What happened to the 5 free agent shortstops of 2021?

It was a debate during the entire 2021 season among the media and fans of the St. Louis Cardinals. Should the Cardinals try to improve their shortstop position by signing one the five premier free-agent shortstops that would become available after the 2021 season?

In 2017, the Cardinals thought they had found their shortstop of the future in Paul DeJong. The 2015 4th Round pick by the Cardinals had an impressive rookie season where he hit a slash line of .285/.325/.532 with a 121 OPS+ and slugging 25 HR with 65 RBI in only 108 games. To top off that fine season, DeJong finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.

The Cardinals rewarded DeJong in the offseason with a 6-year contract extension which was worth a guaranteed total of $26 million. It also included two option years for a maximum value of $51.5 million. It is the largest agreement with a player who had not yet completed at least one full year of service at the major league level.

But from 2018 to 2022, DeJong's offensive production gradually declined. By 2021, DeJong put up a slash line of .197/.284/.390 with an OPS+ of only 85. Thus, raising the call for the Cardinal front office to take advantage of the free-agent shortstops that would become available after the season's end.

We all know now, the Cardinals elected to pass on this opportunity. DeJong's 2022 season was a disaster, and the Cardinals ended up using Tommy Edman and Edmundo Sosa as their primary shortstops.

Was it the right move for the St. Louis Cardinals? Where did these five FA shortstops end up and how have they done? How have the Cardinals done at the shortstop position since?

Let's take a look at these five first rate shortstops.

1. Trevor Story

At the time, Trevor Story seemed to be a good fit for the Cardinals. He was Nolan Arenado's teammate at Colorado, and a move to St. Louis to play again with Arenado had a natural look.

Story had a six-year slash line as a Rocky of .272/.340/.523 with a 112 OPS+. He also earned two Silver Slugger awards, and made two All-Star Appearances. He also accumulated a 26.9 WAR while in Colorado, with his best two years being in 2018 and 2019, when he won his Silver Slugger Awards and made both of his All-Star Appearances.

Defensively, Story is a capable if not Gold Glove shortstop. His OAA(outs above average) for the years he was in Colorado was 18, which put him at 13th among all Shortstops in baseball.

In March of 2022, Story signed a six-year, $140 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, and was moved to 2nd base. The Texas native had an injury-plagued year in Boston and only played in 94 games. He hit a slash line of .238/.303/.434 with a 100 OPS+, along with 16HR and 66RBI.

During the off-season, Trevor Story underwent surgery on his right ulnar collateral ligament and started the 2023 season on the 60-day IL.

2. Fransico Lindor

Of the Free Agent shortstops in the Class of 2021, Lindor was the best in the bunch. During his six years in Cleveland, he won two Silver Slugger Awards, two Gold Gloves, and made four All-Star Appearances.

During his six-year run with the Guardians, he hit a slash line of .285/.346/.488 with an OPS+ of 118. Additionally, he had a WAR of 28.1 while in Cleveland, and was top among shortstops from 2016 to 2021 with a OAA of 105.

Lindor was one of the most durable players in baseball, playing in respectively, 158, 159, 158, 143, and played in all 60 games in the Covid shorten 2020 season. In three of those years he led baseball in plate appearances.

However, before Lindor could hit free agency, the Guardians traded the switch hitter to the New York Mets in January of 2021. The Mets then signed Puerto Rican native to a 10-year, $341 million extension. Redbird Rants contributor Matt Graves called it right in 2020.

Since being in New York, Lindor has hit a three year slash line of .247/.328/.440 with a 114 OPS+, and a WAR of 12. He is still one of most durable players in the game, and has a three-year OAA of 37, which is best among all shortstops.

4. Corey Seager

When Corey Seager entered free agency after the 2021 season, he could be fairly described as a good bat for any lineup, but his defense would be considered marginal.

During his 7 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seager hit a slash line of .297/.367/.504 with an OPS+ of 131, and a WAR of 21.2. He was also the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year, earned two Silver Slugger Awards, made two All-Star Appearances, and led the NL in doubles in 2019(44).

