Nolan Arenado Won't Opt Out of Cardinals Contract: 'I’m Absolutely Coming Back'
Sep 29, 2021
MILWAUKEE, WI - SEPTEMBER 23: St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) throws a runner out during an MLB game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 23, 2021 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Nolan Arenado could become a free agent after the season, but the St. Louis Cardinals third baseman said he will return to the team in 2022.
"I'm not opting out," Arenado told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Wednesday. "We can put that out there. I will not be opting out. I will be coming back. That was always the plan. I'm absolutely coming back. I feel like this year has been special in a lot of senses."
The 30-year-old has $179 million remaining on his contract over the next six years, but he has a pair of opt-out clauses after the 2021 and 2022 seasons, per Spotrac. It means Arenado will have another chance to become a free agent a year from now, but as of now, he plans to remain in St. Louis.
Arenado came to the Cardinals in February in a trade with the Colorado Rockies. The six-time All-Star had an outstanding individual resume with eight Gold Glove awards and four Silver Sluggers, but he only appeared in five playoff games in eight seasons.
He will add to that this season with St. Louis after the squad clinched a wild-card berth.
The team was left for dead earlier in September but entered Wednesday with a 17-game winning streak.
Arenado has played a big part in the team's success, hitting 34 home runs with 105 RBI so far in 2021. The player isn't without faults—his .256 average is well below his .288 career mark—but he has mostly lived up to the hype since arriving with the team.
"There are still some things that I would like to do better—and I want to do it here," Arenado said.
Though his $35 million salary next year could lead to some payroll challenges, the Cardinals will be happy to keep an elite player like this on the roster.
Devin Williams Suffers Hand Injury From Punching Wall After Brewers Celebration
Sep 29, 2021
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 03: Devin Williams #38 of the Milwaukee Brewers walks toward the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field on August 03, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Pirates defeated the Brewers 8-5. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
If they're to make a run to the World Series, then the Milwaukee Brewers may have to do it without Devin Williams.
The 2020 National League Rookie of the Year fractured his right hand when punching a wall. He told reporters he had consumed alcohol after the Brewers clinched the NL Central.
Devin Williams: “I’m pretty upset with myself. There’s no one to blame but me. I feel like I’ve let my team down, our coaching staff, our fans, everyone. I know how important of a role I play on this team and a lot of people count on me.” pic.twitter.com/kOjzJvEUhh
President of baseball operations David Stearns said Williams might be healthy in time for the Fall Classic should Milwaukee advance that far.
The 27-year-old setup man has likely earned a spot on the list of MLB players who have been hurt in odd circumstances. He's not even the first player this season to fracture a hand while striking something.
Because of what's at stake, his mishap is likely to live long in the memory of fans, too—something Trevor Bauer knows all too well. During the 2016 playoffs, Bauer required stitches for a cut on his finger he suffered while repairing one of his drones.
Williams has played a big role out of the bullpen for the Brewers. In 58 appearances, he's 8-2 with three saves, 23 holds, a 2.50 ERA, a 2.81 FIP and 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings, according to FanGraphs.
Should Milwaukee fail to win the pennant, Williams' injury will undoubtedly lead to questions about how the team would have fared with him.
Manager Craig Counsell isn't short of relief options, especially since Eric Lauer (1.73 ERA in 13 starts since June 27) could get bumped out of the starting rotation for the playoffs. Closer Josh Hader has a 1.27 ERA and 34 saves, while Brent Suter and Brad Boxberger have combined to allow 48 earned runs over 134.1 innings (3.22 ERA).
Still, a contender can never have enough late-inning arms in October. Williams' absence will be glaring if Counsell in a pivotal moment has to rely on a potentially overworked Hader, Suter or Boxberger.
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright strikes out Milwaukee Brewers' Luis Urias for his career 2,000th strikeout during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
The St. Louis Cardinals are headed to the playoffs for the third straight year.
They clinched a postseason berth with a victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.
It certainly didn't look like the Cardinals were a playoff team for the first half of the season. They were three games under .500 as late as July 16 and fell to 53-55 on Aug. 5 when the Atlanta Braves finished a three-game sweep.
Turns out, all it takes is a well-timed winning streak to climb up the standings at the end of the year.
St. Louis defeated the Cincinnati Reds 6-4 on Sept. 11 to improve to three games over .500 in what appeared to be a fairly straightforward game between wild-card contenders. It was anything but, though, as it kickstarted the current 17-game winning streak that propelled the Cardinals into the playoff picture.
They swept fellow wild-card contenders in the New York Mets and San Diego Padres during the winning run and benefited from poor play by those two teams and the Reds at the same time.
