St Louis Cardinals

Free-agent first baseman Albert Pujols is reportedly drawing interest from the St. Louis Cardinals, the club with which he spent the first 11 years of his Hall of Fame career, after being released by the Los Angeles Angels.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the update Saturday.

Pujols has showcased some pop this season, tallying five home runs in 24 games, but his other numbers at the plate have lagged. He sported a .198 batting average and .622 OPS when the Angels designated him for assignment last week.

L.A. manager Joe Maddon suggested the club had little choice since Pujols resisted becoming a reserve and the team needed to give at-bats to Jared Walsh and Shohei Ohtani.

"The real conclusion was that we had to get Jared Walsh in there at first base consistently. And Ohtani as the DH, based on a lot of different reasons that you're recognizing right now," Maddon told Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville on The Athletic Baseball Show's Starkville podcast. "And Albert really not being satisfied with being a bench player. So that's really what it comes down to. It's honestly no more complicated than that."

A return to St. Louis would not present Pujols with a full-time spot.

The Cardinals feature Paul Goldschmidt at first base, and the National League doesn't have the benefit of the designated hitter this season after the experiment during the coronavirus pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. Pujols hasn't played another position on a regular basis since patrolling left field for the Cards across 113 games in 2003, and it's unlikely he has the mobility to switch back at this stage of his career.

St. Louis ranks fifth in MLB with a 23-16 record, so Pujols could return as the team's primary pinch hitter and receive one or two starts a week to give Goldschmidt a rest. But if he wants his name on the lineup card every night, his best chance would likely be with an American League club.

Robert Murray of FanSided reported Friday three to four teams have shown interest in the 41-year-old Dominican Republic native.

Pujols was one of MLB's best players during his stint with the Cardinals. He earned nine All-Star selections, was voted NL MVP three times and won a pair of World Series titles. While he remained a solid contributor for most of his time with L.A., he never lived up to that elite standard after signing a 10-year, $240 million contract.

He's compiled a lackluster .694 OPS since the start of the 2017 season, which will make it difficult for Pujols to find a starting job and could increase his chances of returning to the Cards in a smaller role.

The St. Louis Cardinals placed pitcher Carlos Martinez on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a right ankle injury.

Martinez was hurt Friday while celebrating teammate Jack Flaherty's first career home run in a win over the Colorado Rockies.

The long home run by the pitcher excited the dugout, including fellow starter Adam Wainwright.

Pitchers who hit 416 ft. Jacks#STLFLY pic.twitter.com/VyGUKnYl9M

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 8, 2021

Martinez said Saturday he twisted his ankle on a dugout step and pitched through "a lot" of pain in his start that day, per Katie Woo of The Athletic. The right-hander gave up five earned runs on six hits and five walks in five innings.

It came after his best performance of the year, when he allowed zero runs in eight innings during a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 2.

It's been an up-and-down year for the 29-year-old, who has a 4.35 ERA with just 22 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. He earned losses in each of his first four starts before getting wins in his last three.

Martinez made just five starts in 2020, ending the year with a 9.90 ERA and 2.10 WHIP in 20 innings. It was a disappointing showing for a player who earned All-Star selections in 2015 and 2017 and posted a 3.22 ERA with nine strikeouts per nine innings from 2015-19.

He has proved he can be a front-of-the-rotation starter, but the injury created a question mark in what could be his final year with the franchise. The Cardinals hold a $17 million team option for 2022 with a $500,000 buyout.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was added to the 10-day injured list with a right foot tendon strain, and the Cardinals recalled catcher Ali Sanchez from the club's alternate site, the team announced Tuesday. 

We have recalled C Ali Sánchez from the Alternate Site.

C Yadier Molina has been placed on the 10-day IL (right foot tendon strain). pic.twitter.com/0QfuhthDhh

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 27, 2021

Molina, 38, is slashing .323/.366/.631 with five home runs and 14 RBI to begin the season, while the 23-year-old Sanchez has just 10 MLB plate appearances in his career with one hit, one walk and three strikeouts. 

The Cardinals host the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium on Tuesday with the first pitch slated for 7:45 p.m. ET. 

Sanchez is ranked the No. 24 prospect in the Cardinals farm system by MLB Pipeline, with scouts grading his fielding a 60 (on a scale of 20-80) and a score of 40 overall. 

