Stephen Piscotty Traded To Athletics

The St. Louis Cardinals may not be finished wheeling a dealing just yet. Late Wednesday night they agreed to trade outfielder Stephen Piscotty to the Oakland Athletics. That trade became official Thursday morning. In return for Piscotty, the Athletics give the Cardinals two prospects. Those two prospects are second baseman Max Schrock, and shortstop Yairo Munoz.

Piscotty, 26, gives the Athletics a good building piece in their rebuild mode. He came up for the Cardinals in 2015 and did well, hitting 305, with 29, runs, 71 hits, 15 doubles, 4 triples, 7 home runs, 39 rbi's, 2 stolen bases, and 20 walks in 63 games. In 2016, he was able to improve numbers in his first full season. He hit .273, with 22 home runs, and 85 rbi's. The 2017 season, seems like it was a lost year for Piscotty. He had injuries, and his mom got diagnosed with ALS. Both of those seemed to affect his season. Piscotty is still a good player, he just needs a change of scenery.

Piscotty has played three seasons in the MLB. Over those three season's his career numbers are: 323 games played, 155 runs, 310 hits, 66 doubles, 8 triples, 38 home runs, 163 rbi's, 12 stolen bases, 123 walks, and a .268 batting average.

Who is Max Schrock? Who is Yairo Munoz?

Schrock, 23, was the Athletics 17th best prospect. He was drafted in the 13th round of the 2015 MLB draft by the Washington Nationals. He was later traded to the Athletics. What's best that teams like about Schrock? It's that has the potential to hit. His power isn't fully there yet, but he has done well and plays defense. Last season, he Double-A he hit .321, with 55 runs, 134 hits, 19 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs, 46 rbi's, and 4 stolen bases. Overall in three seasons, he's played 281 games, with 165 runs, 364 hits, 61 doubles, 7 triples, 18 home runs, 131 rbi's, 28 stolen bases, 78 walks, and a .324 batting average.

Munoz, 22, was signed by the Athletics as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2012. He was the Athletics 13th best prospect. Munoz is mainly a shortstop, but he can also play third base, and second base. His power makes him intriguing. Last season, with combined stats in both Double-A and Triple-A, he hit .300, with 65 runs, 134 hits, 26 doubles, 4 triples, 13 home runs, 68 rbi's, 22 stolen bases, and 21 walks. Overall in six seasons, he's played 473 games, with 228 runs, 474 hits, 95 doubles, 16 triples, 41 home runs, 228 rbi's, 58 stolen bases, 101 walks, and a .267 batting average.

If there were to be a winner in this trade it could be the Cardinals. That's because of both of the prospects names and are pretty good prospects. It's also a good trade for both teams. Why is it good for both?

Piscotty needed to be closer to home because his mom has ALS. The Athletics like that Piscotty is under team control for awhile, after the Cardinals gave him a contract extension back in April. Without that contract extension the Athletics may not have been interested in Piscotty. Hopefully the trade helps Piscotty bounce back in 2018.

Marcell Ozuna Traded To Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals went into the 2018 offseason needing a bat or two for their lineup. On Wednesday afternoon, they were able to accomplish one of those needs. The Cardinals traded for Miami Marlins All-Star outfielder Marcell Ozuna. In return the Marlins to get starting pitching prospect Sandy Alcantara, pitcher Zac Gallen, pitcher Daniel Castano, and outfielder Magneuris Sierra in return for Ozuna. Ozuna, 27, was maybe the best player available for the Cardinals besides
Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton, of course was traded to the New York Yankees.

The Marlins got a nice return for Ozuna. Sierra was the Cardinals 6th best prospect, and Alcantara was the 9th best prospect. Both spent time the Cardinals in 2017, and should be able to help the Marlins in their future. Gallen, 21, was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2016 draft. In his first full season in the minors, he spent time in Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. Combined in all three levels he went 10-8 with an era of 2.93 in 26 starts, and 147.2 innings. He had 121 strikeouts, and 35 walks. He ranked as the Cardinals 13th best prospect.

Castano, 22, was also drafted in the 2016 draft. He spent the season in Single-A, going 9-3, with an era of 2.57 in 14 starts, and 91 innings. He had 81 strikeouts, and 13 walks.

As for Ozuna, who do the Cardinals get in him? They get a player who can hit, and play defense. He's able to strike fear in an opposing pitcher. That's a type of player the Cardinals needed for their lineup. He looks like he's going to get better, still being young. He's always had the potential to be a good player, and 2017 might have been the start of putting it all together. 

