Who’s on Third? I Don’t Know. (A Poll)
TOWER GROVE — When it comes to the St. Louis Cardinals, the question “Who’s on first?” is rhetorical. You might as well ask who is hitting eighth. What’s going on at second was discussed in this morning’s Post-Dispatch with Joe Strauss’ latest dispatch from Jupiter, Fla. But when it comes to wondering which player will be at third base on Opening Day …
Don’t know.
Just yet.
The 11th-hour news that incumbent third baseman Troy Glaus required a January surgery to smooth out an irritation in his right shoulder leaves the Cardinals scrambling to cover his absence in spring training and beyond. Glaus could miss as much as the first five weeks of the regular season, and, as one source said, “pushing him to get back by opening day or in that first part of April just probably isn’t in his best interest.” With Ryan Ludwick there to slide into Glaus’ cleanup/No. 5 spot in the lineup, the biggest vacancy created by Glaus’ sudden surgery is third base.
It also just happens to be where the Cardinals have sturdy depth in their system. Enter David Freese.
3B David Freese: STL native to Opening Day starter
The St. Louis native and return on the Jim Edmonds trade with San Diego last winter, Freese is the favorite to open the season as the Cardinals’ starting third baseman. Blocked by other prospects in the San Diego system, Freese spent an entire instructional league one year playing catcher just so the Padres could find at-bats for him somewhere. The Cardinals covered more of Edmonds’ salary than originally offered so they could get Freese in the deal, and then they pushed him — as they do — to Triple-A. He didn’t have a swing at a level higher than High-A before hitting .306/.361/.550 with 26 home runs, 91 RBIs and 111 strikeouts in 464 at-bats for Memphis. He did that while playing what was above-average to plus defense, according to sources within the Cardinals’ coaching staff and scouts for other organizations.
His 2008 season made him a fixture in the numerous top 10 lists for the Cardinals’ prospects, and it makes him the favorite to win the job in Glaus’ absence. GM John Mozeliak has said as much.
But Freese will have competition.
Infielder Brendan Ryan, who is out of options now, is a season removed from a reliable turn at third base when Scott Rolen struggled with a shoulder injury. Allen Craig, a prospect like Freese, has a potent bat, but has been a man without a true position since college. He’s played mostly third base, but most see him as a first baseman or an outfielder when his bat brings him to the majors. Brian Barden shouldn’t be overlooked at all in this discussion. Barden was a slick third baseman in college and he advanced in the Arizona system at the position before suggesting that his power was better suited for the middle infield. He’s a skilled glove wherever he plays, an Olympian from the recent Summer Games, and hit .285/.349/.421 for Triple-A Memphis last season.
And then there is Brett Wallace. All he does is hit.
3B Brett Wallace: Is first-round pick an early 'Bird at third?
The first-round pick from the 2008 draft will be coming to major-league spring training as a non-roster invitee and he’s earmarked as the team’s third baseman of the future. So intrigued by how potent his bat his — two consecutive Pac-10 Triple Crowns, a .309/.381/.585 turn in the Arizona Fall League, and that .337/.427/.530 run that got him to Double-A — the Cardinals plan to use him in the outfield this spring. They want to be sure that when his bat is ready, there are a few places to put him in the majors.
With Glaus mending, that place could be third base, but it would be a push. Part of the motivation to bring Wallace to spring training so soon is to get him exposure to the big-league coaching staff (i.e., Jose Oquendo) and improve at the corner. It wouldn’t be shocking if his bat wins him a job that his glove isn’t ready for just yet. Freese has the better resume, right now. That’s his edge.
In the same spirit of versatility that has Skip Schumaker taking groundballs at second base, Wallace shagging fly balls in the outfield and Nick Stavinoha about to crouch behind the plate as a catcher, there are a few other options at third: newcomer utility fielder Joe Thurston, middle-infield prospect Tyler Greene and third baseman-turned-outfielder Joe Mather. All could get a look there.
But who will be there on April 6, against Pittsburgh … Do you know?
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Plenty of coverage online coming this week and the weeks to follow from Jupiter, Fla., and Cardinals spring training. This afternoon, colleague Joe Strauss will make his debut on the new blog, Cardinal Beat. That will be the location for constant updates from Jupiter and elsewhere, as all three of us baseball writers — Strauss, myself and Hall of Famer Rick Hummel — will be contributing news, sights, sounds and anecdotes to Cardinal Beat. …
Bird Land, as usual this time of year, will continue to be a place to visit regularly for news and notes, snapshot and lineups, lagniappe and such throughout spring training. Plus, there is the feed on Twitter for instant info from live batting practice and the backlots (check dgoold on Twitter) and the Bird Land@Facebook page for more discussions, debates and links.
Just try and keep up with all of the coverage coming your way.
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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. 
No matter what he does in the spring, do the Cardinals have any intention of starting the season with Wallace on the big league roster? Even if his bat is ready, and based on what he did in the AFL it very well might be, do the Cardinals want to start his clock? I doubt it.
Can’t see that happening. No room in the outfield. No guarantee of at-bats. No reason to have him sitting on the bench when he could be playing every day in Memphis.
I am going to go out on a limb, and predict Brendan Ryan will be the starting 3B for the Cardinals on opening day.
Unless Freese completely bombs during Spring Training, the Opening Day 3B job should be his. Here’s to hoping that he plays well enough in Glaus’ absence to force the Cards into carrying him on the 25 man roster for the entire season.
DG, I agree with your evaluation of the possibility of Wallace making the jump to the big leagues. No need to push him to hard and put him on to fast of a track. Let him benefit this spring from getting acquainted to the major leagues and the Cardinal coaching staff. He’ll see every day action at both Springfield and Memphis this season, as he continues to improve his defense at the hot corner. Plus, no need to start his arbitration clock. Add it all up and I don’t see Wallace even given serious consideration for the job. No matter how good of a spring he has.
Unless Freese bombs in spring training then this is his job to lose, in my estimation.
I know there has been talk about Wallace being limited defensively. From your photo, I think I’ve identified part of the problem . . . He’s wearing a first baseman’s mitt.
I say the job should be Freese’s unless Wallace has an unbelievable spring.
Yeah, the best photo of Wallace in the field was him at first base. Was waiting for that eagle-eyed reader to point that out.
Freese will get first crack at the job. Remember that Wallace has only a half-season’s worth of pro experience; as noted above, unless he just has a monster spring - say, 10 homers - he’s got to start at Memphis, which is still pretty darned impressive considering last year at this time he was still at Arizona State.
I’m not worried about his defense, though - I point out again that Jim Thome, who hardly looks like a third baseman, played there for the first five years of his ML career before Cleveland finally moved him over to 1B.
I thought he stayed reasonably professional about it, but couldn’t be more excited about the Cardinals dropping Kennedy. How could fans feel good about him coming to bat with men on? I honestly believe that LaRussa got his request for an impact bat when you replace the previous SS/2B combo with Skip and Greene. That is a significant upgrade to the line-up. You also get to open up another roster spot so you can keep two ‘closers in waiting’ with Motte and Perez. Fans should be very excited about this development. I know I am.
Good one scoot.