- This topic has 28 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 7 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Like to do a poll to see what people think the team’s biggest needs are for this off season
Please rank 1-7 what you think the team’s biggest priorities are for the off season.
Closer
Innings eater starting pitcher (not top of the rotation)
Middle order bat
Top of the rotation pitcher
Middle relief depth (multiple pitchers)
Defensive upgrade
True leadoff hitterMy ranking
1. Middle order bat
2. Middle relief depth
3. Inning eater starting pitcher
4. Closer
5. Defensive upgrade
6. Leadoff hitter
7. Top of the rotation starter1. Middle order bat
2. Closer
3. Middle relief depth
4. Defensive upgrade
5. Inning eater starter
6. Leadoff hitter
7. Top of rotation starter1. Middle order bat
2. Closer
3. Middle relief depth
4. Defensive upgrade
5. Inning eater starter
6. Leadoff hitter
7. Top of rotation starter1.Middle order bat-someone who is a threat the other team takes serious notice of.
2.Innings eater-a solid pitcher to ease the pressure on the younger SPs and can be depended on to keep the team in the game.
3.Middle relief depth-a couple or three guys to pitch reliably good to keep the game from getting out of hand,no point in getting a closer if there is nothing to save.
4.Closer-If the SP and middle guys do their job you have to have a dependable guy or two to finish the job
5.true leadoff hitter-A speedy leadoff guy would put additional pressure on the other team and stop the station-to-station baserunning caused by Carpenter and the useless Fowler.
6.defensive upgrade-I like Kolton Wong and his skills WHEN he is on the field.
7.Top of rotation pitcher-If Nuke LaLoosh Martinez would pull his head out of his butt and pitch like he is being paid to do then the Cards have a top rotation guy.Right now Cards have Carlos talent and Wainwright`s heart.I think MO and FO only get a top rotation guy if included in a package deal with a MOTOB.This is a tough one. There are the NEEDS, WANTS and could stand to do.
I think we have to have either an elite middle of the order bat or an elite closer. I also think we are going to need an innings eater pitcher.
My ranking:
1. Middle of the order bat
2. Closer
3. Innings eater starter
4. Middle relief depth
5. Defensive upgrade
6. TOR starter
7. Leadoff hitterThe defensive upgrade can be accomplished simply by moving Fowler to LF. The only other thing to do is acquire an elite defensive SS.
cool topic…nice and tidy
1-Middle order bat…IMO Stanton trade…FA option Hosmer
2-Lesser middle order bat…IMO Longoria trade…FA option Bruce
3-top of rotation starter…IM Archer trade…FA option go with inning eater like Feldman as we’d likely still have our young SPs who Feldman and Waino would be warming the seats for
4-new pitching coach…pretty high on my list as i think it is really important…go big
5-backend reliever who COULD close…IMO Nicasio deal + Rosy deal would be fine…NEshek is another strong option
6-convert one of our young SPs to reliever for the foreseeable future (Hudson, Alcantara, etc.)
7-trade trade trade…free up 40man and 25man spots…group deals, 1for1’s whatever it takes to cut the fat8-i know this is cheating…but it is a little one and i used one of mine on a pitching coach…acquire veteran catcher like Hanigan to allow Kelly to play every day at AAA until he is needed
1. Young dynamic starter (Archer)
2. Middle order bat (Donaldson, Martinez, Bruce, etc..)
3. Beef up bullpen (Nicasio, Hand, Davis?)
4. Trade surplus redundant parts (long list here but could include Piscotty, Grichuk, Gyroko, Carp, Fowler)
5. Beef up defense up the middle (a priority to move Fowler to LF, Pham or Sierra or Bader to CF, and
inquire about Simmons at SS)
6. Solidify staff
7. Innings eater starter (many choices depending on retirements but could be Lackey, Dickey, Colon, etc..)I just wanted to include the need IMO for a backup vet catcher that we will need…for either replacing Kelly if we trade him OR if we keep Kelly but woudl rather him play everyday at AAA…
you can leave it off if you want…i doubt anyone else will include it anyways
By keeping Kelly up from July on, they made it pretty clear he is not going back to Memphis. They may sign a veteran to a minor league deal, but only as injury insurance to keep at Memphis.
1. MOTO BAT
2. Middle Relief Depth
3. Closer
4. Innings eating starter
5. Defensive upgrade
6. Top of the Rotation Starter
7. Leadoff Hitter1. TWO middle of the order bats
2. Closer
3. Leadoff Hitter
4. Top of the Rotation Starter
5. Defensive upgrade
6. Middle relief
7. Innings eater1. MOTO bat
2. Closer (Waino He’s already getting paid)
3. Top rotation P then CMart-Wacha-Weaver-Flaherty. Reyes in BP and #6 guy. There are 9 potential starters at MEM.
4. def. upgrade CF-1B Trade Fowler Carp.
