5 Options for St. Louis Cardinals Outfield in 2015

The St. Louis Cardinals face a few questions during the offseason as they prepare for 2015. The team has found a successful formula by cultivating talent in their minor league system. General Manager John Mozeliak has also shown that he is not afraid to go out and find a complimentary piece on the free agent market or in trades.

The recent tragedy that cost Oscar Taveras his life has shaken the foundation of the Cardinals. While players, coaches and front office staff continue to struggle with the loss of a friend, the team also looks to the future and the struggle to move on without a talented individual.

Recently, the United Cardinal Bloggers (UCB) shared their thoughts via i70baseball on building an outfield without Oscar Taveras. The thoughts were varied and diverse. They provided a snapshot of the fans' thoughts.

Each suggestion has merit, but five of them stood out as honest possibilities. Those options are listed here, ranked from least likely to most likely.

Least Likely: Michael Cuddyer as a Veteran Presence

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The discussion had not been going on long before attention turned to Michael Cuddyer. Dan Buffa of Cardinal Nerve Center brought up the Colorado Rockie as a viable option to provide some much needed power to the team.

Cuddyer would do just that. He is coming off of an injury-riddled season but has shown that he can hit when he is healthy. He is a former All-Star, has won a Silver Slugger award and has the power that the Cardinals seem to be lacking.

According to Baseball-Reference, Cuddyer has earned $10.5 million each of the last four seasons. At 35 years of age, Cuddyer may want a multiyear contract but is likely to get a one-year deal with an option at best. The average annual value of the new contract is also likely to decline.

In a surprising move, the Rockies offered Cuddyer a qualifying offer. The offer, if declined, will allow the Rockies to receive draft pick compensation from a team that signs the player. That would deter some teams—likely including the Cardinals—from being overly interested in Cuddyer. 

The bigger deterrent here may be the fact that Cuddyer would be foolish not to accept the offer. A qualifying offer for the 2015 season is a one-year contract worth $15.3 million. That may be more than the free agent could earn on a two-year deal elsewhere, should he even be able to find one.

The odds of Cuddyer coming to St. Louis, or anywhere other than Colorado, are very slim at this point.

The Price Is Too Steep: Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz or Trading for an Impact Bat

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

In the discussion with the UCB, Tom Knuppel of Cardinals GM was quick to look at some of the impact bats that may be available on the free agent market this offseason. Players like Nelson Cruz and Melky Cabrera find themselves looking for a new home and would provide a power boost to the Cardinals lineup.

While players the caliber of Cruz and Cabrera would provide power to a Cardinals team that showed very little of it last year, they would likely come at a massively steep price. The top hitting free agents on the market will all likely command multiyear, lucrative contracts. The Cardinals appear to have the payroll flexibility if they need it, but investing in one of these players may not be the best use of those funds.

In addition to the contracts they will command, most are tied to draft pick compensation since their respective teams provided qualifying offers, according to MLB Trade Rumors. That would suggest that Cruz and Cabrera will both be seeking deals offering more than one season. They will also seek guaranteed compensation greater than $15.3 million over the course of the contract. Add to that the loss of the Cardinals' first draft pick, and the total package carries quite the steep price.

Steep prices are not something the Cardinals delve into very often. With a fair amount of internal depth, it is highly unlikely that the Cardinals will look to the top of the free agent class to fill this void.

Even Odds: Stephen Piscotty Steps Up to the Big Leagues

David Goldman/Associated Press

Many members of the UCB will bring attention to the minor league system any chance they get. While the discussion surrounding the outfield continually mentioned the depth within the franchise, it was Bob Netherton of On The Outside Corner who turned the spotlight to Stephen Piscotty.

Netherton gives a good overview of Piscotty's talents. A young player who is starting to come into his own offensively, Piscotty hits well against both left- and right-handed pitching. His power numbers are down from previous years, but not alarmingly so.

The Cardinals are known for giving their prospects every opportunity to prove themselves before they turn outside the organization and spend payroll. They spent multiple seasons hoping Pete Kozma, Tyler Greene and Daniel Descalso could seize the opportunity provided to them at shortstop. There is no reason to believe that Mozeliak will jump to the free-agent market so quickly in this case.

Piscotty has long been a player the Cardinals thought would be instrumental in St. Louis. The emergence of Oscar Taveras seemed to provide a roadblock of sorts for Piscotty. The overarching concern still centers around Piscotty's progression and whether or not he is ready to make the jump to the big leagues.

It is easily to believe that Piscotty will be on the Cardinals' roster in 2015. There is a good chance that he will see substantial playing time. He may not be a starter in the outfield, but he will likely be given the chance to prove that he belongs in the discussion. A good showing in Spring Training could accelerate him to the forefront of the discussion.

Better Than Average Chance: Free Agency Brings Mike Morse to St. Louis

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Strangely enough, Mike Morse is a name that barely came up in the discussion with the UCB. The discussion around him was so minor that it did not even make it to the published article. Morse is a player who makes a lot more sense than most.

The Cardinals lack power. Internal options may solve that years form now, but in 2015 the team would need to look outside the organization to solve that deficiency. Going outside the organization can be pricey, but Mozeliak tends to be smart about his approach.

Morse makes sense for various reasons. He will turn 33 years old prior to the 2015 season. He is not tied to draft pick compensation. He will likely come with a substantial, but affordable, price tag. He can play right field, provide some power off of the bench and provide a right-handed alternative to Matt Adams at first base.

According to Baseball-Reference, Morse earned $6 million last season with the San Francisco Giants. A two- or three-year contract between $10 and $12 million is not far-fetched. The Cardinals would benefit from a player like Morse joining the team and have the flexibility to provide the contract he would require.

There is a better than average chance that Morse would join the Cardinals.

Most Likely: Cards Stay in House with Randal Grichuk Leading the Way

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Daniel Shoptaw of C70 At The Bat might have provided the perfect quote for the subject at hand during the UCB discussion. Shoptaw ended his commentary by simply stating, "If Grichuk isn’t the regular starter in right when 2015 rolls around, I’d be pretty surprised."

That is a fairly confident (and accurate) statement. The Cardinals are known to stand by their prospects. Mike Matheny is known to find confidence in a player and stick with him until proven wrong. Grichuk showed during the postseason that he can play well at the Major League level. Matheny showed that he will continue to play the youngster in high-pressure situations.

Prior to the tragedy that cost Taveras his life, Mozeliak shared his thoughts on the right field situation with many reporters, including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Goold noted that Mozeliak anticipated Taveras and Grichuk to compete for the starting right field position for 2015. There is no reason to believe that Grichuk will need to be challenged for the position now.

Grichuk is likely to open the 2015 season as the Cardinals' starting right fielder. Mozeliak has never panicked before and there is no need to believe he will now.

Bill Ivie is the founder of i70baseball.
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