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The St. Louis Cardinals announced Saturday they reached an agreement with infielder Ruben Tejada on a one-year contract.

The Cardinals confirmed the addition on their official Twitter feed. Tejada joins St. Louis after the New York Mets released him earlier in the week. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported Tejada will earn $1.5 million in 2016.

He was the odd man out in New York after the Mets retooled their infield with the additions of Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera, leaving Tejada and Wilmer Flores to fill the same role.

Although Cabrera is currently battling a knee injury, the Mets decided to release Tejada, a 26-year-old natural shortstop, anyway likely due to the financial implications. Adam Rubin of ESPN.com reported they’ll have to pay less than $500,000 rather than be on the hook for Tejada’s $3 million base salary.

Matt Ehalt of the Record highlighted a possible unintended consequence of the move, though:

The fact Tejada ended up with the Cardinals certainly doesn’t come as a surprise. Dave Cameron of FanGraphs even wrote an article shortly after the infielder was placed on waivers entitled, “Ruben Tejada, Inevitable Cardinal.”

St. Louis recently lost starting shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a thumb injury that could cost him the entire first half of the campaign. Add in the fact the Cardinals had success over the years plugging versatile players like Tejada into their system, and it was a likely match.

The Panama native gets on base at a solid clip (.338 OBP in 2015, .330 for his career) but doesn’t do much else offensively. His career high in both home runs and stolen bases is just five. But his ability to fill holes around the infield gives him value.

He’ll likely be given a chance to win the starting shortstop job during the final weeks of spring training. Aledmys Diaz, Jedd Gyorko and Greg Garcia are among the other players who have tried to earn more playing time in Peralta’s absence.

All told, it’s a solid value signing for a Cardinals club that needed more depth on the infield. Tejada won’t put up big numbers, but he’s capable of serving as a reliable placeholder until Peralta returns.

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The St. Louis Cardinals have said they are taking allegations of homophobia made by former minor league pitcher Tyler Dunnington “very seriously.”

The Cardinals made their brief statement to Ben Frederickson and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

Dunnington made the allegations in an email sent to Cyd Zeigler of Outsports.com that was published on the website Wednesday:

I was one of the not-so-many players to be given a chance to pursue my dream of being a Major League Baseball player.

I was also one of the unfortunate closeted gay athletes who experienced years of homophobia in the sport I loved. I was able to take most of it with a grain of salt but towards the end of my career I could tell it was affecting my relationships with people, my performance, and my overall happiness.

I experienced both coaches and players make remarks on killing gay people during my time in baseball, and each comment felt like a knife to my heart. I was miserable in a sport that used to give me life, and ultimately I decided I needed to hang up my cleats for my own sanity.

Dunnington concluded the email by saying, “I not only wanted to share my story, but also apologize for not using the stage I had to help change the game. Quitting isn’t the way to handle adversity, and I admire the other athletes acting as trailblazers.”

Per Zeigler‘s report, one specific instance of homophobia occurred when an unnamed college coach said “we kill gay people in Wyoming,” a reference to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak wrote in an email to the Post-Dispatch that the team plans to investigate this situation: 

This is very disappointing and our hope is that every player, staff member, and employee feels they are treated equally and fairly. Given the nature of these allegations I will certainly look into this further as well as speak with Billy Bean of the Commissioner’s office for further assistance on this matter…we will take this very seriously.

The Post-Dispatch added it had contacted Dunnington and Major League Baseball for comment on the story. 

The 24-year-old Dunnington was a 28th-round draft pick out of Colorado Mesa in 2014. He played that campaign in two short-season leagues, posting a 3.09 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 32 innings, but he retired before spring training last year.   

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The entire National League Central has a vested rooting interest in the Cardinals‘ misfortune.

It’s hard to blame it.

Since the Joe Torre Yankees, there hasn’t been a more dominant organization. None has sustained success better than the Cardinals. None has been better at overcoming the adverse, namely injuries, to continue as one of sports’ prosperous organizations.

