Photography by Keith Allison, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Last week, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Bernie Miklasz suggested that St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak investigate a possible trade with the Colorado Rockies to bring All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to town.
He obviously changed his mind since November 2013, when he wrote that Tulowitzki was “not the answer for the Cardinals.”
Mozeliak laid a load of cash on free-agent shortstop Jhonny Peralta instead of pursuing Tulowitzki. Peralta has popped 14 home runs with 44 RBIs, but the Redbirds’ offense has been anything but ferocious this season.
The team ranks near the bottom in runs scored and home runs in the National League. The unanimous favorites to win the NL Central were tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for first in the NL Central after Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Pittsburgh Pirates were one-and-a-half games out, and the Cincinnati Reds were two-and-a-half back.
The tables have turned, and Miklasz—like Mozeliak—is dealing with a different situation than was expected last winter. The team could use Tulowitzki’s .340 batting average, 21 home runs, and 52 RBI. He’s not the best defensive shortstop in baseball, but he’s far from the worst.
My problem with Tulo is the fact that he has been prone to injury. He left Saturday’s game against the Pirates with a thigh injury and missed Sunday’s game. He called it nothing serious on Saturday, but is now listed as doubtful for the next few days. Not counting the 25 games of his rookie season, Tulowitzki has averaged just 117 games played over the remaining eight seasons, including 95 this year. His low-water marks were 47 in 2012, and 101 in 2008.
With pitcher Michael Wacha sidelined indefinitely with a shoulder ailment and Shelby Miller cast off to the bullpen to “rest,” the once mighty Cards’ rotation now consists of Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly, and Carlos Martinez. A four-man rotation remains unusual in today’s MLB.
Instead of adding offense, the Cardinals should examine the cost of adding one of the game’s best young pitchers: Tampa Bay lefthander David Price.
Price, who's 28 years old, will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2015 season. While the Rays are currently playing well, the team is far behind the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles, and paying Price a king’s ransom doesn’t fit that team’s strict budget.
Price won his fifth consecutive game on Saturday with a win over the Minnesota Twins in which he pitched eight scoreless innings. The win moved him to 10–7, with a 3.06 ERA. He has recorded an American League-leading 173 strikeouts and is the innings-pitched leader with 155.2. And while he has logged many innings in his career, he has only been placed on the DL once, last May.
I’m not the only one speculating that the Cardinals could make this move. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote Sunday that the Cardinals "would want a financial commitment" from Price before they agreed to trade for him. He said the commitment would entail agreeing on a long-term extension. Price will make $14 million this season and will get a sizeable bump in pay through arbitration during the winter.
The Seattle Mariners are also interested in acquiring Price, according to reports, and Cafardo says “don’t rule out the San Francisco Giants.”
Fate also could play a role. Tampa visits St. Louis on Tuesday and Wednesday for a two-game interleague series. This would be a perfect time to talk particulars with Price’s agent—if not Price himself.
The Cards should take Tulowitzki out of the trade mix and make the move to sign and trade for Price, making him a Cardinal for seasons to come.