Per Pipeline: 

"Sanchez’s true value is his defensive ability. An excellent receiver, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound backstop moves well behind the plate, is praised for his game-calling and controls the running game with a plus arm. In the batter’s box, Sanchez controls the zone and doesn’t strike out often. While Sanchez currently has below-average power and will never be a slugger, the Cardinals feel there is a bit more pop than what he has shown so far."

Backup catcher Andrew Knizner should receive the bulk of playing time while Molina remains on IL, but expect Sanchez to get a few opportunities to prove himself after St. Louis acquired him from the New York Mets in February for cash considerations. 

Still, the sooner Molina returns the better as the Cards (11-11) look to separate themselves from the pack in the National League Central. 

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos sparked a bench-clearing brawl after flexing, yelling and standing over St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jake Woodford following a play at home plate on Saturday:

Things are getting heated at Great American Ball Park.

TV: Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: https://t.co/TPyeiR3ngh#STLCards pic.twitter.com/UIxHAZXJMs

— FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (@FanDuelSN_MW) April 3, 2021

The Cardinals didn't take kindly to Castellanos' actions, with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina notably shoving the outfielder from behind before saying a few words. Castellanos was later ejected.

After the game, Castellanos provided a quote that showcased his respect for Molina, a nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion.

"That guy could punch me in the face and I'd still ask him for a signed jersey," Castellanos said, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.

Molina is a nine-time Gold Glove winner who has played with the Cardinals for his entire 18-year MLB career. He's a lock for the Baseball Hall of Fame someday and one of the most respected players in the game. It's no surprise Castellanos respects Molina's stature even after a heated matchup, which the Reds won 9-6.

Speaking of the brawl, Derrick S. Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provided some context for what went down:

Bringing the heat back to #Cardinals #Reds:

Game 1 -- Castellanos has a bat flip in a loss.
Game 2 -- Castellanos HBP from Woodford, scores on WP, flexes like WWF.
Game 3 -- Stay tuned. https://t.co/qJf4erjQoD

— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) April 3, 2021

The Reds and Cardinals will play the rubber match of their three-game series on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. ET in Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park.

Nolan Arenado is happy to be with the St. Louis Cardinals after spending his first eight years in the majors with the Colorado Rockies.

"I've moved on," Arenado told Marly Rivera of ESPN. "That might hurt some people's feelings over there, but I have."

The third baseman was sent to the Cardinals in exchange for five players in a deal competed in February. He noted the mixed reaction received after the trade:

"They'll always have a special place in my heart, the fans—the people. Regardless of the people that don't like me there, or I don't like them, I appreciate every single one of them. I appreciate the love. I appreciate the hate. I know that I can look back at my years in Colorado and know that I gave everything that I had. I have no regrets. Now I'm here in St. Louis and I'm going to give them everything I have too."

Arenado agreed to an eight-year extension before the 2019 season but is now poised to spend the majority of that contract in St. Louis.

The 29-year-old had been one of the best two-way players in the majors with the Rockies, earning eight straight Gold Glove awards to go with four Silver Sluggers and five All-Star selections.

From 2015 to '19, Arenado averaged 40 home runs and 124 RBI with a .300 average, winning the National League's home run title three times in this stretch.

This didn't lead to much team success, with Colorado making the playoffs just twice and never advancing beyond the division series. The squad fell short of the postseason last year despite an expanded field. The Rockies are just 1-4 in playoff games since 2010.

Arenado is now part of a team that is a top contender in the NL and just two years removed from reaching the NLCS. 

"It's a different vibe," he said of the Cardinals. "The meetings. The attention to detail."

The Cardinals are set to begin their regular season Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Arenado won't make his return to Colorado until July 1.  

Albert Pujols would consider a reunion with the St. Louis Cardinals prior to his retirement from MLB.

Speaking with USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the future Hall of Famer left the door open to a return to St. Louis when asked if he'd like to play for the Cardinals one last time.

"That's like the million-dollar question," Pujols said. "Everybody asks me that. Hey, I don't know what's going to happen. This is the last year of my contract, and I feel like I can play. I feel good. My body feels great. Mentally, I feel like I can continue to play. But I don't know, we'll see what happens. Who knows?"

Emotions were raw on both sides when Pujols left the Cardinals to sign with the Los Angeles Angels after the 2011 season.

That antipathy was gone by the time he stepped into the batter's box at Busch Stadium in 2019, his first game in St. Louis since departing. The legendary first baseman received a standing ovation and then took a moment to savor the adulation after hitting a solo home run.

