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I was wondering what people think about the comparison between Allen Craig and Luken Baker? If I remember correctly Craig was never a top prospect and some saw him as a AAAA guy until he got a chance. Craigs last year at Memphis he was 26 years old like Baker is now. Both were in their second almost full season at Memphis also. Baker is tearing up Memphis even more than Craig did in 2010. With Goldschmidt maybe being gone after last year why not see what we have in Baker. Are the Cardinals so good they can just ignore someone with the power potential of Baker. With the DH the team has to start looking thinking about guys that can rake without being much of a position player.
I love Baker. I’ve always loved Baker. Huge amount of power and it always seemed like he was just a fraction off of getting big hits until this year where he’s tearing up the International League.
I don’t see a lot of comparisons with Craig other than what you named above. Baker can only play one position. He’s slow. And he has more power. He compares better to The Hulk! Except as far as I can tell his skin never turns green. But yeah, he could definitely replace Goldschmidt after 2024. And it seems to me that he would be way more valuable to have on the big league club than Fermin. But I think the Cardinals mostly want to keep him taking regular at bats instead of hanging out mostly on the MLB bench waiting for a pinch hit opportunity.
Walker is probably targeted for 1B eventually. Plus the Cards may want to extend Goldy for several years. Baker may go in a trade for pitching this off season.
Baker seems like the perfect target for a small market team to give a chance as the regular 1B for a couple years…think Pittsburgh, KC, Colorado, etc. I don’t know if we will give him any real shot but I could see him being a Luke Voit and having a couple good statistical years.
If it were me, I’d split 1B time nearly evenly next year between Baker and Goldschmidt and let Goldy DH on his off days and Baker pickup some of DH on his off days (sharing the other DH opportunities with others like Arenenado and our OF’s). I think Baker is legitimately that good. And if they want to sign Goldy to another year after 2024, that’s when they should make that decision. Don’t get me wrong. Baker is no future hall of famer. But I really think he’s going to have a great roughly 3 year peak. And I’d love for the Cards to catch that wave as it’s happening.
and he has been paid well for that. But at the end of next season he will be 37. No reason to extend when you have younger cheaper in house options. We don’t need Goldy we need pitching. But no doubt in my mind that is exactly what they will do. 3 more years at least.
Really don’t see Nado or Goldy going anywhere. Got to consider their Star Power. Think of it as “Branding”. Baker seems destined to ph and dh to me. Probably back and forth to Memphis. Please don’t put him in the outfield.
Baker seems like the perfect target for a small market team
Or for a team that spends like a small market team.
Arenado is not going anywhere, he has 4 more years on his contract. Goldy is a free agent after next year. No reason to re-sign him but they will.
Herrera has quite a bit of value. Baker has some value as a throw in on the end of a deal especially for the right team. Yepez and Koperniak really have close to zero value right now – especially Yepez since he is using up a 40-man spot. Koperniak is a run of the mill AAAA outfielder that every team probably has 1 or 2 of. And Yepez is a below average hitter at AAA who can’t really play a position outside of 1B anymore because he’s gained too much weight. I don’t even think most teams would take him as a throw in piece anymore since he uses up a 40-man slot. It’s too bad too because he once had a lot of potential.
Craig was an athlete (SS in college and his first year in the org). Baker is basically a bat. O believe Craig got as high as #7 on our prospect list só he was more highly regarded. Baker might be ranked that high in the system this Winter if he could play anywher but 1B. But since he cant ……
Baker seems exactly like Luke Voit to me. He would be perfect for Oakland. He could play everyday with no pressure or expectations.
Another part I don’t really get. Baker isn’t like Matt Adams and drafted really late in the draft. He was drafted 75th overall and was paid 800,000 dollars to sign. At the time he had missed some of his junior year and it was likely he would have been drafted higher if not for that. Why would someone with the most HR’s in AAA over the last two years just be a fill in on a draft. I’d argue right now that Baker has a better hit tool and power right now than Jordan Walker.
I’m really glad to see this thread on Baker. I’m hoping to get some understanding as to why this player isn’t getting much attention. Even in the Cardinals’ ranking, they bring him in at No.29. We’re paying Contreras 17M for his bat, and here we have a player at Memphis who is posting a BA of .332, and an OPS of 1.130 and leading AAA with 27 HR, and if he gets traded, he’s a throw in? I get that he’s a slow runner and, I assume, a liability defensively, but that bat of his appears to be have value, a lot of value.
Baker has 4 whole starts this year. At some point this season, they need to let him play for a 2 or 3 weeks to see how he settles in at the plate against the big boys.
How many DH’s does a team need? They have decisions to make because you can’t keep all the all bat no glove players.
I’m not sure, but that’s a good question. Do the rules allow for a team to forgo a position player or two in the field and have more than one DH in the line-up? If so, we’re in good shape…
There is only 1B, currently occupied by Goldy through next year and probably longer since an extension is more than likely even if it is short-sighted.
I’m hoping to get some understanding as to why this player isn’t getting much attention.
He only plays 1B which is occupied by the reigning NL MVP, who is also one of the bronze busts who isn’t going anywhere. The smart thing woud be to trade Goldy this winter for pitching, but that won’t happen.
No one says that the DH position has to be to give position players days off in the field but not batting. If you have a DH that rakes have him do that everyday. I do think Baker is a better athlete than people give him credit for. He pitched in HS and I think even some in college before he got his left arm broke sophomore year.
I have similar views on Baker as most of you guys – he is sort of a Luke Voit-type who could very well have a 3-4 year big league stretch of success. But he does not seem like a guy who will age very well.
It seems like the perfect plan is work him and Walker in as the first baseman in 2025, and let Goldy walk after next year. Especially if our club is mediocre next season. But if I had to predict, I think we will extend Goldy for 2 years and Baker will be part of a deal to acquire pitching or attempt to fill another need.
Then for a couple of years we will be whining that we made yet another mistake like we did with Garcia, but Luken will come down to earth a season or two later similar to Voit.
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