When I'm not falling asleep to whatever is on HBO or Field of Dreams these days, I often turn on the Food Network and watch Chopped. It's a fun, one-hour show where a group of cooks compete against each other with ingredients from mystery baskets to cook dishes. It's light, fun, and informative viewing. Hey, if you ever need to know how to make something with passion fruit and duck breast, you may have some knowledge.
It makes me wonder who is on the St. Louis Cardinals' chopping block these days. Which players are expendable? Now, there could be an argument of who isn't expendable, but that would take 3,000 words, a pot of coffee, and people would quit halfway through. Let's stick to who could really be traded because I doubt Carlos Martinez is going anywhere.
Today, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch uncorked the bottle on trade candidates, so let's break down the names he listed.
We talked about Jose Martinez over the weekend, so let's cover the others.
Jedd Gyorko
Contract Situation: $9 million this year with $2.5 million paid by San Diego. Owed $13 million next year with San Diego paying $5 million of that. A $13 million team option in 2020.
Why trade him? Gyorko currently has no position. He plays third and second with an occasional cameo appearance at shortstop. After a couple robust seasons stuffed with 50 home runs and .800+ OPS, Gyorko has taken a step back this season, and it's got little to do with batting average or on-base percentage. It's the slugging that has dropped to .411.
Gyorko's positives are power and versatility in the field. However, with a logjam in the infield and an age advancing to 30 in September, the Cardinals could trade a flexible and moderately cheap contract at the deadline.
Why you shouldn't trade him? Possibly that power and versatility. Gyorko has caught fire as of late, even without a regular spot in the batting order.
What's the return and is it worth it? A prospect or bullpen help. Gyorko has averaged right around 3.0 WAR the past couple seasons, but he simply won't command a big talent in return. You'd be unloading a guy who has never been a full-time starter for you and is advancing in age. Unless Kolten Wong's defense stops being amazing or Jose Martinez heads out, Gyorko is expendable.
Bud Norris
Contract Situation: One year deal, $3 million.
Why trade him? He's in peak form when it comes to value and Jordan Hicks could easily slip into the closer spot. Sure, Hicks is having a rough couple of weeks, but he's got the capability to grab hold of the ninth inning, and there's Luke Gregerson to slide into a bridge or setup spot (not that it doesn't give me stomach pains to think about). Greg Holland could suddenly turn it on. Norris has been a great addition this season, but moving forward may not be a candidate for a long-term deal. He's getting older and the Cardinals are getting younger on the pitching side.
Why you shouldn't trade him? Well, the Hicks struggles and Gregerson soft touch may leave the bullpen more wounded than ever. There's not a lot of sure things down there right now. Lyons and Gregerson have been up and down, and Mike Mayers seems to run into trouble after a couple good outings. Norris has been money for the most part, so it could bust open a hole if the Cardinals want to salvage the season.
What's the return and is it worth it? For a team dying for a closer, possibly a decent prospect, but due to Norris' pending free agency, it wouldn't be huge. You are unloading him to get some value or open a spot for someone else, but Norris' value to the Cardinals in 2018 may not be worth the promise of a middle-range prospect that could pop up in 2020.
Greg Holland
Contract Situation: One year deal, $14 million
Why trade him? Well, if you own a dog and walk into your backyard, there's a good chance you scoop some Holland into your dog waste basket tomorrow. He's been crap for the better part of the season. If you take away June, when an alien Holland showed up and pitched lights out, Holland has been a WHIP for the rest of the league. He's been a big disappointment, location of his slider pending.
Why you shouldn't trade him? If you move Norris, keeping Holland may be required. You can hope he locates whatever he did in June.
What's the return and is it worth it? The return would be minimal. You may be able to get a collection of Holland's baseball cards from previous years as a return. You'd be giving away his contract. He isn't better than a guy who goes by the name of Sam.
