The offseason is about to begin in earnest, and the St. Louis Cardinals will have to make some important decisions.
Sure, the Cardinals aren’t anticipated to pursue any of this winter’s most costly free agents. But they’re attempting to position their roster for future success, which begins with making sound selections about who stays on the roster.
As they try to build their ideal 40-man roster while accounting for the recovery of injured players and the possible arrivals of Rule 5-eligible prospects, the Cardinals may soon part ways with one of their hardest throwers.
Cardinals’ Jorge Alcala dubbed non-tender candidate
On Thursday, MLB.com’s John Denton labeled right-handed reliever Jorge Alcala as a top non-tender possibility this winter, citing his last year of arbitration eligibility and his struggles in three appearances this season.
“Lefty reliever John King, who welcomed the birth of his first child in September, could be a non-tender candidate.,” Denton noted in an email. “The same goes for Jorge Alcala, who is eligible for the fourth time, after he struggled in 15 relief appearances with the Cards.”
In June, the Minnesota Twins moved Alcala to the Boston Red Sox, who gave up a competent minor-league outfielder, Andy Lugo, in exchange. He had been terrible in Minnesota, and despite a promising start in Boston, he pitched so terribly on many occasions that he was designated for assignment on August 5.
This enabled the Cardinals to acquire him for the remaining two months as a bullpen piece. But he wasn’t much better in St. Louis, with a 5.02 ERA in 15 games, bringing his season ERA to 6.22.
Alcala, who is entering his 30th season, will be hoping to prove that he can stay in a major league bullpen for the long term. It will not be an easy feat, even if he has done it previously in Minnesota.
However, how much do the Cardinals believe in his arm talent? That is the question that will eventually determine whether he is given one of the crucial 40 roster slots for the winter.