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I was thinking that the team acquiring Goldschmidt would agree to extend him before he would waive his no trade clause. But now that I think about it, that would get pretty complicated in that his contract is with the Cardinals.
I am not extending a 37 yr old for 4 years
Goldscmidt will be playing almost the whole 2024 season at the age of 37 (birthday is Sept. 11). So if he were extended for two years, he’d be playing the 2025 season at 38, and the 2026 season at the age of 39. It would not be unheard of for a team to give him that third year where he would be playing at the age of 40. Of course, anybody has got to be concerned about an athlete still playing in his late thirties.
The Cardinals are shuffling the deck with Walker, Gorman, Winn, Nootbaar, Donovan, etc. And with trading for Saggese, Roby, etc. from the
So where are they all going to play?
It looks like there will be no significant changes to the roster on the position player side, nor to the coaching staff. We have to hope that the -240 run swing in run differential from 2022 to 2023 was all pitching’s fault because everything else will be the same.
Winn in, Paul out
Muscles out, Edman to full time CF
Younger guys a year older
Goldschmidt and Arenado a year older
Motter gone – this could absolutely crush the spirit of this team – bears watching early on.
We shall see what happens with the pitching. More quality starts will lead to fewer early blowouts which should take pressure off the hitters and the bullpen.
It looks like there will be no significant changes to the roster on the position player side, nor to the coaching staff. We have to hope that the -240 run swing in run differential from 2022 to 2023 was all pitching’s fault because everything else will be the same.
We have a new bench coach in Descalso, plus Yadi will be around the team more.
Also, I think there can be natural fluctuations with players from year to year. There is nothing saying that our offense and defense can’t be better this year even if the roster is the same. As TLR said, “they aren’t robots.”
There is nothing saying that our offense and defense can’t be better this year even if the roster is the same.
With the same players, the offense and defense might be better, might be the same, might be worse.
Our current and limited position player depth, suggests we expect 600 PA’s from the eight returning regulars 🙂
While I’d endorse it, I wouldn’t expect it, but imagine getting 600 PA’s from Walker, Noot, Donovan and Gorman.
Willson is doing what he always has. Edman, Goldy and Arenado can at least hold serve on 23′ or better, and better would be impactful.
One unknown in Winn? Common.
Graduating our young bats to everyday PA’s for a season, is a long term goal met, and the next obtainable improvement of this lineup, imo.
It appears they are intent on beating the Liby and Thompson are starters dead horse again. I figure they will play Chinese fire drill again with the lineup and defensive arrangement. They likely ran 1000 simulations this winter with the same algo they ran them with last year.
Rather than subjecting us to more algorithm whining speculation, I suggest you get some facts. Start by listening to the final question of the long Marmol WWU interview. I asked him about the tradeoff between defensive versatility and a set lineup. Without prompting, he specifically volunteered that there will be an everyday CF (Edman) and an everyday SS (Winn). So my take is that other than Donovan rotating around spelling guys when he is not DHing, there shouldn’t be a lot of rotating lineups (as long as they stay healthy). The nine starters are set.
It appears they are intent on beating the Liby and Thompson are starters dead horse again
In the Winter Warmup interviews, both Liberatore and Thompson
indicated that their roles for 2024 have been defined. Thompson will be a starter (not sure if he realizes he may be starting at Memphis) and Liberatore will be a reliever. They both sound like they’re glad that they know what their roles are.In the press interview with us, I didn’t hear Liberatore say what his role will be in 2024. In fact, he dodged the question but spent a fair amount of time talking about how he is applying what he learned in the pen to starting, going through the lineup a second and third time, gaining endurance to go deeper, etc…
Perhaps it was said in another forum?
I’m reasonably certain he has no idea what his role will be this season. Same as last season. In my view, other than Goldschmidt and Arenado, the lack of a clearly defined role was omnipresent across the entire roster for near to the entirety of the ’23 season. That’s a serious problem and in my view stems from a total lack of quality leadership.
If Liberatore wants to be a starter he needs to go win the job in Spring training…I would say the time is now for him or it’s not going to happen
I understood they were both to work up as starters. But I don’t remember where I heard/read that.
As to the algo comment, I don’t think anything about lineup construction, defensive alignment or game prep will be any different this year. The reason being there are no material changes to any of the personnel. I guarantee we will see a different lineup virtually everyday. I don’t believe for a minute that there will be 8 regulars out there everyday, with the exception of Donovan occasionally giving someone a break. The temptation to play fantasy matchups/percentages/probabilities will be too strong, and those printouts are not going in the circular file.
Contrary to Bling, I believe the only mixing and matching will be Donovan and Carlson (other than Contreras/Herrera which is a given). Donovan will likely play most days and do it at 6 different positions. Carlson will play against every lefty starter. Burleson is likely to ride the pine and potentially pinch hit late or have a small share of DH duties. Whomever is the last bench player won’t play (unless the Cards follow my Siani logic). Until injuries occur or Carlson or Burleson gets red hot, I think this will be the way it is. The order of the lineup may change some, but everything else is going to be a lot more structured than last season.
Brian said
So my take is that other than Donovan rotating around spelling guys when he is not DHing, there shouldn’t be a lot of rotating lineups (as long as they stay healthy). The nine starters are set.
Five hours later, jnevel said
Carlson will play against every lefty starter.
Abracadabra, poof, the nine are now ten. That didn’t take long. I agree Mo is not going to let all that lovely analytics spew go to waste.
So who does Carlson platoon with? Or does that vary? Or is he the set DH vs lefties?
Cards will have a set lineup — until they don’t. I’ll be surprised at the end of the season if Edman’s innings played by defensive position make him look more like a CFer than a multi-position player. It’s how they roll, no matter what they say. Peg and hole shapes don’t need to align. And no need to come back and say they had to because this guy didn’t perform, that guy got injured, a certain matchup screamed do it, etc. That’s just stuff. Stuff happens every year, throughout the year, to every team.
Mo’s system is all about the output of analytics informing game prep and in game tactics. Mo has talked about working to improve that interface. The idea that all that is going out the window in favor of a set lineup is absurd, IMO. I don’t know what Ollie thinks he knows, but Mo is not waving a white flag.
Nine is not ten from me. Taking two posters’ comments and putting them together does not accurately represent either.
Even if Carlson starts against EVERY SINGLE lefty, which I have no reason to believe is really going to be the case, he would be on the bench three out of every four games. That would be the same playing time Herrera gets if Contreras catches 120 games. That is why Carlson has been announced as the FOURTH outfielder, not an alternate starter.
Another way to put it is that Carlson is likely not going to start against right-handers, which is three-quarters of the time. Maybe they will leave him in the game when a lefty is replaced by a righty to see if his offseason changes have made any difference.
There are nine starters currently. Like Euro said, what happens later is unknown, but it is a pretty good assumption that some of the nine are going have IL time at some point. The reserves have to be ready and hope they can earn their way into the regular mix with more playing time.
forsch, no, its a matter of misuse, but that is a different issue. Here I am arguing that analytics worship negates the possibility of a set lineup and everyday regulars. The reason being the ML team, and probably the whole organization, is run like fantasy baseball where human elements and intangibles do not factor in. Its just 9 piles of numbers and formulas running around out there. There is no way Mo will not want to see the product of the analytics department creating clever tweeks day in day out.
Depends on the roster, no two are alike. If a roster is loaded with established players there is less auditioning.
ATL had 41 different lineups and 80 different batting orders.
BAL had 126 different lineups and 150 batting orders.
Those were the two highest win percentages last season.
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