Spring training is generally the time of the year to focus on prospects that might have a shot to help the club in the future, and the St. Louis Cardinals might have already found two position players who can step into the regular lineup and fill important needs.

And those players are shortstop Pete Kozma and outfielder Oscar Taveras.

Kozma  isn’t necessarily a prospect anymore after his 27-game stint with the Cardinals last September, but the team has thus far been reluctant to place much confidence in the 24-year-old shortstop.

However, Kozma hit .333 after he was called up to the big club last season, and he is hitting even better, .353, through the first week of spring training while also playing solid defense, especially compared to the other shortstop in camp, Ronny Cedeno, who had two awful throwing errors in Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the Washington Nationals.

The Cardinals also might desperately need Kozma once the season starts because of Rafael Furcal’s ongoing arm problems.

Furcal was hoping to return to game action Saturday, but his throwing arm still hasn’t recovered from a ligament tear he suffered Aug. 30 and bone spurs that also cause him discomfort. Right now there is no timetable for his return and nobody is willing to speculate about whether or not he’ll be ready for Opening Day.

When teams shuffle around that question, it usually means the player is pretty unlikely to start the season on the field instead of the disabled list, and that makes Kozma’s presence all the more important.

It is puzzling why the Cardinals don’t want to commit to Kozma. The team tried to find an outside option at the position during the offseason, but no team was willing to make a satisfactory deal that didn’t pilfer the Cardinals loaded young pitching staff.

So as the situation stands now, the Cardinals might be forced to give Kozma a real shot at the everyday job.

Now that might cause panic in the hearts of some Cardinals fans who remember Kozma as a high draft pick who produced next to nothing in the minor leagues. In fact, he was so bad the Cardinals considered releasing him four times while he was in the minors.

But considering the Cardinals have won with players such as Brendan Ryan and Skip Schumaker up the middle, they certainly have enough talent (and arguably better pitching) to field a winning team with Kozma at shortstop, and Daniel Descalso or Matt Carpenter at second base.

The outfield is a bit of a different story, however.

Taveras has been hitting the tar out of the ball so far in spring training, batting .318 with a grand slam and six RBIs. But the Cardinals don’t have nearly the same need for a player to come along and become a regular starter.

Matt Holliday, Jon Jay and Carlos Beltran make up a very solid outfield lineup, but there could be other ways to make Taveras productive without stunting the 20-year-old’s growth by stashing him on the bench.

All three of those outfielders will likely need consistent rest throughout the season to stay fresh, so Taveras could easily slide in as an excellent fourth outfielder. Plus, the Cardinals can play him in the field and use Beltran as the designated hitter during interleague games, which occur more often this year than in the past.

In any case, the Cardinals have accomplished one of the biggest goals of spring training. They have found young players who can potentially fill important roles on the team this year.

Now the team just has to follow through and actually use them.

Kansas City, MO (November 6, 2012) – The Kansas City Royals have announced that right-handed reliever Greg Holland has been named the 2012 Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year.  The award was voted on by the Kansas City Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA).

Holland, who will turn 27 on November 20, made 67 appearances for the Royals, finishing 7-4 with a 2.96 ERA, 16 saves and 91 strikeouts in 67.0 innings.  The North Carolina native overcame early season struggles and a stint on the disabled list by posting a 2.08 ERA over his final 60 outings.  He recorded 16 saves in 18 chances after taking over the closer’s role on July 31, including 13 straight conversions from August 1 to September 9.  Holland finished third among American League relievers in strikeouts, trailing teammate Tim Collins (93) and Steve Delabar, who notched 92 with Seattle and Toronto.  The 91 strikeouts rank sixth in single-season franchise history among relievers.  Holland held opponents to two home runs over 67.0 innings for a ratio of 0.27 per nine innings, second-best in the American League among pitchers who threw at least 65.0 innings.  He became the first Kansas City reliever with seven or more wins in a season since 2000.

Yesterday, the Royals announced that shortstop Alcides Escobar won the 2012 Joe Burke Special Achievement award.

The Royals were likely to call up infielder Johnny Giavotella after the Omaha Storm Chasers season came to an end, but Chris Getz‘s season-ending thumb injury last week gives Giavotella the chance to see if he has what it takes to be a Major League second baseman.

During spring training, a lot of fans expected (and hoped) Giavotella would make the opening day roster. But on March 25 Giavotella was optioned to AAA Omaha and Getz became the Royals second baseman. A lot of Royals fans and pundits were disappointed. But the Royals believed Getz’s defense was superior, his offense had improved and Giavotella needed more defensive seasoning in Omaha.

Giavotella did well in Omaha with a .331/.408/.504 line with five homers, 25 RBI and 152 plate appearances, playing second base. When starter Jonathan Sanchez went on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis, Giavotella joined the Royals May 9.

During his first stint with the Royals, Giavotella played 21 games and split playing time with Getz and Yuni Betancourt. He had an unimpressive .217/.260/.261 line with no homers and six RBI over 73 plate appearances, committing three errors at second base. Giavotella got more playing time at second when Getz went down with a rib injury May 16, but he still split playing time with Betancourt. The Royals sent Giavotella back down to Omaha June 12 when Chris Getz returned from the disabled list.

Giavotella returned to Omaha, ending up with a .323/.404/.472 line with 10 home runs, 71 RBI over 418 plate appearances. He played the majority of the games at second, committing six errors with a .983 fielding average. It appeared Giavotella would be a September call-up, if he was called up at all. Then last Friday, Getz broke his thumb during a bunt attempt and Giavotella was called up for last Saturday’s game against the White Sox.

