A Hidden Asset in Memphis

A Hidden Asset in Memphis
The Cardinal Chronicle
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Bruce Zimmermann is not the kind of name that usually drives headlines.

He is not a top prospect. He is not on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster. He is not a hard-throwing young arm being rushed through the system with a spotlight attached to every outing.

But that does not mean he cannot matter.

Zimmermann, a 31-year-old left-hander with major-league experience, may be one of the more interesting hidden assets sitting at Triple-A Memphis. The Cardinals signed him to a minor league contract before the season, and he has spent the year giving the Redbirds exactly what veteran depth arms are supposed to provide: innings, strikeouts, stability and insurance.

Through his current work with Memphis, Zimmermann is 5-3 with a 4.09 ERA, 78 strikeouts and a 1.31 WHIP over 72.2 innings. That is not the profile of a future ace, and nobody should pretend otherwise. But it is the profile of a pitcher who has kept himself relevant.

For a Cardinals club trying to navigate the second half of the season, that matters.

Zimmermann has already been to the big leagues. He has appeared in 39 major-league games, including 28 starts, across parts of five seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers. His career major-league numbers are not flashy — 8-11 with a 5.64 ERA over 164.1 innings — but that is only part of the story.

The value here is not built around upside.

It is built around usefulness.

Zimmermann knows what a major-league clubhouse looks like. He has started games. He has worked in relief. He has been the call-up, the depth arm, the emergency starter and the veteran trying to keep a pitching staff from getting exposed when injuries or doubleheaders start squeezing the roster.

There is a place for that kind of pitcher.

The Cardinals’ rotation picture has been in constant motion this season. Young arms are being evaluated. Veterans are trying to hold their spots. Prospects are pushing toward Memphis. Injuries, workload concerns and performance swings can change the entire plan in a hurry.

That is where Zimmermann becomes interesting.

He gives the Cardinals a left-handed option who can cover innings without forcing the organization to rush a younger pitcher before he is ready. He could fit as a spot starter, a bulk reliever or a temporary second-half depth piece if the big-league staff needs help.

There is also a roster catch.

Zimmermann is not currently on the 40-man roster, and because he is out of minor league options, the Cardinals could not simply select him, use him for a day and send him back to Memphis without exposing him to waivers. That makes the decision more complicated.

But it also makes the evaluation more important.

If the Cardinals believe Zimmermann can help, they would likely need to view him as more than a one-day patch. He would need to be the kind of arm they are comfortable carrying for a stretch, especially if the club needs length, a left-handed matchup option or protection behind a rotation that still has questions.

His pitching style fits that kind of role.

Zimmermann is not overpowering. He works more with pitchability, sequencing and location than pure velocity. His fastball generally sits around 90 mph, but he mixes in a slider, changeup, sinker, cutter and curveball. He has to change speeds. He has to move the ball. He has to keep hitters from sitting on one look.

That profile comes with little margin for error, but it can also be useful when executed well.

And in Memphis, he has continued to miss bats. Seventy-eight strikeouts in 72.2 innings is enough to keep the conversation alive. For a veteran left-hander sitting outside the 40-man roster, that is exactly what he needed to do.

The Cardinals do not have to force this.

Zimmermann does not need to be pushed into a role just because he is pitching well enough to notice. But he should not be ignored either. There are seasons when organizations get real value from the quiet depth pieces, the pitchers who are not part of the original plan but are ready when the original plan starts taking on water.

That may be Zimmermann’s lane.

He is not the future of the Cardinals’ rotation. He is not blocking a top prospect. He is not the shiny new arm fans are waiting to see.

But he is experienced. He is left-handed. He is stretched out. He is pitching every fifth day in Memphis. And he has enough major-league background to be taken seriously if the Cardinals need help in the second half.

Sometimes the most useful pieces are not the loudest ones.

Bruce Zimmermann may be one of those pieces.

A hidden asset in Memphis, and possibly, before this season is over, a pitcher the Cardinals may need.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary:
www.cardinalchronicle.com

Photo Credit: Bruce Zimmermann, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB