5 Options to Play Shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals


Option 5: Joey Wendle
The St. Louis Cardinals tend to make their big splashes, if they choose to do so, in the offseason, and reserve midseason moves for short term patches to the club. If the Cardinals want to improve at shortstop with an outside addition but don’t want a big price tag like Bogaerts or long term commitment like Crawford, Marlins shortstop Joey Wendle seems to be the perfect fit.
Coming over from the Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason, Joey Wendle has been a bright spot in the Miami Marlins lineup, slashing .304/.368/.456 with 2 home runs and 10 RBI. Wendle has a career OPS of .741, so even with slight regression, Wendle has proven to be an above average bat from the left side during his major league career. Wendle provides positional flexibility too, being able to play each infield position as well as the corner outfield spots.
This may be the least exciting option for the club, but seems like a better version of the trades the club made for J.A. Happ and Jon Lester last year’s deadline. If St. Louis wants a cheap, short term option that could pay dividends at shortstop, Joey Wendle fits the bill.
Next. Cardinals Rumors: Xander Bogaerts a “realistic” trade option for St. Louis. dark