Plans are for Giavotella to play five to six games a week at second base. So far, Giavotella’s five games since his return haven’t been impressive. His average over the last five games is .167/.211/.167 with three base hits, no RBI with six strikeouts and no walks. In other words, he’s in the lineup, but not really contributing. Of course this is a small sample size and there’s hope his offensive numbers will improve as he gets more playing time.

But what about Giavotella’s defense at second base? To be honest, his defensive numbers this season haven’t been impressive either, with a .949 fielding percentage and a 3.65 RF/9. Compare that to Getz’s .983 fielding percentage and 4.43 RF/9. Even Betancourt had a .975 fielding percentage and a 4.61 RF/9, and we all know how bad an infielder he was. The league average fielding percentage at second base is .983 and the league RF/9 is 4.62. In other words, all three players are just near or below league average. One is no longer with the team (Betancourt), another is out for the year (Getz), and the one who’s left (Giavotella) is below league average in both categories.

Some Royals fans would like Giavotella to be the second baseman of the future and take Getz’s place. But to be fair, Getz played well with a .275/.312/.360 average and only committed four errors at second, despite having an injury filled season. And since Getz is not going to be a free agent until 2015, he’s probably going to be competing for a second base job in 2013, along with Giavotella.

Unless Giavotella has an injury, he’s going to be the Royals second baseman for the rest of the season. And even if his offense improves, his defense will decide if the Royals think he’s their second baseman of the future. Giavotella is being given a chance. It’s up to him to make the most of it.

I know it is hard to believe, but the Kansas City Royals have actually been a very competitive team for the last month and a half. Since starting 3-14 they’ve gone 19-15, against a much tougher stretch of competition than they’re preparing to face. Even at that pace they’d finish the season with 84 victories at the end of the year. In theory, if they do continue playing the same level of baseball, they’ll win many more than 84 games. Why? Take a look at the winning percentages for the Royals past and future opponents:

Last 34 games (19-15 stretch):  .521

Rest of June: .457

That’s a huge difference in quality of opponent. Even after another disastrous start by Luke Hochevar against the worst offense in the American League, the Royals still find themselves in prime position to climb back to .500 by the end of June. Their next 10 games are against teams with losing records, before they face the fading Cardinals on back-to-back weekends. The opponent in between those weekend match ups is none other than the Houston Astros, picked by many to be the worst team in baseball in 2012. In fact, the only formidable opponents the Royals face in June are the Tampa Bay Rays, and they get three against the hapless Twins right after that. All told that leaves 25 games remaining in June, with 22 against teams you could argue the Royals are equal with or better than. Now of course, that only puts the club at .500, does that really even matter?

Yes, when you consider…

-          Salvador Perez is playing in extended spring training games and expected to be back with the club in the next month

-          Jonathan Sanchez is dominating at AAA, looking like his DL stint may have actually helped

-          Wil Myers continues to force the Royals hand, and could be playing center field in Kansas City by the beginning of July

-          Their July schedule is not much tougher as their July opponents currently have a .466 winning percentage

The only good thing about all of the Royals injuries is that they will have a mid season injection of talent without having to trade any of their best prospects. Perez makes this team considerably better, so does Sanchez if he can harness 2010. Does this team look like a contender with those two? Not even close, unless Eric Hosmer wakes up and Wil Myers comes up and mashes. That is the thing about this club, as young as they are, for many of them we are just waiting for the light bulb to switch on. Hosmer could put together a June that almost completely erases April and May. In fact against the teams he is about to face, I would almost be more surprised if he didn’t.

Okay, I’ll pause the hyperbole and get back to math. If the Royals win at a .558 clip against opponents with a .521 winning %, they should in theory play .625 (17-10) ball based on the winning % of their June opponents and .619 (16-9) in July. That would put the Royals at 55-48 on August 1. From August 1^st through the end of the year, the Royals play 29 games against the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago White Sox. At the very least they would control their own destiny; they may even be in the driver’s seat.

As Royals fans we’ve been promised a competitive team “in the future” since before the Allard Baird era, and for the most part, the club has failed to deliver. In my opinion, that future starts right now…in June…it’s our time.

Questions about the health of the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals started popping up before the ink was dry on the contracts signed by Rafael Furcal and Carlos Beltran.

But those two players were not at the front of the line for treatment from the Cards medical staff. That spot belonged to Chris Carpenter, much like his rotation counterpart Adam Wainwright in 2011. Losing Ace 1A certainly make Cardinals fans nervous, and considering the injury histories of guys like Furcal, Beltran, Lance Berkman, and the recent knee injury to Allen Craig, tensions were understandably high. And then the Cards got off to a great start, and it seemed like this team may just be poised to make a serious run at a return to the postseason.

Now, the Cards look like a combination of the team we hoped for—one that scores a lot and pitches well—and the team we feared the most: a group of great players suffering one injury after another.

Friday, the Cards announced Allen Craig (hamstring) and Kyle McClellan (elbow) would be joining Carpenter (nerve damage), Scott Linebrink (shoulder) and Jon Jay (shoulder) on the team’s disabled list. Of the group, Craig and Jay are likely to return first, but it’s no secret the Cards are missing some key players right now. And this comes on the heels of a Berkman DL stint and Beltran’s ongoing leg issues.

Are the Cardinals injury-prone? It certainly appears that way. But it’s not all that surprising. And now more than ever this year, the Cards must lean on their depth in the minor leagues.

