St. Louis Cardinals: Kyle Seager?
It’s fun for fans to suggest and predict landing spots for free agents during MLB off-seasons. Sometimes we try our best to deep dive into numbers or put on our GM hats and fill our favorite teams’ spots with players we feel could help our club. Sometimes we go crazy and come up with trades or free agent signings that even our PlayStations would say no to.
While the flashy names do bring the most excitement, it’s often times the under the radar moves that really bolster a team’s roster and that are most beneficial. One such name that could be a good sleeper candidate for the St. Louis Cardinals to look at, would be third baseman Kyle Seager.
At a glance, he looks like the ideal player that John Mozeliak and company would have their eyes on.
The 34-year old Seager checks a lot of boxes that the Cardinals could be looking for. First off he’s a left-handed bat. It seems like every off-season that becomes a trait that appeals to the front office. Aside from the switch-hitting Tommy Edman & Dylan Carlson, that leaves Lars Nootbar & Brendan Donovan as the only players on the Cardinals 40-man roster that swing from the left side.
Kyle Seager may be that “different type of bat” that Mozeliak touched on during the Steven Matz press conference. He’s a known slugger that is coming off a 2021 in which he hit 35 HR and 101 RBI. On the other hand, his slashline of .212/.285/.438 with 161 strikeouts leaves a lot to be desired.
While his career slash of .251/.321/.442 is a lot more palatable, the strikeouts are a bit concerning. However sometimes a change of scenery can help with that. With the Cardinals fully invested in hitting coach Jeff Albert’s analytically driven approach, that could play a factor in cutting down the K’s as well.
The Mariners declined Seager’s $20M player option for the 2022 season, instead buying it out for $2M. There was said to be a huge disconnect between the third baseman and President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto the last few years, which may have been a deciding factor in the organization’s wish to move on.
Seager has played his entire career (11 seasons) for the Seattle Mariners, and with the exception of his rookie season and the 2020 shortened season, has hit over 20 HR each year. His career OPS is .763.
With the designated hitter all but a certainty for the National League, Seager could be a good fit for that role in St. Louis. It could allow him to transition from the everyday duties of playing third base and concentrate primarily on hitting.
Kyle is also very serviceable on the defensive end (winning a Gold Glove in 2014) and could be a great backup for Nolan Arenado. Not to mention he has a veteran presence and has always been well liked in the clubhouse.
Currently the Cardinals don’t have a backup third baseman, unless they feel comfortable letting Edmundo Sosa or Juan Yepez alternate reps at the corner.
Seager is projected at getting a 2-year deal in the neighborhood of $24/MM ($12M AAV) and that could be right in the Cardinals wheelhouse on what they could look to spend for an offensive piece.
If comparing last season’s backup third baseman and occasional DH, Matt Carpenter to Kyle Seager, the production is a huge upgrade and the contract not nearly as hard to justify.
I’m not certain if the Cardinals have an actual interest in acquiring Seager, but I can’t imagine Mozeliak not at least doing his typical due-diligence to check in.
If the front office has that interest, they won’t be alone, as Seager’s name has been linked to a number of teams, including the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays or the potential of joining his brother Corey Seager in Texas.
The younger Seager inked a 10-year deal worth $325M with the Rangers just prior to the MLB lockout.
What are your thoughts on Kyle Seager being a target for the St. Louis Cardinals? Would you be in favor or rather see the team address other needs?
Let us know in the comments. As always thanks for reading and Go Cards!