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Overall, Ithink Boras has had a rough offseason. He probably imagined his clients were in line to get a larger, longer and more guaranteed pay day. To be fair, these clients all had consistency issues that scared teams away from the longer term deals. That and the fear of significant over pay in the final years of the deal.
Hard to believe Monty is still hanging out there.
I am a little surprised. They dodged a bullet in his first season when Pujols and others got hot in the second half. Last year was extremely disappointing. The Front Office believes they have built a better roster and have confidence for improved on-filed results this season. However, I thought the Front Office would have waited to see how the team performed during the first half or so of the regular season. They clearly acknowledged a leadership gap last season. What if bringing in all the veterans does not work? What if player dissatisfaction becomes an issue? What if game mismanagement is an issue?
No turning back … Locked in now ….
Not a big fan if the Carp signing. We have heard Mo provide the “why”. Given this, I am not expecting much from an aging veteran that the club is playing league minimum. Maybe he can help some of the younger plays, maybe he can’t.
I just not sure that Carp will have the presence of mind to step away if it is clear he can no longer compete at this level (which I fear may be the case).
Mo’s remarks hit home when I heard of the Carp signing. They want another veteran presence or voice in the clubhouse. Additionally, it gives Carp the opportunity to retire as a Cardinal.
All this leaves me with the feeling that the clubhouse must have been a real mess last season. Clearly, not enough veteran leadership combined with some talented malcontents. Well, it appears Mo has addressed both issues. There is still room to upgrade the bullpen. However, there should be clear expectations for a winning season and little room for excuses.
I’d be working with Seattle to figure out how to make a deal for Castillo. He would be a great addition to the rotation.
Brian, understand the point you raise and cannot disagree with your sentiment. However, I hope and pray someone in charge would recognize the importance of striking a balance between short- and long-term focus when making decisions.
Brian, I have heard the same complaints about the NFL from friends and National Radio Program hosts. The frustration is real. MLB sold their 2023 playoff package to ESPN, Fox, FS1, and TBS … I wonder what market coverage they got with that deal or if the dollars obtained matter more. Gaining access to and watching games (baseball or football) is not as simple or inexpensive as it used to be for sure. IMO, this is an issue that MLB needs to address to retain fan interest … especially younger fans.
I know people who have not had access to Fox for almost two years (Cable provider and Network cannot agree on price) and Cub fans that have stopped watching their games on TV as they do not want to pay for the Marquee Network. I am a firm believer that improved fan access to games at a reasonable price will provide long-term benefits to MLB. I hope MLB can successfully find their way thru these issues in what appears to be a window of opportunity with the Diamond Sports debacle.
I am for adding to the bullpen. However, I would stay clear of Hader. My concern is fit within the clubhouse. I did not like feel of how things ended in San Diego … in the clubhouse in particular.
I would also add that the move to get three starters early is looking really good right now.
It is being reported that Yamamoto has signed with the Dodgers … 12 years $325M. What an off-season for the Dodgers and they are probably not done making moves.
It would be great if you could get all Cardinal games broadcast by Bally as part of the Amazon package at no added cost.
An interesting development for sure. Let’s say Amazon gets a deal done with Diamond Sports. Questions:
– MLB and Diamond Sports were discussing completing 2024 with RSN’s then parting ways. This was due to Diamond Sports cash flow situation. Assume this approach would be modified if Diamond now has an additional and more certain stream of cash inflows. Agree?
– Does MLB have any ability to block or does the existing agreement with Diamond Sports allow the provider to remarket the product without consent of MLB or the teams involved?
– Do Yankee fans have to pay Amazon additional fees to view games streamed? For example, Amazon charges approximately an extra $15 per month if you want access to PBS Masterpiece Theater shows. Assume that they would want some additional fees for access to all Cardinal games broadcast by Bally.I do believe that Bauer presents the possibility of delivering a WAR of 3+. However, it appears this off-season the Cards are looking to add players who can contribute on the field and help build a healthy club house environment. I would think that Bauer would have to clear both these hurdles with the Front Office as well as veteran leadership on the team before any deal is struck.
By fund, do you mean place the funds in a custodial account? That is an account that holds the funds until time of distribution?
Forsch31, heard the same and it makes sense to me from a contract valuation point of view. Shirt-term, the Dodgers get a better answer from a CBT perspective. However, the Analyst did make the point that the Dodgers will be shelling out $68M a year in deferred money for ten years to a guy who will not be playing. So, they still have to fund the contact in these years without a hit to CBT.
The other interesting point in this conversation – Ohtani made this offer to all suitors. The Dodgers were not alone in evaluating this proposal.
These off-season moves remind a bit of the 1999-2000 off-season. Jocketty added Kile, Hentgen and Benes to beef up the rotation. It paid dividends in 2000. Hoping we can the same about these moves for the 2024 season.
I suggest everyone listen to today’s press conference. I think Blingboy’s assessment is not far off the mark. I thought it was interesting that Mo made a comment about adding two players that add a positive veteran presence in the clubhouse.
More to come as he stated several times that the work is not done.
So does anyone here think the Cardinals “crack” Analytics Staff has put together a game plan to improve the performance of Lynn and Gibson? The Dodgers seem to have success with developing plans for a guys they acquire.
I wish Lance all the best with his return to St. Louis. The club needs him to provide quality innings. He was decent down the stretch for the Dodgers. I think this could be a good deal if Lance can pitch to numbers he achieved with the Dodgers after the trade deadline (almost 6 innings per start, 4.36 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 6+ K per nine).
Having said this, my biggest fear has been that the cost of quality pitching will too expensive for the budget the Front Office is working to. Thus, they will opt for going the route of second and third tier pitchers or reclamation projects to fill gaps.
This has turned into a real mess … looks like they are close to one-year deals with the NBA & NHL … nothing firm for MLB. A Bloomberg article quoted a Sinclair Attorney who believes Diamond Sports will be shut down by the end of 2024. In doing so, their tv deals with MLB would be terminated.
I assume MLB will not comment on what comes next (‘24 and beyond) until they have a definitive agreement with Diamond Sports.