# Redbird Droppings: Free Agency, Moises Gomez, Coaching Staff, Qualifying Offers

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-free-agency-moises-gomez-coaching-staff-qualifying-offers/
- Published: 2022-11-08T14:36:02-06:00
- Author: Eugene Tierney

Free agency has officially started; teams can’t start signing players from outside
of their organization until Thursday ([see all the dates and free agents here](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2022/11/2022-23-mlb-free-agent-tracker/)).
The Cardinals officially have 2 free agents on the market: [Jose Quintana](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/q/quintjo01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)
and [Corey Dickerson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dickeco01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral).
The chances of their rejoining the team are slim; while Quintana would be a good
pickup, the Cardinals have at least 6 guys already signed to start with a few young
guys that could step in, and 3 of them are lefties ([Jordan Montgomery](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=montgjo01,montgo001jor&search=Jordan+Montgomery&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
[Steven Matz](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/matzst01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
[Matthew Liberatore](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/liberma01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)).
Dickerson won’t be back.

Minor League free agency starts soon too; the Cardinals took a preempted strike 
by adding [Moises Gomez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=gomez-003moi,gomez-002moi&search=Moises+Gomez&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)
to the 40-man roster. Gomez led the minors in home runs in 2022, splitting time 
between Springfield and Memphis. He’ll get a long look at spring training. The Cardinals
signed Gomez as a minor league free agent prior to the 2022 season; he had spent
his whole career in the Tampa Bay Rays organization prior to that. He’s been added
to the [Salary Matrix](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2021/10/2021-22-cardinal-off-season-salary-matrix/).

**The Coaching Staff**
The Cardinals [announced their 2023 coaching staff over the weekend](https://www.mlb.com/news/cardinals-announce-2023-major-league-coaching-staff);
we already knew that hitting coach Jeff Albert, pitching coach [Mike Maddux](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maddumi01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
bullpen coach [Bryan Eversgerd](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/eversbr01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
and bench coach [Skip Schumaker](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schumsk01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)
were not returning. The remaining staff will stay in place: assistant coach [Willie McGee](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgeewi01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
1B coach [Stubby Clapp](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clappst01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
3B coach Pop Warner, run production coach Packy Elkins, and bullpen catchers Jamie
Pogue and Kleininger Teran. Joining them will be [Matt Holliday](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hollima01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
bench coach), [Turner Ward](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wardtu01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
promoted to hitting coach from assistant hitting coach), Dusty Blake (promoted to
pitching coach from organization pitching strategist), [Brandon Allen](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/allenbr01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
promoted to assistant hitting coach from Triple A Memphis manager), and Julio Rangel(
assistant pitching coach/bullpen coach).

Rangel is the only outside hire, as he’s previously coached with the Boston Red 
Sox.

Holliday is a pretty good hire; he’s been volunteering as a coach with the Oklahoma
St. Baseball team, whose head coach is his brother. He’s also worked with players
in the off-season, most notably re-working the swing of [Matt Carpenter](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carpema01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)
prior to him joining the Yankees this past season.

On a side coaching note, Maddux has [expressed interest in returning to the Rangers](https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/rangers/2022/11/04/in-rebuild-of-clubs-pitching-department-rangers-chris-young-may-mix-old-school-with-new/)
to be their pitching coach; the Rangers fired their pitching coach after the season
ended. Maddux held the role from 2009-2015 and lives in the Dallas area. There were
rumors he was going to stay with the Cardinals in some capacity, but this move makes
a lot of sense if it happens.

**Qualifying Offers**
With free agency started, we’ll be hearing a lot about the
Qualifying Offer. Essentially, the QO is a 1-year contract a team can offer their
free agents prior to being able to sign with another team; the QO is set this year
at [$19.65M for 2023](https://twitter.com/Joelsherman1/status/1581008090857877504).
If a team offers a QO to one of their players and he accepts, it’s a 1 year deal
at that amount; if the player declines, their former team will receive a compensation
draft pick while the signing team will lose a pick.

Now the Cardinals won’t be making a QO to their free agents; Dickerson won’t come
close to that, while Quintana would accept it for a 1-year deal since it’s more 
then he’d make in 1 season on the free market.

