One of them can run and one of them can hit. One of them runs down baseballs like no other and the other hits them farther than anyone else. Together, they are a force to reckon with-or at least they could be. For some reason, Harrison Bader and Tyler O'Neill can't get into the lineup on the same day.
Why is that? The message was spread like wildfire on July 31. President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak was signaling a change in organizational structure. Namely, the kids were going to play and 2018 would be an outline for how the next few seasons were designed. Right?
Tommy Pham was traded on Tuesday to clear space for O’Neill, the hulking outfielder who came over in the Marco Gonzales trade. This week marked O’Neill’s third stop with the Cardinals, but would it be another cup of coffee or a rental lease on a timeshare in the outfield.
Up until this promotion, Cardinals fans knew O’Neill as the guy who smashed baseballs. Whether it was a long fly to left or a skyrocket to right field, the ball travelled far and wide off the 23-year-old’s bat. That is, if it traveled at all. Along with nine hits in May, O’Neill struck out 15 times in 31 at-bats.
After going back to Memphis for a month and smashing Pacific Coast League pitching, O’Neill has returned with a different perspective: find a way to get on base. In his two games back, O’Neill has collected three singles, all of which have been on the ground. He’s beat out an infield single and stolen a base. He will still strike out but aim for part of the ball instead of the whole thing if it buys him a bag.
Bader was playing every day before the Dexter Fowler revival experiment began two weeks ago. When Mike Matheny was fired, interim manager Mike Shildt wanted to give the expensive yet slumping right fielder a shot to play every day. Some would call it an example of good faith or potential to create some value. I’d call it a risky play for recovery that could leave the Cardinals liable in the outfield and lineup.
Fowler has responded by collecting six hits in his last eight games, including six strikeouts. He’s hit a couple home runs and even managed a double at Wrigley, but overall, still the same mixed bag of struggle. The swing is still long, the footwork is off, and the ability for an average pitcher to throw an average fastball past Fowler is quite evident. He’s not making a comeback, so it’s time to stop the experiment.
Bader wasn’t helping his case with a serious case of the strikeouts up until Wednesday night, when he broke out with three hits, including two runs scored and a stolen base. That’s right, Bader and O’Neill combined for six hits over the past two games, a total that mirrors Fowler’s total over his past 30 at-bats. Something isn’t working.
Here’s the thing: Bader gives you more all-around than Fowler. The man can fly in the outfield, almost literally. He takes away base hits and limits runners to singles instead of doubles. On Wednesday, when a ball got past Marcell Ozuna in left field and caromed off the wall, Bader picked up the loose ball and fired it back in. He saves you runs with his legs and provides them at the plate and on the bases. Does Fowler do that? Unless you’re not thinking straight, the answer is no.
O’Neill isn’t too shabby himself in center field or right field. It doesn’t matter where the big guy plays, he finds a way to make them. He has speed and an arm that almost threw out a baserunner from right field after a shallow single dropped in right field back in May. These kids are hungry, so why not let them out of the cage completely?
Isn’t that the idea here for 2018? Letting the kids play and decide where 2019 and beyond takes the team. Fowler has been given 284 at-bats to dissect a problem in his hitting that isn’t finding an answer as August begins. The tests and chances should be finished. There will be no comeback.
Ozuna hasn’t exactly been what the doctor ordered in December, but he provides power, consistent hits, and has recovered enough in left field to not embarrass himself on a nightly basis. He is someone who can be asleep at the wheel and suddenly bash three home runs in three days, taking over a game and carrying the lineup on his shoulders. Fowler hasn’t done that since last year, and that is when he made it onto the field.
The reality is the former Chicago Cub is becoming damaged goods, at least for the current season. I doubt he starts next April in a Cardinal uniform. It’s not just the toxic relationship with Matheny was laid a nasty scent on his season; Mozeliak didn’t show much promise in a candid interview with KMOX in July. He hasn’t caught fire like everyone hoped and most certainly will not finish out his contract in St. Louis.
So please, play Bader and O’Neill. They are better players right now and have a future with this team. At the very least, their value to the team in potential trades and wins in the standings tromp any goodwill gag that playing Fowler provides. The jig is up. It’s been up for a while.
For the past few seasons, the Cardinals have said one thing and done another, creating dismay and frustration in the fan base. They tell fans that a team is going to compete for the playoffs, but the performance on the field signifies the look of a pretender instead of a contender.
Now, right when they begin to show some direction and planning, there’s still an aging outfielder stealing game time from more valuable rookies. If the plan is youth, stay true to it and play the young guns.
Look at Wednesday’s game. It was an explosion of Cardinal youth. After Luke Weaver got into trouble, he was rescued by Daniel Poncedeleon, Austin Gomber, Dakota Hudson, Jordan Hicks, and Mike Mayers. Bader and O’Neill did some damage on the bases and in the field. The Cardinals won 6-3, no thanks to Fowler.
Deep down, I know Shildt wants to play the kids. That’s his specialty in this organization: working with young players and getting the most value out of them. The time has come for Bader and O’Neill to play every day. The Cardinals are a long shot to make the play-in wildcard game, so at least craft some excitement while writing up the mission statement for the next few years.
One can run forever and the other can hit baseballs just as far. What is not to like, Cardinals?