Sam Tuivailala
Contract Situation: One year minimum contract, $560,000
Why trade him? He's never going to be what you want him to be. Tuivailala has struggled for years to be consistent. He has one good pitch and walks too many guys. Batters are hitting .289 against him this year and he has a 1.54 WHIP. He had a good run in May, but the past six weeks have been rough.
Why you shouldn't trade him? Youth and potential. He's still only 25 years old. If a spot opens up and he became a staple instead of a next-man-up candidate, "Tui" may become something. Maybe.
What's the return and is it worth it? The return would be minimal. The best thing you could sell on Tuivailala is the control the team would have. He's arbitration eligible in 2020 and a free agent in 2023. He could be a setup man or closer. "Could be" doesn't bring home the bacon though. Tuivailala is the opposite of a sure thing.
Brett Cecil
Contract Situation: After 2018, two years left on a four year deal, $15 million total
Why trade him? Putting it brief, Cecil has been the opposite of what he was in Toronto. A disappointment. If people thought last year was bad, think again. Cecil was actually worth 0.5 WAR last year and had a respectable strikeouts/per nine innings average. He turned it around after a rough start (sort of). This year, he's actually been worse. He isn't a trustworthy bullpen asset, and wouldn't be given a hold or save chance unless Mike Shildt's biggest joy as a child was playing with a live grenade. Cecil has a 1.6 WHIP and a 4.62 FIP. Translation: he's bad. Keep a look out for Cecil dumpings in your backyard too.
Why you shouldn't trade him? Depth. Hope. Miracle watching. Possibly Cecil gets better if he had a real role instead of being a floater. At this point, it's not likely unless Tyler Lyons goes down again.
What's the return and is it worth it? It's worth it, but the return wouldn't be much unless the Cardinals ate salary-and I don't just mean a small bite either. Cecil is bad news, even with his AL success. Whatever John Mozeliak thought he was getting hasn't occurred.
I'll add one more to the list.
Tommy Pham
Contract Situation: One year, $570,000, arbitration eligible in 2019 and a free agent in 2023.
Why trade him? He's easier to move than Dexter Fowler. If you traded Pham, who has crashed back to Earth after an out of nowhere great 2017 season, Fowler moves back into right field and Harrison Bader takes over in center field full time. Marcell Ozuna, who is under control for 2019, stays in left field. Pham shot out of the 2018 season like a rocket, hitting .341 with a .453 on-base percentage in April. He was unstoppable, but lately, he's hit a wall. Pham is 12-75 in his last 28 games with a .494 OPS. A 6.2 WAR last year has turned into a 0.2 WAR in 2018. He's can turn it around, but the Cardinals could sell his control and five tool ability. There's also the eye condition that isn't going away.
Why you shouldn't trade him? He could turn back the clock to April and go off for the next three months. You would have to pay him some money if that happens, but he could help the team surge into contention. When right, Pham is a solid centerfielder with pop at the plate and speed on the bases. He only costs you less than a million dollars too, so that's nice.
What's the return and is it worth it? The return could be something decent due to the potential explosiveness of Pham and the control a team still has with him. You could get him for a one year deal next year, whether you go to arbitration hearing or not. Pham could give a playoff contending team a weapon in the field and a voice in the clubhouse, and he's cheap. Is it worth it? Probably not.
The reality. Alone, the above players don't have much value. Packaged with a younger player, they could bring you something in. Martinez and Pham have control, but they won't bring you a big time boost. It would be unclogging a drain and shedding a roster spot to clear for someone long term. Norris has value, but not enough to make up for his absence. Holland and Cecil are damaged goods.
The Cardinals could sell a few parts, but they won't get a lot in return. It may be best to ride it out and see what Shildt can do with the last 68 games. The change in manager could cause the team to buy a few parts instead of merely shed payroll and roster spots. Right now, it's up in the air.
If they become sellers, they may have to trade a player you'd hate to lose if the return is to be enticing.