Cardinals DFA Jhonny Peralta, make changes on coaching staff

By Chris De Luca

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Manager Mike Matheny #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on while the umpires review a call against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the third inning at AT&T Park on September 16, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak announced changes to manager Mike Matheny’s coaching staff and said veteran third baseman Jhonny Peralta has been designated for assignment.

During a news conference Friday, Mozeliak said third-base Chris Maloney has been reassigned within the organization and will be replaced by Mike Schildt. Assistant hitting coach Bill Mueller will take a leave of absence.

The Cardinals had just completed an 0-7 trip before returning to St. Louis to open a homestand Friday.

“This is not how envisioned … this season,” Mozeliak said during the news conference. “You can’t just blow the whole thing up. You have to start somewhere.

“I hope everybody recognizes all of us feel responsible for where we are.”

Peralta, 35, was hitting .204 with 0 RBI in 54 at-bats this season. He will be replaced on the roster by Kolten Wong, who was activated from the disabled list.

Here’s how the St. Louis Post-Dispatch summed up the current state of the Cards this morning: “The Cardinals (26-32) had never been six games below .500 in manager Mike Matheny’s tenure before this season and had never been more than three games below after April. Here it is June. They haven’t been this far away from a winning record since the end of 2007. That season they were also 26-32 on June 8, and that year ended with an overhaul of the organization”

Mozeliak was asked if the Cardinals might actually be sellers before next month’s trading deadline. They enter today 26-32, 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central.

“No we’re not against [a rebuild],” he said. “The right way to think about it is we’re going to take 4-6 weeks to see where we are. … I don’t think we’d ever consider” trying to finish last.

“Are you a playoff team? Well playoff teams do well in all facets of the game. As I stand here right now we’re coming up short,” Mozeliak added.

Cardinals fans have been abuzz about their team’s disappointing season.