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The thing is is that I don’t think I am dreaming big. I have never said that I think the Cardinals should go big or will go big. There seems to be an asusmption that if there is a mere mention of going outside the organization that it indicates the the rebuild has been completely abandoned and we are suddenly going to to try to sign the top 5 free agents. It doesn’t have to be one extreme or the other.
What I have said is that I think they should pursue incremental progress instead of settling for another runway year. Why should 2027 be a repeat of 2026? Why should the Cardinals want a repeat of 2026? How is that in their best interest? To me it seems completely logical that they would want to get better each year. The hard part of the rebuild, which is the teardown, is almost complete in my opinion. Now is the fun part when we start building back up again even if in small increments.
The #stlcards system was 1-0 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis CF Chase Davis, singled, doubled, walked and drove in three. Other standouts: Brandt Thompson and Jimmy Crooks. https://t.co/f7qMwvc1jK pic.twitter.com/sUnfr4s7Fb
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) September 19, 2026
gscottar said:
To me it seems completely logical that they would want to get better each year.
I doubt anyone disagrees with that general direction. The relevant questions each year, though, are “how much better?” and “how do they achieve it?”.
We are discussing one question, which is if, how and when external signings become part of the plan. As already noted in this thread, there is disagreement about how much they could improve just with the players they already have.
IMO, trades of redundancies to fill gaps are far more likely for 2027, which most feel will be another building year, not a push for contention year. I would assert this even without the threat of a lockout and resulting negative revenue impact from loss of games.
Time missed could also slow the rebuilding plan. As a reminder, during a lockout, management and players are not allowed to be in contact with one another.
Hopefully, we can get clues from the Cardinals at their post-season presser (if they have it). That will be especially important as the Winter Meetings (Dec) and Winter Warm-Up (Jan) will almost certainly be casualties of the lockout.
Personally, what I’d like to see and what I think will happen are not necessarily the same.
P.S. Another short-term gap filling approach could be to sign a May-type who could be flipped at the deadline if not in contention or be kept if they have decent post-season chances. Perhaps this is the kind of signing you were mentioning. Of course, it would be a continuation of their approach in 2026, maybe with a different ending.
Personally, what I’d like to see and what I think will happen are not necessarily the same. I
Could you share what those 2 scenarios are?
I’d like to see them get more aggressive in sorting through the keepers and non-keepers of the in-house developed players. I’d like to see them spend more than a bottom 10 team, but that’s easy to say because its not my money. But I also recognize that there are many uncertainties about 2027 for everyone and see that as a potentially overriding concern that will lead to caution, not risk-taking.
IMO, trades of redundancies to fill gaps are far more likely for 2027
Yes, I think trading from areas of excess to strengthen weakness is more likely than meaningful FA signings. I consider that part of the rebuild rather than going outside it. We haven’t seen this yet and don’t know what the level of impact will be. It takes quality to get quality, and we don’t know how far up the scale Bloom might be inclined to go. Say, if the org becomes totally sold on Bernal as the season progresses, would Bloom trade Rainiel for what looks like the next Jim Edmonds? A move that would likely alter the trajectory in one direction or the other depending on how it worked out. Or would it be trading Crooks or Pages for something comparable, which would likely barely nudge the needle if anything at all. There is a huge range of what trading from excess could look like.
Perhaps this is the kind of signing you were mentioning.
I really don’t think the Cardinals should bother with free agency in 2027 unless it was a cheap bullpen piece. What I have advocated is trading from surplus and redundancies for proven major leaguers who have multiple years of control. That has the potential to strenghten the club but also alleviates the worry of adding too much payroll.
We say that the Cardinals will do this or that in 2027 but in reality none of us know. I think we have been a bit beaten down by the salary purge of 2026 and just assume it is going to continue indefinately. I remind you to consider how low our payroll is currently and how low it is projected for 2027. I mean we are basically at the bottom of the barrel. It is going to be difficult for them to keep this up much longer if they have any desire to sell tickets. I don’t view that as just wishful thinking.
What I have advocated is trading from surplus and redundancies for proven major leaguers who have multiple years of control.
If they are any good, ie keepers for our future, they are not going to come cheap. I would be interested to know what “surplus and redundancies” you would be OK with seeing traded away.
Our strength right now is not our ML roster, unless you are talking Burly or Walker. JJ has a contract to figure in. Herrera is wobbly. Winn is wobbly. Bernal has some value, at least offensively, but is unproven. We are not going to get good young lineup player for a starter not really good enough to be #5 for us next year. Our strength is our top ranked minor league system, and as has been explained, that is largely based upon the small handful of guys placing high in the national rankings. So, do we trade from that strength?
If it weren’t for the uncertainty of the labor contract looming, this offseason would be filled with intriguing possibilities concerning player movement. As is, I agree with Brian. It will be filled with caution. I expect nothing more than movement within the organization. Maybe some cheap fa bullpen guys.
The #stlcards system was 1-0 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis’s Jimmy Crooks, was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Other standouts: Trey Paige, Chase Davis, Brody Moore and Jared Shuster. https://t.co/qIbyHZQb67 pic.twitter.com/UEtelxU2AJ
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) September 20, 2026
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