Brett Wallace will go as high as bat takes him
LAS VEGAS — Besides top prospect Colby Rasmus, the name the St. Louis Cardinals have heard most in their meetings so far with other clubs has been a player they, by rule, cannot trade: first-round pick Brett Wallace. The big bat who has hit his way onto the big-league radar less than six months after the Cardinals took him 13th overall.
Wallace is a “possibility at Triple-A,” general manager John Mozeliak said Monday.
The big-bodied third baseman was one of two 2008 draft picks to play in the Arizona Fall League and Wallace, after scuffling early, ended on a tear. He hit .309/.381/.585 in Arizona, with 14 of his 29 hits going for extra bases. He did strike out 27 times but also drove in 24 runs in 24 games. The eye-catching performance in Arizona followed his pro debut in which he hit .337/.427/.530 and finished the year with an unscheduled stay at Double-A. Common thinking around the Cardinals was that Wallace would start back at Class AA Springfield, Mo., this coming spring.
Common thinking has undergone some reconsideration.
The Cardinals won’t decide on invitations to major-league spring training until January, but already there are indications the first-round pick will get some exposure to the major-league coaching staff this spring. Mozeliak said third basemen Wallace, Allen Craig and David Freese could all see playing time at a variety of positions this spring training. Wallace and Craig will play some in the outfield because, as one official said, “you might find playing time in left field for Wallace and his bat.” The Cardinals are not in the market for a backup third baseman or first baseman because they believe Freese — the Lafayette High grad and reigning organization player of the year, according to Baseball America — can handle both positions. Or that one of the other two will emerge.
Mozeliak said the interest in having Wallace play outfield is “to create a value.”
It’s apparent the Cardinals are trying to create an avenue.
Wallace could easily begin the season as the starting third baseman in Double-A. He could also add to the cluster of third basemen in Memphis and, if the production continues, push for some swings in the majors by the end of the season.
“We’ll let the bat dictate that,” Mozeliak said.
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Another minor-league garnering interest from other clubs is Francisco Samuel, the High-A reliever with the electric fastball and wipe-out slider. … Dangling out there for a team is Cody Haerther. Once considered a rising bat in the organization, Haerther had his best shot at leaving an impression a few years ago ruined by a hand injury. He is on the Double-A roster and can be had by a team wishing to give him a tryout at the Triple-A level. … Pitcher Blake Hawksworth remains on the 40-man roster not to protect from the coming Rule 5 draft. Hawksworth has enough service time in that if the Cardinals left him off the roster he would instantly become a minor-league free agent.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
I hope the Walrus pulls an Albert and quickly hits his way to the Majors.
Hey DG,
Let’s look ahead to 2010.
Is it feasible to imagine an opening-day infield of Yadier Molina, Albert Pujols, Craig Allen, Tyler Greene and David Freese and an opening-day outfield of Ryan Ludwick, Colby Rasmus and Brett Wallace?
That’s a lot of youth. Also, a lot of potential!
Your thoughts…
I don’t much care for the thought of Wallace in the OF….He’s WAY too big to be roaming around out there. I’m sure he’ll be more sure handed than say…Duncan..
But then again who isn’t, but I’d rather see Freese or even Craig. Either of those would work for me in the OF, Wallace belongs at third. I just don’t see him covering enough ground to garner a look at the OF. I would like to see a lineup with all three of those guys in there though.
Rasmus - CF
Freese - LF
Pujols - 1B, DUH!!
Wallace - 3B
Ludwick - RF
Greene - SS
Molina - C
Craig - 2B
Pitcher
I know, I know…….Pitcher in the 9 hole? What am I thinking? Not that I have any real issues with TLR’s thought on this, but I think with this lineup it almost begs for the pitcher to go back to the 9 spot. Otherwise you have Molina in front of the pitcher, and that can cause too many easy outs.
Would this lineup really be all that bad? Just some food for thought, not that I’m pulling for this to even remotely come close to happening, but it looks interesting.
Let us not forget that Wallace has already played the outfield at a rather high level. He played LF on team USA. So he has a certain level of experience under his belt. To hear this from MO is very encouraging.
I really like Francisco Samuel. Great stuff, as mentioned in the post. Now, he has to show he can control his great stuff. If he can cut back on the number of BBs and find the strike zone more often, then he is going to be a really solid relief man. I only see his value in a trade going up as he improves his command.
DG, I don’t get it. Why is Blake Hawksworth still within the Cardinals organization? What am I missing?
BTW: My “Greene” was Khalil Greene……..not Tyler.
lol, even though I’m not too big on K. Greene. As a Cardinal fan, I GOTTA hope that his road splits are a VERY positive sign of what he WILL do here instead of in SD.
I want to see what a professional strength training program does to Wallace. Pujols also had a bad body when he left amateur baseball, as well. Now, only his elbow is bad.
Let us not forget that Wallace has already played the outfield at a rather high level. He played LF on team USA. So he has a certain level of experience under his belt. To hear this from MO is very encouraging.
I really like Francisco Samuel. Great stuff, as mentioned in the post. Now, he has to show he can control his great stuff. If he can cut back on the number of BBs and find the strike zone more often, then he is going to be a really solid relief man. I only see his value in a trade going up as he improves his command.
DG, I don’t get it. Why is Blake Hawksworth still within the Cardinals organization? What am I missing?
I like it, I like it a lot.
Wallace can hit and maybe he should just start by hitting up in the bigs this season and doing away Colby Rasmus and his ego. The kid didn’t play in the Fall league when asked. He acts like he doesn’t need the work. If I were the Cardinals I’d rather take my chances with Rick and Ludwick than Rasmus. Heck we know if starts the season up here there’s more than a fair chance he’ll start out slow and have casual fans moaning.
Wallace is the real deal. It’s like when you saw Pujols first few weeks in the bigs you knew he was going to be special.
Do away with Rasmus and his ego?
Ego?
Let the kid get completely healed. So he chose to not attend the Fall league, not that big of a deal. He felt it better to utilize his regular off-season training schedule to get him prepared for Spring Training. I didn’t see anyone in the Front Office really throwing a fit about it, maybe it makes since to them what he’s doing.
What exactly is he doing? Well we don’t know, but obviously Mozeliak and everyone else that makes decisions approves, so I don’t understand the “EGO” outlash over this ONE….TINY….thing.
I feel as though what is important for Brett Wallace, is to improve his glove to the point that there is no doubt that he could play most any OF spot with ease, and play an apt 3B and 1B if need be. I also feel as though many underestimate his athletic ability and I think he could project as a Brian Giles type OF in given time.