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Overexposure today! VEB, then KMOX.
Join @MattPauleyOnAir for Sports Open Line from 6-8pm on KMOX!
6:20 @earlaustinjr, Billikens basketball
6:35 @B_Walton, #STLCards
7:20 @M_Meyer3, #stlblues🔊: 1120AM, 104.1FM, or online https://t.co/1BXXC6vQny pic.twitter.com/LdD6FJo3eF
— KMOX Sports (@KMOXSports) November 17, 2025
This week, @kyler416 and I open with Rule 5 protection decisions that brought Bernal, Baez, Mautz and Hjerpe onto the #stlcards 40-man. Next up is the first three prospects in TCN’s 2026 Top 50 countdown. Increased investment in infield coaching is recognized, and more!… pic.twitter.com/OzARyv2msg
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) November 19, 2025
One point about qualifying offer free agents such as Valdez is if two of the three big names are traded, the return on Valdez would exceed a third round pick.
If Valdez’s past behavior forces him to take a one-year contract, then he makes perfect sense and can almost guarantee he pitches for a top contender at playoff time. He couldn’t do that over the winter.Framber Valdez turned down over $22 million from the Astros for 2026. Does anyone really think the Cardinals would offer him more? Even if he is signed then traded at the end of July and his new team assumed his remaining salary, he would still cost the Cardinals at least $15 million plus the lost draft pick for four months minus whatever his prospect return in trade would be.
Of course, this is not impossible, but I think it is highly unlikely.
I think the Cards would offer the one year 40 million they were paying Gray if they trade Arenado also. If they trade Valdez, they are only on the hook for 2/3 of his salary.
They get a number one to protect the bullpen and young starters. They get two or three top prospects at the deadline. They get excitement and ticket sales in the spring. They get two and a half war for about $27 million.
There is injury risk but it’s a one year deal.
Valdez does it for the cash and he gets to pitch in a pitcher’s park and can then finish the season under the spotlight of a playoff race.Well, I hope you won’t be disappointed if they don’t do this. Listening to Bloom’s press conference, he didn’t even hint that they would be doing anything this bold.
I don’t like Valdez or the idea of high-priced free agents. I simply think this route has real value both short and long term.
If they do indeed trade salary, there comes a point where the money saved doesn’t equal the value of money spent.Very good listen gents, first and foremost, I always look forward to these every Wednesday.
The one thing that you’ve broken my heart on is that they’re going to let Jordan Walker be the right fielder in 2026…. I’ll take Josh Báez in RF way before Walker. If Donnie, Noot, etc are used for pitching, and Arenado a bad contract flip. Maybe they can use catchers or Contreras or a FA signing for a RF?-1.7 WAR, pretty sure I can rest my case after that number, but third try in the league and a .212 BA, 6 HR, just to add on for the jury…. Memphis or trade him
Very good listen gents, first and foremost, I always look forward to these every Wednesday.
Here here, CardsFanInChiTown. Up here in the frozen tundra, nothing softens the bite of the winter chill, like nestling on down with a cup of steaming hot cocoa while listening to “Wednesdays With Walton’s Podcasts”.
I wasn’t sure where to post this. But since it’s Wednesday and I’m with Walton, I thought I’d post it here…..
I enjoyed today’s TCN article on the Cardinals’ Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year. I especially enjoyed Larry Day’s comments on JJ Wetherholt and Brycen Mautz. It’s exciting to hear that Mautz really improved his game with offseason hard work and an apparent willingness to let himself be coached. Incidentally, I looked around to find out where Day’s comments came from. No luck. I’m guessing that TCN got the quote from a press release or something like that.
Also, I didn’t remember who Larry Day was. A quick search showed that he came to St. Louis from Cleveland in early December, 2024, after accepting an offer to be the Cardinals Director of Player Development. I’m guessing that ‘Director of Player Development’ is something like being the foreman of the position player coaching crew.
Yes, the quotes came from the Cardinals. At the top of the article, it says “St. Louis Cardinals release”. My comments follow that section, under “Brian Walton’s take”.
Larry Day’s practical title is farm director, a very important job. He runs the entire minor league system on a day-to-day basis (managers, coaches, instructors, coordinators, etc.), reporting to AGM Rob Cerfolio. In the past, Gary LaRocque held both jobs. For 2025, the Cardinals split it across two people.
photo: Chaim Bloom and Larry Day (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)I wrote about Day’s background when he was hired.
Cardinals Name New Directors for Player Development, Performance and Pitching
As a reminder, there is a wealth of information here on the site. Just enter your search argument (in this case, Larry Day) after clicking on the dark blue magnifying glass at the upper right. Every article that mentions him is presented, newest to oldest. That is how I quickly located the above article.
