Earlier today it was reported the St. Louis Cardinals acquired first baseman and outfielder Brandon Moss from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for minor league left handed pitcher Rob Kaminsky. The move helps shore up one position of need. But with the unfortunate injury to Matt Holliday another bat may still be required.
Rob Kaminsky is a ranked 4th on FanGraphs’ preseason rankings. He reportedly throws a fastball in the range of 89-92 mph that grades out as average or slightly above. His best pitch is a curveball that’s above average to plus. He has a fringe to solid average change-up and potential for average command.
Kaminsky’s ceiling is as a 3/4 starter in a major league rotation. However, his likely major league ETA isn’t until 2017. The left-hander is having a very nice season in A+ but being so far away from the majors made him expendable for the division leading Cardinals.
Brandon Moss has experienced a largely disappointing season thus far. The left-handed hitter has produced a .217/.288/.407 slash line and a 94 wRC+ which is 6% below league average. He has hit 15 home runs, so the power is still there. Despite being a LHH he has severe reverse splits this year having hit .265/.331/.453 vs LHP and .191/.265/.382 vs RHP.
Moss has spent the majority of his defensive innings in right field (674.1) but has also played some first base (86.0). In his career he’s started 203 games at first place, 108 in left field, and 77 in right field. He’s not a bad defender receiving generally average ratings in UZR and DRS at each spot.
The Cardinals have received the 9th worst production at first base according to FanGraphs with a combined 0.2 fWAR coming from the position. Earlier in the season Matt Adams was their primary first baseman but he’s expected to miss most or all of the rest of the year with a torn quad. In his stead Mark Reynolds has seen the majority of playing time with recent call-up Stephen Piscotty becoming a sort of emergency option of late.
However with Matt Holliday re-injuring his quadriceps, an injury similar to the one that sidelined him for 31 games earlier this season, the outfield may be a more pressing matter. Although Stephen Piscotty could substitute for Holliday while he’s out as the outfield is a more natural position for the rookie.
Without knowing how long Holliday will be out of action the Cardinals may be motivated to make yet another move for a bat. Piscotty is their top prospect but it’s hard to rely so heavily on a player getting his first major league experience when you’re in the stretch run.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JUNE 5: Adam Lind #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers hits an RBI double against the Minnesota Twins during the eighth inning of the game on June 5, 2015 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Brewers defeated the Twins 10-5. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
The Cardinals have recently been rumored as having interest in the Brewers first baseman Adam Lind. He too is a left handed hitter but unlike Moss he is having a tremendous season at the plate. He’s hitting .283/.362/.494 and his 133 wRC+ puts him in the Top 10 among qualified first basemen this year. It would also place him second on the Cardinals or third after Matt Holliday. Contrary to pre-season reports his defense has been adequate (3 DRS, 1.4 UZR).
Lind has had back issues which is something he’s likely to deal with his entire career. The back did flare up recently but he was back in the field yesterday. And his 367 plate appearances this year is more than any Cardinals first baseman.
The Brewers and Cardinals have discussed Adam Lind but it’s a much easier proposition for the Brewers to trade within their division. It’s unlikely they’ll be competing next year which is the extent of Lind’s contract. The Cardinals however would almost certainly be giving up a minor league player or two that could help the Brewers for 6 years or more.
Brandon Moss has one more season of team control. He makes a pro-rated portion of $6.5 M this season and next year will be his fourth arbitration season. As such he’ll be do a sizable raise despite his weak offensive performance. Adam Lind makes a pro-rated portion of $7.5 M this season and has a team option for $8 M next year with a $0.5 M buyout.
Statistics courtesy of FanGraphs
Contract details courtesy of Cot’s Contracts
