Vuch Report: Catching Up with the Depth Chart
JUPITER, Fla. — The St. Louis Cardinals knew coming into camp who their two major-league catchers were going to be going into the regular season. Yadier Molina is the starter now, later and as long as the Cardinals can keep the Gold Glove-winning, rocket-armed Molina brother behind the plate. Jason LaRue was brought back — one of the first signings of the winter — to be his backup.
But after that …
One of the Cardinals most heralded prospects is a catcher, sweet-swing Bryan Anderson. But the organization’s preference would be to keep him playing, starting, hitting at Class AAA Memphis unless there is an opening at the big-league level for a long-term backup/starter at catcher. To that end, the Cardinals signed Justin Knoedler, a veteran with big-league time in San Francisco. Knoedler would serve as the spot-duty No. 3 catcher, an alternative so that the Cardinals didn’t find themselves in the Stinnett-Esposito spiral of a few years ago. They wanted a handy, ready, seasoned backup in case of short-term absence from one of the major-league stalwarts.
That meant their depth chart looked a little like this:
- Molina
- LaRue
- Knoedler
- Anderson, though the start at Memphis
- Matt Pagnozzi
Yet, it didn’t take long into spring training for Knoedler to get reassigned to the minor-league camp and Anderson and Pagnozzi to take on more prominence. Pagnozzi is still in major-league camp, as a reward for his good-soldier work behind the plate but also as a nod to his stronger defensive ability. He doesn’t have the bat that says majors, but he’s got a good enough glove that he could put himself in the picture for spot duty. Anderson definitely has. One Cardinals official said Anderson had showed enough this spring that even if a spot start was needed or a backup was necessary in the majors, he could get the call.
Knoedler, however, could still make a case.
Playing for Class AAA Memphis this afternoon Knoedler rapped a two-out, two-strike, two-run double to give the Redbirds a 3-2 victory against New Orleans. Knoedler also threw a runner out on the bases. The game-winning hit was his third of the game. And with that, before I make the drive to Fort Myers, here is the daily Vuch Report from the backfields of Roger Dean Stadium.
Starting with two major-league pitchers who found available innings with Memphis …
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Memphis 3, New Orleans 2
– Brad Thompson pitched two innings for Memphis, getting his work in while innings are scarce in the big-stage games. He alllowed one earned run, walked one and struck out one. … Ryan Franklin pitched a inning as well for Memphis. He did not allow a run or a walk and he struck out two. … Jess Todd struck out eight in his four innings to go with three hits allowed, one run and one walk. … Lefty Katsuhiko Maekawa struck out two in his inning of work. … Fernando Salas had a line of 1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K.
– Outfielder Amaury Cazana went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. … Before homering in the major-league game, Shane Robinson doubled. … The aforementioned Bryan Anderson and Nick Stavinoha singled and walked. … Casey Rowlett added a singled and SB.
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Binghamton 9, Springfield 5
– Horned Frog alum and lefty Brad Furnish had a line of 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 Ks. … Tyler Herron pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing three hits but no runs. … Elvis Hernandez had a line of 1 IP, 2 H, 2 unearned runs, 2 Ks. … Francisco Samuel followed with a line of 1.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 Ks.
– Third baseman Brett Wallace was 2-for-4. He doubled and had an RBI. … Tyler Henley and Brandon Buckman each went 2-for-4. … James Rapoport and Daniel Descalso both singled and walked.
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Palm Beach 4, St. Lucie 4
– Brian Broderick started and had a line of 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 Ks. … JD Stambuagh pitched a couple innings and went 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. … Righthanded reliever Blake King pitched to a line of 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. … Pete Parise followed with 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R. … And then Adam Reifer came in and walked one and allowed a hit in his one inning pitched.
– Paul Vasquez was 2-for-2 with 2 RBIs. … Tommy Pham tripled twice in his 2-for-4 day. … Stop if you’ve heard this before but Curt Smith had a couple hits. Smith was 2-for-4 with — shocker! — a double. … Shane Peterson, who continues to get some internal buzz as a real find in the draft, tripled. … Colt Sedbrook singled and walked. … Charlie Kingrey and Francisco Rivera both singled.
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Savannah 5, Quad Cities #1 4
– Deryk Hooker struck out two and allowed four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. He walked two and gave up five hits in the start. … Ramon Delgado had a line of 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1K. … Dylan Gonzalez allowed two hits in his two innings. … David Carpenter had a line of 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 K. … And, Jorge Rondon 1 IP, 2 H, 1 K.
– Shorstop Niko Vasquez went 2-for-2 with a walk. … Jose Garcia doubled. … John Cawley had a two-run single. … Paul Cruz and Ryde Rodriguez singled for the only other hits from Quad Cities.
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Quad Cities #2 13, Gildea’s Raiders 5
– Josh Hester pitched two innings and allowed two hits and one run (it was unearned). He struck out one. … Jose Rada had a line of 2 IP, 0 H, 1 run (it was unearned, as well) 2 BB and 4 Ks. … Santo Maertz pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout. … Daniel Richardson allowed one hit and one walk in his inning. … Jason Buursma’s line of 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 Ks.
– St. Louis native Travis Mitchell went 4-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and two RBIs. … Shortstop Oliver Marmol was 2-for-4, with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs. … Roberto (Pina) De La Cruz was 2-for-5 with an RBI. … Ivan Castro’s RBI double came in his only at-bat of the game. … Brian Buck doubled. …. Michael Swinson singled, and walked twice. And, Edgar Lara and Beau Riportella each had RBI singles.
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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. 
excited to see what peterson can do this year. he is young for his class (should only be a junior in college this year), so hopefully that power comes.
As much difficulty as Colby Rasmus seems to be having making the transition from the minor leagues, it is good to see that we have some more legitimate and potentially exciting outfielders in Shane Reynolds and Curt Smith. Certainly hope to see Reynolds in Memphis this year, and eventually Smith.
@ bpage - I believe Smith is a 1B. Shane’s last name is Robinson. He’s not our next best OF prospect after Colby Rasmus. That distinction would go to Daryl Jones or Jon Jay, depending on who you ask - although most people said Jones this offseason.
Not sure which Shane you are referring to bpage, but if it is Robinson, he will be at Memphis this year. Don’t let his homer excite you too much, though, he is a small ball guy, not a power guy. Nice to know he does have the ability to hit a few though I guess. Nothing I have read or seen about Robinson rates him as anything more than a 4th/5th OF in the majors. If Shane Peterson is who you were referring to, barring a massive surprise, he won’t be at Memphis this year. He got some AB’s in a game the other day, but he is not likely to leapfrog Daryl Jones, and there is not likely to be room for both of them at Memphis.
Gildea’s Raiders?
Good to see Travis Mitchell make the report. Nephew of a friend. Yeah I’m rooting for the local kid.
Sure sounds like the Cardinals are ready to showcase Anderson and get him traded. Willing to bring him up to the major league level if needed in spot duty after being unwilling to have him backup Yadier as a lieft-handed platoon option, combined by the sudden and surprising rise of Matt Pagnozzi not as a starter but as an eventual backup catcher, who has suddenly won a favorable look this spring despite being the backup to Brandon Yarbrough at AA Springfield. Pagnozzi likely starts the year in Memphis as Bryan Anderson’s backup catcher.