Ozuna, played in career high 159 games. He hit .312, 93 runs scored, 191 hits, 30 doubles, 37 home runs, 124 rbi's, and 64 walks. He went to his second All-Star game in back to back seasons. Besides that, he won his first Gold Glove award and captured his first Sliver Slugger award.

Ozuna has played five seasons in the MLB all with the Miami Marlins. His career stats are: 653 games played, 2,469 at bats, 318 runs, 683 hits, 123 doubles, 17 triples, 96 home runs, 361 rbi's, 11 stolen bases, 191 walks, and a .277 career batting average. His nickname is The Big Bear.

Fans should be excited about the Cardinals landing Ozuna. Another bat to go along with Ozuna would be a nice addition for the Cardinals to add before the offseason ends. Right now the Cardinals seem like they are wanting to compete with the Chicago Cubs. Hopefully it stays that way.

Cardinals Sign Luke Gregerson

With the baseball winter meetings starting, that's usually when teams get active in free agency and trades. The St. Louis Cardinals need to try to improve their bullpen this offseason. On Sunday, the Cardinals made a move to start improving their bullpen signing free agent reliever Luke Gregerson to a two-year contract, worth $11 million. The contract includes a vesting option for 2020, which is worth $6 million or a $1 million buyout. If fans wonder who Luke Gregerson is, he's a familiar name to Cardinals fans.

He was drafted by the Cardinals in 2006 in the 8th round of the MLB draft. Gergerson, never appeared in the MLB as a Cardinal. They traded him along with RHP Mark Worrell to the San Diego Padres for shortstop Khalil Greene. That trade didn't workout too well for the Cardinals. Greene didn't do as well as hoped. Greene battled anxiety and had to retire from playing baseball. 

Gregerson, then developed into a solid setup man for the San Diego Padres, with an era of 3.24 in 2009. He stayed with the Padres until December 2013, when he was traded to the Oakland Athletics for left fielder Seth Smith. He spent one season with the Athletics, having his best season going 5-5 with an era of 2.12. He left as a free agent after the 2014 season, signing with the Houston Astros.

In 2015, Gregerson became the Astros closer. He saved 31 games, and had an era of 3.10. He lost his closers job the next season, and went back into a setup role. In 2017, he helped the Astros win their first World Series in franchise history. He didn't do well in the regular season, with an era of 4.57 but he was lights out in the playoffs.

Gregerson, 33, has 9 years in the MLB. Over those years his career record is: 35 wins, 36 losses, 3.02 era, 623 games,  66 saves, 607 strikeouts, 170 walks. 599 innings, and a whip of 1.08.

It's a good solid free agent signing for the Cardinals. Gregerson should be a setup man for the Cardinals. Even with a bad regular season last year, he's still considered one of the most reliable setup men in the MLB.

Cardinals Sign Miles Mikolas

On Tuesday morning, the St. Louis Cardinals signed 29-year-old starting pitcher Miles Mikolas to a two-year contract, worth $15.5 million. Who is Mikolas? Fans might be wondering. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2009, in round seven of the MLB draft. In 2012, the Padres called him straight-up from Double-A. He only spent two seasons with the Padres, before being designated for assignment in November 2013. The Pittsburgh Pirates picked up Mikolas in a trade and then traded him to the Texas Rangers.

In 2014, he started 10 games for the Texas Rangers. He went 2-5 with 38 strikeouts, 18 walks, 57.1 innings, and an era of 6.44. He ended up being released by the Rangers in November 2014.

After being released by the Rangers, he found his way to Japan. The Yomiuri Giants signed him to a one-year contract, worth $700,000. He started 21 games, going 13-3 with 107 strikeouts, 23 walks, 145 innings, and an era of 1.92. He did well enough for the Giants to keep him beyond 2015. He made 14 starts in 2016, and went 4-2 with an era of 2.45. Last season in 2017, he made a career high 27 starts. He went 14-8, 187 strikeouts, 23 walks, 188 innings, and an era of 2.25.

Mikolas has three seasons in the MLB, his career stats are: 4 wins - 6 losses, 5.32 era, 37 games, 10 starts, 62 strikeouts, 34 walks, 91.1 innings, and a whip of 1.42.

In his career in Japan, his career stats are: 31 wins - 13 losses, 2.18 era, 62 starts, 378 strikeouts, 69 walks, and 424.2 innings.