Despite the impressive play of late from the Cardinals and the collapses from the Padres, Reds and Mets, they still have a monumental task ahead of them when it comes to succeeding in the playoffs.
After all, the NL West has featured the two teams with the best record in the National League battling it out all season: the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. The loser of that division race will be demoted to the one-game wild-card battle with the Cardinals and have home-field advantage in the contest.
If St. Louis manages to get past that game, it will have to face the winner of the NL West in a best-of-five series.
That means a deep playoff run probably isn't happening, but the combination of Tyler O'Neill, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and others is enough to threaten any pitching staff.
Throw in Adam Wainwright returning to dominant form at age 40, and the Cardinals won't be an easy out for the NL West representatives—especially given how well they have played down the stretch of the season.
Out of Nowhere the Cardinals Are Suddenly MLB's Most Dangerous Playoff Team
Sep 27, 2021
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright strikes out Milwaukee Brewers' Luis Urias for his career 2,000th strikeout during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Before the St. Louis Cardinals went on this historic run rattling off 16 straight wins, their chances of reaching the postseason were projected to be less than 3 percent.
FanGraphs' playoff odds gave the Cardinals just a 2.8 percent chance to make the playoffs on Sept. 7. Now, they're a game away from clinching the National League's final wild-card spot.
Neither team should be looking forward to this. Not even home-field advantage seems to factor much against this Cardinals team that's won 11 straight road games within their overall 16-game streak.
St. Louis is hitting for power, playing elite defense and getting solid performances from aging pitchers.
Tyler O'Neill has emerged as a star, hitting 11 home runs in September with three games left to play in the month. O'Neill has four homers and 11 RBI in the last eight games, but he's been getting it done all year. He also has a case for being the best defensive left fielder in the game.
Trading for Nolan Arenado, one of the best third basemen to ever do it, has paid off. Between O'Neill, Arenado, center fielder Harrison Bader, second baseman Tommy Edman, shortstop Edmundo Sosa and catcher Yadier Molina, the Cardinals field some of the best players at their respective positions in the National League.
Adam Wainwright is having one of the best seasons of his career in his 16th in the majors.
If the Cardinals are going to make a run, it will be behind Wainwright and against the Dodgers and Giants in some order.
Wainwright vs. Dodgers
The potential for a Wainwright vs. Max Scherzer duel makes this wild-card possibility so compelling.
When Wainwright pitched against the Dodgers on Sept. 8, he allowed three consecutive hits in the first inning, then put down 15 in a row before giving up a solo home run to Max Muncy.
Wainwright tried to hang in there for his fourth complete game of the season and the 28th of his big league career, but the Dodgers chased him in the ninth.
The Cardinals held on to win 5-4. It had a postseason feel and played out how you might imagine a single elimination could.
The difference is having Scherzer starting for the Dodgers in the wild card, unlike the Sept. 8 matchup against Mitch White.
Wainwright vs. Giants
The Cardinals won Wainwright's first start against the Giants on July 6 largely because of their offense. Arenado and Sosa both homered, and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt had a two-run single the lead the way.
Wainwright gave up three earned runs on seven hits in five innings, but St. Louis beat the Giants 6-5.
Ten days later, Wainwright whiffed seven Giants and also gave up a pair of home runs in a loss.
At that point, the Cardinals' season looked bleak. The trade deadline was still a couple of weeks away, and it wasn't yet clear what kind of team this would be.
Cardinals defense can swing a game
Wainwright has benefited from his defense more than any big league pitcher this season, per Baseball Savant. The 23 outs above replacement produced behind Wainwright is by far the most, with the Cleveland Indians' Cal Quantrill trailing with 10 OAA.
The Cardinals defense has prevented 19 runs behind Wainwright, which is also more than any other pitcher. Next closest is the Houston Astros, preventing eight runs from Jose Urquidy's pitching.
In September, two of the Cardinals' pitchers are top four in OAA—Wainwright and Miles Mikolas, who is No. 1, per Baseball Savant.
As a team, the Cardinals have prevented 37 runs and 47 OAA, both league highs. The only other comparable team defensively is the Houston Astros (35 and 42, respectively), after which there is a significant drop-off.
Individually, O'Neill, Edman, Arenado, Goldschmidt and Bader are consistently among the OAA leaders at their positions.
More than just St. Louis offering a renaissance collection of Wainwright, Lester and Happ, the Cardinals defense can swing a single game.
The long ball is a threat
Only the Toronto Blue Jays have hit more home runs in September than the Cardinals.
Over the course of the winning streak, St. Louis has homered 31 times.