So, as I consider the implications of the loss of St. Louis shortstop Jhonny Peralta, who underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb and will be out until midseason, it’s hard to believe it will have much of an effect at all.

While, of course, no National League Central team would actually root for a Cardinals player to injure himself, I don’t think the division is sending its sympathies to St. Louis. It likely knows it won’t deter the Cardinals much.

Few organizations earn the benefit of the doubt. The Cardinals have.

Of course, the Peralta injury can only serve to help close whatever gap existed between St. Louis and the rest of the division. And if you believe the Cubs to be the favorites to win the division, in the case of Chicago, widen it.

The injury, however, might hurt the Cardinals. But it doesn’t jettison them from the race. Obviously, losing Peralta makes St. Louis a lesser team. But it certainly doesn’t make it less of a contender—or any weaker a pick—to win the division.

Perhaps the Cardinals are so successful because of their ability to determine a contingency plan for each and every crisis before it happens—whether created by injury or the loss of a player in free agency.

Just this season, the Cardinals lost key players in outfielder Jason Heyward and pitcher John Lackey, both of whom signed with the Cubs. They likely would have been attractive free agents to Chicago no matter which team each had played for in 2015. But knowing they could hurt the Cardinals in the process of signing both players made Heyward and Lackey look like supermodels.

The team is so adept at drafting, however, that the compensatory draft picks it gets for lost free agents seem like more than a consolation prize. The Heyward and Lackey compensatory picks won’t impact the team this season.

More so, the point is that the Cardinals have a firm understanding of how much money to offer free agents and when to allow them to leave. In turn, they are so good in the draft that the extra picks have more value than they might to another organization.

There is always a capable player waiting in Triple-A, or even someone on the St. Louis bench.

It has helped the team win seven of the last 14 division championships, including the last three. Last year, the team lost ace Adam Wainwright for virtually the entire season. Seven-time All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday played in only 73 games. Yet, the Cardinals still won baseball’s best division.

So, this all brings us to the loss of Peralta.

“I do feel like we have some internal solutions, but my job is to also explore what’s out there, so we’ll just take the next three to four weeks and try to determine what that might look like,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said on a Fox Sports Midwest broadcast of a Cardinals spring training game.

That seems like what any general manager may say when put in the same situation. But with Mozeliak, it’s difficult to come to any reasonable conclusion other than that he will make the best decision to make the organization competitive.

It won’t be easy, though. Peralta, an All-Star two of the last three seasons, hit .275 in 2015.

But the team acquired Jedd Gyorko in a trade with the Padres this season, likely for a situation just like this. Gyorko, 27, can play both middle infield positions and third base. Remember what I said about the Cardinals planning for the worst?

Gyorko played 27 games at shortstop for the Padres in 2015. Though Gyorko’s bat isn’t nearly as good, it’s important to remember that Peralta will be back—likely in June. The team doesn’t need a long-term fix; just a two- to three-month stand-in.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported that the Cardinals “have their eye on” Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed as a replacement for Peralta. The report didn’t suggest the team had entered in any serious trade talks yet.

Based on the report and Mozeliak’s comments, there doesn’t seem to be a rush to make a decision instantly. The organization will make a well-thought-out decision.

I wouldn’t expect anything less from the Cardinals.

History has proven it will take a lot more misfortune to derail St. Louis. If the rest of the division is counting on the Cardinals to hit a run of bad luck, the other four teams better root a lot harder.

Seth Gruen is a national baseball columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @SethGruen and like his Facebook page.

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St. Louis Cardinals star catcher Yadier Molina had thumb surgery on Oct. 15 to repair a partially torn ligament originally suffered on Sept. 20 against the Chicago Cubs. He has returned to action, but his status for Opening Day is unknown.

Continue for updates.

Molina to Play vs. Marlins

Wednesday, March 9

Mark Saxon of ESPN reported Molina will catch but won’t hit Wednesday versus Miami. Saxon added Molina hasn’t taken live batting practice, but he “appears likely to be ready for Opening Day.”