It seems like pitchers who don't do that well in the MLB tend to go to Japan and figure out how to pitch. Will Mikolas become one of those? A few pitchers who went to Japan and became better were Colby Lewis, Ryan Voglesong, and Tony Barnette. Mikolas is an interesting pickup to the Cardinals. There had been a few other teams interested in Mikolas. He also knows Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux from their days with the Texas Rangers.

Will Mikolas start? It seems like the could be the Cardinals fifth starter. Other teams could try to bring in pitchers from Japan like Mikolas, just to get pitching.

Mikolas has an interesting nickname, which is "Lizard King".

Cardinals Acquire Juan Nicasio

On Wednesday afternoon, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired right handed reliever  Juan Nicasio from the Philadelphia Phillies for infield prospect Eliezer Alvarez. Nicasio, 31, started the 2017 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He became their setup man for their closer. In 65 games for the Pirates, he had an era of 2.85 with 2 saves in 60 innings. He struck-out 60 batters, and walked 18.

Last Thursday, the Phillies picked him up off of waivers from the Pirates. He pitched in two games for the Phillies, getting 1 win, and striking out 1 batter. He comes to the Cardinals with a record of 3-5, with 2 saves, 61 strikeouts, 18 walks, 61.1 innings, and an era of 2.79.

Nicasio is in his 7th season in the MLB. His career record is: 35 wins, 37 losses, 4.60 era,
260 games, 82 starts, 3 saves, 558 strikeouts, 230 walks, 618.2 innings, and a whip of 1.41. Other than the Pirates, and Phillies, he's playing for the Colorado Rockies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Nicasio won't be eligible for the Cardinals playoff roster, if they make the playoffs. That's because he was picked up by them after August 31. He'll be a free agent at the end of the season. He could be back if he does well, and he should be able to help the Cardinals bullpen.

Alvarez, 22, started the season as the Cardinals 10th best prospect, currently he ranks 19th. He signed with the Cardinals as an international free agent in July 2011. Alvarez, struggled the first two seasons, but then developed into a better player. In his minor league career, he's a .285 hitter, with 330 hits, 82 doubles, 18 triples, 17 home runs, 155 rbi's, and 73 stolen bases.

The Phillies got a pretty good prospect in return for Nicasio. Are the Pirates upset at themselves for letting Nicasio go for nothing? He had been one of their best pitchers out of the bullpen, and he even served as their setup man for their closer. The Cardinals needed bullpen help to try to make a push for the playoffs. A move is better late than never even if it's late.

Colton Parayko Avoids Arbitration

The St. Louis Blues and defenseman Colton Parayko, looked like both sides were going to go to arbitration. The Blues and Parayko had been said to be far apart from agreeing to a long-term contract. That all changed on Thursday morning, with Parayko signing a five-year contract extension worth $27.5 million. That's a sweet contract for both sides. If Parayko can stay healthy, and devolping into the player he can be then it's great for both sides. Parayko could end up out perform his contact.

Parayko, 24, was drafted by the Blues in the third round of the 2012 NHL draft (86th overall). He ended up on the Blues roster in 2015-2016. In his first full NHL season, he played in 79 games, scoring 9 goals, with 24 assists. He ended up having 33 points, and finished as a plus 28. In his second season, last year he showed more promise than he did in his rookie year. He played in 81 games, scoring 4, with 31 assists, and 35 points. For the season he was a plus 7.

His game currently makes him seem like he's developed into a late bloomer. Lot's of teams passed him up in the 2012 NHL draft. For the 2012 draft, he was the the 28th defenseman picked. Why didn't other teams pick him earlier?

Parayko is known for his offensive talent at best. He's showed he's a cornerstone piece for the Blues future. The Blues had been holding off on signing other free agents, so they could get Parayko taken care of first. That was a smart move by Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. Armstrong is in a contract year, but he's had one of his best offseason's in along time. Is a lot of it from Martin Brodeur maybe waiting in the wings, or is it that both seem to work well together? Maybe it's both.

It looks like the Blues are done as far as the offseason, even though they still have a little cap space if they feel they need to keep a player like Scottie Upshall.

Blues Busy On First Day Of NHL Draft

The St. Louis Blues had a busy first day at the NHL draft on Friday night in Chicago. They drafted Robert Thomas a center in the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) for the London Knights with their 1st round pick (20th overall). The Blues had another pick in the first round, at no.27. They ended up trading that pick to the Philadelphia Flyers, along with center Jori Lehtera for center Brayden Schenn. As part of the trade, the Flyers also get a conditional draft choice in 2018.

