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The VEB article goes through the scenarios and possibilities we have been discussing on the various threads. He seems to think there is a good chance payroll savings from departing FAs, Goldy, Carp, Kittredge, will be mostly recycled into the 2025 active roster through acquisitions. I don’t know about that. Our concensus here seems to be that payroll will be significantly lower in 2025.
He mentions a possibility of releasing more 4A types to free up room for protecting more rule 5 guys. That might make sense.
That’s not as far fetched as some may think, Nate. Gussie’s reign lasted approx. 35 years and produced 6 NL Pennants and 3 WS Championships. Willie Jr. has steered the ship for 30 years and hasn’t yet been quite as successful as the old brewery King, as his Cardinal teams have produced only 4 NL Pennants and 2 WS Championships in those 30 years of ownership. I’m reasonably certain Willie Jr. would like to match or surpass Gussie’s success with the team before he says goodbye, but when he does, it would be my guess that his spawn, little Willie lll, will place the team in the classified ads for sale.
The VEB writer is probably wrong in thinking that the payroll cuts are going to be reinvested back into MLB payroll. That is not the vibe I am getting at all.
Maybe someone can start a “go fund me” page for the DeWitt family. It irks me that he is mostly responsible for sending the Cards into a rebuild mode and now we won’t hear a peep out of him for the next three or four years.
You can expect the go fund me circus to get cranked up in about 4 or 5 years when the Cardinals claim that the current venue is no longer serviceable and that taxpayer money is needed to subsidize a new ballpark. The last time they needed money for a ballpark, Willie Jr. threatened to move the team across the river into Illinois if he wasn’t accommodated. It worked, so you can be certain that the same tactic will be put into play.
Here are two thoughts that the Cardinals have been willing to share. . Number one is the plan to reduce payroll by possibly eliminating veteran players who have large contracts and bringing up the younger minor league players who may or may not be ready. Number two is that the organization has fired people who have been in charge of player development that are perceived to have done a poor job of developing these minor leaguers who are the ones that will replace the veterans. Not sure how that makes any logical sense.
Just to stay factual, I don’t believe the organization has actually fired anyone yet. Ward’s contract was up and he wasn’t offered a new one. LaRoque is still around. Mo is still around. Girsch is still around. Thus far no announcements have been made on minor league coaches or instructors.
If some guys ship out, it will be fun to see the scrum to make the team in ST. If there was ever a time to have the best month of your life, March is it.
Jnevel – Gary LaRocgue has retired.
Let’s look at what happened in 2024.
Mo had gotten some talented pitchers in July 2023 – Roby, Robberse, Kloffenstein, and Rom who were all at the AAA or AA level. He then went out and signed Gray as an ace, as well as inning eaters Lynn and Gibson to tide the Cards over and see which of the 4 new pitchers would earn a spot with the Cardinals in 2024 and 2025. All 4 of them got injured. To complete the perfect storm, Gorman and Walker didn’t step up as expected and neither Goldy or Arenado bounced back.So what’s the Cardinals’ answer? Reduce payroll by letting Goldy go, not exercize the options on Lynn and Gibson, and strengthen the minor league feeder system with much better coaching. But at the same time remain in the hunt for the Central next season. I don’t think this is a tear down. Just a readjustment or “reset”. And hopefully some of those injured pitchers will be able to help sometime in 2025. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
This season, looking at the division series of the playoffs, the 6 teams who spent the most all made it in. That’s 6 out of the 8 teams that made the division series. All 6 of baseball’s top spenders made it. Crazy. Now, it’s 3 out of 4 playing for the league championship series.
I feel like baseball needs to change something. It is the only one of the big 3 American sports that doesn’t have any kind of parity/balance. I don’t mind knowing the Dodgers and Yankees have deeper pockets. But it seems to be getting overly lopsided. It’s not so bad that the little guys don’t have a chance. But the odds seem to be getting more narrow. Perhaps a little more revenue sharing is in order with some kind of minimum floor set on spending so teams don’t just pocket the money. This wouldn’t provide the Cardinals any funds, but it would hold the big spenders down a little as some of their funds get siphoned off. Thoughts?
Gary Laroque retired as assistant gm and director of player developement. He’s still around 1 more year in an advisory role.
Gary can move into Joe McEwing’s office. Its probably got one of those putting mats that kicks the ball back to you.
bccran wrote:
But at the same time remain in the hunt for the Central next season
Most fans want to believe this but I don’t get the feeling this a high priority for the organization in 2025. They will be careful with how they word it but I don’t get the vibe that 2025 will be a contending year. Quite the opposite actually.
jnevel: “I feel like baseball needs to change something.”
Simple. Decide what’s a reasonable payroll then institute it as an inviolable payroll cap for all teams. And you have your parity.
I too dont see any scenario where cardinals are competing for a playoff spot this coming season unless the division comes back record wise to them which i dont see as well. Brewers will probably be about the same, maybe a little slide, i expect the cubs to be better and i even expect the reds to improve to be better than the cardinals. Unlike the cardinals, they are finally getting serious. But we will see.
I dont really understand this discussion about parity. Last season we had tje dianondbacks and rangers in world series. This year the tigers and kansas city both made great runs in the playoffs. Came down to execution not payroll on not going further. Sure we may end up with the biggest spenders this year in the world series but its not a given every year.
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