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Is anybody going to the Winter Warm-up this year? I’m taking my son (10) for the first time. When do they typically release a daily schedule?
With this kind of depth it looks like we’re going to have platoon situations, or more likely we’ll be playing matchups in the outfield unless or until somebody emerges as dominant & claims the spot once & for all. But with so many young guys (Nootbar, Carlson, Burleson, & Walker) it’s going to be hard to get them all consistent enough at bats for them to get & stay hot.
Our pen needs Miller to be Miller. It already feels like we’re piecing some things together. I think Helsley and Cabrera are poised to take bigger roles. Alex Reyes, if he remains healthy, could come out big for us this year when we need him most. We’ll get Hicks back at some point. I think the biggest worry will be April and May when we may need to rely on the pen a little more. Some guys are going to have to take a step up(here’s hoping they do), or the later innings could get ugly real fast.
Chemistry matters. Maybe Shildt isn’t as weak as Bob and others imply. A happy Dex provides value; a moping Dex offers tension.
Chemistry does matter to an extent. So does leadership and effort. Fowler has none of these. The lack of these traits could potentially be overlooked if he performed his job on the field and at the plate well. But he doesn’t.
If your approach is “I start, or I wreak havoc with my attitude and presence in the clubhouse.” That’s not a team first approach, and you’re not a teammate that I want.
Compare Fowler with Bader. Neither one are great at the plate, and there is plenty of debate around Bader offense. But there is no question at all about his defense and hustle. By all accounts, he’s a positive and fun personality in the clubhouse.
JM likes to get an ROI on a player investment. If Fowler is benched, the ROI becomes zero.
Wouldn’t we all. But what return are we going to get from him. I mean Fowler is a capable outfielder, but he is a detriment to the team every time his spot comes up in the order. His 1.7 WAR is hardly irreplaceable. He’s projected to hit .235 (which I think is a reach). Statistically, what is the argument for making him the starting RF?
Looking back, I’m not that broken up about the Pham trade, or parting ways with Matheny. But the fact that they were both issues connected to Fowler bothers me immensely. Now he’s going to get the starting job in RF over a younger player who, while still unproven, is outperforming Fowler and has a chance to continue to develop and contribute to the team.
How much damage are they going to allow one player to do to the team/season, because the FO made a bad deal. Put our best team on the field, regardless of salaries.
I know it’s easier being an armchair quarterback and questioning the decisions that are made, but I feel like you’d have to be blind not to see this one. Fowler is a bum.
I’m in no way saying that he isn’t trying. But there’s a big difference between trying and succeeding. His hitting is abysmal and his defense is hardly irreplaceable. He should not be our regular RF. We have other options which could develop into more reliable piece of the offense.
I’ll gladly eat my words should he wind up producing at a high level in the regular season. I’m just not convinced. And, in what will likely be a serious dog fight in the NL Central, I don’t think we have 3 months to let him prove himself capable again before pulling the trigger on another option.
Not sure why we’d excuse his 2018 season. He hit what he hit. .180 over 289 at bats. Which is .100 points above what he’s hitting this spring. Is he likely to turn it on once the games count. Not likely.
He hasn’t earned the free pass stars sometimes get when they slump or have a slow spring. Feels like this guy has been one long slump since coming from the Cubs. What does he care…he gets paid $16.5 mil a year regardless.
I hope I’m wrong and he winds up being a serious contributor to a winning Cardinals team. I just haven’t seen anything that would indicate that.
I’ll concur about giving him until early May. But if he hasn’t turned it around, will they make the decision to pull him? They seem stubbornly married to this guy. I know he’s getting paid $16.5 million a year, but we are not getting anywhere near that value from him on the field.
Just for comparison, Fowler’s regular season batting average over the three years he’s been with the Cards is .227 His spring training average over the same period has been .260
As far as “Spring stats are just that…spring stats.” His spring stats have been far better than his regular season stats.
I don’t disagree. It’s all driven by his large guaranteed contract, but it drives me crazy. In 3 years with the club he’s hit a combined .227
For a team looking to improve its offense, this doesn’t make sense. This spring he’s going to injure his neck by looking up at the Mendoza line. How much of time are they going to give him. He’s clogging up the outfield. Is hitting .214 (if he can manage to get there) enough to earn an everyday roster spot?
I’m sympathetic to the issue of depression. But the starting roster of an MLB team trying to win its division, is not the place to sort it out and seek healing. Such a situation would likely be harmful to mental health. Depression can not be fixed, nor can it be dependent upon circumstances or the ups and downs of an MLB season. He should compete just like everybody else for his position. The Cardinals should give him every opportunity to prove himself, and get him any professional help he may need to treat his depression. But roster spots are earned, period. And it’s time for him to earn it.
pmspaid:
Of course I realize those things. But doubling down on a mistake doesn’t make it right, and it doesn’t mean we have to agree with it. Competition is good. It drives people to be better and if allowed to take its natural course, creates a better on field result. Every year, everyone on the team should have to earn their spot, including Fowler and other high priced talent. I’ll always support the Cards, but not always agree with the ownership or management. I want the best team we can put together, not a mediocre team of high priced guys who under perform. I hope I’m wrong about him and he turns out to be a great contributor, a spark, and a team guy. But what I’ve seen so far tells me not to expect that. I get that I’m hoping for something that’s not going to happen. But you can’t honestly believe that Fowler is the best guy for the job.
I think we need to turn the page on our thinking about Bryce Harper. I don’t see the Cards signing anybody for that kind of money or for 14 years. Especially when our FO has already accomplished what it set out to do with an impact bat. I think the solution in RF needs to come from within or be filled with a role player. We have the keys to the offense in place. What we need to focus on now is our pitching staff.
Got to get rid of Fowler. Let O’Neill have a chance at the permanent RF spot. I agree with the above post that JMartinez can come off the bench as a PH every game and fill in with a spot start when needed or late inning bat when we are behind. If that means we eat a big chunk of Fowlers salary, so be it. This guy is done. I hate to see us try to find a way to start him for 3 more years just because we are saddled with a too large a guaranteed contract. Sick of seeing lesser quality guys start over other more talented guys with upside just because the FO made bad decisions or a player has regressed.
I don’t know the answer, but I do know that our bullpen needs serious help. We won the 2011 WS in part because the bull pen was a strength. Now I cringe when our starters leave early. We need a closer we can count on. I know there are no guarantees, but with our payroll flexibility we should be able to get a couple quality arms with no problem. Adding two proven quality arms means we can trade or send down a couple of guys who need more seasoning. Move Hicks to a setup roll where there is less pressure and allow him to continue to develop his skill set. He may be the 9th inning guy eventually, but he’s not there yet. I believe we’ll be better this year on both offense and defense, but our bullpen is the biggest ?. Improve that and we’ll be a team with a lot of balance and a lot of different ways to win games.
I understand the fiscal constraints as well as the 25 man roster limitations, I just don’t like Fowler as a fit on this team. He’s a liability that we are hoping returns to form. I think that hope is misplaced. Eat the contract and move him somewhere else. I think it would be an addition by subtraction situation.
Continue to look for a left handed bat and if necessary trade JMart or Gyorko to get it. But don’t ship off talent that has been a consistent contributor, only to be left holding onto a player that adds so little value and could drag us down.
There’s no doubt that Harper would be a big pickup for any team and a boost to our lineup. But not for the cost or length of the contract he’ll command. Look at the current big long contract of Pujols(no disrespect), Votto, and others who will inevitably see declines as the contract wears on. We’d be better off spending money in the short term on pieces to improve the team, but without being saddled with long term liabilities. While doing that you develop young players who you can exercise more control over and who may be willing to sign longer deals or extensions with the team they came up with.
