Lars Nootbaar he still hasn’t played this spring as he is recovering from heel surgery. Jeff Jones of The Belleville News-Democrat noted yesterday that the left fielder is likely to start the season on the injured list. There is no clear timetable for his first season.
The injured list has been steady since the Cardinals announced that Nootbaar underwent surgery to correct Haglund’s deformities in both heels in early October. Uncertainty about health seems to have pushed the outfielder out of the trade zone this winter. Nootbaar was tied with the Rangers, Mets and Pirates in points throughout the season. There was too much uncertainty in his health outlook for the Cardinals to find a strong enough return to move him.
The Cardinals have two years of arbitration control over Nootbaar. The left-hander has posted above-average offensive numbers in his first three and a half seasons in MLB. He had a career-worst .234/.325/.361 showing in 583 plate appearances last year. Nootbaar is making $5.35MM this season and seems likely to be available at the deadline as long as he stays healthy.
Nootbaar’s injury leaves the Opening Day fielding job up for grabs. The Cardinals were in the market for a right-handed hitter late in the offseason but did not come away with any MLB additions. They signed Nelson Velázquez in a minor league deal. He is putting together a .333/.440/.524 clip with four walks and two strikeouts in 25 plate appearances this spring. They also get utility infielders Thomas Saggese again José Fermín outdoor activity in the camp. One of those players can split time with a left tackle Nathan Church as a stopgap for the left party platform.
One idea that hasn’t been considered: carrying a highly regarded foreign prospect Joshua Baez on the opening day list. The Cardinals optioned the 22-year-old to Triple-A Memphis yesterday. Báez had an excellent camp, hitting three homers while going 7-21 in 10 games. Báez has no Triple-A experience, so it’s no surprise he’ll start the season in the minors.
A former second-rounder, Báez made a mistake early in his minor league career. He put himself firmly back on the prospect’s radar last season. Báez combined to hit .287/.384/.500 with 20 homers between High-A and Double-A. Even more impressive is that he lowered his strikeout rate to a league-high 21.4% after striking out over 34% of his plate appearances over his first three professional seasons. He will look to follow up his impressive spring training by maintaining that improved contact level in his first Triple-A pitching appearance.
St. Louis also picked opportunities to catch Jimmy Crooks again Leonardo Bernal at the weekend. That goes Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages again Yohel Pozo as three catchers on the 40-man roster remaining in camp. Derrick Goold of St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the team intends to carry all three on the opening day roster. Pages will be the primary option behind the plate, while Pozo will serve in a regular backup role. Herrera will continue to see more time as a hitter than as a catcher, although the Cardinals are not completely removing him from the position.
