The Cardinals may consider adding depth at shortstop.
Masyn Winn, a rookie, will take over at shortstop for the Cardinals. The 21-year-old made his big league debut late in the previous season, but despite hitting.172/.230/.238 in his first 37 games, he is still expected to start. That will, most of the time, move Tommy Edman, the shortstop from last year’s Opening Day, to centre field.
Edman’s right wrist arthroscopy causes a delay in his arrival at camp. Manager Oli Marmol acknowledged yesterday that the Cards are looking at a number of options to back up Winn, even though he is confident he’ll be ready by Opening Day (link via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
This entails assessing alternatives from outside the company. According to Goold, St. Louis has thought about bringing in a depth shortstop. The players that they might specifically target are unknown, but Nick Ahmed, Elvis Andrus, and Brandon Crawford are all still free agents.
All three would only be eligible for low-base MLB offers or minor league opportunities. After ten years in Arizona, Ahmed, who turns 34 next month, was released by the Diamondbacks in September of last year. As he has entered his mid-30s, the two-time Gold Glove winner has maintained strong defensive ratings—though they are no longer exceptional. In 210 plate appearances last season, he hit.212/.257/.303, a decline from his already mediocre offensive numbers.
The 35-year-old Andrus saw action in 112 White Sox games the previous season. At shortstop, that consisted of 404 innings and 43 starts. In 406 plate appearances, he hit.251/.304/.358. Throughout his career, Andrus has generally had strong defensive performance statistics. Though his numbers have naturally declined as he’s gotten older, in almost 500 second base innings last season, Statcast’s Outs Above Average and Defensive Runs Saved both rated him as an average defender. He was rated slightly below average at shortstop by DRS, but slightly above average by Statcast.
The defensive metrics on Crawford’s work from the previous year showed an even more pronounced difference. Over 725 2/3 innings, Statcast rated him as four runs above average. However, DRS hit him with a brutal -14 runs, which would rank him among the worst defensive shortstops in the league. Crawford’s bat has become less effective since his comeback in 2021. Over the course of 320 plate appearances last year, he hit.194/.273/.314. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported last night that although the veteran Giant has drawn some interest, he may decide to retire if he doesn’t find the right fit.
After those three, the Cards may consider utility options. Although Enrique Hernández is miscast as a regular shortstop, he can fill in at second base and any other outfield position when needed. It is said that he is getting close to deciding where to go next. Harold Castro is an unsigned infielder who can play multiple positions and has some experience at shortstop. If they don’t make the roster with their current team, players like José Iglesias (Mets) and Kevin Newman (Diamondbacks) who are on minor league contracts with other teams may become available later in the spring.
Winn’s playing time is unlikely to be significantly reduced by any acquisition the Cards make. Goold claims that because the St. Louis Cardinals are not seeking for an everyday player, they had no interest in Tim Anderson prior to his $5MM contract with the Marlins. If the Cards stick with their in-house group, Dylan Carlson would play centre field in between Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker on days when Winn needs a break, and Edman would stay the backup at shortstop. Both José Fermín and Brendan Donovan are bat-first players who would be more comfortable at second base.
