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After my top 10 i have players in groups of 5. Within a group, i don’t worry about who is ahead of who and the order i vote can be influeced by commentary and who is getting votes. I don’t like to move guys to a different group.
Nigel I noticed you didn’t say a single word about anybody’s defense. I think we can count Baez as a liability since he was routinely pulled late for a defensive replacement. Whether he will improve like Walker did, i don’t know. I’m guessing his makeup is different. I give Rainiel the benefit of the doubt since i haven’t seen him behind the plate. And besides, i’m too old to step in front of that hype train.
Doyle and Franklin both should be lined up to push for 30 starts and 150 innings. Hjerpe likely will be behind that pace due to building back up. We will find out who can handle the work load.
I had dropped Mathews down for the same reason some/many/most prospect rankers moved him down. Pitchers with shoulder trouble tend to keep having shoulder trouble. Their results tend to be uneven, trending worse over time. Mathews looked like he was going down that path. I moved him down right away, since that is what usually happens with bum shoulders. Others waited until his results proved uneven and then moved him down.
He might still end up there, but this year he made 30 starts, going 150 innings with solid ERA and K rate, and improving BB rate. Results trump everything else.
I also could not find anyone I was sold on enough to put ahead of Mathews. Bernal, to me, looks very immobile behind the plate, and I think there is significant risk his defense will be exposed over the course of a full ML season. I could have gone with Doyle at #2. I have him next, but he made 23 starts in AA while Mathews made 30 in AAA and ML, and both put up similar numbers.
Mathews #2
I wish I knew if Hjerpe was going to become consistently as effective as his first appearance. Control was perfect, but he didn’t repeat that. I wish I knew how the low slot was going to play once guys have seen him. He could be top 5 or not in the top 10.
Yes, I am having just as much trouble with my prospect list. I took a look at the cardinals.mlb site to see what their top 30 list looked like and was befuddled. Frias at #5? Really. Last year’s ace of the future, Mathews, is down sitting next to Clarke who can’t lace up without ending up in the hospital. Kuhns? Ragsdale? Is the new PTBNL really top 30? I took a wrong turn somewhere and am out in the weeds.
I’ve been thinking about this for a couple days since CC created the thread. I decided I don’t know who has the best chance or is most likely. There are no slam dunks, but a long list of solid possibles. I think that is the key point, the long list. Lots of guys to jockey and get tried out during the course of the season. And there will be new names coming up or possibly acquired as well. And then there are guys we’ve seen, a Dobbins or a Fitts for example, who could have a solid year, or half year and then somebody else steps in. I see it as that kind of year. Similar to 2026 except a deeper talent pool.
I will also go with RR.
The positive is he hits AA pitching good even though he is only 19. On the other side it is not obvious he can stick at catcher, so there is DH/1B risk, and he is undersized.
I like Brandon Christopher Clarke
Well, he’s getting his arm operated on again instead of going to AFL. A “minor procedure”. Supposed to work out at the Jupiter complex this winter.
Hjerpe’s multi year shut down began with loose bodies, but Clarke’s situation has a wrinkle. He has had so much surgery that it seems possible the loose body could be some debris or scar tissue from a past procedure. We should hope so, because there is no structure in a pitching arm that just spontaneously sheds pieces when healthy and uninjured. The bottom line is he has never been able to stay healthy from high school until now, but we can wish him well and hope for the best.
it is opportunity lost forever.
Like when you drive past a place selling lottery tickets and decide to keep your money in your pocket.
I imagine the FO hopes 40 HR hitting Jesus Baez will be ready for a ML look some time later next season. It sounds like they are thinking 3B, which is a logical spot for him. They aren’t going to block it.
At Memphis or Springfield we have Doyle, Cijntje, Franklin, Hjerpe and there is also Dobbins, Fitts, Roby and Fajardo. Guys to compete this spring and guys ready to filter up later. We should have better rotation depth and more guys to try in the pen. I doubt they will sign a substantial starter.
Outfield is the soft spot, especially CF. But Baez is unproven and Walker was getting sideways all second half and not doing anything about it. We could use outside help there and a couple pen guys who might have good years but could easily be let go. Who they might trade off the roster or from the system depends on the value of whoever they are targeting. I think they will approach it that way rather than what can we get for this guy or that guy.
Right or wrong, I see the Cardinals trying to develop their own top of rotation guy rather than singing a free agent.
I think BDW figured out buying guys only works if he is willing to eat a contract that isn’t working. Which he’s not.
It sounds like he doesn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up for next year.
I know that system development continues to be the objective, but I hope that 26 games behind is not going to be considered an acceptable result next year.
Hampton missed 2024 with a flexor strain, then had TJ and missed 2025. Hmmm, why does that sound familiar?
