St. Louis Cardinals: NLCS player targets for the Cardinals

In part two of a look at potential players for the St. Louis Cardinals to target who are in the playoffs, we turn our attention to the teams in the NLCS.

Where free agents might have left much to be desired, both the Dodgers and the Brewers have players who will be in the final years of their respective contracts and these are the ones the St. Louis Cardinals should put on their radar for trade before or during the 2019 season.

To help us examine these players, let me group them via position.

Pitchers

The following Dodgers will be playing 2019 as the final year on their current contracts:

• Rich Hill, $18.67M
• Alex Wood, arbitration in 2019
• Tony Cingrani, arbitration in 2019
• Josh Fields, arbitration in 2019

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Of these, the St. Louis Cardinals would be wise to keep an eye on Wood and Cingrani; for different reasons, however. Wood could be a great young starter for the St. Louis Cardinals should they need starting help in 2019. Cingrani, a left-handed reliever, should be someone the Cardinals attempt to grab before the start of 2019.

The following Brewers will be playing 2019 as the final year on their current contracts:

• Joakim Soria, $10M team option with $1M buyout
• Jhoulys Chacin, $6.75M
• Matt Albers, $2.5M
• Jordan Lyles, $3.5M team option with $250k buyout

Of these, the St. Louis Cardinals would be wise to consider Albers and Soria above the others. While Chacin has had some good luck of late, he wasn’t always such a great pitcher so it might not be the best investment of money (that could change, of course, as he works through the postseason) and although Lyles is inexpensive, the Cards have enough like him.

Fielders

The following Brewers will be playing 2019 as the final year on their current contracts:

• Stephen Vogt, C, arbitration in 2019
• Jonathan Schoop, 2B, arbitration in 2019

Both of these names should be of interest to the St. Louis Cardinals. Vogt will be returning from season-ending surgery that saw him finish 2018 early by going on the 60-day DL. Should Vogt return to positive form and should Francisco Pena not pan out as Yadier Molina‘s backup, then the Cardinals should work to snatch Vogt.

Schoop would make an incredible middle infield for the St. Louis Cardinals. For more on him, check the related link below. In both cases, I think it will be very difficult for the Cardinals to get either name since the Brewers would likely be less-than-willing to make an in-division trade.

The following Dodgers will be playing 2019 as the final year on their current contracts:

• Matt Kemp, LF, $21.75M
• Yasiel Puig, RF, arbitration in 2019
• David Freese, 3B, $6M team option with $500k buyout
• Chase Utley, 2B, $1M

Look, it is highly likely that 2019 will be the final year of Kemp and Utley. Utley for sure, and Kemp may- MAY- want to try to play again past 2019 but the years are catching up with these two perennial players. The St. Louis Cardinals would be wise to stay clear of these names.

Puig was batted around once in the Cardinals circles. Depending on the figure he pulls in arbitration this could be an interesting name. The person blocking him is Dexter Fowler. Both have much to gain from 2019. I look for the Cardinals to stand pat on Fowler which would take them out of the Puig race if one even opens.

David Freese is the one the Cardinals need to go get. For more on him, click the related link below. For my money, I think that Mozeliak will be calling Los Angeles as soon as the season is finished as he already had interest in Freese when David was with Pittsburgh. I say do it, Cardinals.