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Martinez is joining the growing list of Cardinals done for the season. Jack Flaherty (0-1, 6.06) will start Game 162 instead.
Brewers are substituting Aaron Wilkerson (0-0, 8.10, also a rookie) to start.
Flaherty looked bad in the 1st inning. Not just his control but his body language was bad. Slumped shoulders, frowning, wrong pitching position. 4-0 Brewers bottom 1st
A disappointing finish to a disappointing season. Final record 83-79, three fewer wins than last year and 17 fewer than two years ago. Nine games behind the Cubs and three back of the Brewers in the division.
Interesting that Bill and Kathy DeWitt were in their seats until the last out.
I’m not sure why that is interesting.Heads will roll.
I doubt it. Unless they add Stanton, Goldschmidt or Arenado color me bored. As usual it will be more recycled garbage and slugs but Mo will be excited about the team just like he was this year.
My strategy will be the same next year as it was this year. Go to Memphis in June and see the team play for cheap before they all get to St. Louis.
Nate (mspaid), do you have anything constructive to add to the discussion or are you just going to troll a lot of the topics all winter, AGAIN.
Last year’s top free agent position players –
1.) Turner
2.) Cespedes
3.) Encarnacion
4.) FowlerCecil was the #2 left handed reliever available.
Why would you think the Cards won’t do anything signicant this Winter?
“Heads will roll.”
In the last year, the heads that rolled were the assistant hitting coach and the third base coach. Plus, more recently, Mike Leake was shipped out. It did not seem to matter.
The Cardinals have lost patience with two types –
1.) Core players who were expected to perform at least up to career norms and provide leadership for the younger players.
2.) Younger players who didn’t perform anywhere near expectations.
There was one player in each category who particularly grated upon them.
As far as heads rolling this season, in addition to Leake I believe you could put Peralta, Diaz, Broxton, Siegrist, Adams, Fryer,
and Socolovich into that category.Every team makes player changes in-season every year. Every team has guys who do not perform and others who unexpectedly step up. What will be interesting to me are actions that are not “business as usual” kinds of moves – ones that could be significant enough to help change a trajectory which is clearly going in the wrong direction.
Not sure where management is on frustrations about this past season, but my biggest gripes were these:
1. The whole “can only bat leadoff” stigma on Carpenter. Matheny played into that as well.
2. Piscotty’s major decline after inking a nice deal. My last straw with him was the abysmal strike-em-out-throw-em-out nonsense he pulled in the final week, letting a fat 3-2 pitch go for strike three. Heck, you learn in little league, or at least by high school to protect that runner, so you should be looking to swing even at pitches out of zone. That just showed his head was not in the game, and it was that way all year with him.
3. Diaz losing the ability to hit the ball where it’s pitched. It got so bad he would try to pull pitches that were in the left-hand batter’s box.
4. Tacking on to the Piscotty comment, a general lack of an intelligent hitting approach. It seemed that far too often, guys would take pitches that they had a good chance to square up, and swing at pitches where you would be unlikely to put good wood onto it. Did Mabry ever address this?
5. CMartinez not stepping up and being consistent enough to be a true ace.
6. Management’s disinterest in working on a deal to retain Lynn. They look at him “blocking” someone who they think will be better, rather than building the strongest and deepest pitching staff they can.
7. Cecil and Oh both faltering.Bike… I agree with all your of gripes except for Piscotty. I’ve written here that I’m giving him a pass on ’17 because of his distressing issues during the season. I hope that you and I, as well as all the Card fans will enjoy seeing him come back with a fresh start in ’18. I haven’t given up on him… he’s too good of a player. The FO should see it that way… they know more about what really went on with him this season than we do.
I disagree with bikemike’s #6. Allocating $100 MM or thereabouts to keep Lynn when there are other far more pressing needs and far fewer roster options available is not where I would spend the money. I would prioritize a difference-making bat (very expensive) and relief ahead of Lynn. It may not be realistic to expect them to do all three.
Lynn has earned the right to cash in and I expect he will do it, getting four or even five years. I just don’t think it should be here, all things considered.
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