From 2016 to 2012, the North Carolina native had an OAA of -17, which was 34th among all shortstops in baseball.

In December 2021, Seager took his left-handed bat to Texas when he signed a 10-year $325 million contract with the Rangers. It was the largest contract ever rewarded in Ranger history, even surpassing Alex Rodriguez's $252 million deal in 2000.

Since arriving in Texas, Seager has made his bat felt by slugging 33 HR and 83 RBI in 2022, and so far, a potential career year in 2023. The 29-year-old is hitting a slash line of .350/.413/.632 and an OPS+ of 182. He currently leads the AL in BA, SLG, and WAR (4.5). His current OAA is a respectable 0, which is 25th in baseball.

5. Javier Baez

Javier Baez is one those players who offer a little of everything. He can hit, he is a good fielder, he's fun to watch, and he strikes out a lot. He's also a versatile player, probably the most versatile of the five. He was the Cubs version of Tommy Edman. He has played more at short in his career, but also has put in substantial time at 2nd.

When Baez looks back on his career, his prime was likely spent with Cubs. During his eight years in Chicago, Baez hit a slash line of .262/.303/.474 with a OPS+ of 102, and a WAR of 21.6. He also finished second for the NL MVP in 2018 and won a Silver Slugger Award. He won a Gold Glove in 2020 and made two All-Star Appearances.

Defensively, Statcast has his OAA from 2016 to 2021 at 50, which is sixth among shortstops.

On July 30, 2021, Baez was traded to the New York Mets. The former first round draft pick played short until Fransico Lindor returned from the IL, then moved to second base.

Javier Baez took his right-handed bat to Detroit when he signed a six-year, $140 million contract in December 2021. His slash line since going to the Tigers is .234/.272/.372 with an OPS+ of 82 and a WAR of 3.3.

The 30-year-old is still a solid defensive shortstop, with a OAA of 10 since joining the Tigers.

How have the Cardinal shortstops compared since 2021?

With Paul Dejong's struggles at the plate in 2022 it became more of a shortstop by committee with Tommy Edman logging 80 games at the position, Paul Dejong logging 75 games, and Edmundo Sosa logging in 34 games at short.

Defensively, the Cardinals weren't hurt at all with Tommy Edman or Paul Dejong. Edman had an OAA of 11, which was fourth among shortstops in baseball. Paul Dejong had an OAA of 5, which put him at 14th in baseball. Edmundo Sosa had an OAA of 4 while playing short.

However, the only effective offensive shortstop the Cardinals had in 2022, was Edman. His slash line was .265/.324/.400 with an OPS+ of 106, and a WAR of 6.3.

In 2023, Paul DeJong has returned to being the primary shortstop. He has at his point played 75 games at the position, and is maintaining an OAA of 6, which is 7th among shortstops in baseball. He currently shows a slash line of .238/.303/.433 with an OPS+ of 98, and a WAR of 1.1.

So, would the Cardinals had been better off signing one of the 5 Free Agents?

Possibly. Possibly not.

Certainly, the Cardinals should be glad they didn't sign Trevor Story. He has hardly played since 2021. Carlos Correa's ankle and his $315 million contract sounds like a disaster ready to happen at any time. Javier Baez looks like he is past his prime.

Certainly, the Cardinals would have been better team with Fransico Lindor or Corey Seager. Both could've made this year's version of the Cardinal team better. However, with the pitching issues, how much better? You can't always hit your way out of bad pitching.

If the Cardinals had been willing to spend the money to sign anyone of these five for a top of the rotation pitcher, how much better off would've the Cardinals been today?

There are other opinions on this subject. Check out my fellow Redbird Rants contributor, Thomas Gauvain's earlier piece.

I'm writing today in hindsight, and it's 20-20. Nevertheless, the Cardinals elected not to make a move in 2022, much like they elected not to make a move in 2023 for rotation help.

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