After doing that, the Blues swung another trade. This time with the Pittsburgh Penguins. They traded fan favorite Ryan Reaves and their 51st pick in the 2nd round to the Penguins for their 31st pick in the 1st round and center Oskar Sundqvist. The Blues used that pick on forward Klim Kostin.

Thomas, 17, was ranked no.22 by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau. That ranking is for North American skaters. He compares his game to forward Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings) and forward Mike Fisher (Nashville Predators). Last season, he played in 66 games. He scored 16 goals, and had 50 assists. Those were good for 66 points.

Klim Kostin seems to be the most interesting player. Kostin, 18, has been compared to Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin. He would have been a top 10 pick, if he didn't have a shoulder injury. He's known for his speed, puck handling, and likes going hard to the front of the net. Kostin is 6'3, and weighs 207.

Sundqvist, 23, was a Penguins top prospect. He was drafted in the 3rd round back in 2012. People seem to like his size, and physical style. He is able to play all three forward positions.

What do the Blues get in Brayden Schenn? He's a player who the Blues need. He will go to the front of the net. While, he doesn't do much on 5 on 5; he makes up for that on the power play. Last season, he scored 25 goals (17 on the power play). The last two seasons, Schenn has scored a total of 51 goals (28 of them on the power play). He isn't scared to fight as well. He'll start out as a center, but he can also play all three forward positions.

While, fans will miss Ryan Reaves the Blues upgraded their team a lot. It was worth it. Doug Armstrong made off with highway robbery. The Penguins needed someone to protect Sidney Crosby.  Jori Lehtera was a player the Blues wanted to get rid of. He really hasn't done anything since his first NHL season. Last season, Lehtera was hurt. Was that a reason why did bad? It could be, but no one really knows.

Matt Adams Traded To Braves

On Wednesday night, the Atlanta Braves starting first baseman Freddie Freeman was hit by a pitch from Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Loup. The pitch fractured Freeman's wrist, which will cause him to miss 10 weeks. At the time of the injury, Freeman was an early candidate for the MVP award. He was hitting .341, with 14 home runs, and 25 rbi's. The 14 home runs, had lead the league.

The Braves needed a stop-gap to fill first base, while Freeman is out. On Saturday evening they acquired first baseman Matt Adams and cash consideration from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for 1B/3B Juan Yepez. Yepez, 19, out of Caracas, Venezuela was signed as an international free-agent in July, 2014. He's said to have raw power, but has been slowed by injuries. That's why it may not show much in his stats so far. It would be nice to see him progress and see if that is true, and stay healthy.

Right now Yerez is hitting .275, with 1 home run, 15 rbi's, and 4 stolen bases in 36 games for Class A Rome. He's a .281 career hitter, with 125 hits, 34 doubles, 2 triples, 6 home runs, 54 rbi's, and 7 stolen bases.

As for Matt Adams, he had been a Cardinals since reaching the MLB in May, 2012. Adams, 28, seems like he's always had the potential to be a good player. He hasn't fully shown that yet.

Adams' best season came in 2014, when he hit .288 with 15 home runs, and 68 rbi's.

In his career, Adams has played in 486 games, 164 runs, 387 hits, 83 doubles, 5 triples, 56 home runs, 217 rbi's, 4 stolen bases, 93 walks, and a batting average of .271. Adams also has a OBP of .315.

Not sure what to expect in Yepez, since he seems to be still developing. It would be nice if his scouting reports are true. Matt Adams needed a change of scenery. The trade could be a win-win for Adams, while Freddie Freeman is out. Adams could be traded to a different team, once Freeman is fully healthy. 

Yadier Molina Signs Extension With Cardinals

Reports broke on Thursday evening that the St. Louis Cardinals and catcher Yadier Molina were close to agreeing to a new contract, that would keep him a Cardinal. On Sunday, they officially signed off on the contract.  Molina signs a new contract for thee-years, worth $60 million. It runs through 2020. He becomes the highest paid catcher in baseball with his new contract.

Molina, 34, is entering his 14th season in the MLB. He's been a Cardinal forever. The Cardinals drafted him in June 2000, in the 4th round (113th overall). He ended up making his MLB debut on June 3, 2004 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Since then, Yadier Molina has developed into one the best catchers to ever play the game. He's appeared in 7 All-Star games (2009-2015), 3 World Series (winning 2 of them), 8 gold glove award (2008-2015), 4 platinum glove awards (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015), and 1 silver slugger award (2013).

