Additions to 40 Man Roster
Posted on November 18th, 2011 by azruavatar in Rule 5 Draft, tags: Adam Ottavino, Chuckie Fick, David Kopp, Sam FreemanMatthew Leach brings us the details of the Cardinals’ 40 man additions today. The Cardinals add right handers Adam Ottavino and Chuckie Fick to the roster as well as left hander Sam Freeman. Notably absent is David Kopp.
Ottavino’s likely role in the big leagues is as a reliever at this point. A first round draft pick in 2006, Future Redbirds has a long history with Ott including a 2008 interview that erik did. If you want a more recent scouting report, here’s my review of his start (from video) in 2010. While he hasn’t been mentioned as frequently, Ottavino is likely near the top of the depth chart for callups next year should the major league club need to fill a relief spot due to injury.
Chuckie Fick is a better version of Brad Thompson who features a heavy sinking fastball and a slider to complement. Here’s an old interview that erik did with Fick. There was a brief meme that I do not like Fick — it’s funny but just a joke.
Sam Freeman’s inclusion on this list probably says more about the state of left handers in the Cardinals’ system than it does about Freeman. He is the most advanced left hander in the minors but is also not far removed from TJ surgery. 2008 interview
The Rule V draft is scheduled for December 8th. Any minor leaguers on the 40 man roster are protected from being selected during that process. We’ll have more details on the Rule V draft as it approaches.
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Guess Kopp was playing for a spot on the 40 man in the AFL. He sure hasn’t been impressive there.
just looking at the current state of our 40-man, it looks like we’ll be shedding more names, soon. i would be surprised if we hold onto more than one of schumaker, theriot, or mcclellan.
beyond those easy names, boggs seems likely to move in a trade, and matt carpenter is not far behind him. shane robinson and mark hamilton look to be at the end of their ropes, destined to go as throw-ins or just released, especially (w/r/t robinson) if a RH backup in CF is acquired by trade or free agency.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see them keep both K-Mac and Skippy. (Riot is toast.) McClellan has been a useful end-of-the-pen guy when used right, and it wasn’t his fault that events this year conspired to make sure he was used less than optimally. Schumaker isn’t the worst spare part to have around and provides insurance against meltdowns up the middle, although I hope he becomes a bench guy rather than a starter, as sounds likely.
I can’t figure out how Robinson ever got on the 40-man, let alone to the bigs. He is not a major-league outfielder, whether he’s right handed or not. That’s your other roster spot.
I’d rather see Shane on the 25-man than Skip. He’s cheaper, younger, RH, and can play defense (unlike Skip).
I’d cut em both loose. Shane hasn’t had much of a chance in St Louis but I don’t think he’ll get it either. His best chance would be to try and catch on with a bottom feeder.
Believe me, I don’t want either one. But if I had to take one, it’d be Shane.
You don’t think Skip is a good defensive outfielder?
I think he is a solid #4 OF and a decent (yes decent) BACKUP 2b. Shane Robinson’s bat also is not close to Skip’s
Boggs wouldn’t bring much in a trade right now and he’s my pick for being the guy most likely to blossom (maybe with the exception of Greene) under new management. Although I like all of our other righty firemen we might get more quality in trade for a lefty reliever or RH center fielder by bundling one of them with MCarp.
Pham is left off the 40 man roster for the second straight year. I wonder if his wrist is OK? Seems like he would be ready for Memphis and in line for a call up next year if healthy. I hope we don’t lose him.
That must be a mistake. I read on this site that Pham is a better prospect than Chambers.
The Fick addition really makes absolutely no sense. He’s easily replaceable and it’s not like he’s a significant risk to get claimed and stick. I’d much rather expose him and maybe take a flier on a Rule V guy.
Fick pitched effectively in Memphis last year. He could easily be picked in rule 5. I’d have done the same thing the FO did.
isn’t his dad a cards scout?
With the three additions the 40 man roster is at 36. With the additional possible cuts discussed above, even if the resign some of our own free agents there should be room to make a Rule V draft pick if there turns out to be someone available that interests them.
I have to disagree that Fick is no risk to get claimed or stick. There are a lot of teams out their looking for left handers, including the Cardinals, who picked up Rhodes off the 40+ scrape heap. Fick had a good year at AAA and even if he does not make the opening day roster, he will probably spend a good part of the year riding the Memphis shuttle. I think they have room for a rule V guy too. The difference is that you can’t yo-yo a rule five guy between St Louis and Memphis like you can with Fick.
Fick’s a righty.
Pham has been in the system since 06. I believe he can now become a six year minor league free agent.
Pham is not a free agent. He may become eligible next fall.
I heard he can be claimed in the Rule 5 draft this year.
Pham was injured most of 2011. He could use more time at AA, plus a year or more of AAA. Its tough to imagine another team putting Pham on their ML roster for 2012, because he would be overmatched and returned. There is no need for the Cards to put Pham on their 40 man this fall.
I’m confused about the Rule 5. If someone takes one of your players from the Rule 5 do they have to stay with the big club all year? Or just be on the other teams 40 man roster?
If picked in the Rule 5, the player has to remain on the 25-man major-league roster all season. Of course, there are a few ways around that, mainly by using the DL but I don’t think that can be done all year.
“Has to” overstates it. The deal is that if at any time the player is removed from the 25-man (except for injury, don’t know about “bereavement”), he must immediately be offered back to the team that lost him in the Rule 5. That team can regain him for a nominal fee; say they don’t want him; or work out some sort of deal that allows him to remain with the “new” team in exchange for other considerations.
