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Looking at the free agent outfielders after this season, I don’t see much to sign to a high dollar free agent contract. bc, you may be right that they won’t sign someone to that kind of contract but it won’t be because they won’t do business that way. It’s because there’s very little to sign after this season.
Did Bill Dewitt, Jr specifically say that they will never sign another free agent to a high $$ contract? I’d like a link, please.
Brian – you know, some people don’t live on here, like you do. I’m enjoying time with 4 grandchildren this afternoon and evening. Your smart little crickets comment isn’t appreciated. Don’t lower yourself to that.
Dewitt said what, exactly? Again, if you’re going to make a statement like that one, I would expect a link or an exact quote, plus a link.
Fact is, while the Cards may prefer to trade for a player and then sign them later, it’s not the only route they have or will take. Ozuna, Goldy and Arenado came in during times when there wasn’t going to be potentially $60-80M to spend in the budget that offseason. The 2015-16 offseasons come closest to matching what will be open in the budget prior to 2022, and they did sign Leake and Fowler from the outside, attempted to sign Price from the outside and tried to resign Heyward. There are different ways to get talent and smart front offices don’t pigeonhole themselves into a single method of improving the team.
I remember BDWII saying to the effect he wouldn’t sign a closer to a long term contract. It was at WWU maybe 3 or 4 years ago. Quite certain about that. Maybe cranny was remembering that but not accurately.
Here is an article including audio clip containing the remarks from BDWII.
https:
//stlbaseballweekly.com/dewitt-on-free-agency-winning/I’ve quoted his comments about this at least 5-6 times. Not going to do it again. I’ve given you what he said about all the reasons why they want to test drive a player first. Brian has heard him say it multiple times too. It’s not subject to doubt.
Forsch – let me ask you a question. Bill DeWitt, Jr. and investors purchased the Cardinals in 1995. In 25 years of ownership, how many outside free agents have been signed to a big ticket long term contract?
You simply don’t know the man.
Mozeliak did say the Holland signing was Dewitt all the way.
Either way the “it early” crowd will dissipate over time. It’s been clear to me that this team might need some help via 2009 and we don’t have Pujols carrying the flag.
I am willing to give the pitching more of a longer leash but man this team likely needs something in the OF. Especially how they’ve deployed certain players.
When someone sets a pattern of making definitive statements he cannot back up, it warrants some levity.
That DeWitt PREFERS not to give expensive free agent contracts is likely true. To suggest he will NEVER do it in the future is ridiculous and there simply is not a quote to support that assertion.
To go along with that, Brian. If someone asked DeWitt a question along the lines of “Do you see the Cardinals signing any free agents this winter?” and his reply is “I don’t think a long term free agent contract fits our business model” or “I don’t see us handing out any long term free agent contracts outside of our own players”. He is answering the question for a near term but isn’t making a blanket statement about how the team will always operate.
Of course it could happen. But the likelihood is small based upon a 25 year track record. And what he has said publicly (and privately).
Tino Martinez
Ron Gant
Dexter Fowler
Jhonny Peralta
Brett Cecil
Andrew Miller
Mike LeakeIn 25 years. The results are evident. Any questions?
Before we get to the offseason, let’s see how 2021 plays out. It might be that two outfielders step up and claim regular spots. Right now I can see Carlson and Williams as candidates to come on strong over the course of the season and make things look better in September.
Starting pitching though – that is a tough one. Hudson’s return in ‘22 will help. Hopefully Wainwright stabilizes and gives the club one last hurrah.
Oh, saw a little of the Tampa-Yankee game last night. Wacha was very impressive. 6 innings, 1 hit, 9 Ks. Was really throwing hard – had a rising fastball that was dominant. At least for now the shoulder issues are cleared up.
Justin Williams is now the flavor of the day because he hit one out in the late innings in a lop sided loss? The Justin Williams who has never been considered a high end prospect? Who’s slashing .207/.303/.310/.613?
Hey we have 2/3rds of our projected starting OFers coming back and 40% of the projected rotation close to returning. Any questions?
So far the question marks we had over the winter aren’t going as Mozeliak had planned (gee, really?). Maybe all of the four injured players come back strong as ever. Any questions?
As far as any Carpenter and CMart rejuvenation in ’21 is going…. not so good. Their salaries will keep them in there. DeJong, Thomas and Ponce are just just plain gigantic question marks with no answers. Any questions?.
The conversation here concerns ’22 and are premature because there will need to be some changes made to this team this season. There will be pitching prospects that will be given a shot at the big-time in ’21., where to play Gorman when he is ready should be defined in ’21. So the changes for next season will depend a lot on what we see this season.
We have more question marks now than we had during the hot stove season.
We knew during the hot stove league that the outfield was unproven and the rotation was suspect with 3 of our top starters out. All those question marks still loom.
This thread puzzles me. We chose to play our outfielders. That is what we are doing. Years of missed plays defensively and horribly inconsistent hitting are indeed frustrating up to untenable.
I would have signed Peterson, Dickerson, or some 30 year old untested Korean import with a destroyed knee. That would have been equally frustrating plus expensive plus opportunity cost.
I would have sprung for Paxson and Rosenthal right there at the end of winter. What a spring of discontent that would have brought.
Doesn’t anyone else on here see Lane Adams has alligator arms from his past wrist injury. He pulls up short on everything. He is not a champion, so he can’t play on this team. It is a clear message being sent to everyone. You will get your chance, but you must give 100%. Grichuk misplaced two balls and it impacted that season dramatically. Lane has done it seven or eight times. You can’t win with him.
In the community voting thread, I made the unsupported claim that no one would be shocked if Jhon Torres brought his chisled frame to camp this year and made a pronounced jump in levels, but we all discount a guy like Hurst who was more highly thought of than Torres three years ago. Hurst is a better hitter than Capel and a better outfielder. He passed Toerner and Nootbar, also.
When considering Hurst, I look at Descalso or Shumaker. I think Hurst may be closer to that ceiling right now than many fans realize.
All those question marks still loom.
We do have an increasing body of current data points though. To be considered along with past data. So reality can increasing push aside hype and hope.
The data will show grinding out at bats and making pitchers work wins over 162 games. The problem is when pitchers throw strike one to young hitters. They struggle under that approach. Becoming aggressive early in counts will counteract that temporarily, but young hitters then get taken advantage of for being aggressive,and you are back to square one.
We just have to play the kids and take your lumps. The ones who grow like Carlson become stars. We just need a spark from someone, and the line up would lengthen out nicely.
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