The St. Louis Cardinals took a big hit to their lineup this week, losing first baseman Matt Adams to a torn quad muscle for most (likely all) of the season. The Cards don’t really have an in-house replacement for him (unless you count Mark Reyonlds, and… you probably shouldn’t count Mark Reynolds), which leaves them with a fairly large hole to fill.
The Cardinals currently sit in first place in the NL Central, but the hard-charging Cubs are close behind and the Pirates are still getting their footing. To stay in prime position to make their fifth straight postseason appearance, St. Louis will have to look outside of their organization to replace Adams and his bat.
It’s never too early for a trade target list! Here are a few players who might be available and would help the Cardinals fill their void at first base:
Casey McGehee: McGehee was flat-out awful for the Giants this year, to the point where they sent him down to Triple A in hopes that regular at bats would help get his swing going again. But even if he does start hitting in Sacramento, there’s really no spot for him on the Giants’ roster. He’s also a year removed from a .287/.355/.357 year, so he probably has something left in the tank. Away from the pressures of playing for his hometown team, in a good baseball environment and in the middle of a talented lineup, McGehee may still have some worth. His trade cost would likely be cheap, he’s only signed through this season, and if he finds his stroke he’d be a nice under-the-radar addition.
Travis Ishikawa: There’s a line in that Alanis Morissette song Ironic that says, “It’s a black fly, in your Chardonnay / It’s the guy who beat you in the NLCS, joining your team the next year.” Or something like that, I’m not entirely sure. But while it would be strange seeing the guy who hit the pennant-clinching home run that ended the Cardinals in 2014 wearing their uniform, targeting Ishikawa might be a smart move. He’s an above average glove at first base who can still contribute with the bat, and he comes at a reasonable cost ($1.1 million this year). He could be a nice platoon partner with Reynolds and has the added ability of being able to play the outfield. Plus, it probably wouldn’t take a lot to get him.
2SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JULY 01: Allen Craig #21 of the St. Louis Cardinals walks back to the dugout after striking out with the bases loaded in the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on July 1, 2014 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Allen Craig: Now this would be funny. Craig, whose career has been in a free fall ever since the Cardinals dealt him to Boston last year, has seemingly found his stroke in Triple A (.315/.393/.389) and might benefit from a return to his original team. The Sox are probably still desperate to rid themselves of him and likely wouldn’t ask for much in return. What would make the move even better, though, is if the Cardinals insist on the Red Sox paying a portion of what’s left of Craig’s contract – the contract the Cardinals gave him to begin with.
Adam Lind: The Brewers are awful this year and may go into sell mode soon; if they do, the Cards would be wise to check in on Lind. He’s been one of the only bright spots on offense for Milwaukee and would provide a boost to the Cardinals lineup, plus he comes with a relatively modest $7 million salary this year and an $8 million option next year. Lind isn’t very good defensively, however, and is probably best suited to be a DH somewhere. But if the Cardinals are looking to replace Adams’ bat, Lind would be a pretty decent facsimile.
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 19: Justin Morneau #33 of the Colorado Rockies at bat during a 7-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 19, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Justin Morneau: Once he’s cleared of his concussion symptoms, the perpetually-rebuilding Rockies would be wise to make Morneau available in a trade. He’d be a nice fit in St. Louis, a veteran hitter who’d seamlessly slide into their lineup and pick up the offensive slack left by Adams’ absence. Morneau is 34 and doesn’t fit into Colorado’s long term plans, and he comes with around the same salary as Lind. He’s the kind of steady veteran hitter that always seems to thrive once they put on a Cardinals uniform, for whatever reason. He’d make a lot of sense as a trade target.
Ryan Howard: Could it work? Could the St. Louis native come home and help push the Cardinals back into the postseason? The Phillies are probably realistic in what they can expect to get in return for their first baseman, and they’d have to pick up the majority of his massive salary to move him. But Howard’s mini renaissance at the plate may make him an intriguing option for a team that has a hole at first like the Cardinals have. And how crazy would it be for a team to actually trade for Ryan Howard? What a great story this would be. It’s what we all want, deep down.