Molina Remains Among Baseball’s Elite Catchers

Despite the recent health trouble, Molina has managed to remain among the best at his position in all of baseball.

The seven-time All-Star entered 2016 with a .283 career batting average but is even more renowned for his tremendous defense, which has earned him eight straight Gold Glove awards. He is absolutely irreplaceable behind the plate.

St. Louis did well in the offseason to upgrade its depth behind Molina by acquiring Brayan Pena with a two-year contract through free agency. The prior Cincinnati Reds backstop figures to fill in until Molina fully recovers and is a switch-hitter who brings an interesting twist to the Cardinals lineup.

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St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta suffered a torn ligament in his thumb on March 5. It required surgery, and it is uncertain when he will be ready to play again.  

Continue for updates.

Peralta Undergoes Surgery

Monday, March 10

Mark Saxon of ESPN.com reported Peralta went under the knife on Thursday and will be in a cast for four weeks. Saxon noted Peralta is “likely” to return closer to the All-Star break.

Peralta Has Been Important Contributor for Cardinals

Peralta is in the midst of his third season with the Cards, and the 33-year-old slugger was named to the All-Star team for the third time in five seasons during the 2015 campaign. He was voted into the starting lineup for the first time in his career.

Peralta ended the season with a .275 batting average, 17 home runs and 71 RBI, and he was a huge reason why the Cardinals were MLB‘s top regular-season team with a record of 100-62.

His production did drop off significantly in the second half, though, as he hit just .243 with four homers in 25 RBI. Even so, he entered the season as one of St. Louis’ key players from an offensive perspective.

While Peralta’s skills are undeniable, one of his most valuable attributes over the years has been his durability. He missed only seven games last season, and prior to the 2016 campaign, he had played in at least 146 contests every year since 2006, with the exception of 2013.

Peralta was suspended 50 games for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, but he has since managed to bounce back and remove himself from that dark past.

The talented shortstop has been embraced by the fans in St. Louis, and he is viewed as a huge piece of a potential championship puzzle for the Cards.

Losing a player of Peralta’s caliber won’t be easy to overcome, but with utility man Jedd Gyorko now in the fold, the Cardinals may be equipped to make due without Peralta until he is healthy to return.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday is dealing with lower back tightness suffered on Saturday. It’s unclear when he’ll return to the field.

Continue for updates.

Holliday Scratched vs. Astros

Saturday, March 5

Manager Mike Matheny told reporters Holliday wouldn’t play on Saturday due to his back issue. 

Holliday suffered a right quadriceps strain last June, and he proceeded to hit the disabled list before missing 31 games between June 9 and July 16.

And while it appeared as though Holliday would be able to contribute regularly after returning to the diamond, his quad injury flared up and sent him back to the disabled list. Holliday proceeded to miss the entire month of August before returning down the season’s home stretch. All told, Holliday batted .279 with four home runs and 35 RBI in 73 games last season. 

“I have a passion and a love for the organization,” Holliday said during spring training, per ESPN.com’s Mark Saxon. “I take a lot of pride in being a Cardinal and being part of the organization for seven years. I hope that’s the way it goes, but it’s not always the player’s decision.”

Should Holliday miss time, Matheny will need to shuffle his depth around and decide if he wants to flip Brandon Moss into left field from first base or shift Stephen Piscotty from his place in right field. 

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St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez is working his way back from a shoulder injury he suffered back in September.  

Continue for updates.

Martinez Looking Good While Throwing Live BP

Friday, Mar. 4

Martinez threw a live batting practice on Friday, which was the first time he pitched to batters since his injury, per Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

His performance wowed Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, who spoke with Rick Hummel of the Dispatch after Martinez pitched:

It was probably the best I’ve ever seen anyone throw off the mound from behind (the plate). I’m serious. I’ve never seen any live BP like that before. He was just unbelievable. It was everything you wanted. Wherever he wanted it. It was the most firm I’ve ever seen anybody throw. It was amazing. It really was. He doesn’t need to do anything different.

