The St. Louis Cardinals, unlike last year, will not have to go through the process of arbitration.
On Friday, they signed deals with all four players eligible for arbitration: Brandon Moss, Matt Adams, Seth Maness, and Trevor Rosenthal. All four of the deals that were signed by the players were one-year deals, and it was reported that out of all of them, Moss would have received the highest salary.
Acquired mid-season last year in a trade with the Cleveland Indians, the 32-year old Moss, known for his versatility, hit .250 with a .334 on-base percentage in 51 games played after the trade. He also hit four home runs along with eight RBI’s while a member of the Cardinals.
The power-hitting Adams, 27, has hit 39 career home runs, but was largely a disappointment during the 2015 season. This was due to the fact that because of recurring injuries throughout the year, he played in only 60 games, hitting .240 with five home runs and 24 RBI’s. However, over the course of the past few months, he has healed up and looks ready to get back to work by the time spring training starts.
His one-year deal with the Cardinals is worth $1.65 million dollars.
Maness struggled last year in comparison to his other two seasons, with an ERA of 4.26 and a record of 4-2. He struck out 46 batters and walked 13, but by far his biggest statistic was high 76 appearances during the season, which was among the top in Major League Baseball.
Still, despite the rough season, Maness was a key part of a strong Cardinals bullpen, which featured Kevin Siegrist, Jonathan Broxton, and closer Rosenthal. Next season, Maness will earn $1.4 million dollars.
Rosenthal, now 25-years old, set a franchise record with 48 saves last year and leads the majors with 93 saves the last two seasons. He’s the seventh player in major league history to post consecutive 45-save seasons. During the 2015 season, he made $530,000 dollars, and will now be getting a substantial raise.
With the four signing taken care of, the Cardinals can focus on getting ready for camp and spring training, which starts in less than 35 days.
(Photo Credit: St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
