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I thought the winter meetings started today.WTF are they doing? Nothing but crickets so far……..nothing from anybody…not a peep.I realize Vegas is 3 hours behind most of us but there has been nothing from any sources anywhere .All quiet on the Western Front.
Nothing from any teams……..not even rumors…
TB does lack Power batters since Cron went to Twins.Rumor says TB looking at Nelson Cruz for DH .Gyorko would likely be a lot cheaper and offer some versatility.I still think Gyorko ends up in Minnesota.Relatively decent cost and Twins need 3B insurance for Sano.Schoop and Torreyes just signed with Twins but neither one are considered defensive minded.So I could see either TB or Minnesota as fitting for Gyorko.
My predictions for Cards winter meetings
LH bench bat-Corey Spangenberg
LH bullpen-Aaron Loup or Luis Avilan
CLoser-Brad Brach RHP
Backup Catcher-Adam Moore or Chris Herrmantrades
Jose Martinez,Tyler Webb and Mike Mayers to TB for 1B Nate Lowe,RHP Hunter Wood
Jedd Gyorko, to Minnesota for RF Max KeplerArenado is the top FA player available after 2019 and he will go into the 2020 season at age 29 and he plays a premium position and is a tremendous offensive player along with his to notch defense….and people don
t think he will cost 30 million a year?People are already throwing out 5years 150 million dollars numbers for Goldschimdt extension and some people here dont think a younger Arenado will cost that much?I am not usually a FO basher.But this time the FO is half-assing it IMHO.Now is the chance to make a upgrade and a statement that we are tired of hanging around the fringes of contention and are going to get better.Band-aids are not long term solutions.Band-aids might stop the bleeding but they are not long term fixes.
I like Goldschimdt and think he will be excellent for the Cards.I don`t agree with people that seem to think Harper might be some bad presence in the clubhouse or he could have some negative effect on the team.
Why would the Cards spend the money for Arenado next offseason when they won`t spend on Harper now? Harper is younger and fits a need now.Arenado will likely cost as much as Harpers reputed cost.So wheres the win on that?
Considering O’Neill has generally improved his K/BB rate every year and shown improvement in all areas and is just 23 with a probable good upside what’s not to like.Compared to a 32 year old overpaid underachieving lousy defensive player who is clearly on the downward turn of his career and is supposedly not thrilled being in st Louis …
.O’Neill should be the RF since the ipside of O’Neill beats the crap out of anything DF brings.
Unless the FO goes the rest of way and finishes the job the Cards will be watching some other team having a WS victory parade.
Brian- I question that IMHO no matter what O
Neill does next spring that Shildt will play Fowler in the hope DF can at least play to Peter Bourjos level because of the contract.I dont think Shildt has the guts to sit Fowler and use him as a 4th/5th OF.He didn`t have the guts to sit JMartinez late last season when JMart could hit a lick and went thru a terrible 3 week period .So why would Shildt suddenly grow a pair now?I think that is MO speak for “he will probably play because I signed him to a huge contract”.So a better player will be stuck as 4th OF (ONeill) and granite glove JMart will still get some OF time at the expense of O`Neill unless JMart gets traded.Dexter Fowler on this team just makes me want to puke.
Brian -why not do a little early smart shopping now? Do you think Arenado and Rendon will be cheap signs next offseason… Of course you don
t ..the cost of doing business isnt going to get cheaper for good players IMHO.I like both Arenado and Rendon but both will be young (Arenado 28,rendon 29 entering free agency at a prime defensive position and both have big bats and will likely be in the 20 plus to 30 -plus million yearly salary in Free agency.If Cards dont feel comfortable paying a 26 year OF who would fill a major need right now then why would anyone feel that Cards would try for Renado?Rendon and what one of them would likely cost?Yes signing Harper would likely sting BDW a little this season by raising payroll to a team record high level but as pointed out earlier there will be a decent amount of dollars coming off payroll after 2019.That would lessen the sting a bit one would think.I just hate the thought of going into the 2019 offseason needing to find a 1B,Possibly two 3B,maybe a LF, 2 SP. THe SP could possibly be filled internally,LF could maybe be ONeill/Thomas .3B Gyorko or Carpenter maybe 3B ( I doubt Carpenters rag arm holds up a full season at 3B so if Goldy walks then Carpenter could move to 1B again (yuck).Enough with the short-term patches…fix the damn thing.It is just baffling that the FO doesn
