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Transaction Analysis 7/11--Cards option Webb and Ravelo and disable Molina; activated Carpenter, recalled Knizner and purchased the contract of Shreve

To get their roster set for the second half, the Cards have engaged in a flurry of moves that you all need to be aware of.

Ravelo was recalled on July 5 for the series with the Giants, pinch hit one time each in the first 2 games for pitchers and struck out twice. Carpenter’s activation makes him unnecessary and moves the Munoz/Edman combination to the bench. Both Munoz and Edman have hit when they have played and it will be interesting to see how much longer Carpenter remains a starter if he continues to struggle offensively.

Molina hasn’t been able to shake his right thumb injury, and sat out the last 4 games before the All-Star Break. In one recent game, there was a foul that went off his hand that probably didn’t help matters. Shildt has estimated that Molina will be gone for perhaps 3 weeks, but at all events longer than the 10 days. If the Cards want Molina back at full strength this year, it will behoove them to insist that he get the proper rest he needs, assuming this injury does not require surgery. One short IL stint wasn’t enough last time.

The most interesting transaction involves the option of Tyler Webb and the purchase of the contract of Chasen Shreve. Neither lefthander made the Cards opening day roster this year, as the Cards decided initially to go with only a 7-man pen with Andrew Miller being the only lefty. Webb had one option remaining and was optioned to AAA Memphis. Shreve, on the other hand, was out of options, and after clearing outright assignment waivers, was outrighted off the 40-man roster to AAA Memphis. Webb was recalled on April 7 when the Cards optioned Alex Reyes and decided to return to an 8-man pen. Webb has definitely struggled when allowed to face a right-handed batter, allowing a slash line of .239/.373/.500 in 61 PA with 3 of his 4 HR allowed, and 11 BB to only 10 SO. But with respect to facing left-handers, he’s done the job the Cards asked him to do. In 69 PA against portsiders, he’s allowed a .194/.275/.306 slash line with 1 HR, 5 BB and 160 SO. Those numbers against left-handers includes the May 6 game against the Giants, where he faced 6 batters, 4 of whom batted lefty and allowed 3 hits. He also gave up a HR in that same inning to a switch-hitter and generally left everything over the plate. Sometimes there is no way around having your left-handed reliever face right-handed batters. The opposition will pinch hit on occasion, or the left-handed batters are not bunched up in a neat little row, forcing you to consider whether to allow your lefty to pitch to a righty that’s sandwiched in between other lefties. The problem with Webb is really that when he’s been forced to pitch to right-handers, he’s struggled with walks, which gives him a total of 16 BB to only 26 SO in 30.1 IP, which gives him the worst BB% (12.3%), BB/9 (4.75) and xFIP (5.33) on the current staff. Webb tops out at about 89 with his fastball, throws a slider without a ton of bite and a changeup to try to keep hitters off-balance, but is really best used to face a left-hander that the other team will not pinch hit for.

Chasen Shreve was part of the return for the Luke Voit trade and spent time with both the Yankees and Cardinals during the 2018 season. While with the Yankees at least, he had trouble with the long ball and for the season allowed 11 HR in just 52.2 IP. While with the Cards, his BB/9 was 5.5 and he allowed 9 BB to just 16 SO in 14.2 IP, along with 14 H allowed. Outrighted to AAA Memphis on the last day of roster cuts, he struggled a bit at first, but has really turned on the juice, and was the best left-hander among several in Memphis by far. In 37 G and 42.2 IP, he has allowed only 33 H, 19 BB and 50 SO. His BB% of 10.9% isn’t super, and neither is his xFIP of 5.21, but they’re the best of the left-handed bunch. His SO rate of 28.7% is among the best on the Memphis staff, however, and is the best of the left-handers by far, and his SO-BB% of 17.8% is the best on the Memphis staff of anyone who has significant innings other than righty Ryan Meisinger. As far as his lefty-righty splits, in 52 PA against lefties, he’s allowed a .200/.308/.400 slash line along with 2 of his HRs allowed, 6 BB and 12 SO. Unlike Webb, he’s faced righties far more, and in 122 PA against them, has allowed a slash line of .222/.311/.343 with 13 BB and 38 SO. His OPS allowed against righties (.654) is actually lower than his OPS allowed against lefties (.708), and this despite the fact that his BABIP against righties (.313) is almost 100 points higher than his BABIP against portsiders (.223). Shreve also has come on particularly strong in the month of June with just 3 BB and 15 SO in 15 G and 15.2 IP. The basic difference between Webb and Shreve appears to be that while Webb has a better slash line against lefties, Shreve has not imploded when facing righties and has demonstrated an ability to get them out.

The Cards actually optioned Webb on July 8, and at the time I had thought the transaction was a glitch and not real. It was only mentioned on the transaction page of the Cardinals and the Pacific Coast league, and was not covered at all by the major outlets. Since we had seen a glitch like this before, I didn't think it was real until there was some other confirmation, which we now have had. The other interesting thing about the Webb/Shreve transaction is that the Cards reacquired Shreve after outrighting him off the 40-man roster to start the season. This is a very rare occurrence, and has only happened a handful of times over the last half-century or so. It used to almost never happen because the rules used to provide that once a player was outrighted to the minors, the team had to wait until the next succeeding Rule 5 draft to reacquire him. A team faced with that possibility would almost always at least try to make a trade to at least get something for the player. As a result, reacquiring the player in the same season was impossible until 1965. From 1965 through the 1985 seasons, a player could be reacquired in the same season without exposing the player to the Rule 5 draft, but the player had to clear what was called "reverse waivers" before his contract could be purchased again. Players in this status were called "frozen players" and were almost never reacquired. The rule was eliminated for the 1986 season, but even then it has been very rare for the Cards to reacquire players they have outrighted. Players like Luis Alicea, Mike Laga, Al Reyes, and Adam Ottavino come to mind, but it has literally only happened a handful of times.

Although the move has not been made official yet, the Cards announced that Knizner will be recalled before tomorrow’s game to serve as the back-up catcher while Molina is out. He looks to get his first MLB hit when he returns.