The plan has been pretty successful so far. Lance Lynn filled the rotation spot Carpenter would normally occupy; all Lynn has done so far is lead the team in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. Matt Carpenter has filled in quite well at all four corner positions, and before cooling off recently was far and away the best hitting rookie in the league. Since Craig and McClellan went down, the Cards recalled Adron Chambers and Brandon Dickson, two guys who have some experience at the major league level.

But it’s almost time to start wondering how close the Cardinals are to having to add someone to the 40 man roster. One, maybe two more injuries would be borderline devastating to this team; not because of the number of guys out, but because someone may have to have their “clock” started by coming into Major League Baseball earlier than the Cards hoped.

It is the toughest thing to plan for in sports, because you just never know who is going to come up lame. It may make logical sense to look at someone like Furcal, Wainwright, or David Freese based on their history. But how can a team prepare for that? If they stockpile corner infielders or starting pitchers and they end up needing a shortstop or shut-down reliever, how is that planning worth anything?

The Cardinals have been bitten hard lately by the injury bug, and the two-way conveyor belt between St. Louis and Memphis has been fired up, and right now it is sending more players north than south. Is it time to panic? No. But concern is legitimate.

Five Naturals rank among circuit’s top prospects
Odorizzi, Myers, Perez, Dwyer, Herrera all tabbed for list

SPRINGDALE, AR – While not quite as dominating as the 2010 Naturals, the 2011 Naturals still claimed five spots among Baseball America’s Top 20 Texas League prospects for the season. Only the league champion San Antonio Missions had as many players named to the list. The rankings were released Thursday.

For the Naturals, right-hander Jake Odorizzi (No. 5) was the highest rated player for Northwest Arkansas, while outfielder Wil Myers (No. 13), left-hander Chris Dwyer (No. 15), right-hander Kelvin Herrera (No. 16), and catcher Salvador Perez (No. 17) also made the list.

Unsurprisingly, outfielder Mike Trout (Arkansas Travelers), one of the top prospects across baseball who was voted as Texas League Player of the Year, topped the list. Former Diamond Hogs third baseman Zack Cox (Springfield Cardinals) was ranked 14th.

Odorizzi, who had a stellar first half of the season leading to his promotion to Double-A, was also named last week as the seventh-best prospect in the Carolina League. Two of the other four players – Myers and Dwyer – saw injuries (Myers) and early season struggles (Dwyer) affect their seasons, but both players turned in solid play down the stretch and made great contributions to the Naturals’ fourth-consecutive second-half division championship run.

Perez’ bat turned from solid to white-hot in July, and never cooled off even after a promotion to the big leagues in August that followed just a two-week stint with Triple-A Omaha. Herrera’s whirlwind season began in Advanced Class-A Wilmington, took him through the Texas League, including (along with Myers) an appearance in the 2011 XM All-Star Futures Game, to Triple-A Omaha and then onward to Kansas City, where he made two late season appearances out of the Royals’ bullpen.

Last season the Naturals also had five of their players make the Texas League post-season Top 20 list. Four of those five players – Mike Moustakas (No. 1), Eric Hosmer (No. 2), Aaron Crow (No. 6), and Louis Coleman (No. 16) spent all or a significant portion of the 2011 season in Kansas City.

Baseball America’s League Top 20 lists are generated from consultations with scouts and league managers. To qualify for consideration, a player must have spent at least one-third of the season in a league. Position players must have one plate appearance for every league game. Pitchers must pitch one-third of an inning for every league game, and relievers have to have made at least 20 appearances in full-season leagues.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state of the art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. You can purchase tickets and group outings with the Naturals by calling (479) 927-4900.

The St. Louis Cardinals and the National League Central division crown seemed to be synomonous with each other. Year in and year out it was the Cardinals who sat at the top of the standing, but in recent years the tide has changed.

No longer are the Cardinals the lock they once were, especially after last season witnessed them tumble toward the finish line — losing 13 of 15 games during one horrific stretch. The upstart Cincinnati Reds were the Cards kryptonite, winning a few key series down the stretch to show them who the real big boys were.

This season the Cardinals were not even the odds-on favorite to win the division crown, but instead that honor was bestowed upon the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers, possessing a potent offense and a great pitching staff were an easy pick over the mostly no-name Cardinals.

However, it was the Cardinals and their under-the-radar acquisitions that made the most noise throughout the seasons early going. It was the Cardinals who sat atop the division, reminiscent of old times while the preseason favorites struggled to play with consistency.

Unfortunately the good vibes the Cards had earlier this season have not continued due to a variety of reasons: The most obvious one is injuries playing a major toll. Perennial N.L. MVP candidate Albert Pujols suffered an injury and faced a DL stint, causing the team to struggle.

In the opening game of a pivotal showdown against the Brewers, rookie righty Lance Lynn suffered an injury to his oblique, most likely sending him to the DL. Lynn has made all of 18 appearances, but already has a place in the Cards’ faithful hearts.

Lynn hasn’t been lights out like other rookie phenoms, but he has been effective out of the bullpen, giving them the spark they need. Since he joined the ranks of the bullpen, the staff has compiled an ERA over a run better than their season average.

With the Cardinals now trailing the Brewers by four games and the date August 10, time is not in their favor, but they have a roster in place that is built to withstand injuries and compete for the division crown.

For years pitchers would never pitch to Pujols because they did not fear the hitter who came after him in the lineup, but those days are long over. The Cardinals, never one to spend big on free-agents, paid an exorbitant amount to keep Matt Holliday after a mid-season trade.

