ST. LOUIS - The Cardinals and first baseman Matt Adams agreed to a one-year, $2.8 million deal Thursday to avoid arbitration, though his role remains unclear with Matt Carpenter taking over his everyday job.
Adams, who made $1.65 million last season, has been shopped this offseason but could also give St. Louis a power bat off the bench. The left-handed hitting Adams is a career .284 hitter against right-handed pitching, so he offers an intriguing option in a platoon role.
That route could also keep him healthy: He's spent time on the disabled list the past few seasons with everything from oblique and calf injuries to a torn quadriceps.
His deal leaves right-handers Carlos Martinez, Trevor Rosenthal, Kevin Siegrist and left-hander Michael Wacha as the Cardinals' arbitration-eligible players.