St. Louis Cardinals: Cardinals main focus until Spring Training

With the holidays coming to an end, it’s time for the St. Louis Cardinals to bring their focus back to making their team better for the 2018 season.

The St. Louis Cardinals are already looking like a better team on paper from a year ago with acquisitions like Marcell Ozuna and Luke Gregerson, but they shouldn’t be satisfied just yet.

The Cardinals are still looking to sign another power hitter to put into their lineup to compliment the already-feared Ozuna.

It has been rumored that the Cardinals are still showing interest in Josh Donaldson, but with only having one more year left on his current contract, they should also be looking at the possibilities of signing a current free agent power hitter. Players such as Eric Hosmer and J.D. Martinez would be a great addition to the Cardinals lineup.

Hosmer is 28 years old and is a young player who is in his prime. Last season, he had a batting average of .318, had 94 runs batted in, and hit 25 home runs. He would be a big upgrade at the first base position from what the Cardinals have had in the past. If the Cardinals do happen to sign Hosmer, it could possibly be a contract worth between $90-100 million for 4-5 years.

J.D. Martinez on the other hand has just turned 30 and is going to be looking for a very big contract. Last season, he had a batting average of .303, had 104 runs batted in, and had 45 home runs. Martinez would be a great bat to have in either the 3rd or 4th spot of the line up, but would cause some issues in an already-crowded outfield.

Even though the St. Louis Cardinals have money, Martinez is reportedly looking for a contract that is worth $200 million.

The Cardinals can’t go wrong with adding Donaldson, Hosmer, or Martinez. If they are looking to build a team for years to come and also make a big signing in the 2018 offseason, Hosmer could be the right guy for the Cardinals.

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The bullpen as well is a place the St. Louis Cardinals need to focus on as it has struggled greatly in the last couple of years. Even with the signing of Gregerson and Alex Reyes starting the season in the bullpen, the Cardinals can’t go wrong with adding one more pitcher to strengthen their bullpen. Pitchers such as Matt Albers and Greg Holland can be the missing piece to make their bullpen successful.

Albers last season pitched in 63 games for the Washington Nationals, having an earned run average of 1.62, and having a 7-2 record. He is about to turn 35 years old so his durability could be a bit of a question but could still be a great addition. Albers could sign a contract worth $2.5 millions for 2 years.

Holland last season appeared in 61 games, recording 41 saves out of 45 opportunities, and having an earned run average of 3.61. He just turned 32 years old and could become a great closer or setup man for the Cardinals. As a closer, he could be asking for a contract worth $40-50 million for 3 years.

Considering our recent post about Reyes possibly being a closer this season, it will be interesting to see if the Cardinals will add a closer to finish off games and possibly have Reyes pitch in the 7th or 8th innings.

Next: Five New Year resolutions

The Cardinals are looking to become the top team in the National League Central once again, and a couple of big signings could help them get there in 2018.