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It seems likely that, one way or another, JoJo will get a shot to be the regular closer at some point next year. In baseball, as long as you can get a jersey, you just never know. It reminds me of the year Ed Mujika came out of obscurity to have a good run as closer.
The key might be an analysis of which in-house starters have the potential to be the next Gallen or Alcantara.
If we had the resources to correctly evaluate young pitching, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are now. That’s where we need to be long term. Draft, evaluate, and develope cost controlled pitching. But that requires patience. Not going to happen in the time frame most people want.
The key might be an analysis of which in-house starters have the potential to be the next Gallen or Alcantara.
That would mean we are at least two years away.
We also have to fix the bullpen, which was a complete disaster this year.
Something needs to be done about the ML pitching staff in time for opening day. Seperate from that, something needs to be done to reestablish the pitching pipeline.
In my mind, there is no good reason to think that Mo and the gang will be successful doing either.
I don’t understand not wanting Helsley. Who do you replace him with? Verhagen? Elite velocity and getting better with his secondaries. I would extend him 2 or 3 years. I would keep him, King, Romero, and Gallegos. All other relief spots would be open.
His replacement doesn’t have to currently be on the staff but if we do keep him he should be a setup guy. I don’t trust him as a closer and I don’t trust him to be healthy. The last thing I would do is extend him. He still has two arb years left so let him go year to year. If I recall he challenged the Cardinals on his salary last year ala Flaherty. That is his right but I always get a bad vibe when young players do that.
The bottom line is that relievers are almost universally a crapshoot and a volatile group. You never know what you are going to get year to year. I recently read an article about a player for the Dodgers named Evan Phillips. He was basically a journeyman reliver who bounced around and was released by multiple teams. The Dodgers took a flyer on him two years ago and now all of a sudden he is an elite closer. It is probably wise not to spend much on that part of the team. I think the best strategy is to load up on quantity in hopes that you will strike it big on a few.
If I recall he challenged the Cardinals on his salary last year ala Flaherty. That is his right but I always get a bad vibe when young players do that.
I don’t hold this against him at all. He put in a spectacular season last year. He felt he deserved more.
The bottom line is that relievers are almost universally a crapshoot and a volatile group. You never know what you are going to get year to year.
This is true just because most relievers aren’t good, and they run into a year where they are good. Your good relievers tend to be good over time.
I think the best strategy is to load up on quantity in hopes that you will strike it big on a few.
There is this thing called roster size. You are limited as to how many people you can have on the roster. You can’t just throw numbers at it.
Besides, this appears to be the Cardinals philosophy on international signings, and how is that working out for the organization?
There is this thing called roster size. You are limited as to how many people you can have on the roster. You can’t just throw numbers at it.
Besides, this appears to be the Cardinals philosophy on international signings, and how is that working out for the organization?
Yes I am aware of the roster size but you don’t have to have it cut down to 26 until opening day. You can bring in as many NRI’s to spring training as you want I would imagine. Have 2 or 3 solid bullpen guys you are willing to spend some money on then a large stable of league minimum guys to choose from to fill out the roster. What is the alternative? Spend big on guys like Holland, Cecil, and Miller? No thanks. It would be nice if we could choose the right players to go big on but apparently we can’t.
The international market is a bit different situation. I would agree they should go for higher quality there instead of quantity.
It would be nice if we could choose the right players to go big on but apparently we can’t.
I don’t think anyone can reliably. To play it that way you have to be willing to cut bait and eat you mistakes.
Lower-cost /short term FA options for the bullpen would be ideal to me. Guys like Matt Moore, Chapman, and Chafin.
If you go back and look at this list from the offseason, there were several guys that hit multiple lists and have had good seasons without getting 4 year deals and/or $10M a year.
Likewise, the Cards have done well in this range with guys like Choate, Neshek, Villanueva, Oh, Norris. Guys like Gregerson and Duke didn’t work out, but they don’t hurt you either.
Speaking of Oh, I could see the Cardinals looking at Yuki Matsui out of the Japanese League.
Noot, Edman and Walker. I like that outfield. If Gorman were traded, Winn and Donovan were up the middle, who is the best utility infielder ready on the farm?
who is the best utility infielder ready on the farm?
Its probably a mistake to assume anything is ready on the farm these days. That is what having a 26th ranked farm system means. Whatever Mo trades off the ML roster, there is nothing ‘ready’ in AAA to bring up. Saggese will have about 3 weeks of AAA experience, so I guess it depends on whether you consider that ‘ready’. We don’t know if Firmin or Motter will be here. Maybe Mo will bring in the next Firmin or Motter. Get used to it.
Prieto is ready for what role? He has a .723 OPS at Memphis, which is third lowest for any infielder on the team this year. Among Redbirds infielders better are Lopez, Fermin, Winn, Dunn, Motter and Querecuto. Worse are Robertson and Robinson (sent down to Springfield). Now, Saggese is up, further spreading out the at-bats.
What is the alternative? Spend big on guys like Holland, Cecil, and Miller?
Cecil had about three months of good performance in his entire career when the Cardinals acquired him, and everybody thought they were nuts with what they gave him. Especially when you have guys like Tony Watson who was better throughout his career, was typically available on 1-2 year deals, and only twice made $3.5 million per year.
Miller was past his prime by the time the Cardinals acquired him. They paid him for how they remembered him, not what he was at the time.
Give me Tony Watson-types players and contracts all day long.
Cecil had about three months of good performance in his entire career when the Cardinals acquired him, and everybody thought they were nuts with what they gave him. Especially when you have guys like Tony Watson who was better throughout his career, was typically available on 1-2 year deals, and only twice made $3.5 million per year.
Miller was past his prime by the time the Cardinals acquired him. They paid him for how they remembered him, not what he was at the time.
Give me Tony Watson-types players and contracts all day long.
I totally agree LA but is this front office capable of identifying the correct players?
Let’s not just look at Prieto when he came to Memphis a little over a month ago. Let’s look at his line for 2023 –
504 PAs
.329/.372/.450/.821Always an adjustment period coming to a new organization.
Querecuto is up and Prieto is not. That tells us who the Cardinals think is ready. Prieto has to go on the roster by November to be protected from Rule 5. The fact he wasn’t added now suggests they want to see more of him in Memphis before deciding.
Brian, Just curious why Prieto would need to be protected from the Rule 5 draft. He didn’t sign with Baltimore until January 2022 and would only have 2 years of Minor league experience by November 2023.Does his time playing for Cuba count against him?
Yes, as I understand it, his time in Cuba is considered professional.
Saw this on MLBTR:
As sources told The Athletic, the Cardinals are in the early stages of restructuring their entire player development system, and the team views improving the baseball operations department to be just as important as adding more pitching.
The Athletic article is behind the pay wall there. Can anyone say what sources or who said what?
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