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Left-handed bat – Ben Gamel
Before you laugh or groan, Brandon Kiley of 101 ESPN noted that Ben Gamel has had a .763 OPS against right-handed pitching over the last two years, and that would have ranked 6th on the Cardinals in 2022. This is not a game changing bat, nor the biggest bat the Cardinals should add this off-season, but would be a great value should the team invest more of their resources with other needs. B
I think people need to take a look at the FA market. It's not loaded w/ LH options. Even less-so w/ 1-year options.
— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) November 18, 2022
vs RHP last 2 seasons:
Brantley - .883 OPS
Naquin - .808 OPS
Conforto - .792 OPS
Gamel - .763 OPS
Peralta - .751 OPS https://t.co/MgtRacLmB7
Michael Brantley would be the best option on this list, and actually someone I would love for the Cardinals to grab this off-season, but he will cost a lot more on a one year deal than Gamel will. If the Cardinals spend big at catcher or to address their pitching, Gamel would be a nice under-the-radar pick up for the club.
Gamel also had a thing for mashing against the Cardinals last season posting a .858 OPS in 12 games. Maybe some of the 30-year old’s magic at Busch Stadium last season could continue in 2023 as a Cardinal. Again, this a good value pickup for the Cardinals, not some game changing bat. If they choose to go bargain in other areas, fans should be clamoring for a name like Brantley. If not, Gamel would be a nice name to add to their mix, especially if they lost someone like Juan Yepez, Alec Burleson, or Nolan Gorman to trade this winter.