5 shortstops the Cardinals should sign as depth behind Masyn Winn and Tommy Edman

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The St. Louis Cardinals spent most of their offseason in an arms race to bolster their rotation and bullpen after needing a massive overhaul to their staff. While there was very little arguement that the Cardinals needed to add position players this offseason, recent days have given more cadence to the need for more depth at shortstop.

The delay in Tommy Edman's recovery from offseason wrist surgery has created some concern regarding shortstop depth. While Edman is the projected starting center fielder, he's also the club's insurance at shortstop behind rookie Masyn Winn. While there is great confidence that Winn can be the everyday guy there, it's fair to at least wonder if he'll struggle and need a trip back to Memphis, or wonder what the backup plan would be if an injury to Winn occurs.

Edman provided answers to those questions, but now that his own status is uncertain, the Cardinals are considering bringing in more insurance for the shortstop position. Before we get into 5 shortstops they could sign, let's look at the depth behind Winn and Edman at the moment.

What is the Cardinals' shortstop depth currently behind Masyn Winn and Tommy Edman?

Jose Fermin

Fermin will be 25 in March and made his Major League debut with St. Louis in March. In 21 games with the Cardinals in 2023, he slashed .235/.339/.255 with a 67 OPS+. While he did not make any appearances at shortstop for St. Louis, he has logged 1037.1 innings at shortstop in the minor leagues.

Thomas Saggese

The reigning Texas League Most Valuable Player, Saggese posted a .904 OPS in 2023 across Double-A and Triple-A. Saggese will make his name known first and foremost with his bat, but his versatility as an infielder is a big part of his game. The Cardinals plan to have him play shortstop in Spring Training to see if he can handle the position more than just in a pinch.

Arquímedes Gamboa

Gamboa has played 31 games at the Major League level since 2019 for the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants. He does have an .810 OPS in that small stretch, but it's a bit inflated from some home runs during those quick call-ups.

Gamboa has played 5230 innings at shortstop in the minors but I doubt they are comfortable with him as their next best option.

Brendan Donovan

Obviously, Brendan Donovan is an exceptional player, and his defensive versatility is among the best in the league. Donovan can cover innings at shortstop when needed, but it's likely in his and the club's best interest that he's not covering the position for long stretches.

Nick Ahmed

According to a report from Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is very interested in seeing the Cardinals bring in his former Arizona teammate, Nick Ahmed.

You may be familiar with Ahmed, a glove-first shortstop who won back-to-back Glove Gloves in 2018 and 2019. While he's an exceptional defender, he's never been known for his bat, with a career slash line of .234/.288/.376 to show for it.

The Cardinals do not need a bat-first shortstop to provide depth for them. Saggese or Donovan can fill those kind of roles. What Ahmed does for them is provide them with a less flashy and lower upside version of what Winn would have done for them this year.

If they sign Ahmed like Goldschmidt wants them to, he would bat ninth in the lineup any time he plays (like Winn), and provide them with top-end defense (like they hope Winn will), but he would lack the speed Winn provides or the potential to take major steps forward offensively.

That's okay though. Most club's third or fourth-best shortstop option is not going to be able to provide both top-end defense and exciting offense as well. If they did both, they'd be a starting shortstop for a club already.

Ahmed would provide the Cardinals with a stable floor while they navigate any prolonged stretches without Winn or Edman, and unless a disaster happened and both were missing significant time, he would not play all that often.

Elvis Andrus

The Cardinals have already brought back multiple members of their 2011 World Series winning club, why not bring in the exciting young shortstop from the team they beat in the October Classic, Elvis Andrus.

Formerly one of the top shortstops in all of baseball, Andrus is 35 now and is not nearly as exciting of a player as he was in the early 2010s, he has still provided near-league-average offense in recent years while holding down the fort at shortstop. Again, not anything flashy, no one on this list will be, but it could be just what they are looking for.

Andrus has played in two World Series and played in 15 seasons for teams in a variety of situations. For a club that has prioritized veteran leadership this offseason, Andrus certainly fit the bill, while also filling a clear need on the roster. He did spend time in the disaster that was the White Sox clubhouse last year, so he may have a unique ability to speak into situations that the Cardinals are trying to avoid happening again in 2024.

Even when Winn and Edman are healthy, there could be a role for Andrus as a late-game base runner or defensive substitute, so he would carry value for the club beyond just insurance at shortstop.

Brandon Crawford

Another shortstop with World Series pedigree and a ton of success in the early 2010s, Brandon Crawford is still without a job and could latch on with St. Louis if the opportunity is there for him.

I'd imagine if an injury were to happen to another club's starting shortstop, Crawford would be the number one option teams call on. That's why I'm not sure he would sign on with St. Louis in the near future, but if camp continues on and he still does not have an opportunity, he may be open to it.

2023 was the worst year of Crawford's carer, posting a .587 OPS while playing in just 93 games. But just two years ago, Crawford played in 138 games and posted a .895 OPS while being named an All-Star, winning a Gold Glove, and finishing fourth in National League Most Valuable Player voting. No, Crawford isn't that level of player anyone, but he sure does present a higher upside than the other shortstops on the market.

No one is going to question Crawford's defense. He's not at the top of his game anymore, but he is a four-time Glove Glove Award winner. Crawford also has the potential to slug from the left side of the plate, and if he does so, that makes him an incredibly valuable shortstop.

The Cardinals already have multiple left-handed bats on their bench, but that shouldn't stop them from pursuing Crawford if he's interested in coming to St. Louis. While Matt Carpenter was signed to be the 26th man on the roster and provide some left-handed support on the bench, Crawford would make more sense in that role, at least from what he can provide defensively.

Crawford feels like more of a long shot than others on the list, but he's certainly someone the Cardinals should pursue.

Adalberto Mondesi

While Adalberto Mondesi just missed out on being a part of a club that went to multiple World Series like Andrus and Crawford, Mondesi was an exciting talent for the Kansas City Royals in the years following their World Series contention and is only 28 years old.

Mondesi missed the entire 2023 season while recovering from an ACL tear in 2022, and has dealt with a variety of injuries over the course of his career. When Mondesi has been healthy though, he's been an exciting shortstop on both sides of the ball.

Mondesi's best season game in 2018, when he posted an .804 OPS and stole 32 bases. While his bat was closer to league average the following two years, he did swipe 43 bags in 2019 and led all of baseball with 24 steals in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Mondesi is a really intriguing option for the Cardinals as their shortstop depth, as they would strike lighting in a bottle with a guy who still is not 30 years old yet and has been among the best base stealers in baseball, while also holding his own at the plate and in the field.

Kike Hernández

Kike Hernandez has made a name for himself around the game of baseball for his versatility, logging 1000+ innings at shortstop, second base, and center field while also appearing in left field, right field, third base, and first base defensively.

The Cardinals love versatility, so having someone like Hernandez who will accept his role and play all over the field is a win, but he's also a more natural shortstop than someone like Donovan or Saggese.

A right-handed hitter, Hernandez would also give the Cardinals some more balance off the bench, and he did post a .731 OPS after being traded back to the Dodgers from the Red Sox last season. He's posted multiple big league seasons with an OPS+ above 100 over his 10 years at the highest level, and would certainly be an asset to the club.

It's unclear if the Cardinals will for sure add an outside shortstop to their mix, or even how quickly they'll make that decision. I imagine it'll be a mixture of factors, including the early results they are seeing from a Saggese at shortstop, the progression of Edman, and if some of these shortstops are being taken off the market.

Keep an eye on this storyline, as we may see another veteran position player added to the Cardinals bench in the coming weeks.

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