Cardinals eventually arrived at the right conclusion on Masyn Winn

It took them some time—and one could make the case that it was precisely the correct amount of time—but the Cardinals eventually came to realize that shutting down Masyn Winn was the only path forward.

Winn had been playing through a torn meniscus for, apparently, a significant chunk of the season, but in recent days and weeks, it got to an unbearable point for the Gold Glove candidate.

Being scratched again from Friday’s lineup in Milwaukee, immediately following a team off-day, was the final straw for his season.

Winn told Katie Woo of The Athletic on Saturday that the injury was something he’s been dealing with for several months, and profusely expressed his appreciation for the Cardinals’ training staff for guiding him through the rigors of the season for as long as they did.

Woo also reported that Winn had already had a meniscus surgery in the same right knee back in high school, which does make things feel a little funky, right?

I’m certainly no medical doctor, and the Cardinals insisted in the weeks leading up to the eventual shutdown for Winn that playing through the tear wouldn’t cause further damage down the line. What I do know is that a rudimentary Google search for ‘multiple meniscus tears arthritis’ sure doesn’t leave you wanting for reading material.

Now, the Cardinals team doctors know more about this stuff than I do, and Winn is certainly at liberty to make decisions about his body and career.

The risks for developing osteoarthritis down the road might have been virtually identical whether Winn had this surgery in June, July or September—seriously, I wouldn’t know and wouldn’t want to pretend to have a take on this topic. I’m just bringing up the elephant in the room, because it was discussed by fans as this saga was unfolding.

So let’s review.

Regardless of the surgical timeline that was chosen, Winn is expected to be ready to go when spring training rolls around. While delaying it felt conceivably risky from the perspective of Winn’s long-term future, we don’t necessarily know (at least, I don’t) that it carried any additional risk compared to what is inherent with a second meniscus tear on the same knee.

From a team standpoint, the Cardinals were likely finishing a shade below .500 this season regardless of Winn’s participation in recent weeks. But what Winn potentially gained with the gambit was significant: his first Gold Glove in Major League Baseball.

Winn leads not just all National League shortstops, but all NL fielders, in Outs Above Average per Baseball Savant. Fellow shortstops Nick Allen and Trea Turner stand with 17 and 16 OAA, respectively, with Winn checking in with 22.

Winn’s highlight reel is undeniable. His range, his athleticism and the strength of the cannon attached to his right shoulder were on display on a nightly basis all summer.

If Winn felt that missing a full month or six weeks at the end of the campaign could have jeopardized his chances to receive the award that he had arguably already earned, then gutting it out for as long as possible was arguably a worthwhile endeavor.

Winn still ended his season prematurely, but ideally, not early enough for the powers that be to have forgotten about his stellar defensive season in the middle of the St. Louis defense.