By Chris Brown – STL Baseball Today
[Related: Trade Rumors: Team had interest in Tulo, latest on Lind and first base search, more]
With the Friday’s trade deadline fast approaching, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals and Brewers have had recent discussions regarding first baseman Adam Lind. The Brewers, who are known sellers, are believed to be willing to part with Lind, Goold adds.
Lind, 32, in is the midst of a very successful season, batting .285 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI headed into play Monday. A power bat who hits from the left side would seem ideal for the Cardinals, however GM John Mozeliak has said the preference is for a player with a short-term contract to fill the void. Lind, who is making $7.5 million in 2015, has an $8 million option with a $500K buyout for the 2016 season. From 2009-2014, Lind hit .274 and averaged 21 home runs and 71 RBI per season. This includes his career year in 2009, when he hit 35 homers and drove in 114 runs.
CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick confirmed Goold’s report that the Cardinals have expressed interest in Lind on Monday. Crasnick notes that it’s hard to gauge the chances of a deal being made, and Heyman reports that the Brewers could still end up keeping Lind, who has been good protection to Ryan Braun in Milwaukee’s lineup.
Late Monday afternoon, Crasnick’s ESPN colleague Jayson Stark reported that other teams that have interest in Lind believe he will land in St. Louis.
Since starting first baseman Matt Adams went down with a season-ending quad injury in late May, the Cardinals have gotten little production offensively from the first base position. Mark Reynolds, who signed a one-year deal in the offseason to serve primarily as a bench bat and corner infield backup, has been pressed into nearly everyday duty in Adams’ absence. The 31-year-old is hitting just .229 with 35 RBI on the season. Top-hitting prospect Stephen Piscotty, an outfielder who has been working to learn first base, was promoted roughly a week ago, and it seems the team still doesn’t know what to expect from him down the stretch.
One potential complication in a trade for Lind – other than his contract – is that Lind is currently nursing what appears to simply be a minor back problem. He left Saturday’s game with tightness in his back and was not in the lineup Sunday after receiving treatment. If the issue proves to be anything severe, the Cardinals could quickly look elsewhere in their search for a bat. Lind was once again out of the Brewers’ starting lineup on Monday.
As I discussed briefly in an article on the deadline Sunday, there are plenty of other potential trade options at the first base position, including the Orioles Chris Davis, who Goold discusses in his report. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter is batting .242 with 22 home runs and 60 RBIs on the year. He will be a free agent at year’s end. However, Crasnick reports that the Cardinals “don’t appear to be high on Davis” and are “wary” of his high strikeout totals. ESPN’s Jim Bowden echoed the same statement on SiriusXM Radio Monday afternoon.
Other speculative options at the position include Mike Morse (Marlins) and Justin Smoak (Blue Jays). Two other potential options, Yonder Alonso (Padres) and Brandon Moss (Indians), “don’t appear to be” on the Cardinals’ radar at the moment, according to Crasnick, who also notes he doesn’t see Adam LaRoche (White Sox) as a possibility given his $13 million salary next season.
Goold also notes that the team could count on more offensive production from within. Stephen Piscotty could prove to be a force in the lineup in time, and Matt Holliday is still working to get back to full health after returning from a quad injury just after the All-Star break.
[Related: Mozeliak: Team “certainly” going to try to make move prior to trade deadline]
Feature image used under Creative Commons by Keith Allison. No changes made. Image license.
