St. Louis Cardinals: One free agent off the board not with the Cards

The Arizona Diamondbacks snagged the first free agent off the offseason board keeping one potential signing from the St. Louis Cardinals.

On Monday, the Arizona Diamondbacks welcomed back into their fold Eduardo Escobar. The switch-hitting third baseman is now marked as the first free agent off the eligible board this offseason. Likewise, he becomes the first free agent not to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason.

Here’s what the Cardinals will miss out on by not signing Escobar: a triple slash of .272/.334/.489 at third in 2018. That said, this was a positive year for Escobar whose last five years have averaged .261/.312/.433. He is marked as league-average in OPS.

While Escobar carries a decent amount of promise, and while he came to the Diamondbacks in a trade from the Twins in middle of 2018, he reminds me much of a former St. Louis Cardinals’ third baseman who carried with him a lot of promise.

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The Diamondbacks hope that Escobar will continue his 2018 numbers. Similarly, the St. Louis Cardinals picked up Troy Glaus from the Blue Jays in January of 2008 as a replacement for the disappointment that had become of Scott Rolen.

Like Escobar, Glaus carried with him a great deal of promise. That said, Glaus never really developed into the player that the St. Louis Cardinals had hoped. Prior to his arrival to the Cardinals, Glaus had posted an All-Star year in 2006 with Toronto wherein he slashed .252/.355/.513.

Those numbers are eerily similar to Escobar’s career year of 2018.

During his brief two years with the Cardinals, Glaus’ best year was in his trade year wherein he posted .270/.372/.483 and then he was sidelined with injury and poor performance in 2009. Glaus played in only 14 games in 2009. His number were .172/.250/.241.

I am positive that the Diamondbacks are wishing against all odds that Escobar will not be another Glaus and they are likely safe in that wish. Why? Escobar is 29 where Glaus was 31 when he came to the Cardinals.

Either way, I find myself not alarmed by the Cardinals’ lack of snagging Escobar. The Cards have plenty of promising young infielders in their midst and Escobar would only block their rise.

Keep your radar on, Cardinals fans. The offseason promises to be a potentially exciting one for the St. Louis Cardinals.