t go after Harper. LH bat who is entering his prime and the BS about him being a bad OF is just that BS.Signing Harper would give the Cards a power bat for years (a LH bat that the system is a few years away from having near MLB ready) having harper would lessen the sting if Goldy and Ozuna depart6 after 2019 and Whos to say Carpenter will still be a effective player after next season,Plus Gyorko has a option for after 2019.Cards could end up losing Goldy,Ozuna,Gyorko and possibly Carpenter after 2019.maybe Goldy likes STLouis and decides to stay…3-5 years 20-30 million a year? Thas crazy for a guy who will already be 32 before end of 2019 season.Will the money probably coming off the books…Wainwright, probably Ozuna,Wacha,Gregerson etc after 2019 the Cards can afford to sign Harper.Passing on a chance to sign a cornerstone player in his prime and not making a real effort is just plain dumb business IMHO.I like Goldschimdt and think he will be a fine addition….. I just wish there was a little longer plan in place instead of just plugging one hole and ignoring the other leak.If you have 2 flat tires you don`t just fix one do you and hope that you can race on 3 tires do you?Dexter Fowler should be elsewhere.IDC if the Cards have to eat half his salary.He has no place and is not wanted.He is possibly blocking younger better players so dump his sorry ass on some team for a bag of balls and the Cards would still be coming out ahead.Dumping Dexter allows O
Neill/JMartinez duo in RF if JMart not traded.If Fowler stays you should trade JMart.I just dont see the Cards keeping Fowler/JMart/ONeill along with Bader and Ozuna since Munoz can play some OF .It would be beyond stupid to push ONeill back to AAA because of worthless Fowler and granite glove JMart.Why should trading for Goldy put Harper interest aside? Its a hell of a lot smarter to go for a 26 kid on a long term instead of hoping to re-sign a 32 year player to a 4-5 year deal.It is nonsense to think the fixing of this team be finished by just adding a bullpen guy or two.The FO has a chance to make a huge impact here and why not now? Pushing everything off until next offseason might free some payroll but the best FA guys (Arenado and Anthony Rendon are going to be high dollar guys too.Plus if you make the big play now you wont have as many holes to fill next offseason (Carpenter*,Wacha,Gyorko*,Ozuna,Wainwright,etc).
So who
s the backup catcher for when Yadi takes another shot to the body and goes on the DL? How does this affect Andrew Knizners situation? I read the plan was to have Knizner start the season at AAA to continue to refine his defense.The other guy signed is Joe Hudson a 27 guy who got less than 20 ABs with the Angels last September.I sure as hell hope Francisco Pena isnt coming back again.I suspect another minor league deal for a guy with some MLB experience who can actually catch and play defense.Not unhappy but not satisfied.If Goldy turns out just a rental ? But since its done I hope the FO figures out a way to keep Carpenter from being the starting 3B.Okay FO continue the job.
Please share some transactions that absolutely make no sense.Why strengthen yourself at one spot and then turn around and degrade another spot? Makes no sense at all.For years all we hear is how bad the defense is and we hear about how its going to be fixed.Then the team thinks moving a barely adequate 1B to 3B where he is underwhelming to say it politely and then to want to play 2 lousy RFs (Fowler,JMart).It is stunningly stupid IMHO.
I question taking the risk of paying good prospects for a possible rental.Just seems like a uneeded risk .That line of thinking used to work and has not lately been true.Goldy is a very fine player but it is still possibly adding another over 30 player and hoping to sign him to a extension and hoping he doesn`t suddenly pull a Fowler and crater out.At least with a younger Harper even with a not up to snuff season you have a better chance of a bounceback due to youth.
Adding Goldy means Carpenter plays 3B..Yuck…rag arm defense from 3B? no thanks.Gyorko is a statue a 3B but at least he can throw.I realize Harper is likely going elsewhere but I can still hope that somehow Cards make it happen.If its Goldy that’s okay too.But Carpenter at 3B makes me puke.Playing Fowler at all makes me puke.So nobody can preach about improving the defense with Carpenter at 3B and Fowler/JMartinez in RF.That’s probably true Brian.But will just Goldy fix this offense? Will the offensive upgrade balance out Carpenters ragarm defense at 3B?Plus what about Fowler?Right now I would play O`Neill 7 days a week over Fowler.If the only offensive upgrade is Goldy and Carp plays 3B until his shoulder caves again and granite glove JMartinez ends up getting the most playing time in RF then the Cards are still running in place.
I like Goldschimdt but I question taking on a 32 year old 1B and hoping for a extension.Harper makes long term sense to me.O`Neill can take over LF in 2019 when/if Ozuna goes FA.Harper will still be in his prime when Gorman,Montero, and Luken Baker all reach STLouis.Cards lose Carpenters contract after next season unless they pick his option.Molina off the books in 2 years,Waino after 2019,Wacha,maybe Mikolas after 2019 so any financia commitment to Harper can be somewhat offset by expiring contracts.Even with Arbitration for some players it will still be cheaper than Molina,Wacha,Carpenter,Ozuna etc contracts.So I say Harper.Why not both?
