Back in 2004, Jason Sklar and Randy Sklar, twin-brother actors and writers, released a TV-film entitled, Utilityman: The Quest for Cooperstown. If you blinked, you may have missed the Sklar brothers’ homage to Mr. Utility himself, Jose Oquendo (the film wasn’t exactly a box office smash). However, if you are one of the six people to have reviewed the movie on IMDb, you’re aware of the revery and passion that the brothers have for Oquendo. Jason and Randy even went so far as to make a case for Oquendo to wind up in baseball’s hall of fame, arguing that Oquendo’s signature ability to play every position on the field (his baseball card will reflect that he played P, C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, CF, and RF at least once in his career) qualified him for the game’s greatest honor. It’s a rather lighthearted affair, but that doesn’t diminish the absolute joy that the St. Louis natives find in making their argument heard.
Baseball fans love the types of players that come from Oquendo’s mold; hustlers that make their way by doing anything, and sacrificing much more, without the superstar ability of more talented cohorts. And now, St. Louis may have just found another one of these swiss-army ballplayers.
Much like the Sklar brothers’ film, if you blinked too quickly on Monday you might have missed the Cardinals extending minor league deals to Eric Fryer, Jordan Schafer, and Gabriel Lino. Of course, the name Eric Fryer rings a bell; he rejoins the team after spending the first half of last season as the backup to Yadier Molina. However, the name that suggests the most intrigue may be that of Jordan Schafer.
Schafer is a journeyman, having played for countless minor league teams for the Braves, Astros, Braves again, Twins, and Dodgers. He’s logged numerous stops anywhere from A-ball, and to big league rosters for a total of 463 G and 1472 PA in major league service. His lifetime slash line of .228/.308/.307 certainly leaves much to be desired, but there is a catch to all of this. While Schafer’s stats may register as mundane, his ability to play multiple positions (like our beloved Oquendo) is anything but boring.
Schafer started his major league journey back in 2005 when he was drafted in the third round by the Atlanta Braves. The outfielder was heaped with praise when he first entered the minors, climbing through the ranks of many pundit lists, and even cracking the Top 25 of Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects List in 2008. Yet, just as things were looking up for Schafer, he suffered a major setback when he was suspended 50 games for HGH use shortly into his 2008 season. When he returned from his suspension, his play regressed to levels well below his previous output.
From that point, Schafer bounced his way from team to team, struggling to find the same type of early success he had with the Braves organization. It wasn’t until 2013, after the Braves gave him a second chance, that Schafer began to find his swing again. Schafer started off white hot, including a month of April that saw him hit to a .346 AVG through 15 G. Just as he was showing signs of a comeback, he suffered a stress fracture that set him back mightily. After failing to gain any traction with the Braves, they dealt him to the Minnesota Twins. They, in turn, sent him to the Dodgers at the start of the 2016 season.
This last stop on Schafer’s journey brings us full circle on his evolution. At the beginning of the 2016 season, the Dodgers decided to turn Schafer into a left-handed relief pitching project. These types of undertakings are nothing new to MLB rosters, and the Dodgers even have a prime example in catcher-turned-closer, Kenley Jansen. However, there is a rather low percentage, believe it or not, of successes around the league. Schafer now hopes to become one of those triumphs.
In his time with the Tulsa Drillers, the AA-affiliate of the Dodgers, last year, Schafer turned in highly intriguing numbers. The first-year reliever appeared in 31 G with 40 IP, boasted a 10.35 K/9, and a 3.15 ERA/3.46 FIP, in what could only be considered a successful introduction. With encouraging numbers in his first year, it seems as though the Cardinals are content to take over the reigns of the Dodgers’ creation. And, according to reports, they may not stop there. John Mozeliak has made his intentions for Schafer to perform as an OF and as a LHP clear.
So, it appears as though there may be a new contender for Oquendo’s mantle. Well, maybe it’s too early to get that carried away. Perhaps we should start with Rick Ankiel, instead. There are a lot of opinions to come about the importance, or maybe lack of importance, that Schafer brings to the club. There will certainly be those who write him off as a lost cause, a one-time burgeoning prospect subject to some ill-fated twists and turns. But, there will also be those, like Mozeliak, who see an opportunity where others simply can’t. In all of the uncertainty, there is one truth in Schafer’s next step: his aim is to regain his big league status one way, or the other.
