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I’ve shifted thinking from the trade market to the FA market, where there are going to be a lot of reasonable opportunities.
You are right, bccran. There will probably be some reasonable free agent opportunities. But what gives you confidence the Cardinals will sign them?
Without knowing the budget parameters, we are totally in the dark about what they can do and cannot. For all we know, Mo was told to shed even more payroll, not given the money to sign anyone external. Normally, he talks about being “opportunistic” in the market. There was not a word of optimism like that shared in his 45 minute talk yesterday.
Further, would bringing in another bat take priority over resigning Waino and Yadi? Can they do all three? I have no idea, but my guess right now is “no”.
Yesterday, I asked Mo directly about getting OF help from the outside as he said was possible on 8/31, depending on how the young guys played the rest of the season. He replied that he would not answer my question. The “no reply” was in fact an answer as far as I am concerned. I hope I will be proven to be too pessimistic, but that is where I am right now.
Somewhere I read a DeWitt quote saying there has be funds for Yadi and Adam. I’d guess their signings is a higher priority than an outside bat, to the FO.
Somewhere I read a DeWitt quote saying there has be funds for Yadi and Adam. I’d guess their signings is a higher priority than an outside bat, to the FO.
People show up to watch Yadi and Waino set records and ride off into the sunset. People don’t show up to watch a 75 win team otherwise.
Yes, they could fill holes with a few $1-2 MM free agents, but Mo was not enthusiastic when I asked him about adding platoon players. They will probably wait to take action until spring when guys are desperate to get a big league contract anywhere. This winter could be a snoozefest other than watching the Waino and Yadi talks.
Last offseason the commissioner froze rosters around the end of March, and the players org and owners proceeded to slugged it out about the season after. I’m wondering how long he will allow this offseasons transactions to take place.
I guess I am not most fans but frankly I could care less about watching icons play their last season. I just don’t get too caught up in the sentimentality. If this team needs to be gutted then go all the way and do it. If forced to choose I would much rather have a bat from the outside than to give legacy contracts to Yadi and Waino.
I think the Cards would be better off signing Yadi and letting Waino walk, if they had a choice. I feel like we have enough pitching to cover the loss of Waino, but not enough catching to cover the loss of Yadi, as it now stands.
I would do it the other way around. Bring Waino back for $5M and let Knizer catch everyday for the league minimum.
I’d like to agree with you, gscottar…but the way Knizner was treated this year tells me all I need to know about how the Cards feel about Knizner as a future starting catcher. He’s gonna be a backup unless he gets traded.
You are right in that is probably how the Cardinals feel. They have not handled Knizer well in my opinion. I am just saying what I would do which doesn’t really mean anything.
Pretty good article by Ben Frederickson.
Ignoring baseball’s current financial reality — or hoping teams will ignore it — is unrealistic. The pandemic shortened the season and kept fans out of stands. Revenue streams were impacted, especially for teams like the Cardinals that are so handsomely rewarded with whopping attendance totals. On top of it all, no one — not the Cardinals, not Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, not the president of the United States — knows what 2021 will bring.
Will there be fans in stands? Will there be a designated hitter in the NL? Will there be another shortened season?
Great questions. No answers. At least not yet.
Not exactly the easiest time to plan. Not exactly the smartest time to spend like crazy.
But there is another side of the conversation to consider, one that doesn’t seem to be getting much attention these days. Cardinals fans are making business decisions during a pandemic, too. They’re deciding if they will sign up for season tickets when the gates open again. They’re wondering if their Christmas shopping lists should include Cardinals gear. They’re confused about how a baseball business that booms year in and year out can be so drastically altered by one bad year. They’re figuring if the Cardinals start taking seasons off, they might, too.
Good column, but he stops short of offering any ideas HOW to actually get it done. Much easier to say than do…
I needed the overnight and part of this morning to assemble a more complete reaction to the #stlcards direction-setting media call yesterday afternoon. Its title is "The Long, Cold Cardinals Winter Ahead." (free) https://t.co/8SYi1VCM4U pic.twitter.com/jt3dvvHiTK
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) October 29, 2020
Why wouldn’t they exercise the option and trade him? At least get something for him.
I think they are getting 11.5 million for him by declining the option and paying the 1 mil buyout.
The Cardinals apparently did not want to take the risk that in this uncertain market another team would take on Wong’s full 2021 salary plus give them a player or players in return.
We should be able to tell whether this was ill-advised or not based on how much Wong eventually accepts as a free agent. It is going to have to be more than $12.5 MM for this to have been a mistake by the Cardinals. (I think it was a mistake to not keep him, but that isn’t what we are discussing here, so I will stop at that.)
Here is a good indication of the market. I have always wanted this guy on our team but I know it is highly unlikely. If he clears waivers someone is going to get a good reliever fairly cheap.
Indians Place Brad Hand On Outright Waivers https://t.co/qFOWeiuOKi pic.twitter.com/4PtwVym3Lf
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) October 29, 2020
Just listened to the total interview. Thanks for supplying it, Brian. Wow, is that understandably (under the virus circumstances) depressing as far as how much it may tamp down a lot of off season conversation. Maybe looking forward to possibilities for 2022 is more interesting and exciting.
To the Hand example, what will be really interesting to me is if the rich seize on this to get richer. Meaning, if the deep-pocketed teams like the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers start scooping up these good players cut loose.
Mo noted that not all teams are feeling the crunch equally. We will have to see if they react equally. I bet not.
You are welcome, bccran. Folks know that I normally lean to the optimistic side, but there sure wasn’t much of that to talk about from yesterday.
More on Hand. What is also really interesting is that by putting Hand on waivers, the Indians can get out of having to pay the $1 MM buyout if he is claimed.
With Wong, the Cardinals did not do that, preferring to pay the $1 MM, apparently to keep the door open to re-sign him. I am not holding my breath.
Mo just looked like a guy beat down by a number of things. And depressed, as a financial guy, that he can’t model anything because of all the unknowns.
There were several things that were interesting to this fan.
1.) His reference that different players had varying symptoms when they contracted the virus. That it hit some harder than it hit others. I wonder how much of an effect it had on DeJong.
2.) That he “owns” the Arozarena trade. I’m not trying to be redundant on this. The news was that other players were discussed was a bit surprising. Some have opined that the Rays insisted on RA begin a part of the trade. Guess that was not the case. Then he followed by saying they are reviewing the way the evaluate internal talent.
3.) That with underperforming players, they had sophisticated ways of testing whether they had made improvements, even if it didn’t show up in the stats.
Like Bader hitting the ball harder this season.
He also mentioned the overt stat about O’Neill’s Ks down and BBs up.4.) Even his talk about the Springfield camp was a bit of a downer. No enthusiasm at all.
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