That’s high praise coming from a pitcher that won at least 19 games four times from 2009 to 2014. 

Cardinals catcher Brayan Pena echoed Wainwright’s sentiments: “He was impressive. This is a guy who has that special talent it only takes time to explode. He’s got talent that I haven’t seen in a while. Hopefully, this year will be the year where the sky is going to be the limit.”

Martinez experienced his first year as a starter in 2015 after spending his first two major league seasons coming out of the bullpen. He immediately showed promise, going 14-7 with 184 strikeouts in 179.2 innings pitched and was elected to his first All-Star Game.

He exhibited a fastball that could reach as high as 99 miles per hour, but it was his breaking pitches that did the most damage, as shown here:

If Martinez is ready to go by Opening Day, it will be a huge boost for the Cardinals rotation. Wainwright went down with an Achilles injury in April 2015 and was forced to miss the entire season, while No. 2 starter Lance Lynn will miss the 2016 season due toTommy John surgery. 

That means Martinez will have to help carry the Cardinals staff in a difficult National League Central division that includes the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates, two teams that will be in the postseason hunt this season.

In order to keep up with them in the division, the Cardinals will need to stifle some of their big bats, such as Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen and Chicago’s Anthony Rizzo, and some of that responsibility will be on Martinez’s shoulders this year.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The St. Louis Cardinals locked in one of their key offensive players Wednesday, signing second baseman Kolten Wong to a five-year contract extension to avoid arbitration.

The Cardinals announced Tuesday that they had signed Wong to a five-year deal with an option for a sixth season.

Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reported that the deal includes a $12.5 million option for 2021. Wong also received $25.5 million in guaranteed money over five years, according to Cotillo.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was the first to report that the Cards and the 25-year-old native of Hawaii had worked out a new deal.

Wong topped 500 plate appearances for the first time in 2015 with 613 and produced to the tune of a .262 batting average, 11 home runs, 61 RBI and 15 stolen bases.

The former first-round pick faded a bit down the stretch, though, as he hit just .238 with two homers and 24 RBI in the second half of the season.

Wong admitted that the pressure he put on himself contributed somewhat to his struggles and that he intends to change that in 2016, via Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

I think I improved a lot last year. I wasn’t as hard on myself last year, but compared to the way other people do it, I still was way too hard on myself. 

This year, I’m coming in with a different mindset. My whole goal this year is not to let highs get too high and not to let my lows get too low and really control myself as a professional. A lot of things happen.

I’ve got to realize — I am realizing now — … that slumps are going to happen.

Putting that bad habit in the past won’t necessarily be easy for Wong, since he will be expected to raise his production level after outfielder Jason Heyward signed with the rival Chicago Cubs. Also, middle infielder Jedd Gyorko was brought in via a trade with the San Diego Padres, so Wong could get pushed for playing time if 2016 doesn’t go well for him.

Wong is an extremely valuable commodity for the Cardinals, though, due to his combination of on-base ability, pop and speed. That versatility allows him to hit essentially anywhere in the order and gives manager Mike Matheny plenty of options.

The scrappy second baseman has the potential to be one of the best all-around players at his position in Major League Baseball, and a five-year commitment suggests that the Cardinals have bought into that notion.  

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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With apologies to Mike Leake, the St. Louis Cardinals didn’t get an ace this winter. But they might be getting an ace back, which could be equally huge.

We’re talking about Adam Wainwright, one of the best pitchers in baseball when he’s right.

That caveat is important, because Wainwright, who turns 35 in August, missed nearly all of last season with a busted Achilles tendon. It’s not a given that he’ll resume his dominant, ace-level ways over a 162-game grind.

There’s cause for optimism, however. And if Wainwright can be an elite rotation anchor, the Cardinals vault into the thick of the postseason scramble and become a legitimate World Series contender.

First, about that optimism. Yes, Wainwright made just four starts in 2015 before tearing his Achilles running out of the batter’s box at Milwaukee‘s Miller Park last April. But after initial reports suggested he could be out nine to 12 months, the right-hander returned Sept. 30, well ahead of schedule.