His offense didn't fully show when he first came up, he was more known for his defense. His offense started to show a bit in 2006, during the Cardinals run to the 2006 World Series.

Molina's career stats: 1,611 games played, 541 runs, 1,593 hits, 308 doubles, 6 triples, 108 home runs, 703 rbi's, 47 stolen bases, and a career batting average of .285.

Great move by the Cardinals at keeping Yadier Molina around. He's an icon in St. Louis, and maybe as big as Yogi Berra was, even though he never played for the Cardinals but was from St. Louis. Molina is a future Hall Of Fame catcher. The Cardinals have never had a Hall Of Fame catcher spend their entire career with the team, Molina looks like he'll become the first one.

Only two Cardinals players have had their number retired by the Cardinals, who didn't play with any other teams: Bob Gibson, and Stan Musial. Yadier Molina could very well become the third player to never where a different uniform.

Happy Opening Day to everyone!

Jose Ramirez Agrees To Contract Extension

Jose Ramirez, 24, last season playing for the Cleveland Indians enjoyed a breakout season. On Friday, the Indians and Ramirez agreed to a contract extension. Ramirez gets a four-year contract extension, that is worth $26 million. The contract also includes two $11 million options. The total contract, could end up being worth $50 million.

Ramirez helped lead the Indians to their first World Series appearance since 1997. He hit .312, with 84 runs, 176 hits, 46 doubles, 3 triples, 11 home runs, 76 rbi's, 22 stolen bases, and 44 walks. He played in 152 games. The 46 doubles and 22 stolen bases were the second most in the American League. Ramirez also hit .355 with runners in scoring position.

Ramirez has played three seasons in the MLB. His career stats are: 332 games played, 166 runs, 311 hits, 70 doubles, 9 triples, 19 home runs, 120 rbi's, 42 stolen bases, 91 walks, and a career batting average of .275.

The contract extension for Ramirez and the Indians is a good long-term investment. He is currently the Indians starting third baseman, but he is a versatile player. He is capable of play shortstop, second base, and left field.

Solid move by the Indians.

Patrik Berglund Signs Extension With Blues

Patrik Berglund, 28, was set to become a free agent at the end of the 2016-2017 season. That changed on Friday, when the St. Louis Blues agreed to a five-year contract extension with Berglund. Berglund's new contract is worth $19.25 million. The contract includes a partial no-trade clause. He has played in 60 games this season, and is currently second on the team with 17 goals, 7 assists, and is 10th in points with 24.

There had been rumors that Berglund could be traded on March 1, 2017 (NHL trade deadline day), instead Berglund will remain with the Blues. He was drafted by the Blues in the 1st round of the 2006 NHL draft, no.25 overall. He's played in 615 games, 145 goals, 141 assists, 286 points, 206 penalty minutes, and is a plus 17. The 615 games are tied for seventh for most games played in Blues franchise history.

Berglund's best season so far was back in 2010-2011, when he played 81 games, scoring 22 goals, 30 assists, 52 points, and was a -3. Last season, during the Blues playoff run he did well scoring 4 goals, and getting 5 assists. He seems to have improved dating back to last season. Berglund made it known he wanted to stay a Blue, and if he had hit free agency he could have made more money. It's a win-win for Berglund and the Blues.

Cardinals Sign Cuban OF Jose Adolis Garcia

The St. Louis Cardinals signed free agent Cuban outfielder Jose Adolis Garcia to a minor league contract, with an invite to spring training. The contract is for one-year, and is worth $2.5 million. He's the younger brother of Atlanta Braves third baseman Adonis García

Adolis Garcia, will now be in a battle to win a roster spot. The players he's battling are Todd Cunningham, Chad Huffman, Jose Martinez, Tommy Pham, and Jordan Schafer. Harrison Bader could be in the mix too, but it seems like the Cardinals might want him to get more playing time in Memphis first.

Garcia, 24, played in Japan last summer. That didn't go too well for him, he hit .234 in 117 at bats, and 37 strikeouts. He walked only six times. He was the MVP for the Cuban national league in 2015, he hit .319, with 14 home runs, 71 rbi's, 11 stolen bases, and 34 walks in 81 games. The season before, in 2014, he played 85 games and hit .322, with 12 home runs, 53 rbi's, 11 stolen bases, and 20 walks. Besides the outfield, Garcia can play second base.

