Re-Grading Every St. Louis Cardinals' Offseason Acquisition

Few would’ve thought the St. Louis Cardinals would boast the best record in baseball (38-21), especially considering the lack of offseason acquisitions.

Nonetheless, the Cardinals roost at the top of the pecking order, thanks in part to the signings of Randy Choate and Ty Wigginton.

At first glance, Choate appeared to be a washed up left-handed specialist looking to resurrect his career with his sixth club over his 13-year career. What’s more, Wigginton had Cardinals fans scratching their heads and questioning the integrity and state of mind of general manager John Mozeliak for making such a puzzling move.

However, both Choate and Wigginton have played to Mozeliak’s and the rest of the organization’s expectations, which makes these two acquisitions all the more meaningful for the Cardinals.

Choate, 37, spent time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins in 2012, where he worked a combined 38.2 innings, allowed 13 earned runs, walked 18 and fanned 38 before signing a three-year, $7.5 million contract with the Cardinals last December.

The Cardinals went after Choate for good reason, and he has provided much-needed depth from the left side of the bullpen—a feat the club lacked much of last season. Choate replaced the incompetent J.C. Romero, as well as the recently retired Brian Fuentes.

At the time, the Cardinals boasted one lefty out of the bullpen, Marc Rzepczynski. With Choate, the Cardinals are able to mix and match more than they were a year ago.

Choate isn’t going to flash brilliance every time he takes the bump. He never has. But, when called upon, Choate has delivered.

Sure, the veteran left-hander was knocked around against Arizona in Wednesday night’s 10-3 thumping, but it was his third appearance in the last week. That’s baseball, it’s going to happen to everybody.

Moreover, Choate, who came on in the seventh inning Wednesday night, faced two right-handed hitters—Martin Prado and Wil Nieves—to whom he gave up a leadoff double and an RBI single. Choate has never fared well against right-handers, who are hitting a steady .280 off him for his career.

Against left-handers, Choate has been solid. Left-handed hitters are hitting just .222 off him this season. What’s more, over the last three years, left-handers are hitting a microscopic .173 off him.

That alone is the reason why Mozeliak pursued and ultimately landed Choate, who has provided stability and persistence to this club.

Wigginton, on the other hand, hasn’t hit since 2010, when he blasted 22 home runs and drove in 76 with Baltimore. But Mozeliak didn’t sign Wigginton to be the player he once was. The Cardinals’ GM nabbed Wigginton to serve as a veteran presence and hitter off the bench.

“I look at my role as being able to help the team win any [way] I can,” Wigginton said, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Wigginton is hitting just .200 in 40 at-bats thus far this season. However, the 35-year-old went 2-for-3, with a run scored and two RBI in the Cardinals’ 7-1 win over San Francisco on June 1.

So far, so good for Wigginton. He’s an experienced veteran who knows how to play the game the right way. He’s a true professional who serves as a role model for the younger hitters on this team.

Just 59 games into the season, Choate and Wigginton haven’t proven to be busts. Rather, they have reaffirmed Mozeliak’s intentions when he signed them.