Chicago Cubs: Resentment in St. Louis for Randal Grichuk

The Chicago Cubs look to take the Central for another year. But some animosity from Randal Grichuk may stir the pot in St. Louis just a little bit more. Was Grichuk inconsistent? Or was Mike Matheny to blame for it?

I love when there’s some juicy gossip in baseball. I love it, even more, when the Chicago Cubs aren’t in the middle of it. Following the trade of Randal Grichuk from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Toronto Blue Jays, Grichuk had a few things to say about his time in St. Louis. And it’s likely they aren’t going to go over well.

First, I’m in no way choosing a side in this “fight”. Grichuk hammered the Cubs while he was there. In 50 games against the Cubs, he batted .296 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI. He also had 11 doubles and four triples against them. The only things we had on him were strikeouts (54, most against any team), but in the end, I’d say he won–at least against the Cubs. I’m glad he’s gone.

Grichuk: "Sometimes in STL, me and the other OFs thought we would have to get two hits, or two hits and a walk, to be in the lineup the next day, and that's not good for anybody." #Bluejays #Jays
— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness) January 23, 2018

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But on the other hand, Mike Matheny has always rubbed me the wrong way. There’s just something about him that irks me, and I don’t know that I know exactly what it is.

But his history with the Cardinals outfield might give the impression that his “looking over the shoulder” at these guys may have taken its toll. Not as much for Grichuk as it did for the other outfielders.

There have been questions as to Matheny’s handling of players such as Tommy Pham, Allen Craig and others.

While he sat Pham in 2015 after a four-strikeout game against Max Scherzer, Matt Holliday received much of the playing time. Holliday wasn’t the same player, and it showed.

Craig got the other end of the treatment. While he was playing awful, Matheny kept playing him. So there’s no rhyme or reason to it. Some guys he plays. Others find themselves on the bench. From an outsider’s perspective, I just don’t get it.

Next: Hendricks thinks the staff has what it takes

Grichuk is already gone, so the words might not mean much to Matheny or the Cards. That is unless, of course, if they struggle out of the gate and one of the other outfielders speaks up. This could open up a whole can of worms that the Cardinals want no part of. Matheny’s job seemed to be on the line for a bit last season. This could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Losing the division to the Cubs is one thing. But losing it three times in a row? If this issue doesn’t come up again during the season, that could be enough to end his employment with the Cardinals, as well.

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