Like the Weather, Redbirds’ Roster Will Change If You Wait a Minute

As the Memphis Redbirds started a seven-game home-stand on Wednesday, Aug. 1, they had some big numbers next to their name. The cumulative roster was 59 and counting. The season’s win total was 68 and counting.

And the total number of transactions so far was 162 and counting and included, but was not limited to, players being promoted to St. Louis, demoted from St. Louis, traded, and being placed on or removed from the disabled list.

“This is Triple-A baseball to the max, is what it is,” said Steve Selby, the Redbirds’ longtime play-by-play voice. “It’s nice to have good players that people want, whether it’s in St. Louis or somewhere else. We’ve won a lot of ballgames these last two years and that’s cool. It’s harder on the manager than it is the broadcaster, that’s for sure.”

The Redbirds are, in fact, again running away with their division. They will be back in the playoffs trying to equal or surpass the Pacific Coast League title won by last year’s team, also managed by Stubby Clapp, when the Redbirds had 62 different players wear the uniform; that’s a number the Redbirds could eclipse before the end of this home-stand.

Just since July 23, or basically a week before the MLB trading deadline of July 31, the Redbirds were part of 20 separate transactions. Twelve of them involved the Cardinals and included beat-the-deadline deals that sent first baseman Luke Voit, who had split time between Memphis and St. Louis, to the New York Yankees for two pitchers, and sent Redbirds center fielder Oscar Mercado to Cleveland for two low-level prospects.

Also consider what the pitching staff has lost. The entire starting rotation the Redbirds had on opening day in Triple-A is now in St. Louis: Jack Flaherty, John Gant, Dakota Hudson, Daniel Poncedeleon and Austin Gomber.

“When we got the starters we did we felt lucky, felt blessed,” Clapp said, remembering the good old days of April 2018.

In the past week, the Cardinals lost Voit and Mercado to the aforementioned trades, and then Redbirds outfielder Tyler O’Neill returned to the Cardinals after they traded center fielder Tommy Pham to Tampa Bay. O’Neill is expected to time-share in center with another former Redbird, Harrison Bader.

So, is it tough for those left behind, such as infielder Patrick Wisdom, to see the names and numbers changing almost daily?

“From a team aspect, yeah,” Wisdom said. “The heart of our lineup’s kinda gone.”

He does not exaggerate.

O’Neill (.311), Voit (.299) and Mercado (.285) had three of the highest batting averages on the team. They had combined for 43 of the Redbirds’ 117 home runs, and for 139 RBI and 166 runs scored.

“In the grand scheme of things, it’s good for their career,” Wisdom said. “You gotta be happy for them. Our club’s notorious for doing well with the guys we have. For instance, Lane came up and is doing great.”

That would be outfielder Lane Thomas. He was promoted from Double-A Springfield in late July and started things off by banging out three hits in his first game.

“Hitting’s kind of contagious,” he said.

Yes, there is something to be said for joining a very good team, one that keeps winning no matter the roster turnover.

Hudson was having an All-Star year in Triple-A. He could have been promoted sooner than July 27. Too many times Clapp had called him on the phone to say he was going to have his start pushed a day or might be on a lower pitch count for one reason or another. Each time, Clapp could hear the disappointment in Hudson’s voice because it wasn’t the call telling him he was going to the Big Leagues.

So when the news came down that he was going to St. Louis, Clapp had an idea. What if he gave Hudson the news on the mound? Clapp cleared it with the Cardinals’ front office and in the second inning of Hudson’s last start at Salt Lake City, he went to go get him.

Hudson had no idea what was up. He only knew there was action in the bullpen and it was the second inning.

“It played out perfect,” Clapp said. “You could see the steam starting to come out. When I walked out there he just sort of stood there on the mound eying me.”

At which point Clapp took the minor league ball from Hudson, and gave him a big league one that read: “Congratulations, this is your call to The Show.”

So amid all the roster chaos, there has been fun, too. The games go on and more moves will come as players ride the I-55 shuttle. Heck, Clapp even lost his hitting coach Mark Budaska to the Cardinals when they fired manager Mike Matheny and both of their hitting coaches. So make that 163 transactions and counting.

Justin Williams, an outfielder acquired in the Pham trade and transaction No. 161, was driving to Memphis as the Redbirds were set to start the home-stand at AutoZone Park.

“I’ve seen a picture of him,” Clapp said with a laugh when asked what he knew about Williams. “So when he gets here, I’ll introduce myself, teach him the signs.”

And wait for the next move. Which should be along any minute now.

Meanwhile, a core of players remain. Wisdom started the home-stand batting .292 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI, and telling himself there’s no future in trying to account for all the power that has left the lineup.

“If you start focusing on are they gonna pitch to you or not pitch to you, it’s like a whirlwind in your head,” he said.

Better to just focus on the task at hand.

Still, there’s no harm in remembering how good it felt to win the PCL championship in 2017.

“I mean, we did it last year,” Wisdom said. “So there’s no telling, we could do it again this year.”