# Redbird Droppings: Winter Meeting Roundup – Athletics, Rule V, What’s Next

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-winter-meeting-roundup-athletics-rule-v-whats-next/
- Published: 2022-12-08T16:01:57-06:00
- Author: Eugene Tierney

The Winter Meetings are over and the Cardinals have a few new players. Let’s recap
where they stand and what else they need.

**Catching Closure**
With [Willson Contreras](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/contrwi01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)
in the fold, the Cardinals are able to move on to other positions. While they were
originally tied to [Dansby Swanson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/swansda01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
that is probably off the table; the money for Swanson isn’t there any more, as he
was the plan if they traded for a catcher. Now the Cardinals will probably shift
to a trade for anyone else they add unless it’s low hanging fruit.

The team will add a little depth to the bench still. I doubt they get an infielder
of Swanson’s caliber though ([Carlos Correa](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/correca01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)
is not an option); just hearing his name was surprising. They’ll also sign a few
low ceiling pitchers, most likely on minor league deals.

We did learn what the Athletics wanted for [Sean Murphy](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=murphse01,murphy010sea&search=Sean+Murphy&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral):
[Lars Nootbaar](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nootbla01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
[Brendan Donovan](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/donovbr01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
and [Gordon Graceffo](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gracef000gor&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral).
That’s quite and ask. Noot wouldn’t be the hardest to replace, but the Cardinals
like their utility players and Donovan has a lot of value right now. Graceffo looks
like a potential high end pitcher, but it’s hard to project which pitching prospects
are going to make it (see [Alex Reyes](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=reyesal02,reyes-001ale&search=Alex+Reyes&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)).

**Rule V Results**
The Cardinals did add a reliever in the Rule V draft: [Wilking Rodriguez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodriwi02.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)
from the New York Yankees. Rodriguez hasn’t pitched in the United States since 2015,
where he topped out at AAA. He pitched in Mexico for a few years before signing 
a minor league deal at the end of 2022 with the New York. The Cardinals took him
because he’s throwing 100 MPH out of the bullpen. He had a 2.01 ERA in 44.2 innings
last season, along with 17 saves and 73 strikeouts. Just for the record, the Mexican
League is a hitters league.

He’s a surprising pick because many teams will take a flyer on a 33 year old pitcher.
The Cardinals like the upside and are willing to give up $100k and a roster spot
to see what they got. Between him and [Guillermo Zuniga](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=zuniga000gui&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
they have a couple of low risk, high upside pitchers.

The Cardinals took Astros catcher [Jose Alvarez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=alvarjo02,alvarjo01,alvare014jos&search=Jose+Alvarez&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
Padres righty [Brandon Komar](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=komar-000bra&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
Dodgers righty [Jose Martinez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=martijo08,martijo06,martijo04,martin105jos,martin104jos,martin102jos,martin094jos,martin075jos,martin072jos,martin059jos,martin056jos,martin098jos,martin097jos,martin089jos,martin088jos,martin076jos,martin037jos&search=Jose+Martinez&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral),
and Twins righty [Ryan Shreve](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=shreve000rya&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)
in the minor league portion.

Alvarez is more of utility player, as he logged time behind the plate, in the outfield,
at first, and a solo appearance on the mound last season; he also jumped around 
between Lo A, Hi A, AA, and AAA. He has an OK bat but does strike out about 25% 
of the time.

Komar is a little more rough. He’s a durable pitcher with decent stuff; he just 
struggles to control it. The Padres started the conversion to the bullpen in 2022
and saw better results in his numbers.

Martinez has a low-90s fastball that can touch mid-90s in short stints, a good change,
and an average curve. He’s just struggled to turn those pitches into results. He
has barely pitched above AA. The Cards are hoping that a change of scenery will 
help.

Shreve has been a bullpen pitcher for a few seasons now, and while the results are
OK, he hadn’t progressed in the Twins system.

They didn’t lose anyone in the MLB portion, and lost 3B [Evan Mendoza](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mendoz000eva&utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=&utm_medium=referral)(
San Diego Padres) in the MiLB portion. Mendoza was system filler, so it’s no real
loss for the team.

**Around the Web**

 * [Viva El Birdos](https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2022/12/8/23499558/analysis-of-the-contreras-deal)
   breaks down the Contreras signing.
 * KMOX has started their [Countdown To Opening Day](https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/video/countdown-to-opening-day-45353?t=t138-default-vtp).
 * [Larry Brown Sports](https://larrybrownsports.com/baseball/willson-contreras-free-agent-deal-cardinals-record/608296)
   notes the record the Contreras signing broke.

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## Comments

### By: Armando Ruiz

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-winter-meeting-roundup-athletics-rule-v-whats-next/#comment-37167
- Published: 2022-12-08T17:22:11-06:00

So that means we can’t even sign a starting pitcher like Chris Bassitt now ? Where
did all the extra money that MO said we had enough to make this team better , we
need a starter what happens now in Flaherty or Waino goes down , would have enjoyed
to see BASSITT pitched for our RedBirds this year the man is a winner ! If we would
have just made a trade for Blue Jays Kirk it would not have cause this team what
it happen to them Cardinal fans feel betrayed at least now trade for Switch hitting
OFer Reynolds of the Pirates . Thanks , Armando

### By: Eugene Tierney

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-winter-meeting-roundup-athletics-rule-v-whats-next/#comment-37169
- Published: 2022-12-08T17:57:00-06:00

I believe they said they had about $20M to play with, so unless they trade off some
salary, they don’t have much they can do.

I don’t think Bassett was ever in the plans. They already have up one pick for Contreras;
I can’t see them forfeiting a second.

### By: Karl Wendell

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/redbird-droppings-winter-meeting-roundup-athletics-rule-v-whats-next/#comment-37194
- Published: 2022-12-11T10:00:24-06:00

It seems unfortunate the trade market for Murphy is so high. Although they have 
money coming off the books after 2023, it seems the front office could sign a starter/
reliever for a mid rotation spot. The outfield will be better if they can avoid 
the injuries they had last year. It seems to me that those young outfielders will
be the key. If, and it is a big if, O’Neil comes back healthy and he improves to
a .250 hitter it will go a long way. I was never a Jeff Albert fan and I believe
additions to the coaching staff is a positive. If the goal is to have a team with
a consistent hitting ability top to bottom, I believe we are one step closer. Add
to that the minor league prospects who are going to push the outfielders already
on the roster, it seems a line up full of possibilities. We will never spend dollars
like the big market teams, but neither does Tampa Bay…