Introduction
As part of my 6 days in Jupiter, I collected lots of observations and I’ve given to breaking them down and passing them along in manageable (ie. readable) chunks. I passed along some nuggets in game recaps if they were short and relevant to pre-, in- or post-game happenings. Last week, I published an article that summarizes what I saw on the back fields in more or less a stream of consciousness format. That left a handful of items that seem to call for more detail, for which I have chosen a short-form article where I focus on a particular topic that may deserve focused attention, but not enough for a full on daily VEB post. I will have two articles up today (this one and one after the game), then two more next week to finish the series.
Short Topic of the Day
The Cardinals signed Ramon Urias to a 1 year, $2m contract after the start of camp. Feb. 21 to be exact. He made his first field appearance in a game less than a week later.
Not everyone had a clear understanding of why they brought him on board. Some questioned the reasoning behind adding to an already crowded infielder docket. Would it take PAs away from another young infielder? Others wondered if a lifetime .686 OPS represented enough thump to meet the Cardinals need to add power from the RH side. I suspected some of this would become more obvious as time rolled by and became something I tried to watch more intently while I was down there.
Initially, I took the signing as a recognition that the Cardinals were not going to find the RH hitting OFer they appeared to desire (and need). Given the lack of depth in that market, this was not a shock. My “hot take” of this move was that it was the proverbial “pivot” off the initial strategy that was not going to bear fruit. As I tried to get a better read, it appeared that there were other nuances to this signing that began to take on the aura that is often associated with a team acquiring a “glue guy”. Reminds me of why I avoid the “hot take” discussions.
One thing not to be overlooked here is that Urias spent 2 years in the Cardinals’ system (2018-2019). That is not a reason to sign a guy in and of itself, but I think it contributes to the broader picture of why they signed him. They know him and they should have a strong understanding the “fit” side of things. Given the aforementioned logjam, that might turn out to be a key consideration.
As I listened to Oli talk about what he is looking for out of this club and various aspects of it, one thing I picked up is he sees pitching as the strength of his team and sees good defense as a way to leverage and protect that strength. In that sense, Urias fits the bill on the defensive side of the ball over at third. He can pick it. He and Winn would make quite a tandem, which would be especially useful with left-handed pitching ground ball getters, of which there are a few on the cusp of MLB in this system. “Protect it”, he says (of the pitching). I get it.
I didn’t get a chance to really see Urias play second, but I suspect he won’t embarrass himself over there, either. His D is real. JJ’s transition to MLB could get choppy at times and a good glove, average hit, good fit kinda guy seems like pretty much what a manager might want to have to backstop that, too.
So, with two young and as yet unproven prospects at third and second, both left-handed hitters, Urias begins to look like pretty good fit. Enough of a good fit that it didn’t take me too much squinting to realize that he may well push both Saggese and Fermin out of the primary back-up infielder role, and he may well push for even more PT on top of that depending now Gorman and/or JJW are doing.
One thing yet to be determined before Spring Training ends is how functional Urias might be at shortstop. He hasn’t played there in several seasons. Saggese played credibly there last summer after Winn went on the IL, but beyond that it is not clear who else could back Winn up. When healthy, Winn doesn’t give up many starts, but teams must always have a Plan B. If Urias can be that it would open a path for Saggese to play every day at Memphis. If not, that would seem to make Fermin’s spot on the roster possibly more tenuous. Thus, some background about why you see those two guys getting reps out in the grass and begin to get a sense that their offensive profile and how they adapt defensively could well drive the final outcome.
As I watched, the more I liked this acquisition. We will see how it all plays out.