As the St. Louis Cardinals engage in game #81 of the season tonight, I felt it was a good time to address some hot topics that have endured in Cardinal Nation.
Things haven't quite gone as planned, but tell me which season ever did. Baseball is a marathon and not a sprint, and it doesn't pity any fool when it comes to the longevity of a season. The best survive and the worst fall behind. What's happening with the Cardinals? Let's tackle a few things.
What is wrong with Tommy Pham?
The outspoken outfielder was lighting MVP flares a month ago, but June has been a different story. Pham's OPS is .546 and he is 0-24 recently, drawing only a few walks the past week. He is missing pitches, hitting others sharp, but seeing nothing drop for a hit. Off the field, Pham has simple meaning for his troubles, saying the bat is not doing what I want it to do. Yes, the words of millions of minor league hitters agree. Eye sight has to be an issue, because Pham's work in center field has been rough so far this year. The thorn in everyone's side with Pham is the eyesight, basically a man dealing with a legit eye condition. If I had to pick, the eye issue is affecting his overall game. This is not the type of follow-up fans had in mind. Pham's BABIP, essentially how lucky his hits are, is .297, which isn't bad.
Do the Cardinals need Mike Moustakas?
Not really. Moustakas is having a fine year at the plate, bashing 15 home runs and 17 doubles. The batting average and on base percentage aren't impressive, but Moose's power is legit. Here's the issue: acquiring Moustakas means a shift in the infield occurs, and bad defense is a result of that movement. With a Cardinals team struggling to score runs and already playing bad defense, this would only enhance the problem. Career wise, Moustakas isn't much better than Jedd Gyorko and is nowhere as good as Matt Carpenter. Do you want to move Carpenter to second base where he will cost the Cardinals runs, or run with Kolten Wong's glove until a better trade is available? Be smart and choose option #2. The Cardinals passed on Moustakas in the offseason. Every team did. That shouldn't change now.
Should the Cardinals trade Jose Martinez?
This is a polarizing topic in St. Louis, and it has as much to do with Martinez's good guy nature as it does his bat. On one hand, you have a guy leading the team in most offensive categories-and in the other you have a very bad defender. Martinez's footwork at first base rivals David Ortiz, and that's a bad thing. He costs the Cardinals runs, and that is reflected in his relatively low WAR. He can hit a baseball to any part of the field, but he can't get it into his glove as easily. If there was a chance to upgrade the roster, I would trade Martinez. He'll never be more valuable than he is now. Stock the future, because Martinez doesn't have a position and he's 30 years old.
Can you buy into Greg Holland's turnaround?
Yes. As Joe Schwarz of The Athletic pointed out this past week, Holland's slider is working very well for him and getting hitters to commit, which only helps his secondary pitches. In four May outings before hitting the disabled list, Holland allowed eight earned runs on ten hits, walking seven and striking out just three batters in TWO innings. In the five June outings since his return, he's struck out seven batters in 4.2 innings without giving up a run and allowing only two hits. He's back and will help a streaky, overworked bullpen.
Can the Cardinals afford to continue starting Kolten Wong?
He's hitting .191, and the 1.3 WAR comes from his defensive run-saving abilities, but the question is a fair one. Can the Cardinals run long with Wong, who isn't having a good year at the plate? I wonder where the guy who hit .285 with a .376 OBP and 34 extra base hits last year went? He was never this bad at the plate. I remember begging for the guy to maintain a .250 batting average and now he can't get it over .200 by July 1. That is a problem. It's the same problem with Jose Martinez, only flipped. Since the Cardinals strength is starting pitching, the Birds need to stick with Wong for now and put that glove to work. However, the trade deadline should include a possible replacement for Wong/Gyorko, someone who can field and add more at the plate. Forget the moose, and look at second.
That's all for now. The Cardinals are 42-38 and sitting in third place in the National League Central Division, a sign of a team barely keeping their head above the mediocrity mark. The next month should be a telling period of baseball. Can Dexter Fowler and Gyorko awaken their bats? Can Wong hit a little more? Will Martinez use the right foot at first base? Can the pitching hold up? Will Mike Matheny create more bad ideas?
Games to be played and answers to be found. Thanks for reading and stay cool out there.