St. Louis Cardinals: Could Offseason Transformation Benefit Matt Adams?

Although he may no longer be the St. Louis Cardinals front-runner for starting first baseman, Matt Adams has made a rather interesting transformation this offseason.

Per Matt Sebak’s tweet from Monday (see it a few paragraphs below), Matt Adams could come into the St. Louis Cardinals‘ Spring Training thirty pounds lighter than last season.

According to Mike Oz’s Yahoo Sports article, Adams started the offseason at 260 pounds, but has shed weight by adjusting his diet and working with Pilates instructor Kim Wallis.

Such a transformation may challenge an identity that Adams has embraced as one of the most reliable sources of raw power en rout to the nickname “Big City”. The offseason efforts also demonstrate preparation for what could be a make-or-break season for Adams, who can become a free agent after the 2018 season.

Coming off of a campaign where he started in less than sixty percent of games played, Adams split time in a first base platoon with Brandon Moss and saw opportunities gradually diminish even more as Matt Carpenter transitioned to position in the second half of the season.

St. Louis’ infield could prove crowded once again with Carpenter expected to settle into first base full-time, the only position Adams has played throughout his entire career. The situation may have prompted trade discussions with state rival Kansas City Royals last month, who instead officially settled for a two-year, $12 million contract with Moss last week.

Part of Adams’ fallback could have stemmed from recent injuries. Adams required two stints on the disabled list over the past two seasons, missing nearly 150 games between a strained right quad and left shoulder inflammation.

His offseason conditioning, however, may prove similar to Yadier Molina‘s agenda from 2016 in the sense that both were looking to build a more durable body and reduce the probability of injury with age.

Another interesting aspect to consider heading into the new season is the amount of flexibility Adams has embraced with consistently changing roles. He collected double-digit RBIs from three spots in the batting order, while co-leading the Cardinals with eleven pinch-hits in 2016. Every once in awhile, he may surprise teams by bunting against the shift.

Adams’ contributions beyond his left-handed hitting abilities make him an intriguing clubhouse piece as well. The 28-year-old finished with a career-high 10.29 range factor and committed the fewest errors of any full-time St. Louis Cardinals infielder in 2016. Adams’ base running could become an even larger asset if he can improve upon his three stolen bases and five triples from 2014.

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Perhaps the most important factor in keeping the Adams experiment going has been his ability to deliver in big circumstances. Since his Major League debut in 2012, Adams has hit .311 with forty-seven home runs and 177 RBIs in games that the Cardinals have won. St. Louis also fared just two games above .500 in contests that Adams did not play last year.

Busch Stadium has proven very kind to Adams throughout his career as well, where he has a career .293 batting average and is also one of just two current Cardinals with multiple walk-off home runs. His most notable moment arguably came at Busch Stadium against three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw, where he delivered a go-ahead, three-run home run in St. Louis’s 2014 NLDS clincher.

First base has been a position with more questions than answers since three-time MVP Albert Pujols left for the Los Angeles Angels in December 2011. Adams has played the most games of any Cardinal at the position in the post-Pujols era, which makes expectations really hard to temper at the other hot corner.

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While “Big City” could certainly find more opportunities based off of his offseason conditioning and recent contributions, his window remains to be discovered for a St. Louis Cardinals team coming off its first non-postseason campaign since 2010.