Breaking: Cardinals Set To Reunite With Ex-Outfielder After Tommy Edman News
On Thursday, there was bad news for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Throughout Spring Training, St. Louis has been keeping an eye on utility guy Tommy Edman’s health as he recovers from wrist surgery.
In 2024, the 28-year-old is anticipated to be the team’s starting center fielder, but thus far, things haven’t gone as planned. He has been experiencing wrist problems, thus he has officially decided to skip Opening Day and go on the Injured List to start the 2024 season.
Although St. Louis still has some choices in the outfield, if Edman can’t immediately get back on track, it could be wise to sign a depth player.
One former Cardinals player is still searching for his next untapped opportunity in free agency. Tommy Pham, an experienced outfielder, had a good season in 2023 with the New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks, but he still hasn’t gotten his next big break.
Pham started his big league career with St. Louis in 2014 after being taken in the 16th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft. He played his first four plus seasons in the city.
With Opening Day quickly approaching, it seems expected that the 36-year-old will be signed to a short-term contract. Pham appeared in 129 games last season, hitting 16 home runs and pulling in 68 runs. Additionally, he saw time at all three outfield positions.
Although St. Louis still has a great outfield, it might make sense to add a bit more veteran depth if Edman is going to lose a large amount of time.
Oli Marmol’s extension casts doubt on Yadier Molina’s future with the Cardinals
The fact that the Cardinals decided to extend Oli Marmol suggests that they do not have high hopes for Yadier Molina.
The St. Louis Cardinals showed their confidence in manager Oli Marmol by giving him a two-year contract extension before the 2024 season, despite Marmol’s faceplant and hobbling through 2023. The Cardinals’ confidence in Marmol to turn the team around is demonstrated by the deal, but it also shows that they don’t think Yadier Molina is prepared to take on the responsibility.
The iconic catcher would be rejoining the Cardinals in an advisory capacity to President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak, it was announced during the offseason. There was some conjecture that Marmol may eventually lose his position to Molina.However, Molina, who was also supposed to assist the coaches and players during Spring Training, has not yet shown up at the Cardinals’ Florida facilities, more than a month after his Puerto Rican team was ousted on February 7 in the Caribbean Series.
In his own Puerto Rican city of Bayamon, Molina not only owns a professional basketball team but also manages a baseball team. Fans of the Cardinals will recall the times in 2022, his last season, when he would spend a few days away from the team to fulfill his obligations with Vaqueros de Bayamon, his basketball team.
The Cardinals don’t seem to be at the top of Molina’s priority list with so many things to juggle. The announcement that Molina would not be joining the Cardinals on a full-time basis, along with the fact that he hasn’t shown up for Spring Training thus far, has left fans overjoyed. However, it now appears like Molina’s involvement will be primarily ceremonial.
If Molina was serious about taking on a managerial job in the first place, Marmol’s extension implies that the Cardinals don’t fully trust him. Managers are unable to take a short vacation to engage in other activities, like Molina did during his 2022 denouement. It’s possible that the Cardinals have realized that Molina’s unwillingness to speak with the media doesn’t align well with the responsibilities of a skipper.
It’s disappointing that a former player with so much wisdom to impart will have such a small role with the team, but Marmol’s extension shows that the Cardinals don’t seem to have Molina as a big part of their current plans or those in the near future.
