It has been a great couple of weeks for Greg Garcia since being called up by the St. Louis Cardinals on June 19th along with teammate Xavier Scruggs, including a pinch hit home run to propel the Cardinals past the Cubs on June 26th. The home run was also the first of his major league career and is batting .417 in 12 at bats for the Cardinals. Those numbers are great but still a small amount to really understand how Greg Garcia is going to fare in the Major Leagues; but his case for such a hot start has me wondering if he is in better position to replace Pete Kozma as the utility infielder when it is time to make the move.
With Holliday possibly joining the team against the Cubs before the All-Star Break, a counter move will have to happen, more than likely Designating Pete Kozma for Assignment or optioning Greg Garcia back to AAA, with no need to have that many middle infielders on our roster. Sending Tommy Pham back down to AAA could also be the counter move, but since they just brought him up and Jon Jay looking like he may have an extended stay on the DL, Pham staying with the team could make sense.
If Kozma is designated for assignment, it leaves the door open for other teams to place a claim on him. There should be some interested clubs given his great defense and could be used with other teams like the Cardinals are using him now; a late inning defensive minded player with the occasional start when someone needs a day off in the infield. He also still has some years of control left on his contract, so exposing him to waivers might leave teams wanting to take a chance on the 27 year old. Kozma, who has struggled this season in his brief appearances for the Cardinals, is hitting .148 in 61 plate appearances and only 2 RBI’s while playing second, short, and third base. Kozma has never been known for his offensive capabilities, but has been the reliable hand for great defense at all three positions.
Garcia has played both shortstop and second base, so versatility is not much of a factor for Kozma’s case of staying on the roster. If Kozma were to stay over Garcia in the Major Leagues, it would be because the Cardinals see Garcia as a starting player in his future and not a utility infielder. Anytime a club thinks that of a particular player, they want him to get at-bats in the minor leagues until it is his time, keeping him fresh until a starting spot opens up. As of now the Cardinals have recently struggled to score runs and are having a difficult time with leaving runners on base, having that offensive minded person on the bench in Garcia might help the Cardinals for the second half of the season.
It is a difficult decision for the St. Louis Cardinals to make, but letting go of Kozma is something that I think will have to happen some point in the near future. If Garcia continues to make the most of his opportunities in the big leagues like he has shown recently, I think Kozma’s tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals will be coming to an end. While the utility position is someone that does not see very many opportunities other than spot starts, the occasional late inning replacement, or pinch hitting, I feel more comfortable seeing Greg Garcia fill those roles than Pete Kozma at this point. With Garcia off to the hot start and Pete Kozma struggling, it will be interesting to see who will be filling the utility infield position post All-Star Break for the Cardinals.
[bigcommerce link=”/headwear/st-louis-cardinals-new-era-mlb-2015-july-4th-stars-stripes-59fifty-cap/”]ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NEW ERA MLB 2015 JULY 4TH STARS & STRIPES 59FIFTY CAP[/bigcommerce]