Pujols' contract with the Angels expires after this season, but bringing him back to St. Louis may not be on the Cardinals' radar, even if the National League were to adopt the designated hitter.

The 41-year-old still possesses some power but is otherwise a shadow of the player who won three National League MVPs from 2005 to 2009.

Pujols slugged just .395 in 39 games last season. Even if you write off 2020 on account of the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, his performance in previous years wasn't much better.

He has posted negative WAR in each of the last four seasons, per FanGraphs. His OPS with the Angels (.761) is nearly 300 points worse compared to his 11 seasons with the Cardinals (1.037).

St. Louis has an All-Star first baseman in Paul Goldschmidt, who is signed through 2024, and slotting Pujols into an everyday DH role doesn't make sense given his declining offense.

The next time he's wearing a Cardinals hat might be when his Hall of Fame plaque is unveiled in Cooperstown, New York.

Yadier Molina will remain in St. Louis.

The Cardinals announced Monday night that they had agreed to terms with the catcher, who has spent the entirety of his 17-year career with them.

While the team did not announce the terms of the deal, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported the agreement was a one-year contract for $9 million.

Here's a glance at what the Cardinals may be working with in 2021, with a roster projection via FanGraphs and a payroll estimation from Cot's Contracts.

     

Projected St. Louis Lineup

1. 2B Tommy Edman

2. SS Paul DeJong

3. 1B Paul Goldschmidt

4. 3B Nolan Arenado

5. RF Dylan Carlson

6. C Yadier Molina

7. LF Tyler O'Neill

8. CF Harrison Bader

     

Bench

C Andrew Knizner

INF Matt Carpenter

INF Edmundo Sosa

OF/1B Austin Dean

OF Justin Williams

     

Payroll

With Molina reportedly on the books for $9 million, Cot's Contracts has the Cardinals shaping up to spend $161.5 million on the projected Opening Day roster. That payroll is currently the highest in the National League Central.

     

A Look at Molina

Molina is the centerpiece of the Cardinals franchise, with 2,025 games under his belt with the Cardinals. That statistic alone ranks him in the upper echelons of MLB history, as there are just two players who have appeared in more games for the Cardinals (Stan Musial at 3,026 and Lou Brock with 2,289, according to ESPN).

But the 38-year-old has had his fair share of individual talent to secure his place among baseball's greats. A nine-time All-Star, Molina is the 12th catcher in league history to have at least 2,000 hits, and with 2,001, he ranks fifth among active players.

Along the way, he has led the Cardinals to four National League titles and a pair of World Series championships, with a .281 career batting average, 160 home runs and 932 RBI.

"I think about [the Hall of Fame]," Molina told ESPN in 2020. "When I started my career, I had to overcome a lot of obstacles. ... All I've done is work hard to get better and better every single year to become the best catcher I can be. And my numbers are obviously there. I think that, because of the way I catch, that I'm one of the best catchers to have ever played in baseball."

In 2020, Molina played 42 games with a .262 batting average, four home runs and 16 RBI.

A St. Louis Cardinals legend is coming back to the only Major League Baseball team he has ever known.

On Monday, the Cardinals announced that catcher Yadier Molina had agreed to a new contract with them. Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the deal is for one year, $9 million.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic initially reported the reunion was "inevitable."

Molina has been with the Cardinals since the 2004 campaign and has a sparkling resume that includes two World Series titles, nine Gold Gloves, four Platinum Gloves, nine All-Star appearances and one Silver Slugger.

There is no doubting his importance to the Cardinals organization, and the argument can be made he is far more valuable to St. Louis than he would be anywhere else at this point of his career given how much the fans love him and the importance of his role as the veteran leader on the field.

While Molina is 38 years old, he was still solid during the shortened 2020 campaign and slashed .262/.303/.359 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 42 games.

For much of his career, Molina's true value has come in the field. Whether he is controlling the running game with his strong arm and ability to cut down base-stealers without even emerging from his crouch behind the plate or calling the game for the pitching staff, he has been a constant in St. Louis for nearly two decades.

Andrew Knizner will likely also see some playing time at catcher for the Cardinals during the 2021 campaign, especially if they try to rest Molina some during the season.

Molina is not the only Cardinals legend the franchise brought back this offseason as it also re-signed pitcher Adam Wainwright.

