close
close

Why the Cardinals optioned Jordan Walker and released Brandon Crawford

ST. LOUIS — A glance at the standings reveals that the situation for the St. Louis Cardinals is grim. Heading into their most important series of the season – three home games against the Milwaukee Brewers – the Cardinals are 11 games behind in the division and five games behind in the National League wild card, trailing the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants for last place.

But if you needed further proof of the disarray in the organization, the Cardinals' roster moves before Tuesday's game should do the trick. A week after bringing back outfielder Jordan Walker, the Cardinals sent him back to Triple-A Memphis and claimed Matt Carpenter (lower back) off the injured list. St. Louis also released Brandon Crawford to clear the way for Luken Baker, who was brought back from Memphis.

“There are a lot of demands on our roster,” John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations, told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “We're going to see some changes over the course of the next few weeks and we also wanted to have the opportunity to look at some players this season, so that was part of the (Crawford) move.”

“Walker swung the bat really well (in Memphis) and we really wanted to see what he was doing and where he was at, but when you look at what we're facing over the next week and a half, he's just not going to get a lot of playing time.”

With their season on the line, the Cardinals are hoping a roster shakeup will provide some momentum. A series loss to the Brewers would mathematically all but end their division hopes, and their path to the wild card isn't much better.

Still, Tuesday's roster decisions must be interpreted. Here are the explanations for Walker's demotion, Crawford's firing and Baker's appointment.

Why was Walker recalled only to be optioned a week later?

When the Cardinals called up the 22-year-old Walker last Monday, manager Oli Marmol was quick to explain that the team wanted to use Walker as a platoon option against left-handed hitters. The problem? That decision directly contradicted the organization's consistent message about Walker's development. Over the past two seasons, the Cardinals have prioritized consistent playing time and an emphasis on player development over using Walker in a part-time major league role.

What's changed? The Cardinals' standings this time of year have forced the team to use every remaining option on their 40-man roster. When Carpenter was placed on the injured list, the Cardinals knew it would be for the shortest of periods. They were set to face three left-handed starting pitchers in a seven-day period, and their abysmal season performance against lefties underscored the need for a right-handed pitcher. Those options were Walker, Baker and José Fermín.

Fermín can play all around the field, but the Cardinals weren't looking for defensive versatility. They were looking for power and productivity. Baker's 32 home runs in Memphis made him a logical choice, but St. Louis preferred to draft an outfielder to add overall lineup flexibility, as they wanted to use the outfield as a platoon. The Cardinals have fielded a heavily left-handed lineup all season, and replacing one of those left-handed outfielders with a right-handed one would be the easiest solution to the platoon. That left Walker, who has really fired up over the past two weeks, hitting 15-for-43 with three doubles and three home runs.

The decision to use Walker as a backup never quite made sense. Neither did the decision to bring him in for such a short period of time, especially given the club's mantra of consistent playing time. But as Marmol explained, every remaining game is important because the Cardinals have so much ground to make up in the standings. Three games wouldn't affect Walker's long-term development, but three games could determine the team's chances of making the postseason.

“Your 40-man roster is there to help your 26-man roster,” Marmol said. “That's the reason for the 40-man roster. If there's an opportunity where you think one of the players that are on the 40-man roster can help the 26-man roster, even if it's just for three days, that's important.”

The calendar played a big role in the decision to go with Walker. If a right-hander had been needed in May or June, the Cardinals would not have considered Walker, again citing his continued development. But with their playoff chances dwindling, the Cardinals opted for their best available option on the 40-man roster. Of course, St. Louis is forced to make such difficult decisions in mid-August and opting to implement such a drastic platoon is a product of its own fault.

“If you have a 26-man roster and you're trying to make the most of three games against left-handers, and you know you're already in the middle of August and your performance against that handedness hasn't been very good, then you take the option where you can play the same position for three games as the guy you're trying to replace so you don't have to go home early,” Marmol said.

Walker started all three games against left-handers but was unconvincing, going 1-for-11 with three strikeouts and one walk.

Mozeliak and Marmol weren't at odds about using Walker as a platoon, but only because they would only be doing it for such a short period of time. Both Marmol and Mozeliak believe that young players should play every day, especially ones as promising as Walker. That's why Mozeliak decided to send Walker back to Memphis when the Cardinals had to play eight of their next ten games against right-handers in the new week. Walker would not face any right-handers and would be used as a backup, a role better suited to Baker due to his aforementioned defensive limitations. Walker would return to Memphis and play every day again.

“At the time, I just wanted to fill a gap quickly (with Walker),” said Mozeliak. “My philosophy has always been that you have to play as a young player. I always find it terrible when I think of a 22-year-old sitting on the bench.”

Ultimately, Walker's one-week call-up can be attributed to the fact that there are no other reasonable options left on the 40-man roster. That in itself is a problem.

How will the Cardinals use Baker?

Baker, 27, was one of the best power hitters in the Triple-A circuit, posting a .535 slugging average and an .880 OPS. He will rarely be a starter but is valuable as a right-handed reliever.

St. Louis will continue platooning, with both Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman set to face right-hander Frankie Montas on Tuesday despite their declining averages. The Cardinals aren't as comfortable with consistent playing time from Baker as they are with Walker. They are OK with keeping Baker and using him as a pinch-hit when opponents use a left-handed reliever, seeing that as Baker's greatest value.

Why wasn't Baker drafted instead of Walker from the start? It's because of his ability to play only first base or serve as a team's designated hitter. The team doesn't bench Paul Goldschmidt or let him play on the bench, season issues aside. The Cardinals also have their preferred designated hitters – Alec Burleson against right-handers and Willson Contreras against left-handers. With a ton of right-handers on the roster, St. Louis can keep Baker on the bench and use him in late-game situations when needed.

What impact will Crawford's release have on the 40-man roster?

The Cardinals have granted Crawford an unconditional release to increase flexibility on the 40-man roster. They will need an open spot for Steven Matz, who is scheduled to make what could be his final rehab assignment on Wednesday. If he is cleared, Matz will be activated from the 60-day IL as early as next week, meaning both a 26-man and 40-man roster change will be necessary. It's unclear what the corresponding active roster change might be, but the Cardinals have considered keeping Andre Pallante as the starter and implementing a six-man rotation.

“Obviously (Matz) is very close, and at some point we'd like to see Riley O'Brien,” Mozeliak said. “There are some decisions that need to be made, but hopefully that's because the guys are performing well.”

Crawford, 37, had a .169 batting average and a .544 OPS in 80 at-bats. Still, the decision to move on from Crawford was not a popular one. Both Mozeliak and Marmol spoke at length about the difficult decision, and the move was not well received in the clubhouse.

“It was a tough call,” Marmol said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Crawford, for his career, what he's done away from here, but also what he's done here. I know a lot of people will look at that and say he wasn't on the field very often, his average was this, his OPS was that, but you're missing a big part of what makes a team a team. His consistency and his overall mentality and the way he goes about his job has brought a lot.”

The Cardinals will not have a true backup shortstop, although Brendan Donovan can step in behind Masyn Winn in a pinch. One could also speculate that infield talent Thomas Saggesse could be called upon at some point this season, although that would require a 40-man rotation.

Tuesday's developments are confusing, despite the explanations from Mozeliak and Marmol. But they made one thing clear: St. Louis is in trouble. The club is willing to try anything to stop its downward spiral and get back into contention.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. That's just the situation the Cardinals find themselves in right now.

(Photo of Brandon Crawford on August 10: Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)

You may also like...