5. middle relief Reyes
6. lead off we’ll find one internally
7. we don’t need an inn. eater
There’s 4 pitching categories… we only will need a #1 starter. Get us a power guy. Trade Kelly because he won’t play in StL and shouldn’t play AAA, he’s done there. Sad, the Cards have to trade their best C prospect in more than a decade. He should be starting in MLB somewhere.1. Middle order bat
2. Closer
3. Top of rotation starter
4. Middle relief depth
5. Defensive upgrade
6. Inning eater starter
7. Leadoff hitter1. Closer – What’s worse than having the win snatched away from you in the ninth inning because you don’t have a closer.
2. Late inning relief – IMO, this team would have won the division if Broxton, Cecil, Oh, and Siegrist had not performed miserably.
3. Middle of the order bat – The division is going to be better next year. We will need more offense.
4. Innings eater starter – Its bad when your starter gives away the game in the first three innings, or sometimes, in the first inning, and you have to use up your bullpen just to get the game over with.
5. Improve team ‘culture’ – The players that aren’t enthusiastic about playing need to go somewhere and get a fresh start.While I didn’t rate a closer highly, it is based on my assumption that if we shore up middle relief, someone will step up to be the closer. Maybe too optimistic.
Bringing this back to the top for a little more discussion.
I have seen a couple of posts about several prospects being ready to step into the majors. Who are they, and why do you think that they are?
Reyes-Flaherty-Kelly-Bader will play with the StL Cards in ’18 (unless traded/injury). Munoz, O’Neill and Hudson will make appearances if needed. There may be a sleeper in the upper echelon of our prospects, so don’t rule that out.
Nearly every MLB player goes through the farm systems. They were all prospects that at some point found their way into the majors. That’s why so much effort is given to team’s affiliates.
There is a reason that we talk about our prospects so frequently here.
…plus the guys that could earn september callups.
Gomber, knizner, ja garcia, arozarena, etc.
Our upper minors have a ridiculous number of probable contributors in the “almost ready” category.
In your average year most teams have 3-4 guys graduate in some way to the bigs.
We should have about 15-20 in the next 18 months if you throw in reyes, flaherty, kelly, etc. (makes sense since they havent really done a full year yet).
There is a reason people were daying we might be able to field two .500 teams last year.
I am not sure if I am being referenced, but what I said previously was that I thought if MLB teams were required to regularly play their top 40 or 50 players that the Cardinals might come in first place. However, I did not suggest that two Cardinals 25-man teams could both finish 81-81. Since the best/most experienced 25 players only won 83 games, that would seem overly optimistic.
It doesn’t change the basic premise that the Cardinals have a number of prospects nearing St. Louis. I just wanted to clarify in case my comments were being referenced. If someone else did say this and they are credible, I would like to read the article to understand their rationale. Perhaps I could learn something!
Not sure it was you I heard it elsewhere too.
Either way… We have the means to improve due to the sheer number of players involved and should do so.
Use it or lose it and all that.
I can understand wanting to hold off a year for players to mature… But the players we would want/need to get for real improvement are available now and might not be in free agency due to the money numbers involved.
At some point the owners have to put on big boy pants and make moves. One move to improve (and another to create space) was never going to be enough.
The two .500 teams was referenced in the Post-Dispatch
The real question is do we have relief pitching depth at Memphis.
Last year, when the Cardinals relievers were struggling, it wasn’t until they released Broxton and Siegrist and started calling up the Memphis shuttle that the bullpen started getting on track, something acknowledged by Mozeliak.
I see no reason several of the pitchers couldnt be put in a 2011 lance lynn role and brought up provided we have a closer to shut the door.
It is one reason I have been somewhat in favor of signing wade davis.
Lock down the back end and we have a stupid amount of young fireballers to throw in the middle innings.
Siegrist did not leave until September, but I get the point about new arms. I also agree Triple-A relievers are less important with so many starters nearing St. Louis.
Without a link, I can only guess, but I bet the two .500 teams comment did not come from Goold or Hummel.
I have asked before (as have others) for the names of all of these supposed blocked minor leaguers to be identified. I continue to question their existence.
When guys are truly dying on the vine because they cannot reach St. Louis, I will worry and start throwing around challenges to the front office and all that stuff. However, that point has not yet come, in my opinion.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.