Holliday has supplied St. Louis with another power bat to help take some of the pressure off of Pujols while adding some toward the opposition. However, arguably it has been an under the radar pickup who has supplied even more pop

While Holliday has blasted 18 home runs, obviously still struggling without the benefit of playing in Coors Field, Lance Berkman has found the fountain of youth.

After a year so disastrous that many thought he was done, the Cards took a chance and found lightning in a bottle. Berkman has blasted 28 home runs, which leads the team, while playing adequate defense in the outfield.

With three power hitters in their lineup, the Cards should be fine in the offensive side of the ball. For them to overtake the Brewers, the Cards need to pitch better than them, and win their head to head match-ups.

Following their three game set against the Brew Crew, the Cardinals will still have six games left against the division leaders. Those six games will almost certainly determine the division winner.

If the Cardinals play up to the level they had earlier this year, the lights will be on in Busch for October. If not, then a long winter awaits for the Cards and their fans.

Ryan Lazo is a contributing writer to I70 Baseball. He is also a Senior Writer for BaseballDigest.com. He can be reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his blog Artificially Enhanced.

That seems to be a common reaction a few days after the non-waiver trade deadline passes. Players are dealt, flipped, and reassigned quicker than even the most trained eye can keep up with.

Allow me to step out of our normal Cardinals and Royals coverage and take a look at the big picture for a minute. There was a lot of activity at this year’s deadline, from a lot of teams that others did not expect. There are familiar faces in new places and all of this started back around July 13…

It was then, 18 days prior to the deadline, that the Blue Jays emerged in the “seller” category and shipped Juan Rivera to the Los Angeles Dodgers for the infamous Player To Be Named Later (PTBNL) or Cash Considerations. Rivera, who returns to Los Angeles after a six-year stint with the Angeles, is a hitter that just does not seem to find a consistent stroke. Listed as an outfielder/first baseman, he has shown flashes of solid play, posting seasons with over 20 home runs and more than 80 runs batted in. However, he has followed them up with seasons of injuries and reduced playing time. The Dodgers see him as an upgrade over Marcus Thames, who was released following this move.

The Juan Rivera deal might have been the first deal this trade season, but the league and baseball fans everywhere barely noticed as the Brewers announced a deal on the same day. The Milwaukee club, who many have said will take the National League Central, struck a deal at the middle of the month to bring Francisco Rodriguez to the club from the New York Mets providing the Gotham team with two PTBNL in return. Rodriguez joins John Axford as dominant arms in the Brewers bullpen and drastically shortens the game for Brewers opponents. Most teams shied away from K-Rod due to a clause in his contract that causes a $17.5 million option to vest should he finish 55 games in 2011. He has currently closed out 34, but the Brewers seem set to use him as a setup man to Axford, making K-Rod a two and half month, eighth inning rental.

The Blue Jays were back in the news as the deadline approached. As America turned their calendars to July 27, the Blue Jays announced they were sending Jason Frasor and Zach Stewart to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Mark Teahen and Edwin Jackson. A move that made little sense for the Canadian franchise that was deemed as sellers quickly turned into the season first flip trade. Jackson would be dealt to the Cardinals ensuring that he would in fact wear a bird, but would not be leaving the country to wear a bird of the blue variety. The deal with the Cardinals would send Jackson, Corey Patterson, Marc Rzepcynski, Octavio Dotel and three PTBNL to St. Louis in exchange for Trever Miller, Colby Rasmus, PJ Walters, and Brian Tallet. I-70 Baseball broke down the underlying details of this deal here.

Just a day later, the surprise team of the American League Central showed that it was going to do what it needed to in order to continue to win. The Cleveland Indians, in need of outfield help due to injuries, would send outfielder Abner Abreu and pitcher Carlton Smith to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. Abreu has never seen time above High-A ball in his four professional years, but signed as a 17 year old so that can be deceiving. He has shown flashes of power this season though his batting average seems to have suffered for it. Smith has spent six seasons in the Indians farm system, reaching Triple-A last season for the first time. Being groomed as a reliever and possibly a closer, the youngster will need to find his footing soon if he anticipates a major league career. Fukudome has spent his entire American career, albeit a short one, in Chicago until now. He plays a strong outfield and is typically a consistent, if not flashy, hitter until this season. His power has all but disappeared and the Indians may be banking on a change of scenery to help with that.

It what seemed to be a trend, a deal that was made to strengthen a team would be overshadowed before the day was over by a deal that would be regarded as major. Major might be an understatement this time as July 28th would see the prize player of this year’s trade deadline change teams, and coasts, as Carlos Beltran traded in his New York Mets cap to join the team that left New York, the San Francisco Giants. In return, the Mets snagged one of baseball’s top prospect pitchers in Zach Wheeler. The 21 year old Wheeler has spent just two years in the minor leagues, but has thrown well. Good command, a high strikeout ratio and low walk ratio have people talking about Wheeler, and he is still playing High-A ball at this point. The Mets would look to accelerate the young man and have him in New York sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, the Giants grab an outfielder that is coming off of two injury laden seasons and appears to be back to his All-Star form. Beltran leads the league in doubles, is hitting for power and average, and is showing up on highlight reels across the country in the outfield. Many think the Giants made the move they needed to in order to find their way to October.

