a .276/.329/.548 hitter in 2015 to one that batted .240/.289/.480 in 2016. Grichuk also saw some time in the minors in 2016 due to his inconsistency at the plate.

While Grichuk has all the tools to be a star, he hasn’t put it all together in the same season. His move to left field may take some responsibility off his hands but the pressure to perform is still there. He needs to show that he can play a full season and do so without any major hiccups. However, if he does that, then we may have a new All-Star left fielder to cheer for.

No.1 – Kolten Wong – Second Baseman

The St. Louis Cardinals have gone through their ups and downs with Kolten Wong over the course of his career. We’ve seen flashes of brilliant defensive play while also an inability to field a routine grounder. We’ve also seen speed and consistency at the plate but then also saw a guy who will swing and miss at three straight pitches for weeks at a time.

The time for Kolten Wong to prove his worth is 2017. General manager John Mozeliak has made it clear that Kolten Wong needs to be the starting second baseman. He believes Wong has Gold Glove potential and defense is a huge key to the team’s success next season.

Mozeliak also believes that Wong can be a contributor in the lineup and many fans held that belief after 2015 as well. In 2015, Wong batted .262/.321/.386 and had 11 home runs, 61 RBI, and 15 stolen bases in 150 games. For a bottom of the order bat, Wong’s production was more than adequate and he flashed that speed and power that many have expected.

However, 2016 was a dreadful season for the 26-year old second baseman. He managed to hit .240/.327/.355 with only 5 home runs, 23 RBI, and 7 stolen bases in 121 games. Wong, like Grichuk, also saw some major slumps and was sent down to the minor leagues for some time. Jedd Gyorko and Matt Carpenter filled the void at second in his absence and Gyorko’s power proved to be quite valuable.

Wong is not only feeling the pressure from Jedd Gyorko behind him but is reaching that point where he either has to prove what he’s got or the Cardinals need to move on. Wong has all the tools of a solid second baseman but if he can’t perform at the big league level, the Cardinals will find someone that can.

Next: Why Greg Garcia and Breyvic Valera are So Great

Mozeliak has put a lot of faith in Kolten Wong but the question is how long will that faith continue. Wong’s inconsistency has been his major flaw and it could even lead to him no longer being in St. Louis. Teams have asked about him recently, but the Cardinals have held on to him. That alone puts a lot of pressure on him to perform but he’s certainly feeling it from all angles.

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