The Cardinals are homering with runners in scoring position more than anyone this month aside from the Blue Jays.
For the past month, the Cardinals have the second-highest slugging percentage (.489) with runners in scoring position, again only trailing the Blue Jays.
Goldschmidt has the second-highest OPS (1.330) over the last 15 days, with Bader coming in sixth (1.154). It was this tandem that hit the home runs in Sunday's 4-2 win against the Chicago Cubs to raise the Cardinals' September home run total to 47.
That broke a club record set by Mark McGwire's 1998 team for most home runs in the September/October portion of the regular season.
Factoring in the pitching, defense and what the Cardinals are doing at the plate, they do everything well enough to spoil a 100-win season.
Cardinals Defeat Cubs to Set Franchise Record with 15th Straight Win
Sep 25, 2021
St. Louis Cardinals' Harrison Bader rounds third base after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
The St. Louis Cardinals set a franchise record by winning their 15th straight game with an 8-5 defeat of the host Chicago Cubs on Saturday at Wrigley Field.
The 1935 Cardinals' 14-game winning streak stood alone as the franchise's gold standard until Friday, when the 2021 Redbirds tied them with a 12-4 win over the Cubs in the second game of a doubleheader.
On Saturday, the Cardinals got solo home runs from Harrison Bader and Tyler O'Neill but trailed 4-2 going into the seventh inning.
The Cubs' Ian Happ countered with a two-out solo shot in the bottom of the ninth, but Luis Garcia struck out Patrick Wisdom looking to end the game.
Bader paced the Cards with four hits, three runs and two RBI.
The Cardinals haven't had too many nail-biters during their streak, though Saturday's victory certainly qualified as one.
Other notable wins include the first one, in which the Cardinals overcome a 4-0 deficit to win 6-4 against the Cincinnati Reds. They overcame a 5-0 deficit to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-5 on Thursday.
St. Louis also won a seesaw battle with the New York Mets 7-6 in 11 innings. It scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth last Saturday to edge the San Diego Padres 3-2.
The streak includes two wins against the Reds, three apiece against the Mets and Padres, four at the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers and three more at the Cubs.
The 1916 New York Giants hold the record for the longest winning streak at 26. The best the Cardinals can do is tie the second-best mark of 22 games set by 2017 Cleveland. They have seven regular-season games remaining (four more versus the Cubs and three against the Brewers).
The Cardinals improved to 86-69 and solidified their stronghold on the second National League wild-card spot. The 80-74 Philadelphia Phillies are the next-closest team.
Cardinals Beat Cubs, Tie Franchise Record with 14th Straight Win
Sep 25, 2021
St. Louis Cardinals' Paul DeJong (11) celebrates his home run off Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Michael Rucker with Harrison Bader, during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
The St. Louis Cardinals just keep on winning.
After sweeping Friday's doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs, the Cardinals have now won 14 consecutive games to tie the longest winning streak in franchise history
The @Cardinals have tied their longest winning streak in franchise history with their 14th straight win.
The 1935 Cardinals won 14 straight games from July 2 to 18. They finished the regular season with a 96-58 record, but missed out on the playoffs because the format at the time had the top team in each league play in the World Series.
The Cubs (100-54) lost to the New York Yankees in the Fall Classic. That season was also notable because Chicago had a 21-game winning streak that began on Sept. 2, when it trailed the Cardinals by 2.5 games.
This year's streak by the Cardinals is the longest in MLB this season. When it began on Sept. 11, they were 71-69 overall and trailed the Cincinnati Reds by three games for the second NL wild-card spot.
After Friday's sweep of the Cubs, the Cardinals have a five-game cushion over the Philadelphia Phillies for the final playoff spot in the National League with an 85-69 record.
St. Louis also owns the longest winning streak in MLB this season after its 12-4 win on Friday night. The Oakland Athletics previously held that title with 13 consecutive victories from April 9 to 24.
The Cardinals can set a new franchise winning streak on Saturday. They will send former Cub Jon Lester to the mound against Adrian Sampson at Wrigley Field starting at 2:20 p.m. ET.
Cubs 'Plan to Be Really Active in Free Agency,' Jed Hoyer Says
Sep 24, 2021
Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer talks on the phone during team's baseball practice at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Wednesday, July 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Chicago Cubs traded away their core this season when they moved Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Craig Kimbrel, but they apparently don't plan on embarking on a long rebuild.
"We plan to be really active in free agency," president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Friday, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. "We plan to spend money intelligently. That is about the easiest way I can say it."