And he looked good. Wainwright allowed one earned run in three regular-season frames after coming off the disabled list. Then he threw 5.1 relief innings in the Cardinals’ division series loss to the Chicago Cubs, yielding one earned run and fanning six.

It’s an admittedly minuscule sample size, but it suggests Wainwright—a three-time All-Star with a career 2.98 ERA—is fully capable of picking up where he left off.

If he does, it’ll be a rocket-fuel boost to a Cards rotation that lost veteran John Lackey to the division-rival Cubs and Lance Lynn to Tommy John surgery.

The addition of Leake, a reliable innings-eater, helps. But if St. Louis hopes to defend its National League Central crown, it needs an undisputed stud to front a group that also includes Jaime Garcia, Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez.

The projection systems are mostly bullish on Wainwright. Steamer foretells 203 innings with a 3.52 ERA, per FanGraphs. And FanGraphs’ own projection is even more optimistic, predicting 207 innings and a tidy 2.95 ERA.

The wet blanket is age. Plenty of pitchers have remained elite into and beyond their age-35 seasons. But Father Time is always lurking ominously in the background, waiting to exact his inevitable toll.

Really, that specter hangs over the entire Cardinals roster. Remember when Jason Heyward suggested he chose the Cubs over the Cards because of the former’s emerging stars and the latter’s aging core?

In addition to providing bulletin-board fodder for St. Louis, Heyward made a decent point. Catcher Yadier Molina is 33. Left fielder Matt Holliday is 36. And both have battled injuries and signs of decline.

Still, this team won 100 games last year. It’s strung together eight consecutive winning seasons and hoisted a Commissioner’s Trophy in that span.

Plus, sprinkled among the graying vets are promising youngsters like the outfield duo of Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty, which yours truly recently highlighted as a possible antidote to the Heyward defection.

To hear Wainwright tell it, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, age isn’t necessarily a bad thing:

Nobody likes being called old, right? But I think they’re right, for the most part. We are aging. We’re just becoming more wise. Somebody has to get old. If we’re still playing and older it means we still have some ability. The more people talk about it, the more we laugh because we just know Matt Holliday is still going to hit well. We know that Yadier is still going to catch well. And hopefully we know I’m going to pitch well.

There are no guarantees in life or in baseball. And the Cubs, with last season’s National League Championship Series run under their belt and the offseason additions of Heyward, Lackey and Ben Zobrist, are the division darling.

As Goold pointed out, “The Cubs have one of the richest harvest of young players in baseball. Their projected lineup has an average age of 26.78. With Brandon Moss (32) at first base, the Cardinals’ is 30.22.”

Additionally, the defending NL champion New York Mets, redemption-seeking Washington Nationals, even-year San Francisco Giants, perennially dangerous Los Angeles Dodgers and reloaded Arizona Diamondbacks all figure to be in the mix for Senior Circuit supremacy.

But count Wainwright and the Cardinals out at your peril. The man and the franchise have a rich, established history of winning, plain and simple.

Many teams boasted flashier, louder winters than St. Louis. You could even argue the Cardinals have been complacent, though they made serious runs at both Heyward and southpaw David Price. But the club that “wins” the offseason isn’t always the one that stands tall in October. Sometimes, a workmanlike comeback means more than a splashy signing or trade.

To put it another way: The best ace might be the one you’re already holding.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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Not sure if you heard, St. Louis Cardinals fans, but Jason Heyward skipped town. Worse still, he’s a Chicago Cub now.

OK, sorry. Our purpose here isn’t to rub salt in that particular, still-festering wound. Quite the contrary, actually—we come bearing glad tidings for the Redbird faithful. 

While the loss of Heyward was a no-doubt subtraction for the defending National League Central champs, they’ve got capable outfield replacements in Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk.

That isn’t to say either Grichuk or Piscotty will be Heyward, whose 6.0 WAR was the 11th-best mark in the game last season, per FanGraphs. 

