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Assuming no injuries, what shifts when Waino comes back?
I’d send Pallante to AAA to stretch out as a starter. Liberatore is encouraging, but it would be good to have another down there. Graceffo is young and Hudson hasn’t been inspiring.
I’m intrigued by the 6 man rotation for this team, to limit the increase in Flaherty’s and (to a lesser degree) Waino and Matz’s innings, so I’d probably give that a go.
Looks like they have their four guys for holding leads in Helsley, Gallegos, VerHagen, and Thompson. Stratton, Hicks, and Cabrera/Naughton can handle the games they are behind in. Maybe stretching out Hicks will help him figure out what’s going on?
I would have a heart-to-heart with Hicks and tell him what needs to happen in order for him to have a chance at salvaging a once promising career. Send him down to Memphis, then for the first couple of weeks, go with a six man rotation.
Bikemike-
That would be a good option re Hicks. Wish he’d take them up on that.
Cards–
I thought that with Pallante’s performance last year, but he doesn’t seem the same this year. He’s given up runs in 3 of 6 outings this year. Maybe a small sample, but I wonder.
he doesn’t seem the same this year
A lot of guys don’t seem the same so far, almost all for the worst.
We’ve been getting so many short starts, maybe Wino and Woody could do piggybacks, 4-5 innings each. That would take pressure off the pen more than a 6 man rotation would.
VerHagen has been the best surprise so far in the pen, I think, with Stratton and Gallegos doing pretty well as well. I wondered about a piggyback with Waino. That might not be a bad idea at all.
Looking at the pitching situation in a different way, Helsley, Gallegos, VerHagen, Stratton, and Hicks don’t have options. I can’t see them optioning Thompson given he’s taken the top lefty spot. That leaves them with just two bullpen guys they could send down if they need a fresh arm from AAA, Pallante and Gallegos. And if they want to keep a second lefty, that leaves just Pallante, which is part of why I expect him to head out when Waino is back. But that would leave just Gallegos. Or Woody riding the shuttle again.
If Libby is looking that good, keep him in AAA for, and bring up when needed.
Keep Woody in pen as long relief, cause we all know the starters are not going lone enough.
Push Hicks to AAA, if he declines, just let him go… his attitude is not good; I think he is pouting as he thinks he should be a starter>> LOL. With Waino back this would be your best staff:
SP-Miles, Monty, Jack, Matz, Waino.
RP – Gio, Hels, Zach, Cabby, Woody, VH, Strat, Pall.Many times the moves made are the least disruptive and potentially least damaging ones. I get that some folks want every decision based on merit only, but that is not realistic.
For example, I read many posts right here last season from people who wanted to see VerHagen released immediately. This season, those same fans or others would be ripping the Cardinals for them being on the hook to pay VerHagen’s salary while he pitches well for another team. Teams plan for a longer window and have other legitimate considerations than do many fans who are much less patient.
When Wainwright returns, there are two primary choices. Either Woodford goes to Memphis to keep starting or he moves to long relief, bumping a veteran. An injury to an incumbent would make this a lot easier, as Gags’ post pointed out that there are no obvious candidates to be sent down. I don’t think there is any chance that Gallegos will be optioned out and Pallante seems unlikely, too.
My reading is that the path most likely to be taken would be to keep Woodford starting (albeit in Memphis for awhile).
Keeping Woodford starting in Memphis isn’t a bad plan because it hedges against an injury to another starter and / or if Wainwright just continues to stink.
Liberatore may be ready too so now we could probably weather an injury and a stink show.
As is stands right now, if the Cardinals have any plans at all to get to the NLCS this year they’re going to need to trade for a front line pitcher. Will they? Will one, even an aging one, be available to rent?
Hard to say. Of course Flaherty, Liberatore, and Montgomery could become a three headed monster by the end of the season and the Cardinals could steamroll their way to the World Series…..
Why in the world are they hanging on to Hicks..??? he does not seem like he wants to be in St.Louis anymore. He refused to be sent to aaa to work on his control. this tells me he really is done with the Cardinals. And for Marmol to say we are going to work on his pitching, IN MAJOR LEAGUE GAMES, is just about the silliest thing I’ve heard so far this year. You cannot count on this guy. not now.
Seems like it always comes down to the lie, “we will play the best players”. Marmol has said this since day one of his term and still is not true. If your saying Hicks, right now, is better than Woody, Libby or even Dak, thats an issue.It is a necessity to have someone like Woody in the pen to help eat up innings. The starters simply are not going long enough. This should be a no brainer. please drop Hicks, he looks and acts like he is pouting… he needs to work on his pitching in aaa, then come back… or go elsewhere.
Hicks is clearly a problem that we could all see coming before the Cardinals apparently did. Having said that, I do not see it linked with the best way to maintain starting pitching depth over the long season. A fix to one won’t fix the other. They are two separate matters, IMO.
I don’t think we saw anything the FO didn’t see with Hicks. They are not that blind, just stubborn. They just gave him a nice raise and can’t admit, again, they are wrong in that decision. I think the starting pitching and the bullpen rely upon each other and therefore are linked. Having a AAA group who can spell the team is crucial, whether its bullpen or starting. as we have seen repeatedly in the past, so many starters in AAA come up and start out in the bullpen to get accustomed to the majors. If you fix one, this has direct impact on the other, whether good or bad. of course fixing both is the goal, but you need a FO and Mgr who are honest with themselves and their decisions, right or wrong.
The only thing to do when Wainwright gets back is to hand him the baseball and hope that the 41 yr. old RH’er can generate enough steam to record outs.
First indication will be when Waino starts in Springfield Wednesday afternoon (instead of Tuesday night).
I watched him work quite a few innings in the WBC and he was effective. He made a couple of mistakes that hurt him, but he’s been around for a minute or two and seems to know how to adjust to the limitations brought on by age, which I think may prove to be his longsuit for success. Everyone who’s fortunate enough to be able to stick around for awhile has to make these sorts of adjustments. For instance, I always try to leave a note to myself on the front door to remind me to wear pants before leaving the house…It’s the little things, BW.
Thanks, Brian.
Woody to Memphis would make some sense. Could you elaborate on why you think it unlikely Pallante will be sent down?
I wrote that last before Pallante came in and open the floodgates in tonight’s game. He’s not been last year’s version. He’s been scored on in 4 of his 8 appearances and gave up 3 runners in another. Not sure what the story is, but I’d sure think hard about sending him down to get some work in where the stakes are lower. Romero and Zuniga are both showing some signs that they could help in the big leagues.
Rodriguez is also starting a rehab so should be back soon. Maybe Andre’s job is not as safe as I assumed it was.
To your question, Gags, Pallante built up a lot of good will last season. However, he isn’t getting the job done consistently well this season, as you noted. His ERA is up to 7.56.
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