Throw in the acquisition of slugger Nolan Arenado in a trade with the Colorado Rockies and St. Louis appears to be the favorite in the National League Central. It will have a veteran leader behind the plate if and when it reaches the postseason.

Nolan Arenado didn't hide his excitement in Tuesday's introductory press conference with the St. Louis Cardinals.

"Once I heard that [the trade] was done, I was thrilled," the third baseman told reporters.

Arenado joined St. Louis in a trade with the Colorado Rockies that was announced Monday. Colorado received five players, while the Cardinals got a player who has five All-Star selections and eight Gold Glove awards.

While he has plenty of individual accolades, the 29-year-old noted his interest in team success.

"As a kid, you dream of winning a World Series, and that's still the dream now," he said. "To join this organization, they care about winning and about getting things done, and that's really exciting."

The Rockies have made the playoffs twice since Arenado broke into the majors in 2013, but his postseason career consists of just five games. The franchise has never won the World Series and only reached the final round once in its history.

The Cardinals have had much more success overall, including four pennants and two World Series titles since 2004. The squad reached the NLCS in 2019 before being eliminated in the Wild Card Round in 2020.

After the addition of Arenado, St. Louis is now 20-1 to win the title in 2021, according to DraftKings.

Meanwhile, the talented player has an opportunity to opt out after this season and hit free agency, but he doesn't intend to.

"I plan on sticking around," he said Tuesday.

Though this was also the idea when he signed the eight-year, $260 million extension with the Rockies, things didn't go according to plan.

"I signed there with the intent to be there for the rest of my career, but it wasn't meant to be," Arenado added. "I'm not the first contract to get moved after a couple years. It happens a lot in this game."

He can stay under contract with the Cardinals through the 2027 season, giving him plenty of chances to bring home his first title.

    

            

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The addition of Nolan Arenado has put the St. Louis Cardinals among the top contenders for the 2021 World Series title.

St. Louis will reportedly acquire the five-time All-Star third baseman, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, creating a significant boost for a team that went 30-28 last season. According to Robert Duff of Sports Betting Dime, the Cardinals were listed at 40-1 (bet $100 to win $4,000) to win a title but are now 20-1.

Here is the full list of title contenders courtesy of DraftKings:

Los Angeles Dodgers: +450

New York Yankees: +550

San Diego Padres: +800

Chicago White Sox: +950

Atlanta Braves: +1000

New York Mets: +1200

Oakland Athletics: +1800

Houston Astros: +2000

Minnesota Twins: +2000

St. Louis Cardinals: +2000

Tampa Bay Rays: +2000

Cincinnati Reds: +2500

Toronto Blue Jays: +2500

Washington Nationals: +2800

Philadelphia Phillies: +3000

Chicago Cubs: +3300

Cleveland Indians: +3500

Los Angeles Angels: +4000

Milwaukee Brewers: +4500

Boston Red Sox: +5000

Miami Marlins: +5000

Arizona Diamondbacks: +7000

Baltimore Orioles: +7000

San Francisco Giants: +7000

Colorado Rockies: +8000

Seattle Mariners: +8000

Texas Rangers: +8000

Detroit Tigers: +10000

Kansas City Royals: +10000

Pittsburgh Pirates: +10000

It's not surprising to see the Cardinals on the rise after the offseason maneuver.

Arenado has been one of the best two-way players in baseball during his career, earning a Gold Glove Award in all eight of his seasons and four Silver Sluggers. He has only made the playoffs twice but has finished in the top 10 of MVP voting five times.

He joins an experienced roster in St. Louis that already has proven talent both at the plate and on the mound. With the Chicago Cubs spending the offseason trying to clear payroll, the Cardinals are seemingly the clear favorites in the NL Central.

Other teams are rewarded for aggressiveness in the latest odds.

The New York Mets were just 26-34 last season and haven't made the playoffs since 2016 but have the sixth-best odds to win the title thanks to the blockbuster trade to acquire Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco.

With a lineup that already included Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil, the Mets offense is going to be tough to slow down, while Jacob deGrom will anchor a rebuilt rotation.

The San Diego Padres have also made a flurry of moves, including trades for Yu Darvish and Blake Snell to lead their pitching staff. The team already had the third-best record in the majors last season and now appear to be one of the favorites to bring home a title.

Of course, the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers aren't going anywhere and remain the top option in the betting odds to win again in 2021.

     

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

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