The following day, on the 29th of July, the Phillies would make a move to grab an outfielder and middle of the order hitter, acquiring Hunter Pence from the Houston Astros for Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, Josh Zeid, and a PTBNL. Pence has hit 25 home run in each of the last three seasons and has seen his stock rise with teams around the league as Houston continues to rebuild. Pence did not come cheap for the Phillies, however, as they shipped their two top prospects to Houston in Singleton and Cosart. Singleton has spent most of his young career playing first base and showing occasional power to go along with a consistently high average. Cosart joins Singleton as 21-year old prospects on the move, as the pitcher will leave his High-A ball team in the Phillies organization where he has shown the ability to keep hitters under control while pitching to contact. Zeid is a young pitcher at the Double-A level that has struggled until finding his footing as a reliever this season. The Astros see him as an important part of the bullpen in the near future but make no mistake, it was Cosart and Singleton that made this deal happen.

With two days left before the non-waiver trade deadline, the flood gates would open and players would be moving in rapid succession on July 30th. It was the Brewers who would make a move to shore up their infield after losing Rickie Weeks to injury. The Brewers would send a struggling pitcher from their Double-A club, Erik Komatsu, to the Washington Nationals in exchange for utility man Jerry Hairston. Hairston provides immediate assistance at second and long term infield help when Weeks returns.

Utility men filling holes around the leagues was on a few general manager’s minds on July 30 and the next trade would land squarely in the middle of I-70′s team from the west. Longtime utility man Mike Aviles finds himself heading to the East Coast and the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Kendal Volz and Yamaico Navarro. Navarro for Aviles makes little sense other than a “change of scenery” type of deal. Both players are similar types – utility infielders that have yet to perform at the level their teams thought they would. Volz on the other hand spent his first professional year starting games at Low-A ball and is currently closing games at High-A, and doing both fairly well. The Royals appear to have cut at least one deal that put something back into their farm system.

It was Detroit that wanted to gear their pitching staff up for the playoff run and they were able to land an arm for the rotation and one for the bullpen in their July 30 trade with the Seattle Mariners. Detroit might have picked up one of the games most interesting relief pitchers in David Pauley. The young right hander is holding left handed hitters well below .160 on a regular basis. Fister is one of those pitchers that has remained hidden in Seattle, posting a solid earned run average, good strikeout/walk ratio and overall pitching very well, but being left with a 3-12 record. Detroit sends rightfielder Casper Wells, reliever Charlie Furbush, minor league third baseman Francisco Martinez and a PTBNL. Wells is just starting to get his feet wet in the major leagues, but is showing a solid batting average and a patient eye. Furbush is a swing man reliever capable of picking up a start or two if needed and Martinez projects as a major league caliber hitter who is performing well at the Double-A level currently.

Continuing the flurry of activity on the 30th the Washington Nationals would ship Jason Marquis to the Arizona Diamondbacks to help shore up their rotation as they fight for a spot in October in the National League West. The Diamondbacks would send Zach Walters, a Class-A Shortstop, to the nation’s capital to complete the deal. Walters is showing the ability to hit well and play multiple positions in the minors.

The Texas Rangers needed to shore up their bullpen and they made a few moves approaching the deadline to achieve that. Another July 30th deal would see the Orioles float setup man Koji Uehara to the Rangers in exchange for Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter. Davis is a corner infielder who has arrived in the major leagues on the heels of a powerful showing in the minors. He posted 24 home runs and 66 runs batted in at Triple-A this season prior to his call up. Hunter is on the same path, just from the mound. A young man that has been performing well at the minor league level and is now shoring up a bullpen in Baltimore.

The Giants would continue to shore up their shortcomings and replace injured veteran Miguel Tejada by acquiring Orlando Cabrera from the Indians for Thomas Neal. Cabrera, who has spent most of his career playing short has spent all of this season playing second for the tribe. Neal, a right handed outfielder, has shown promises of power and hitting ability a few years back but has struggled to produce lately.

The Orioles were not done on July 30th, however, and would send first baseman Derek Lee to the surprisingly competitive Pittsburgh Pirates in a deal that would bring Aaron Baker back to Baltimore. Baker may be one of the best pure hitters on the move, even though he has not played above High-A Ball. Meanwhile, the Pirates are able to replace the struggling Lyle Overbay with a strong bat that is familiar with baseball well into September.

July 30th would end with a bang and would feature one of the clubs that surprised everyone by being buyers at the deadline. The Cleveland Indians, thick in a hunt for the American League Central would land Colorado Rockies’ ace pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. Ace pitchers do not come cheap, however, and the Indians would trade their top two pitching prospects in the package to Colorado. Alex White and Joe Gardner would be joined by former catcher and current outfielder Matt McBride and a PTBNL. McBride is a hitter that is looking to find a home defensively but with a bat like that, the Rockies will find him a home.

The Dodgers would send injured and struggling speedster Rafael Furcal to the Cardinals in exchange for Alex Castellanos on July 31. The Dodgers get a Double-A outfielder with some upside and a chance to see how well prospect Dee Gordon handles the position the rest of the year. The Cardinals get a pure leadoff man and a huge upgrade in defense at short.

The trade deadline was not going to settle into the sunset with a simple shortstop move, and the Diamondbacks were still looking to fill in their roster. They would send reliever Jordan Norberto along with first baseman Brandon Allen to the Oakland A’s for the impressive sidearm reliever Brad Ziegler. Ziegler has been unbelievable this season, including his debut run of 39 scoreless innings, and surely will give the Diamondbacks some more firepower in the bullpen.

Rumors flew on the day of the deadline with Erik Bedard of the Seattle Mariners being connected to multiple teams all throughout the day. Ultimately it would take three teams and a slew of prospects changing hands to get Bedard into Boston and a Red Sox uniform. Bedard helps fill in a vacancy left by the injury to Clay Buckholz and the Red Sox will rely on him to help guide them deeper into the postseason.