Hoyer expanded on that thought process and suggested the number of openings on the roster will necessitate such a decision:
We will sit down and talk as an organization on how to mold this in the right way. Obviously, we are scouting that free-agent market heavily. We are going to analyze that market heavily. There are offseasons when free agency is what you do a little bit of. This year, we are going to be a little more active than usual for our roster because we have a lot more open spots. We just want to do it in a thoughtful, intelligent way.
While the Cubs are 67-85 and in fourth place in the National League Central, it wasn't that long ago they were annual championship contenders.
They snapped their World Series drought in 2016 but also reached the National League Championship Series in 2015 and 2017 during an impressive three-year stretch. They took a turn for the worse since, although they still reached the playoffs in 2018 and 2020.
Part of the issue was a lack of notable additions around that core after the championship.
The Ricketts family, which owns the team, openly complained about the team's financial picture prior to the 2019 campaign. Still, Forbes listed the Cubs as the league's fourth-most valuable team in the league in 2021 thanks in part to its one television network (Marquee Sports Network), the big market and the draw of Wrigley Field for attendance.
Chicago also didn't come to terms on contract extensions with any of Rizzo, Bryant or Baez despite their overall importance to the organization when it came to snapping that World Series drought in 2016.
Yet it sounds as if the plan is to spend this offseason with an eye on competing in the National League Central in the near future.
There are a number of high-profile players who could be available, including Nick Castellanos, Corey Seager, Carlos Correa and even Bryant. Perhaps the Cubs will be involved in their pursuit as they look to patch up a lackluster roster.
David Bell Agrees to 2-Year Contract Extension as Reds Manager
Sep 22, 2021
CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 03: Manager David Bell of the Cincinnati Reds signals to make a pitching change in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Great American Ball Park on September 03, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell told reporters on Wednesday that he and the team have agreed on a two-year contract extension.
Bell added that he expects his current coaching staff to return as well.
Bell, 49, has served as the Reds manager for the past three seasons, leading the team to a 184-190 mark in that span. He led the team to a playoff berth in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, though it was swept by the Atlanta Braves in the wild-card round.
The news comes as the Reds are slumping, however, having lost 17 of their last 26 games. That has left them four games back of the St. Louis Cardinals for the final wild-card spot with just 10 games remaining, making a return to the postseason unlikely.
Previously, Bell spent five years working on Mike Matheny's coaching staff with the St. Louis Cardinals, and a year as the San Francisco Giants' vice president of player development.
He also spent 12 years in the Major Leagues as a player with Cleveland, the Cardinals, the Seattle Mariners, Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers, hitting .257 for his career with 123 homers and 589 RBI.
Under Bell, the Reds transitioned from a rebuilding team to a playoff contender. While the 2021 season may ultimately be dubbed a disappointment, the organization is in a better place than when he took over, justifying an extension.
Reds' Mike Moustakas Placed on 10-Day IL with Foot Injury
Sep 22, 2021
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 12: Mike Moustakas #9 of the Cincinnati Reds in action during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 12, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
The three-time All-Star has been limited to 62 games in 2021 because of a right heel contusion. He experienced a setback during the recovery process, which prolonged his time on the shelf.
Moustakas is batting .208 with six home runs and 22 RBI during his limited time on the field so far.
Although they've been without Moustakas for a majority of the season, the Reds are only four games back of the second wild-card spot in the National League. Jesse Winker, Joey Votto and Nick Castellanos have led the offense in his absence.
With Moustakas sidelined, Eugenio Suarez has remained at his natural position of third base for the most part. Suarez was the starting shortstop on Opening Day in April, while Moustakas was at the hot corner.
Given what they've done without him so far, the Reds may not be panicking with the 33-year-old once again on the shelf.
Brewers' Lorenzo Cain Leaves Game vs. Cubs Because of Hip Injury
Sep 19, 2021
Milwaukee Brewers' Lorenzo Cain hits a grand slam during the fifth inning of the team's baseball game against the Cleveland Indians, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
Jackie Bradley Jr. replaced the 35-year-old before the top of the fifth inning. Cain was 0-for-1 with a walk before exiting.
Injuries have plagued Cain throughout the 2021 season. He's been on the injured list three times in 2021, all with leg issues. Cain's most recent concern was a strained hamstring in June.
"It's definitely been a tough start to the season for me," he told reporters. "A lot of stop and start for me this season, starting from spring training on to this point. I don’t think they're related, but at this point, who knows?"
The Brewers have managed to stay in the playoff hunt without Cain for most of the season and are on the precipice of clinching the National League Central title.
When he's been in the lineup, Cain has been understandably rusty, slashing .253/.328/.402 with eight home runs and 35 RBI entering Saturday.
