Can't Go Wong With a Gold Glover

The St. Louis Cardinals recently announced that they would be declining the $12.5 million team option on Kolten Wong, a career Cardinal. The 2019 gold glove winning second baseman is a former top prospect who holds a career slash line of .261/.333/.384. Despite not being a star player, Wong is a quality contributor, and has been the starting 2B for the last 7 years, and could be a great fit for the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays had a great year, and surprised many with the successful campaign, and having made the playoffs. Players like Hernandez, Gurriel, Bichette, and Biggio had excellent offensive seasons, while Ryu and Walker held down the rotation, and Romano, Borucki, Bass and Cole finished games off strong out of the bullpen. The one area the team suffered immensely however was their defense. The combined defensive runs scored above average between all members of the team finished at a terrible -39, and Jonathan Davis, Reese McGuire, and Santiago Espinal were the only position players on the team to finish with a positive figure in the category. Jonathan Villar was acquired at the deadline primarily as a defensive addition, and although he was sturdy, he had several misplays and wasn’t a huge factor in terms of improving the team defense.

Headed into the offseason, there are two main issues the front office needs to address, and they are pitching and defense, which is where Kolten Wong comes into the picture. Wong has long been a defensive staple in the Cardinals lineup, having amassed 55 defensive runs saved above average in his career, 6 of which came in 2020. Wong’s best defensive season came in his 2019 gold glove year, where he finished with an incredible 19 DRS with a range factor per game of 4.50. In 2020 his strong defensive efforts have led him to yet another gold glove nomination, where he sits as the front runner for the award.

There is no question that the Blue Jays could use Wong’s glove out in the field, but how does he fit in with the team? Wong primarily plays second base, which is currently occupied by Cavan Biggio. Biggio has become accustomed to playing all over the field in a utility role, but statistically is best served at second base, as it is the only position he held a positive DRS at. Wong similarly has experience playing other positions (outfield), but is clearly best defensively at second. In 2020 Biggio saw a lot of time at third base, and that could play a major factor in the odds of this signing. Biggio wasn’t a liability at third, but his defensive upside was very limited compared to his impact at second base. One thing to consider however is that throughout the minors Biggio primarily saw time at second base, and came up as a second baseman. Being used in a utility role, the team saw Biggio making adjustments day to day, proving he would be capable of learning a new position if it would be best for the team. Sure, he might not have the highly sought after arm strength of a proper third baseman, but he has very quick hands, and is highly capable of making the tricky plays, especially once he begins to work specifically on his skills as a third baseman.

Wong appears to fit well when considering a potential move to third for Biggio, but the next question in order would have to be his offensive impact. Over his career he has never been known as a hitter, and despite the significant defensive upside, his lackluster offense might keep him from getting a significant role in Toronto. Defensively Wong might be a super star, but his offense tells a different story. Consider the following batting line: .285/.376/.423 with 12 home runs, 64 RBI, and 24 stolen bases. Altogether that is a solid player. Nothing special, but easily a good bottom of the order bat, or two hitter. Although those stats do belong to Kolten Wong, each statistic mentioned is his career high, meaning that he is a solid hitter at absolute best.

2019 was arguably the best offensive year of his career, but 2020 saw a slight recession. In the shortened season he hit for a slash line of .265/.350/.326 with only 1 home run and 4 doubles in 181 at bats. The .326 slugging percentage is a career low, which also contributed to a career low .675 OPS. His offensive game is very similar to that of Joe Panik, but with more speed. The coaches and front office really seemed to like Panik, and he found a lot of time on the diamond, but 2020 was not an all in year like 2021 and 2022 might be.

Kolten Wong might not seem like the best option for the lineup, but there is no denying that the Blue Jays need help defensively, and with such a good option available, they might not have any other choice than to settle for him. With so many contract options being denied, the market seems to be down, and the Jays might be able to take him for a reasonable price in the ballpark range of $7-$9 million annually. Considering he will only be in his age 30 season, he seems like a reasonably low risk option, and as long as the front office feels comfortable with his league average bat, then the team may have found themselves a new second baseman.