The trade deadline would see Ryan Ludwick change teams for the second straight year. This time, the former Cardinal who has been in a bit of a slump since leaving the Redbirds will find himself back in the National League Central and playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates promised cash or a PTBNL in exchange.

In a highly anticipated and rumored move, the San Diego Padres moved a relief pitcher, but it was not Heath Bell. It would be Mike Adams who would find himself in a new uniform when the calendar flipped to August and that uniform would have the Texas Rangers logo on it. The Rangers pulled off a deal for another strong bullpen arm, this time giving up prospects Robert Erlin and Joesph Wieland, two young impressive pitchers that many expect in the majors soon.

It was the Atlanta Braves who would steal the spotlight as the curtain came down on the trade deadline. The Braves would acquire Houston Astros outfielder Michael Bourn in exchange for Juan Abreu, Brett Oberholtzer, Paul Clemens and prized prospect Jordan Schafer. Abreu, Oberholtzer, and Clemens are more of the same from Atlanta, strong pitching prospects that can make a difference very quickly for their new ball club. Schafer has finally got his chance to shine in the big leagues this season and has struggled to get a handle on big league pitching. The future still seems bright for the young man if he can turn it around.

This year’s non-waiver trade deadline brought a lot of moves, a lot of new faces, and a lot of prospects changing hands. Now you’re up to speed on who is wearing what hat as the teams begin the run to the playoffs.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
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The recent release of Miguel Batista brings back memories of a similar situation facing the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985. Trading Neil Allen to the New York Yankees was one of the turning points for a team that would go on to win 101 games, and take the Kansas City Royals to the seventh game of the World Series.

Prospect to closer

Neil Allen

Neil Patrick Allen was a tall right hander that was drafted out of high school by the Mets in 1976. He progressed quickly through the minor league system, making the jump from A to AAA in a single season. A strong showing in spring training combined with a nearly complete overhaul of the Mets starting rotation earned Allen a spot on the Mets 1979 roster, initially as a starter.

It did not go well in the beginning for the 21 year old. He had a good fastball, but it was his curveball that made your, and opposing batters, eyes pop out. Unfortunately, the control he had shown in the minors didn’t make the trip to the major leagues with the rest of his equipment. Falling behind in the count and an increasing walk total took away one of his best weapons, that nasty curveball, and what was left in his arsenal was quite hittable.

The Mets would lose his first five starts and Allen would fail to get beyond the sixth inning in all of them, including one hook after retiring just two batters (and giving up three runs). With an 0-4 record and rapidly escalating ERA, the Mets moved Allen to the bullpen instead of sending him back to the minors to work on his command. That turned out to be a good decision as Allen turned things around. It was a struggle at first, but after coming back from a short stint on the disabled list, Allen turned in a solid season in relief. In the 38 games after coming off the DL, Allen would post a 6-5 record with 2.07 ERA and 8 saves, with only one blown save. The Mets were on to something here.

Over the next three seasons, Allen would establish himself as the closer for the Mets, initially sharing those duties with Jeff Reardon. Allen would save 59 games over those three seasons. The Mets thought so much of Allen as their closer, they traded away Jeff Reardon early in 1981 in a deal with the Montreal Expos to acquire Ellis Valentine. Reardon would go on to save 367 games in his career, many of those coming with the Expos.

The Trade

Not only was Allen doing a good job closing out games for the Mets, he was also the life of the party away from the stadium. At some point, the celebrating and good times turned into a problem, and it spilled onto the playing field in 1983.

By mid June, the once dependable closer had a 2-7 record with an ERA he hadn’t seen since those first few starts in his rookie season. He also disclosed his alcohol problem to the team. While the Mets front office took some time to find a solution, one suddenly presented itself in St. Louis – one that was too good to pass up.

Drug and alcohol problems were widespread in baseball at the time, but it seemed to be a particular problem in the St. Louis clubhouse. In 1981, then general manager, Whitey Herzog, cleaned house of the over-paid and under-performing stars as he retooled his new team into champions. He was about to do it again, but this time it was in an effort to clean up the team, and its image. It would take Herzog several years to complete the overhaul, and it all started with one of the most popular players on the team, Keith Hernandez.

On June 15, 1983, the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals completed a deal sending Gold Glove winner and former NL MVP, Keith Hernandez to New York Mets for Neil Allen. From the moment the deal was made, fans were against it. Memories of Steve Carlton for Rick Wise and dumping Jose Cruz to the Astros were still fresh in the minds of Cardinals Nation, and this trade was as bad, if not worse, than those. Things could not have worked out better for the Mets and Hernandez. It was quite the opposite for Allen and the Cardinals.

Fan favorite, Keith Hernandez

The pitching problem for the Cardinals was in the starting rotation, not the bullpen, so that’s where they would put Allen. And he pitched well initially, although the fans were clearly not on his side. With every pitch, all we noticed was George Hendrick playing first base instead of Keith Hernandez. Every ground ball that got through the right side of the infield or any runner stranded by the heart of the Cardinals batting order became another black mark on the Cardinals career of Neil Allen.

To put it simply, Neil Allen was doomed from the moment he put on a Cardinals uniform. It was totally unfair, and it hasn’t happened very often in the history of the franchise. But it did happen to Neil Allen, and the two years he spent in St. Louis must have seemed like an eternity.

Back to the pen

Allen would spend most of the remainder of 1983 in the starting rotation, posting a solid 10-6 record with a modest 3.70 ERA. His control had returned somewhat, and there was reason to be optimistic about 1984.

