3 free agents the St Louis Cardinals should avoid post-lockout

St Louis Cardinals executive John Mozeliak has his eye on certain players once the MLB lockout ends. Here are some to avoid.

St Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak appears to have his eye on certain free agents  once the MLB lockout ends and a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is reached between the union and owners.

The team will most likely seek out a couple of relievers, possibly another starter, and maybe even a proven hitter to become a designated hitter. The Cardinals are likely to shop the free-agent market with some gusto before thinking of trading for players.

The team is reportedly considering Ryan Tepera. After him, it’s really anyone’s guess who Mozeliak will consider. Anyone from Colin Moran to Archie Bradley could be options for the array of needs the club will have post-lockout. It will be quite the show once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached and baseball activities can resume with new deals to be reached for players available. Get your popcorn ready. It’s going to be wild!

While there are many ideal candidates available via the free-agent market, there are several who are duds that the Cardinals should absolutely avoid at all costs.

Let’s take a look at some of the pitchers the Cardinals should avoid at all costs.

Derek Holland

At one time, it would have been intriguing to see a reunion between Derek Holland and Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux.

The pair worked together during their time with the Texas Rangers. During the 2011 World Series, Holland was seemingly a constant recipient of the

claw

calming hand Maddux uses to get a sense of how his pitcher is feeling on the mound.

It would have been fun to see, but Holland’s effectiveness has dropped significantly.

The lefty spent the 2021 season with the Detroit Tigers. He uses a sinker, a four-seam fastball, a curveball, and a changeup. Holland’s sinker averages 93.1 mph with a vertical drop of 17.5-inches and an active spin of 99%. But his curveball averages 81.4 mph with a vertical drop of 37.7-inches and an active spin of 18%.

It will be interesting to see what happens for Holland once baseball activities resume post-lockout. He could easily get a minor league deal to work on his stuff. If he does receive a major league deal it would have to be short-term and incentive-based.

Brad Hand

Brad Hand, a 31-year-old lefty, had a difficult 2021 season having spent time with three clubs over the course of the season including the New York Mets.

In 68 games, he was 6-7 in 64.2 innings with 21 saves, three holds, and eight blown saves. He gave up 26 walks but struck out 61. He had a 27.7% called-strike rate.

Hand has a four-seam fastball, a sinker, and a slider. Hand’s slider averages 80.1 mph with a 45.6-inch vertical drop with an active spin of 63%. The fastball averages 92.9 mph with a 16.7-inch vertical drop with an active spin of 89%. Hand’s sinker averages 93 mph with a 22.9-inch vertical drop with an active spin of 91%.

It does seem like he has off-speed stuff but it’s ineffective. It would be interesting to see him get an opportunity to work on those off-speed pitches and develop trust in a good defense behind him. But, the Cardinals have had their share of frustrating relievers over the years. Hand would be that in St. Louis, without a doubt.