I am pretty certain that it is not quite so immediate. First a player goes through waivers, allowing other teams the chance to take them (on the same provisions of the originally drafting org.). For example, Luis Pedromo was taken from the Cards by the Giants a few years ago. He was one of the last cuts made by the Giants, but never made it back to STL because the Padres claimed him on waivers. He lasted the entire year in San Diego, and his rights then belonged to them (although they DFA’d him this year, and the Twins have since signed him). Also, while a player can certainly be “hidden” on the DL, there is a minimum number of days they must be on active roster, otherwise their Rule 5 status carries over into the next season, until they reach that number of days (not sure how many).
Correct. I didn’t include the waivers part, but it’s there.
He was throwing left handed when I saw him????? No. Okay then. Never mind…….
Congrats to Chuckie, he pitched for Team USA this winter. He got the win vs Cuba in the Pan Am games, it was the first time the USA had beaten Cuba since 1967. Fick was ready to help the big club last year but the roster was full with some guys that are dead weight. I think you will see a few more guys Non-Tender on the big club which will create more room on our 40-man roster. Fick lead the PCL in batting avg against, hitters only hit .180 and he led the league also in holds at 16. He went 5-3 with a 2.30 era, in a hitters league he only gave up 2 long balls all year and avg, 3.0 ground ball outs per innings. I’m sure a team like Colorado or the NY Mets could use a sinker ball pitcher. I think the front office felt that they can use a sinker ball pitcher also. Bottom line is that you can’t lose pitching. Cyber geeks in these front offices would have been all over Fick’s stats. Good job by Mo and his staff by putting this kid on the roster, Fick deserved it. His blood lines are good also, his Dad and Uncle are baseball guys.
I don’t see where there is room for Fick in the Cardinal bullpen? We already have, Motte, Salas, Sanchez, Lynn, Boggs, and Kmac maybe. Scrabble on the left hand side and we are potentially interested in bringing back Dotel.
Having him on the 40-man does not produce an immediate requirement to put him on the 25-man. It simply means he is available as a “break glass in case of emergency” reliever if so many of those guys go down with injury as to produce a bullpen shortage. Think of him as this year’s Cleto or Dickson.
Hoping this doesn’t suggest an organizational indifference toward Pham, who’s a better prospect than Adron Chambers inasmuch as he’s a prospect.
I hope, also, that the Cardinals will consider moving Ottavino to relief work full time this year. Three mostly unimpressive seasons in the high minors should be enough evidence that he’s not a starting pitcher.
Re Pham – Or it makes me think he hasn’t recovered from his last wrist injury (or that the indifference is a result of the injury).
I hope Pham isn’t taken, he’s produced recently just been injured, Could be our CF of the future.
It depends where they place Pham and for which phase of the draft, if on the AAA roster, he isn’t ready for the 25 man roster so he won’t get chosen, if on the AA good chancehe could be gone.
Fick definelty deserved to be placed more than any player I can think of, and Ottavino fought his way back after understanding that he had to prove himself healthy. It’s going to be hard to crack the 25 man roster for the righties.
The strategy must be to put him on the Memphis roster and force another team to select him in the ML portion of the Rule V. Coming back from wrist injury ala Joe Mather he is not likely to show well for the first month or so of the season so I assume the club is betting we get him back if selected. Perhaps the injury will scare other teams away.
Perhaps I am misunderstanding your post, but how, exactly is Chambers not a prospect? He certainly hasn’t exceeded the major league service time to lose that status. He played well enough to earn a 40-man spot the FIRST year he was eligible for Rule 5 otherwise, and then he played well enough for a September callup this year, and then he played well enough to make the playoff roster, albeit he was dropped from it for the WS (before being readded for game 7 due to Holliday injury). Perhaps you just phrased it poorly when you said “in so much as he is a prospect” regarding Pham, but it certainly sounds like you are stating that Chambers is not a prospect. I do, however, agree that Pham has certainly been considered the better prospect for some time, but keep in mind that Adron was a football player first and foremost, prior to turning to baseball after his dismissal from the Miss St. football team. He has had to work a LOT harder than most players, just to play catch up, and he has done quite well, as evidence by the fact he reached the majors prior to his 25th birthday (which he has since celebrated).
I would suggest that DanUp isn’t being literal in saying that Chambers isn’t a prospect at all, but that he doesn’t have enough upside in his potential to be considered a possible impact prospect, which Pham, if he stays healthy, would be.
Since things are pretty slow around here with the MLB season over as well as the AFL season coming to a close, how about a prospect-of-the-day to spark some discussion?
Speaking of which, what’s the thought on Jess Todd and/or Brian Broderick. Both have major league experience (albeit bad performance) but do either have any future with the club or just spot holders in Memphis?
I just don’t see how Jess Todd is anything more than an organizational filler. His less than ideal frame and he hasn’t really found much success in the higher levels of the minor leagues or in the big leagues. Add on the fact that he’s now been waived from two teams (CLE & NYY), and his future lies in the bullpen where the Cardinals currently have a plethora of RH relief options already. He looks like nothing more than an organizational filler at this point.
Broderick is getting to that point where he really needs to make a push to the big league club if he doesn’t want to get lost in the shuffle. Good size, but inability to strike batters out hurts him. He seems more like a AAAA player who can make some spot starts for the big league club, but he seems like a career AAA player.
Pham is among the best OFers we have in the minors….defensively and offensively. Hope he sticks