St. Louis Cardinals: Should the Cardinals Upgrade at Third Base?

It has been a tough two weeks for the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans. The team has a 5-9 record and is looking to build momentum. Some lone bright spots such as Mike Leake’s pitching or Jose Martinez’s hitting, have done little to dispel the slow start to the season.

For the St. Louis Cardinals, whether it has been the inconsistent pitching or the abysmal hitting the team has produced, it’s clear something is in need of change. Many fans have been extremely vocal about the team’s leadership under Mike Matheny. Fellow Redbird Rants writer, Dr. Miles, says the time isn’t now. Instead, I am going to focus on what the team can do to improve the lineup and, dare I say, defensively as well.

Last week I wrote about the Cardinals’ need to upgrade at third base. In the article I made my case to bring up Paul DeJong from AAA.  His fast start in the minors both offensively and defensively have made it difficult for the Cardinals to ignore. Ultimately, there are things that need to fall in place for that to happen. What other option do the Cardinals have?

If the Cardinals are not willing to invest in their young bats, then it is time to consider a trade for a third baseman. The right player can help solve the two biggest issues plaguing the team: hitting and defense.

I’ll first explain the two problems I believe the Cardinals cannot overcome without addressing the lineup.

The first problem is that the St. Louis Cardinals have no true third/fourth place hitter. The team no longer has a guy that can hit .280 with thirty home runs and ninety RBI. Does this type of player solve all the hitting problems for the Cardinals? Probably not, but I would be willing to bet the team would see an increase in production. If the Cardinals commit to keeping Matt Carpenter in the three hole, then it’s time to seek a true clean-up hitter.

I know the Cardinals have Stephen Piscotty, currently, as the clean-up hitter, but is that really his best spot in the order? If it were up to me, Piscotty would be hitting second in the order. He has power to all fields, but is more of a line drive hitter. He also has a good ability to get on base to set up your three and four hitters.

Take a look at his splits among his spots in the order:

Oddly enough, Piscotty is almost the same hitter in the second spot as the fourth spot. The power numbers are there along with his OBP. The only difference between the two spots is his batting average. He bats a full thirty points higher out of the second spot than clean-up. That kind of production would look great on a team that currently ranks last in BA across MLB.

But, let’s face it. There is no one else on the St. Louis Cardinals that can possibly be the clean-up guy. Other than Piscotty, the Cardinals have used Molina, Peralta, and Adams as the clean-up hitter. Our own, Dan Campbelll has even suggested Aledmys Diaz. Piscotty seems to be the only person that can exist comfortably as the clean-up hitter, but it would be nice to see him batting second and getting on base. Did someone mention Encarnacion? I digress.

The second problem that could be fixed for the Cardinals with a trade would be defense. Yes, the same defense that you were promised by Matheny and the front office. Honestly, I am tired of complaining about the team going against their own words. If they wanted better defense, then they should’ve fully addressed the issue when they had the chance.

Peralta is a shell of himself from two years ago both at the plate and defensively. It’s honestly hard to watch him play now. When he is batting, you are pretty much guaranteed a strike out. All you have to do is throw a slider down and away from him (you’re welcome opposing pitchers). Otherwise, jam him and he will pop up on the infield.

In the article I mentioned earlier, I don’t have anything good to say about Peralta’s defense either. He is a negative defensive runs saved and his range just isn’t there anymore. Again, hard to watch him play because of the simple things he cannot do anymore. Granted he did make a nice throw earlier this year, but one out of how many opportunities? Sigh.

The Cardinals have also relied on Jedd Gyorko to man the hot corner. Defensively, they are similar players at third base. Jedd has a RZR of .667 accroding to Fangraphs. This rating puts him in the “awful” rating of the stat. The RZR essentially means Jedd’s range is limited like Peralta’s. Jedd is also worth negative defensive runs as well.

So where does that leave us? At this point, I think the Cardinals could stand to do some major tinkering with the lineup. Going after a third baseman who fits the profile as an upgrade defensively and offensively is where I’d start. So which one should the Cardinals go after?

First up, Josh Donaldson.

