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Culture isn’t everything but it is something. Consider the Brewers and Rays, compare them to the couple-years-ago Mets, maybe the current Yankees, Dodgers. The Brewers & Rays have that “We don’t care what they say, we’re gonna win because we always do” attitude. Yet there’s something off with the best teams money can buy. Yeah injuries, but their 2nd teamers are generally guys with solid big league reputations, talent on par with the Rays… For them, “it’s ok we’ll be fine when we need to be.” They probably will, but as a coach myself, I’d probably be talking that same talk, but not feeling great about it.
As for the Sept 9 bullpen decisions, I agree with the post above but also get that Ollie was consistent with the overall season goal by putting guys in positions to see what he’s got for the future (or not)… for evaluation. It sucks in real-time, but it is consistent. I just hope our up and coming stars don’t lose the faith.
You know… not sure what to think after another incredible late inning collapse. I’ll do a brain dump and maybe someone else out there can help me out.
First off, I am excited by the progress the team identifying and developing young position players… it feels like the Cards are ahead of schedule with the rebuild. I’d be very happy going into 2027 with Winn, Wetherholt, Burleson, Walker, Baez, Herrera, Bernal… settle on a position for Saggesse to keep in the everyday line-up, CF or 3B… and find productive guy to fill the remaining spot.
Most of the young starters have shown solid growth and a couple may become real top-of-the-rotation types.
I don’t watch many games (living three states away from StL) but I listen to all or part of almost all of them. From a distance, can’t help but worry about the impact of so many blown leads on the mood of the guys who worked hard to make the leads happen. The radio guys try to remain positive and upbeat (for the most part), I don’t see the body language when professional pitchers can’t seem to throw a strike, back themselves into hitters’ counts and turn journeymen into “clutch” hitters. It’s hard to listen to the late innings of every game, even when it turns out well. Because I can’t see everything/everybody, I wonder and worry about the impact of losses like yesterday’s.
It’s hard not to think about the standings even though I get that the postseason was never an expectation for this season… but take those half-dozen or ten blown leads we would normally think of as comfortable… turn most of those around… the Cards are playing for October baseball.
I worry, not so much about the wins and losses, but what the “here-we-go-again” feeling might be doing to the culture of the team, to the long-term development of a winning culture.
My closing thoughts:
Donovan is the player (now and two years from now) that you hope any prospect we receive in trade will ultimately become.
I am grateful for the time Nolan Arenado was a Cardinal no matter what the folks converting his production to a equivalent dollar value say.
The Cards will finish the 2026 season above .500 … I’m excited for the season!
Go Cards!
Bw52, we must be of the same vintage… As an old guy, it’s hard for me to accept that a 29 year old’s best years will be behind him two years from now.
To me, Donovan is a young, proven player we should include in our rebuild. What would it cost to find a similar performer to replace him? Fix our redundancies by shedding guys who’ve had their chance and continue to struggle… addition by subtraction. If he continues to play well and grow with the team, pay him what the market bears when the time comes… 4-5 years max term.
I don’t understand the math that says replace a “90+” player with a “60”, hoping the “60” develops into the “90” (you already had) three or four years from now… and then move to trade that guy “while his market is hot”. Feels like perpetually just spinning our wheels.
Thanks for all the good discussion… my Cardinal memories date from ~1963. Living in Ohio since 1970… not a lot of Cardinal talk around here.
A couple thoughts in response to points above:
I understand this is the optimal time to trade Donovan if that’s your plan. What I don’t understand is the assumption that he won’t still be a “plus” player in 2028, when he is only 31ish.
I think everyone agrees it will take a multi-step process for the Cards to compete again at the highest level. If Donovan continues to compete at a high level, that’s one step complete and his versatility make other steps easier to take.
Keep taking steps… get to 2028 and pay him what the previous three seasons’ performance tell you he’s worth. Let him walk if he demands a contract longer than 4 or 5 years. I get it that the return might be less (or $0), depending on how the walk year goes down, but the value received in ’26 and ’27 will be the offset.
The comments on the current roster construction made be laugh… but they’re true. I shake my head wondering how we got to this point. But again, having a “plus” guy, versatile enough to fill a variety of spots, should make it easier to clear redundant players.
This next point is based on 20 years of coaching distance runners… after retiring from an executive management position… Winning breeds winning. Rebuilding a winning culture is easier if you do at least some winning along the way. Improvement is reward for doing the hard work well.
Watching and listening from 400 miles away, Donovan competes, he works hard… his good performance is the reward for doing things “the right way”. This is what I recall as “the Cardinal way”. If newcomers follow this example, we’re on our way to restoring a winning culture.
The last few years have been toxic to a winning culture. Trading guys because they’re good enough to be attractive to other teams is toxic. “inning eaters” over developing talent is toxic. Losing for the next two years only leads to more losing. I don’t want to get into management bashing, but a winning culture also requires a clear vision, consistently implemented. So that players must understand and trust the process… focus on improvement, knowing that winning, fun… more money will be the reward. Some teams buy wins, the Cards always developed wins… and can do it again. This rebuild has to more to do with restoring a winning mindset than improving the play in any one position.