The emergence of Danny Cox in 1983 meant that the Cardinals could best use Allen’s talents in the bullpen, as a setup man to Bruce Sutter, filling the long relief spot as needed. He could also jump into a spot start, should the schedule require it.

He got off to a terrible start to the 1984 season, allowing runs in six of his seven outings. Somehow, the Cardinals managed to score enough runs to make him a winner in one, and he was able to pick up holds, albeit rather shaky ones, in two others. After a long rest, Allen seemed to return to the form we had seen in 1983. May was a solid month for the young right hander, but as the calendar turned to June, he started giving up runs in bunches. Thanks to a couple of big innings from the Cardinals bats, Allen ended up posting a positive record of 9-6. His strong May and July helped him keep his ERA down to 3.50, slightly better than the previous year.

A brutal start

Then came the 1985 season.

For most Cardinals fans, it was a magical time. Vince Coleman would burst on the scene and electrify huge crowds with his base running. The Cardinals defense was one of the best in the game. And the pitching. Oh, the pitching. Joaquin Andujar started the season, looking like he might reach 30 wins. John Tudor’s turnaround in June, posting the best summer of pitching since Bob Gibson’s in 1968.

The odd man out was Neil Allen. And his troubles started in the first game of the season. The date was April 9, and it would happen in the city where he broke into the major leagues, New York.

Neither of the two starters, Joaquin Andujar for the Cardinals and Dwight Gooden for the Mets, were sharp. Andujar would only last five innings, Gooden six. The story was the two bullpens, and they were very good.

With the Mets ahead, 5-4 in the ninth, Doug Sisk, in his third inning of relief, got into trouble. A single, hit batsman, and another infield single loaded the bases with just one out. Sisk struck out Terry Pendeton, but a bases loaded walk of newcomer Jack Clark tied the game at 5. The turning point in the game was not the bases loaded walk, but the Cardinals failing to score more than the tying run. That would come back to haunt them in a few minutes.

Neil Allen would take over for the Cardinals in the bottom of the tenth, with the score still tied at 5. He would strike out Keith Hernandez, which had a certain touch of irony to it. Gary Carter would send the huge Mets crowd home in a frenzy when he launches a Neil Allen pitch deep into the left field seats for a walk-off homer.

History would repeat itself two days later. In the second game of the season, Ron Darling and John Tudor hooked up in one of the best pitched games of the season. Each would surrender a single run, and neither would be around when the game ended.

As in the season opener, the game would go into extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th inning, Andy Hassler would give up a single to Keith Hernandez. Whitey Herzog went to his bullpen, calling on game one loser, Neil Allen. Allen faced three batters, retiring none of them. A single and intentional walk would bring up Danny Heep with the bases loaded. Allen would walk Danny Heep, forcing in the winning run.

And this was not the low point in Allen’s 1985 season. That would come in just a few weeks.

Finding new ways to lose

On May 1, the Cardinals would battle the Los Angeles Dodgers for 12 exciting innings. Danny Cox and Orel Hershiser would each allow a single run in the first inning, and nothing but goose eggs after that. In the twelfth inning, Ken Landreaux would lead off with a double. Neil Allen, in his third inning of relief, would get a strikeout and groundout. With Landreaux now on third base, Allen was one pitch from getting out of trouble. Unfortunately. he would be called for a balk before that pitch could be delivered, and Landreaux scored the eventual winning run.

That was the day that Allen’s Cardinals career ended. But not the last day he pitched. And it got ugly. Real ugly.

Unlike in April, where Allen rebounded from those two extra inning losses in New York, there was just more of the same in May. And June. In the fourteen games he would pitch for the Cardinals after that balk, the Cardinals would lose 13 of those games. Whitey Herzog was afraid to use Allen in games where the Cardinals held a lead, no matter how large.

Does any of this sound familiar ?

As the All Star game approached, Herzog and general manager Dal Maxvill huddled to determine what they would do. The Cardinals lead in the NL East was small, and Allen was using up a valuable roster spot. The Cardinals could not afford to eat the remainder of Allen’s $750,000 contract, but they might have to do just that.

In a moment of brilliance, they decided to showcase Allen, putting him in very low risk situations, mostly blowouts, but showing his value as a long reliever. They took a gargantuan gamble on June 11, giving him a spot start in Pittsburgh. Maxvill and Herzog held their breath as he took the mound, and got totally shelled, giving up 7 runs in less than three innings of work. Gutsy call on Maxvill’s part – unfortunately it didn’t work.

The turning point

Allen in pinstripes

Allen would not see any more work in June. In the past, Allen seemed to rebound from a long rest, and that’s just what he got. After missing 19 games, Allen appeared next in early July. In three appearances, he didn’t allow a single run and that was good enough for the New York Yankees, who had a sudden bullpen need.

On July 16, the Yankees bought out the remainder of Neil Allen’s contract, and his Cardinals career came to an end. Two years, one month and one day.

The deal worked out well for both clubs. Allen’s roster would be filled by Joe Boever, who proved to be an upgrade from Allen’s recent performance. The bullpen became significantly better when a young right handed flame thrower by the name of Todd Worrell was called up from Louisville just before the post-season eligibility deadline. What was once a liability suddenly became the strength of the Cardinals roster, and late inning leads were now safe.

The Yankees got more than they expected in Neil Allen. In 17 appearances, he would post a 1-0 record with an ERA of 2.75, the best of his career. He would also tack on one save and two holds. More important, he didn’t blow a single save chance in those 17 appearances.