The 2015 AL MVP has been easily one of the most productive players over the last couple of seasons. So how can he fit into the Cardinals lineup? He has been hitting third in the Toronto Blue Jays’ lineup recently, but that doesn’t mean he can’t hit fourth for the Cardinals. His ability to hit in either place in the order offers the team flexibility should Carpenter sit or Mike Matheny shuffle the lineup a bit.

Here are his splits in the place he bats in:

The way his career has panned out is very similar to Piscotty’s. Donaldson is arguably better out of the second spot in the order. Most of his at-bats have come from the second spot, but he has also dipped into the clean-up role as well. From the clean-up spot he shows a good average and good power numbers to call for a possible move for him

Defensively, Donaldson would represent an upgrade at the third base position. Although his career RZR is .744, which would give him a poor rating, it certainly is better than both Peralta and Gyorko’s awful ratings.

Although he is currently injured, Donaldson has been able to amass a .875 RZR, which would be considered above average. He may not be a gold glove talent at third base, but the main goal is to improve the defense at the corner.

What would it take to get him:

In order for the St. Louis Cardinals to make a run at him, a couple of things need to happen. The first being a rough year for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cardinals are relevant in June. The Blue Jays are currently last in their division, but have the talent to climb out of the basement. However, should the Blue Jays falter, they may consider moving the third base man in return for a good amount of prospects.

Which brings me to my next thing to bring Donaldson in: which prospects will the Cardinals be willing to part with? At the moment the Cardinals have an abundance of outfield talent and pitching prospects. It’s likely the Blue Jays would target one or two prospects from that area, possibly each area. Also in consideration would be interested in an infield prospect as well. I doubt DeJong would fetch such a player like Donaldson, but Wisdom might alongside other top flight prospects.

Although this deal probably doesn’t get done, it’s certainly an enticing thought. To have Piscotty, Carpenter, and Donaldson as your two through four hitters is as good as the better lineups in the MLB now. A lot has to go the Cardinals way, but always consider your options.

Next up is Todd Frazier.

The former Cincinnati Red is very familiar with the St. Louis Cardinals and the rest of the National League Central. After years of terrorizing Cardinals pitching, Frazier was traded to the Chicago White Sox. In his first year in Chicago, Frazier batted .225 and hit forty home runs with 98 RBI. A respectable line, with the only concern being his batting average.

Frazier is a career .249 hitter, so his low average may be due to some outside circumstances like being in a new league. However, it is the offensive pop that the Cardinals would like to see in St. Louis in the heart of the order.

Here are his numbers out of the clean-up spot:

His numbers out of the clean-up spot suggest that average may lag behind, but his slugging can strike fear in the pitcher. The biggest concern for me with Frazier is his strike out rate. His career strike-out rate sits at 22.7%. Essentially every four plate appearances results in a strike out. This obviously attributes to his low BA, but Frazier does have a high average on BABIP, .265. So if he makes contact, there is a decent chance for a hit.

Defensively, Frazier would also represent a slight upgrade, very similar to what Donaldson would provide to the Cardinals. His career RZR rating at third base is .716. Like Donaldson, Frazier’s rating is considered poor, but again better than the two awful ratings currently on the team.

Through fourteen games, Frazier has been able to amass a .842 RZR, which would be above average. If he can continue to provide defensive stability close to where he is now, or even at his career mar, Frazier should be a viable option for the Cardinals.

Related Story: Should Adam Wainwright Move to the Bullpen?

What would it take to get him:

Fortunately for the Cardinals, I don’t think this move would take much. The White Sox are still in a rebuilding mode and will be for some time. I’m sure that the team is still looking to sell pieces. Brendan, fellow Redbird Rants writer, recently linked the Cardinals to Jose Quintana once again.
So It’s no secret that piece could be moving in June, so why not look at Frazier? The only thing that will stop the Cardinals from making this move is the asking price for Frazier. Rule of thumb is if you wait towards the end of the deadline, the steeper that price will be. Like Donaldson, Frazier will fetch a pitching prospect and possibly an outfield prospect.

This particular deal will be the least impactful to the Cardinals farm system. However, the White Sox will only want close to ready talent for a player like Frazier. Will the Cardinals bite though?