The St. Louis Cardinals avoided salary
arbitration with Skip Schumaker, agreeing to terms with the second baseman on
a two-year contract.
The 30-year-old Schumaker became the first Cardinal since Red Schoendienst
(1945-46) to move from the outfield to second base from one year to the next.
He started 124 games at second base last season while also playing games in
each of the outfield positions and finished the campaign with a .303 batting
average, four homers, 35 RBI and 85 runs scored.
"Heading into spring training last year our club had uncertainties at both
leadoff hitter and the second base position," said Cardinals general manager
John Mozeliak. "Skip answered both those questions. The transformation he made
as an outfielder moving to second was truly remarkable and a testament to his
dedication and athleticism. He is the kind of hard-working player that the
Cardinals and our fans appreciate and we are thrilled to have with us for the
next two years."
It was the third consecutive season Schumaker has topped .300 as a batting
average.
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