When the Cardinals traded Allen Craig and Joe Kelly at the trade deadline last season for John Lackey many fans were disappointed. And why not? Allen Craig had done so much for the organization. In 2013 he was an all-star that drove in 97 runs after hitting outrageously with runners in scoring position to the tune of  .454 in 130 at-bats. He played through an injury in the World Series and performed  well hitting .375. Not only were the fans happy with Craig but the organization shared many of the same sentiments and offered him a five-year, $31MM extension.  At the time, it looked like one of the biggest bargains in all of baseball. The entire length of his extension was going to be during the prime of his baseball career. He was untouchable.
Was.
Craig never seemed to fully recover from his injury and struggled during the 2014 season. He was hitting .237 with 7 home runs and hitting just .216 with RISP. Everything was going horribly wrong, and with Oscar Taveras knocking on the door, it was difficult to play Craig in front of both Taveras and Matt Adams when he was not producing.
Then, what was unthinkable mere months before. Craig was shipped to the Boston Red Sox. Craig and Cardinal fans were devastated at the time of the deal. Though, many understood why the trade happened. But, it didn’t make it easy to swallow at the time.
Of course, Craig struggled with the Red Sox, hitting .128/.234/.191 in 107 ABs before wrapping up the season on the disabled list. Still, pundits praised the Sox for taking Craig at such a modest expense.
Yet, the Red Sox did Craig no favors when they signed Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, creating a logjam. Craig would have to split time with Napoli at first and time with many Sox in rightfield. Craig received more at-bats than any other player in baseball during Spring Training. Some believed this was a chance to showcase him to other teams, in hopes of a trade.
The unthinkable happened on May 18th. Allen Craig, once a feared, up-and-coming slugger was outrighted to Triple-A and cleared waivers days before. Any team in baseball could have had him for the remaining $25.2MM left on his contract. There were no takers.
Red Sox hitting coach, Chili Davis believes that Craig needs every day at-bats in order to find his swing again. This was something he was going to be deprived with the crowded Rex Sox infield and outfield. Even if Craig begins to produce in the Minor Leauges the team would have to shake things up in order for him to get MLB at-bats.
When considering trade possibilities the Cardinals are not an ideal fit. The team has a logjam in the outfield with Matt Holliday, Jon Jay, Peter Bourjos, Jason Heyward and Randal Grichuk all needing at-bats. With Jay currently sidelined this has allowed for Grichuk and Bourjos to get some additional playing time. When he comes back the Cardinals will have to decide how they will want to move forward. At first base the Cardinals have Matt Adams and Mark Reynolds. Reynolds is enjoying his role in St. Louis and is having a very productive season to this point. Matt Adams is off to a slow start but has been a force against right-handed pitching throughout his young career. Remember, Chili Davis believes that Craig needs at-bats everyday to be a good hitter. He wouldn’t necessarily be granted that in St. Louis.
The Cardinals could use Craig at first base when the team is facing left-handed pitching. When the team is up against a string of right-handed pitchers he could come off of the bench if a left-hander is brought in and has the ability to play in the outfield. Craig would add bench power as Mark Reynolds has done and provide depth for the ballclub if he could find his stroke.
When considering Craig the Cardinals could also consider the future. Jason Heyward hasn’t exactly performed at an average level at the plate. While he has provided above-average defense, it could be difficult to re-sign him as discussions have yet to begin. Heyward will just be 26 when signing his first Big League deal and he could be looking to cash-in early as it is becoming increasingly evident that he isn’t going to develop into the offensive force he once was considered to be.
Craig could play rightfield in 2016 if Heyward were to leave town.
The Cardinals could elect to go with Grichuk in right if Heyward were to leave town, but considering they did not trust him to be the starter this season, it is doubtful they would next year. Grichuk shouldn’t be considered some ‘untouchable’ prospect. He has proven what he can prove in the Minor Leagues. What about Piscotty? He could be the most overrated prospect in the MLB. When hot-shot prospects are 24 they typically enter the Big Leagues with significant playing time. Piscotty is still stuck in Memphis and there is reason to believe that he could be a good, but not great, Major League Baseball player. Craig could provide that additional security.
This is provided that Allen Craig becomes a productive player once again. He was a very productive player for St. Louis and he attempted to play through injury in 2013, which hindered his production greatly. A St. Louis reunion could spark his offensive production.
Remember, Craig is owed $25.2MM for the rest of this season and two more additional years. Consider the Red Sox agree to pay for around half of his contract. Would it not be worth having Allen Craig on the bench, or potentially a starting role for around $5-$6MM per season. Here are some guys that make at least $4MM per season:
- Will Venable
- A.J. Ellis
- Rajai Davis
- Dioner Navaroo
- Nate McClouth
- Pedro Alvarez
- Seth Smith
Some of these players were signed to be platoon players. Granted Craig would have to prove himself with the bat at the Triple-A level, would he not warrant consideration?
The Cardinals and Allen Craig were great for each other for a period of time. While it would be difficult to believe that Craig could return to all-star potential, it is hard to believe he has had such a historic drop-off that he could not recover from it. It is also doubtful that the club would have to give up any players in acquiring Craig and if they did it would be very low-level.
Craig has a long way to go and much to prove before the Cards would consider trading for him and even paying him $5-$6MM each season. But, as he continues to get at-bats at Triple-A it could be a great fit.