Where the QO will possibly impact the Cardinals is with a free agent signing or 
2. There are 2 names on the market that the Cardinals have interest in that will
get a QO from their current teams ([according to MLB Trade Rumors](https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/11/previewing-upcoming-qualifying-offer-decisions.html)):
Cubs catcher [Willson Contreras](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/contrwi01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)
and Dodgers shortstop [Trea Turner](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/turnetr01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral).
The Cardinals, as a non-revenue sharing team and as a non-competitive balance tax
payor, would forfeit their second highest draft pick if they signed one of the accepted
QO players; in this case, it would be their second round pick. If they were to sign
more then 1 player, a pick from each subsequent round would be forfeited; so if 
the team were to sign Contreras and Turner (and both had rejected QOs), they would
lose their second and third round picks.

While that might not seem like a tall order, remember that the Cardinals tend to
build their roster via the farm system and losing 2 early picks would hurt. Look
at the 2017 draft, where the Cardinals lost their first 2 picks for hacking the 
Astros. The players from that draft have a combined bWAR of -0.1 and only [Kramer Robertson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/roberkr01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
[Scott Hurst](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hurstsc01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
[Kodi Whitley](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/whitlko01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
and [Jake Walsh](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/walshja02.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)
have made the majors; the team also has no notable prospects left in the system 
from that draft. The flip side is we have some big name prospects as second round
picks: [Luken Baker](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=baker-002luk&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
2018), [Alec Burleson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/burleal01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
2020), [Masyn Winn](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=winn--000mas&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
2020), [Tink Hence](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hence-000mar&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
2020), and [Joshua Baez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=baez--007jos&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
2021); Winn and Hence are considered to be major pieces in the near future.

**Quick Hits**

 * [Viva El Birdos](https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2022/11/8/23444504/updating-the-team-of-the-best-active-ex-cardinals)
   updates their Top Active Former Cardinal Team.
 * [Redbird Rants](https://redbirdrants.com/2022/11/08/cardinals-sign-trade-hold-position-need-offseason/)
   looks at each position of need and decides if the team should sign someone, make
   a trade, or stand pat.
 * The Fall Stars Game gets a recap from [The Cardinal Nation](https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-arizona-fall-league-notebook-november-7-2022/).
 * [Call To The Pen](https://calltothepen.com/2022/11/08/st-louis-cardinals-matt-holliday-plans-adam-wainwright/)
   addresses Holliday’s first job as the Cardinals’ bench coach.
 * Burleson is a [Triple-A All Star](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2022/11/minor-league-baseball-announces-2022-triple-a-all-star-teams-and-league-awards/).
 * [STL Today](https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/birdland/cardinals-cornermen-paul-goldschmidt-nolan-arenado-finalists-for-nl-mvp-award/article_b6a26bc8-f51e-5a58-a7de-d250c942ba65.html)
   looks at the Cardinals Award finalists: [Brendan Donovan](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/donovbr01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
   ROY), [Nolan Arenado](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/arenano01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
   MVP), and [Paul Goldschmidt](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/goldspa01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
   MVP).

### Share this:

 * [  Facebook ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-free-agency-moises-gomez-coaching-staff-qualifying-offers/?share=facebook)
 * [  X ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-free-agency-moises-gomez-coaching-staff-qualifying-offers/?share=x)
 * [  Email ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-free-agency-moises-gomez-coaching-staff-qualifying-offers/?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Redbird%20Droppings%3A%20Free%20Agency%2C%20Moises%20Gomez%2C%20Coaching%20Staff%2C%20Qualifying%20Offers&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyrdcast.com%2Fredbird-droppings-free-agency-moises-gomez-coaching-staff-qualifying-offers%2F&share=email)
 * [  LinkedIn ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-free-agency-moises-gomez-coaching-staff-qualifying-offers/?share=linkedin)
 * [  Mastodon ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-free-agency-moises-gomez-coaching-staff-qualifying-offers/?share=mastodon)
 * [  Nextdoor ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-free-agency-moises-gomez-coaching-staff-qualifying-offers/?share=nextdoor)
 * [  Pinterest ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-free-agency-moises-gomez-coaching-staff-qualifying-offers/?share=pinterest)
 * [  Reddit ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-free-agency-moises-gomez-coaching-staff-qualifying-offers/?share=reddit)
 * [  Tumblr ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-free-agency-moises-gomez-coaching-staff-qualifying-offers/?share=tumblr)

### Like this:

Like Loading…

### _Related_