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I wonder what the Tigers think about their $14M pitcher not being 100% focused on ST and getting his career out of the weeds.
I bet BDW is happy it’s not his $14M.
Jack is a political guy. Some organizations may not care one way or the other about that, and others might be more leery.
Jack should be able to work on his craft while also participating in the MLBPA. But he has not exactly turned any heads the last few years with his mound skills, which does open up the question of what he values more, social issues or his profession.
He has been very good this spring so he seems focused. How that translate into the regular season, who knows. But for spring training he has been great.
I wonder if we had kept Richie Palacios if he would have won the left or center field jobs. He looked good at the end of last year and has had a great Spring for Tampa.
I cringed a little when I saw we dealt him for a bullpen pitcher, and an older one at that. Seemed risky given how he came on strong at Memphis and St. Louis last year, and we do not have a lot of athleticism on our roster.
OMG
Jordan Hicks tonight:
5 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 10 K 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SMyOpLrk3R
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) March 26, 2024
Jury is still out on Palacios. He may still be a “sell high” player, as he cost almost nothing to acquire because he wasn’t good with Cleveland. Coming into the off-season, I think we all would have agreed that the pen needed more attention than the outfield. Trade strength to address weakness. No one could predict at that time that two OF starters would open the season on the IL.
To be fair, we should also note that Kittredge had a nice spring, 2.25 ERA. With the age and injury asterisks, he is a more proven player than Palacios.
When Hicks has sustained success in games that count against good teams (sorry Oakland), then I will take notice. One spring training game (good or bad) isn’t nearly enough to draw any conclusions from.
I do hope he has success. And if he does, I won’t blame the Cards for trading him and not paying him big money. Maybe Kloff or Robberse will come through.
Brian, we might have 3 outfielders on the IL to start the season. I don’t know how Carlson avoids the IL after seeing how Walker bulldozed him yesterday.
As far as the Hicks thing goes, if he does turn into a legit starter for the Giants, its further indictment against the Cards FO and the player development.
I never liked the way the Cardinals handled Hicks. I am not liking them looking at Liberatore as a bullpen guy either. Both of those guys should have always been groomed as starters IMHO. But hey, we will see how all this works out.
On Palacios, I would have been less concerned had they dealt Burleson. Palacios may not end up being anything special, but as everyone knows I favor athletic guys. That and watching the ball jump off his bat a few times late last season made him a guy that I am following some as it looks like something is there.
Yes, three OFs on the IL is possible. However I did not see the collision the same way. Walker went low at the last second and Carlson took a tough fall after his legs came into contact with the diving Walker. The two did not communicate correctly/clearly, but I am not sure fault can be fairly assessed. I’ve seen Walker’s comments, but not Carlson’s yet.
On the Hicks subject, there is a segment of fans waiting and hoping guys who left the team will be successful, not because they follow the players and want them to do well, but because they hope to have more fodder to further criticize the Cardinals. That is an unhealthy approach, IMO.
Re: Carlson / Walker
Lets put blame aside, as much as I hate to, and talk about outfield play.
The corners yield to the center fielder, he’s the best defender. The center fielder must be allowed to track the ball non-stop, as Carlson did, with only the wall as his collision concern. We want all center fielders to have the fielding priority.
Corners have to read the play developing in the gaps, track the ball, and make a decision on whether or not to yield in the CF gap. How any corner outfielder is allowed to have a “100%” effort in the gaps mentality, escapes me.
You get a trainwreck when neither player is willing to yield.
Then maybe Willie McGee should talk about it. I doubt Walker misunderstood his directions on how to play, but perhaps…
The center fielders are talking about it 😀
6′-6″”, 250 lbs put them on notice. Full tilt. Maybe I’ll hear ya, maybe I won’t.The 100% by the corner outfielder unless and until called off by the center fielder is how the game has been played for 100 years. But it wouldn’t surprise me if the clipboard cadets think they have discovered how the game should be played.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, blogger Josh Jacobs returned to the Hicks subject today. Last summer, he tested the waters about the Cardinals extending Hicks and making him a starter again. Reading the comments, I did not see a single positive one. In fact, they were very critical of the idea.
My opinion is that if one came out in support of keeping Hicks AT THE TIME, then one has a right to bring it up later. If not, then it is disingenuous to complain about it after the fact. If there were any posts around here advocating the Cards paying Hicks market value and returning him to the rotation, I sure don’t remember them. But please correct me if I am mistaken.
I suggested the idea that the Cardinals could bring extend Hicks before the trade deadline and give him an opportunity to start in 2024.
The comments were very much not a fan at that time. https://t.co/vZbEtKQzZw
— Josh Jacobs (@joshjacoMLB) March 26, 2024
I was in favor of trading Hicks at the time simply because the season was long over and the FO had made no indication they knew what they were doing last year. I wanted them to trade even more guys. I wish Hicks success in whatever he has but if he truly turns into a starting pitcher, even a mid-rotation guy, it’s just more fuel to the fire.
There was discussion, as bikemike noted, critical of how the Cards rushed Hicks’ development. With full hindsight, it is hard to disagree about that.
But I do find it interesting that Toronto, the other team that knew Hicks well, did not pony up to keep him, either. Instead, they signed Cuban Yariel Rodriguez for five years, $32 million. Both are 27 years old.
My one question about the Walker-Carlson collision is how would it be looked at if Walker pulled up because he thought Carlson was going to catch the ball but Carlson couldn’t get there?
If Walker doesn’t hear the CF call him off, he is supposed to try to make the catch at all costs.
No problems Forsch, the center fielders will be pulling up now. We have a defensive end going 100% into the gap. Bwahaha!
I guess the org is teaching the three kamikaze outfielders approach.
I agree with bikemike about Palacios. I said at the time I would have traded Burleson instead.
If the Cards are so adamant about putting the best defense on the field, having Walker in RF goes against that. Walker should be made into a primary DH role. I have hated how the Cardinals utilize the DH spot when other teams are investing in the position, the Cards treat it as a Day Off spot for veterans.
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