As it stands, the Cardinals are still in the mix to acquire outfielder Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins. Stanton’s price tag is higher than any other that they have acquired, and it’s not even clear if they would be able to trade for him if they wanted to.
But even if they don’t acquire Stanton, the Cardinals will have five outfielders on their roster heading into 2018: Tommy Pham, Dexter Fowler, Stephen Piscotty, Randal Grichuk, and Jose Martinez. Each one of them has their pros and cons both at the plate and in the field, which brings up the crucial question: who is the weakest link in the Cardinals’ outfield?
First, there’s Fowler. Arriving just last year from the then-defending champion Chicago Cubs, Fowler started off slow for the Cardinals, hitting only .234 in April and .221 in May. However, after the All-Star break, he began to heat up, hitting .328 in August and .306 in September/October. Ultimately he finished the season with 18 home runs, 64 RBIs, a .264 batting average and 111 hits. In the field, he committed only one error, and had a .996 fielding percentage.
Then, there’s Pham, who has a strong case for being the Cardinals’ MVP of 2017. He had, without a doubt, the best season of his career despite spending the first few weeks of the season in Memphis. Pham hit .306 with 23 home runs and 73 RBIs. He also led the team with 25 stolen bases and became the first Cardinal with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season since Reggie Sanders in 2004. Pham has a career .997 fielding percentage, and when playing center-field. While playing right-field in 2017, he had a fielding percentage of 1.000 (in left-field it was .993).
Next, you have Piscotty. One year after hitting .273 with 22 home runs, the 26-year-old outfielder struggled with a .235 batting average and a mere nine home runs along with 39 RBIs in his first season after a six-year deal that included $33 million in guaranteed money. Injuries also took their toll on Piscotty in 2017, only playing 107 games in 2017 (as opposed to 153 in 2016). Playing solely in right field, he had a fielding percentage of .988, though he only had two errors on the season.
Of course, 2017 featured Jose Martinez in his first full season in the majors. Playing in just one fewer game than Piscotty, Martinez had quite the rookie season, hitting .309 with 14 home runs and 46 RBI’s. While he also played first base and filled in as a designated hitter, Martinez played in the outfield as well, mainly in left field. Overall, he had a .982 fielding percentage in the outfield, as opposed to having a .992 percentage when playing first base, which raises questions about his status heading in 2018.
Finally, there’s Grichuk. This is definitely an interesting case, as Grichuk was under heavy criticism throughout the 2017 season. Part of that has to do with the team-leading 133 strikeouts to go along with his mediocre .238 batting average. However, in 122 games, Grichuk did hit 22 home runs, 59 RBI’s, and had 195 total bases (second-highest in his career).
As for his fielding, when the failed Matt Adams experiment was shelved, Grichuk was thrust into the role of left-fielder. While he played all three outfield positions, left-field was his primary spot. In 58 games in left-field, Grichuk had a .975 fielding percentage and two errors.
As stated before, it’s no guarantee that the Cardinals will even be able to acquire Stanton from the Marlins, and even if they do, one of the five outfielders they already have could be trade bait in a deal. But which outfielder is truly the odd-man out is still up for debate. Many will jump at the chance to say Grichuk, but Piscotty struggled far worse and was plagued by injuries. Fowler started off slow but bounced back well. Pham barely hit a rough patch all year and Martinez is just entering his second season.
Statistics speak volumes, but there’s more to baseball than just numbers.