This week, @kyler416 and I begin with the #STLCards Gray trade, and why it one day may be called the “Brandon Clarke” trade. Focus on hitting in Tuesday’s Player Dev. and Perf. hires and promos is noted as is recent re-signings of Pozo and Robberse and addition of Scott Blewett.… pic.twitter.com/MvNKTWCAUr
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) November 26, 2025
IMPORTANT news for listeners of our Wednesday With Walton and Reis podcast. Our feed has moved. Please note the new locations of our weekly talk about the #STLCards minor leagues with me and @kyler416. See you again Wednesday and thanks for your support! https://t.co/OVJWJN9XFN pic.twitter.com/q6fExcUFqK
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) December 1, 2025
Podcast topics: New feed links, Comp. Bal. Round A draft pick and lottery. Changes to #stlcards MLB staff and a promotion. Molina in winter ball. Divesting Contreras and Arenado contracts. Top 50 prospects about whom we do not fully agree – Watson, Granillo, Kross and Gurevitch.… pic.twitter.com/D8S4eQ1XSN
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) December 3, 2025
Not sure if you’ll take any topic requests for the podcast… This would probably be a topic for an especially slow week, so probably not anytime soon with winter meetings coming up. I’m curious to hear more about your and Kyle’s thoughts on some of the front office moves. In particular some of my observations include:
As far as I can tell, Bloom hasn’t hired anyone who has previously worked for him. I was expecting a lot of former Boston and Tampa folks to follow him into St. Louis. That’s not to say he isn’t familiar at all with any of the hires previously, but does seem to show an extraordinary level of confidence in front office/coaching talent evaluation beyond just player evaluation and/or recognition that he knows what worked in BOS/TB as good as anyone, so makes sense to bring in folks with good understanding of other orgs methods. It seems you both are very impressed with the hires and the balance of internal/external additions vs. clearing house. But are you also surprised it isn’t a bunch of Boston and Tampa guys coming in? Or am I just conditioned to how insular the Cards have been?
With the hires this year seemingly finalized, we’ll go another year without a formal General Manager. I wonder if this is a smart move. This way, the promotion is available if someone else tries to poach one of the assistant gm’s that we wouldn’t want to lose. Or if another executive becomes unexpectedly available (similar to how Bloom did), they could have flexibility to be opportunistic. Do you think one of these is likely or what is your read?
It sounds like all the Roger Dean Stadium plans are moving forward now, but in past, part of issue was the stipulation that Marlins would need to basically do the equivalent upgrades. Now that Miami has Bendix (another former Tampa executive), does this make future improvements/investments easier as theoretically both Bloom and Bendix might value similar technologies/facilities from coming up through Tampa’s system. Also, I haven’t heard anything about if Bloom and Bendix worked together much while in Tampa and if so what their relationship was like or what those projects were.
I’m sure there’s items you both and others have noticed as well. Thanks for any consideration!
Good topics, Christopher. Thank you for following the podcast and commenting and for being a paid subscriber.
My off-the-top of my-head comments here won’t preclude a more detailed discussion later.
Boston/TB. In the positions closest to him, Bloom kept the incumbent AGMs plus Cerfolio, who joined last year. So the StL front office hasn’t changed much with the experienced AGMs staying put. All the Player Development and Performance jobs are under Cerfolio, so I am guessing he, not Bloom, was at the forefront of those many, and still continuing, hirings.
GM. I have no inside info. This is my gut speaking. Early on, Bloom is going to be hands on as he leads the changes his first offseason. He may not need or want a GM right now. Potential factor #2, it is an expensive salary at a time they would probably rather use their resources elsewhere. Potential factor #3, sourcing. Would Bloom bring in an outsider or promote from within? Is the outsider he wants available? Is there a clear leader among the current AGMs? Nothing against the folks already in the front office, but my personal hope is for another outside voice whenever it is filled.
Roger Dean/Marlins. The facility plans were approved and construction is going on. Not part of your question, but it looks like the normal January minor league camps cannot be held with the hope they can get players in the facility and on the fields for February. Otherwise, spring training could be a mess. I don’t know anything about the Bloom/Bendix relationship, but let’s see if they match up in any trades this winter.
Soooo… Right after I promise to have Wednesday With Walton and Reis posted in the early morning, we make an exception. @kyler416 and I are waiting until after today's 1 p.m. CT Rule 5 Draft to record. Look for this week's edition late afternoon. We'll make the delay worth it! pic.twitter.com/KRNjyA37Fr
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) December 10, 2025
Listened to an interview with CB that was taped last night, one thing is 100% not debatable, he is extremely more transparent and enjoyable to listen to than Mo was in his 3,000 year tenure.
I guess we’ll have to look at this as one excruciatingly long rain delay. I hope the tarp is properly put down so Brian doesn’t end up rescheduling today’s episode until a later date. I guess I’ll just watch a few episodes of The Kominsky Method until late this afternoon.
In this week's podcast, @kyler416 and I start with the #STLCards' waiver claim of RP Zak Kent. Next is the Draft Lottery, an unlucky #13. In today’s Rule 5 Draft ML phase, the org added RP Matt Pushard but lost AA SP Cade Winquest. They took one player in the MiL phase, but three… pic.twitter.com/4fAN3XaOQd
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) December 10, 2025
In this week's podcast, @kyler416 and I start with the #STLCards' waiver claim of RP Zak Kent. Next is the Draft Lottery, an unlucky #13. In today’s Rule 5 Draft ML phase, the org added RP Matt Pushard but lost AA SP Cade Winquest. They took one player in the MiL phase, but three… pic.twitter.com/4fAN3XaOQd
— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) December 10, 2025
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