Baseball America ranked Garcia as their 20th best player in April 2015, that was when he was still in Cuba. Can Garcia find success coming to the Cardinals? Time will tell, it seems like he has a chance if he's willing to improve and work on the things he needs to get better with. If he doesn't make the Cardinals out of spring training, he could wind up in Double-A Springfield or Triple-A Memphis and try to work his way up from there.

St. Louis Cardinals 2017 Season Preview

Offseason Additions: Brett Cecil, Dexter Fowler, John Gant, Chris Ellis, Jordan Schafer, Zach Phillips, Eric Fryer, Gabriel Lino, Luke Dykstra, Wilfredo Tovar, Austin Wilson, Todd Cunningham, Chad Huffman

Offseason Subtractions: Matt Holliday, Brandon Moss, Jeremy Hazelbaker, Brayan Pena, Jaime Garcia, Seth Maness, Tim Cooney, Dean Kiekhefer, Jordan Walden, Jerome Williams

Point team prediction: 87-90 wins, 2nd place (wild card). Last season the Cardinals didn't do so great, yes they came within one game from getting the wild card, but they went 86-76. A lot of that was because of bad defense, and bad base running. The Cardinals also let some of the teams do better than them when the played them, teams that shouldn't be better than them: Milwaukee Brewers 13-6, and Cincinnati Reds 10-9 are a few teams the Cardinals should have been better against. The Cardinals right now look somewhat better than last season, because of Fowler and Cecil. Cardinals could use another bat or bullpen help at some point. But, they have the makings to be a good team. Doing well at home would help.

Starting rotation: Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martinez, Mike Leake, Michael Wacha, Lance Lynn

Bullpen: Seung-Hwan Oh, Trevor Rosenthal, Jonathan Broxton,  Matt Bowman, Miguel Socolovich (if Tyler Lyons isn't ready to start the season), Kevin Siegrist, Brett Cecil

Lineup:

1. Dexter Fowler, CF
2. Aledmys Diaz, SS
3. Matt Carpenter, 1B
4. Stephen Piscotty, RF
5. Yadier Molina, C
6. Jhonny Peralta, 3B
7. Randal Grichuk, LF
8. Kolten Wong, 2B
9. pitcher

Bench:
Eric Fryer, Jedd Gyorko, Matt Adams, Greg Garcia, Tommy Pham

Prospect(s) to watch:
Breyvic Valera could be someone to watch in camp, if he does well he could force Greg Garcia out of a job. Harrison Bader, Luke Weaver, and Rowan Wick (could see the MLB in 2017).

Fantasy Stud: Carlos Martinez

He evolved into an ace for the Cardinals in 2016. Martinez won a career high 16 games. The 16 wins were good for 5th in the National League. He started 31 games, and had 20 quality starts (good for 6th). He pitched 195.1 innings (10th), his era was 3.04 (9th). While doing all of that, Martinez was able to hold opponents' to a .233 batting average (12th).

Cardinals Extend Carlos Martinez

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez was arbitration-eligible for the first-time in his career. The Cardinals decided to buyout Martinez arbitration years, and signed him to a five-year contract, worth $51 million. The contract has two option years, so it could go through 2023. The first option is worth $17 million, and the second option is $18 million. So, the total value of the contract could be $85.5 million. The contract is the largest ever for a first-time arbitration-eligible pitcher, that record had previously belonged to Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber back in 2015.

Martinez, 25, was signed as a free-agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2010. He's since evolved into an ace for the Cardinals pitching staff. In 2016, Martinez won a career high 16 games. The 16 wins were good for 5th in the National League. He started 31 games, and had 20 quality starts (good for 6th). He pitched 195.1 innings (10th), his era was 3.04 (9th). While doing all of that, Martinez was able to hold opponents' to a .233 batting average (12th).

Behind him, Martinez, had 33 double plays turned. He was only one-shy of the franchise record. His ground-ball rate was 57.7 and ranked second in the NL.

Martinez' career stats: 34 wins, 21 loses, 3.04 era, 140 games, 68 starts, 2 saves, 466 strikeouts, 178 walks, 492.2 innings, and a whip of 1.29.

Getting Martinez signed long-term has helped give the Cardinals a solid offseason after signing free agents Brett Cecil, and Dexter Fowler. The Cardinals could use another outfielder before the season starts. Will that happen? Who knows. It would be nice if it did.