More troubles

Just before the start of the 1986 spring training, the Yankees traded Allen to the Chicago White Sox. The tall right hander started out the season in the bullpen, but moved into the starting rotation in early May. In a reversal of his rookie season, he proved to be magic for the White Sox as a starter. He would win his first four decisions, and finally post a 7-2 record. Of particular note were a pair of complete game shutouts in July, the second being against his former team, the Yankees. Arm troubles would cut short his season in July. He would miss more than two months, returning for one final start at the end of the season.

Incomplete shutout

A rough start to the 1987 season would lead to his release in August. The Yankees would pick him up one more time, and he pitched well for them again, at least some of the time. It is during this second time with the Yankees that Neil Allen pitched one of the strangest games in baseball history. It is certainly one that doesn’t look right in the record books.

The date was May 31, 1988. The Yankees were in Oakland to play Tony La Russa’s Athletics. Starting the game for the Yankees is Al Leiter.

Carney Landsford leads off the game by hitting a hard line drive that deflects off Leiter’s pitching arm. The Yankee’s lefty scrambles for the ball and throws wildly, allowing Landsford to take second base. Leiter is injured on the play and unable to continue in the game.

Neil Allen is brought into the game to replace Leiter, and he pitches the game of his career. He retires the next 19 batters, giving up a single to Jose Canseco with one out in the seventh inning. Allen would allow just two more Athletics base runners, a two out single by Ron Hassey in the eighth, and a second single to Canseco, this one with two outs in the ninth. Along the way, Allen would also strike out five while walking none. Because he recorded all 27 outs, Allen was given a shutout for his effort. But, he didn’t face all of the Athletics batters, so he did not receive a complete game.

Hitting bottom

Throughout all of these seasons, Allen’s battles with alcohol would continue, mostly in private. It would reach a low point with the Cleveland Indians, while on a rehabilitation assignment in the minor leagues. After a particularly nasty drinking binge, a friend gave Allen a Breathalyzer test, and the results were quite sobering. He was nearing the toxic levels of alcohol in his blood, and if he continued this behavior, he would not survive.

That was the last drink Allen took and he soon checked himself into a substance abuse clinic. He managed to get his life turned around, and even returned to the major leagues for a pair of appearances in September 1989, but those would be the last of his career. He would retire from baseball after an unsuccessful comeback attempt with the Cincinnati Reds in 1990.

A happy ending

Fortunately, the Neil Allen story has a happy ending. After a short break from baseball, Allen returned to the game as a pitching coach for the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. He has coached at just about every level, including some time in the major leagues as the bullpen coach for the Yankees. Allen is now the pitching coach of the Durham Bulls, the AAA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Pitching coach, Neil Allen, evaluates a young pitcher

Bob Netherton covers Cardinals history for i70baseball.com and writes at On the Outside Corner. You may follow Bob on Twitter here or on Facebook here.

As July quickly approaches, so does the halfway point of the season. The Cardinals still find themselves in second place just a game back of the Milwaukee Brewers even after dropping 10 of their last 12, including a seven game losing streak, and losing yet another player—some guy named Albert Pujols—to an extended stint on the DL. For a team that cannot seem to catch a break, they sure do appear lucky to be where they are.

But a mini shake-up started this week as the Cards released Miguel Batista and called Lance Lynn back up from AAA to take the open spot in the bullpen. And Lynn responded by giving the team three scoreless innings Friday night after Jake Westbrook could not make it out of the 5th inning and Mitchell Boggs finished the frame. The last straw for Batista was his involvement in the horrific 8th inning against the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday night. In fact, that inning could have been the last straw for a couple different pitchers, but Batista was the first to take one for the team.

And really, something had to be done. To think that the Cards and Kyle McClellan were six out away from beating the Phillies and Roy Halladay only to have the victory jerked out of their hands by a combination of hit batters, bases on balls, and a handful of hits was a sickening start to a big series with one of the elite teams in the league. That inning set the tone for a series loss to Philly and their stellar rotation. Though Westbrook could not go deep into the game Friday against the Jays, the Cards’ starting rotation had been eating up more innings of late. And that is exactly what the doctor ordered for the bullpen, which is already starting to show signs of overexposure with three months yet to play this season.

Speaking of overexposure, the Cards may need to start keeping an eye on Fernando Salas. He served up the game-winning home run to Jose Bautista Friday night, taking the loss. Though he is still 4-2 on the season, it seems like Salas is giving up runs in every other outing lately, and that is a disturbing trend for the de facto closer.

The Cardinals also brought Raul Valdes up from AAA Memphis, giving them three lefthanders in the bullpen. I don’t know that the move should serve as a notice to Trever Miller and/or Brian Tallet, but the extra lefty is not something you see every day on a Tony LaRussa/Dave Duncan roster. Valdes was OK as a starter but really began pitching well as a reliever at Memphis—his ERA was 0.55 in 14 appearances—and deserved the promotion. But it may not be a stretch to think the bullpen shake-up could continue over the next couple of weeks based on the results those pitchers produce in their coming outings.

With the trade deadline looming and no NL Central team running away with the division, John Mozeliak and co. have begun to take action in tweaking the roster. Rumors are starting to swirl about certain teams calling certain other teams to inquire on certain players, but at this point there is no reason to play fortune teller. Obviously the Cards could use more pitching; so could 29 other teams. But the front office and coaching staff certainly know what they have right now and what could be brought in to help the team.

The moral of the story? Don’t get too attached to anyone in the bullpen right now. Because changes may be coming soon. In fact, they have already started.

Chris Reed also writes for InsideSTL Mondays and Bird Brained whenever he wants. Follow him on Twitter at @birdbrained.