St. Louis Cardinals: Kolten Wong should remain where he is

Kolten Wong turned in a career season in 2019, and while some believe this makes him a sell-high candidate, the St. Louis Cardinals shouldn’t pull the trigger.

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong had a remarkable 2019, turning in career bests in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage while flashing defense worthy of a Gold Glove award. While trading of Wong might net a good haul for the Cardinals, it isn’t a move the team should make.

The motive behind a trade is obviously to make the team better. And it’s hard to see how dealing Wong can improve the Cardinals. They could go after an outfielder to replace Marcell Ozuna if he decides to leave, or they could pursue a starting pitcher if Carlos Martinez is going to remain in the bullpen. But the team isn’t in dire straits at any position. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The biggest reason for Wong to be traded is the likelihood of regression. While it is entirely possible he could regress, he could also have been rejuvenated under the confidence of manager Mike Shildt. But if Wong backslides, the Cardinals have a fallback option in Tommy Edman.

This brings us to the question of why Edman can’t be Wong’s full-time replacement. Edman impressed during his rookie year in 2019, but with a much smaller sample size and only one year of experience, Edman appears much more likely than Wong to fall off precipitously. We’ve seen players like this before; the latest was Aledmys Diaz, a shortstop many fans considered the future until he failed to follow up his All-Star 2016 rookie season.

More from St Louis Cardinals News

• Cardinals: Here is Willson Contreras’ first message for St. Louis fans
• How do the St. Louis Cardinals stack up with Willson Contreras?
• Cardinals: The insane asking price the Athletics had for Sean Murphy
• St. Louis Cardinals: Ask me anything with Josh Jacobs – 12/8
• The St. Louis Cardinals sign catcher Willson Contreras

Edman does have more defensive chops than Diaz, and this makes him a perfect fit for a utility role. He has already shown that he has the capability to play multiple positions, and it would be better for the Cardinals if Wong were left to man second base most days and Edman were to fill in at any position where a regular is getting a day off.

Edman’s value on the bench is a prime reason Wong should stay in St. Louis. If Edman proves that he can continue to hit, he could work his way into a full-time role. The outfield seems to be the best place for him if this is the case, as it is probably the team’s weakest spot.

Moving Wong would create more holes than it would fill because Edman would be stuck at one position. Trading Wong would be putting a lot of pressure on Edman to produce as a starter. For the sake of Wong, Edman and the team’s success, the Cardinals should stand pat with Wong.