September 17, 2003
Is Edgar Worth It?
For six years now, Edgar Renteria has reliably patrolled the shortstop position for the Cardinals. Never one to insert himself into the spotlight, Renteria has nevertheless become a fan favorite for his steady production and quiet competitiveness.
But as we all know, Renteria is a free agent after this season. Unsubstantiated reports have Renteria’s camp asking for as much as $10 million per season, with the Cardinals offering something in the neighborhood of $7 million. Is Edgar worth breaking the piggy bank and scraping the lint-covered nickels from under the couch cushions at 250 Stadium Plaza? The numbers suggest he might not be.
2003 was a career year for Renteria, but 2004 has been a disappointment. Let’s take a quick look at how Edgar compares to other major-league shortstops offensively this season:
OPS: 15th
AVG: 9th
OBP: 17th
SLG: 15th
HR: 12th
RBI: 7th
R: 10th
Extra-base hits: 14th
Runs Created/27 outs: 16th
VORP: 15th
Those are not the numbers of someone who wants to be among the five top-paid players at his position. For reference, Renteria’s OPS this year is worse than Julio Lugo’s. His VORP is worse than Barry Larkin’s (just barely). He rarely walks. His team stats (runs and RBI) are buoyed by the lineup around him – and in all fairness, they probably should be much better. Without those, Renteria appears to be simply an average offensive shortstop this season.
In addition, Renteria’s league-wide reputation as a clutch hitter, spawned with his World Series-clinching single in 1997 and reinforced by his repeated clutch performances since joining the Redbirds.
This season, he’s been absolutely atrocious with RISP, sputtering to a .264 AVG and .674 OPS. In late innings of close games, he’s been almost unbelievably awful, with a .115 AVG and .342 OPS.
While, to his credit, his defense has remained solid, this is not the Edgar Renteria we saw in 2003. Not counting Alex Rodriguez, now a third baseman, Renteria was tops in the majors in RC/27, OPS, batting average and OBP. He was a close second in slugging and third in RBI. His subpar season has been largely overshadowed by the powerful offensive output of the rest of the lineup.
So what happened this season? It’s tough to say. Renteria is such a proud yet introverted person that perhaps the weight of a contract season is affecting him. At just 29 years old, Renteria is entering what should be the peak seasons of his career. If anything, 2004 should have been his career year. Obviously, it hasn’t been.
So where does that leave the Cardinals? If he hits the free agent market, there will undoubtedly be stiff competition for Renteria’s services. Three of the highest-spending teams in the league – the Cubs, Anaheim and Boston – could all be in the shortstop market. Each of those teams could easily afford Renteria if they so pleased. The White Sox, San Francisco, Minnesota and Cleveland could also be looking for shortstops.
By the same token, a few solid shortstops will be available. Garciaparra will likely sign first and set the market. Renteria and Orlando Cabrera should follow, with Jose Valentin, Cristian Guzman, Pokey Reese and others set to shuffle around the majors.
Personally, I wouldn’t offer Renteria $10 a year. He’s one of my favorite players, but this season has thrown up a red flag in my mind – and has shown that 2003 could have been an aberration. If I were Walt Jocketty, I’d try to entice Renteria with a longer contract with a smaller yearly salary – say five years and $32 million. Renteria would be only 34 at the end of the deal – still young enough to contribute and play solid defense.
If Renteria wants more money – well, we might have two rotation spots to fill. I’d take my compensatory draft picks, sign Pokey Reese for his glove, and spend the money on pitching. By no means would I be happy to see Renteria leave, but baseball is business, and teams like the Cardinals can’t afford to let their hearts write checks at the expense of the greater good.