But the Piscotty/Grichuk duo has the potential to ease the sting of Heyward’s departure and to set the Cardinals up for yet another competitive season.

Let’s start with Grichuk, who came to St. Louis in the 2013 trade that sent David Freese to the Los Angeles Angels.

The 24-year-old former first-round pick saw time at all three outfield spots last season and posted seven defensive runs saved overall. And he acquitted himself admirably with the bat as well, hitting .276 with an .877 OPS and 17 home runs.

Yes, he struck out 110 times in 350 plate appearances. When he connected, however, good things frequently happened.

In fact, Grichuk was very much in the crowded, competitive NL Rookie of the Year conversation before an elbow injury sent him to the disabled list in August.

“He’s a ‘plus’ runner. He’s a ‘plus’ defender and thrower, and obviously we see the power,” manager Mike Matheny said of his young standout, per Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “There’s a lot of things to be excited about with Randal.”

The power is especially noteworthy for a club that finished in the bottom third in runs scored and hit the sixth-fewest dingers in baseball. For all his upside, Heyward managed just 13 home runs. So it’s possible, even probable, that Grichuk will be an upgrade there.

Piscotty, also a rookie last season, was drafted by St. Louis with the 36th overall pick in 2012. He got hot after a July call-up, and by August 4, he was hitting .400 with a .964 OPS.

He inevitably cooled down but finished with a strong .305/.359/.494 slash line. He can play both corner outfield positions and also logged innings at first base, though he figures to be the Opening Day right fielder.

Piscotty doesn’t feature massive power, but that’s not what the Cards have asked of him, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch outlined in March 2014:

Despite a strapping 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame, Piscotty has the swing of a high-average, doubles hitter, not a slugger. He said Thursday that the Cardinals have allowed him to maintain his approach as a “gap to gap” batter and not urged him to become “a guy able to hit 20 homers in a year but also strike out 120 times.”

“That’s not the player I want to be,” Piscotty said.

The Cardinals will gladly take more of the same from both Piscotty and Grichuk in 2016. And the projection systems are fairly optimistic. FanGraphs foretells 3.3 WAR for Piscotty and Steamer a less robust 1.1 WAR. Grichuk, meanwhile, is pegged for 3.1 WAR by FanGraphs and 1.6 WAR by Steamer. 

Split the difference, and that’s 2.2 WAR from Piscotty and 2.4 from Grichuk. Not world-beating totals, but enough to cushion the Heyward blow.

Not that WAR, or the projection systems, are the final word. Given what they flashed last season, it’s entirely possible Grichuk and Piscotty could blow past those expectations, particularly if Grichuk’s barking elbow is fully healed.

The Cardinals, after all, have a rich history of developing and nurturing talent. It’s a big reason why they’ve posted eight straight winning seasons and won an NL pennant and a World Series in that stretch.

It’s also why—even though they’ve failed to make any huge free-agent splashes this winter (sorry, Mike Leake)—they’re a safe bet to contend, even against the hungry, loaded Cubbies. 

After signing with Chicago, Heyward suggested part of the reason he left St. Louis was the team’s aging core.

“You have Yadier [Molina] who is going to be done in two years maybe,” Heyward said at his introductory Cubs press conference, per Hummel. “You have Matt Holliday who is probably going to be done soon.”

And he added, “I felt like if I was to look up and in three years see a completely different team, that would be difficult.”

His remarks provided bulletin-board fodder for the Cardinals and ticked off Matheny, but he wasn’t necessarily wrong.

Key lineup cogs like Molina and Holliday have been hampered by injuries, and it’s worth wondering how much longer they’ll be elite or even above-average MLB hitters. 

Heyward, still just 26 years old, is gone and he’s not coming back, except to be booed mercilessly in a Cubs uniform. The bridge, and the jersey, have been torched. From the ashes, however, new talent emerges. That’s the Cardinal way.

In other words: Time to step into the void, Grichuk and Piscotty—you’ve got next.

All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.com.

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