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Yepez was just added this year. He’s got 2 option years. I know there’s a limit on times per year now, but he hasn’t been sent out.
I think Nootbaar definitely has value. Drafted in 2018 and played 56 games in A-, 2019 split the year basically in thirds from A, A+, AA. Loses the 2020 year. 2021 starts the year in AAA and plays 35 games before being forced up due to necessity. Still is 24 and has more MLB AB’s than AAA. He’s still learning and adjusting. I don’t think he’s a stud prospect that’s going to get a large return, but he’s definitely got value. KC probably is going to move Benintendi and Taylor. AZ will probably move Peralta and maybe Walker. Both of them could definitely view Nootbaar as a valuable return and getting regular playing time for them to continue to make proper adjustments. I don’t think he’s a star, but I think he’s at worst a 4th OF, at best could very well be a regular OF with above avg production.
Which leads me to Burleson. From what I’ve seen from my amateur eyes and what I’ve read of comps to Lance Berkman, I’m not mentioning Burleson in talks unless we’re talking Kopech, Giolito, Cease, Bieber, or you catch my drift, a young and really good pitcher. And I don’t see that on any team selling. I think Burleson probably is best at 1B long term, but is serviceable in LF at least until after after Goldschmidt is gone and with DH that gives him more AB’s. Maybe he doesn’t live up anywhere close to what I think he can be, maybe he’s Brett Wallace, but I don’t want to see him go at all.
I think if you’re looking at 2023
C- Knizner/Herrera
1B- Goldschmidt
2B- Gorman
3B- Arenado
SS- Edman
LF- O’Neill(trade?)
CF- Bader
RF- Carlson
DH- Donovan/Burleson/YepezSosa?, Donovan/Burleson/Yepez, Herrera/Knizner
And then look at the minor league depth in OF, Capel with 2 options and ability to play all 3 OF spots probably provides move value to the Cardinals in depth and to be able to call upon when needed than he brings in trade. Going with the youth of Donovan/Burleson/Yepez as DH, Donovan moving around gives some lineup flexibility and also financial flexibility to take on a SP contract (like Bumgarner, Kelly) and spend to not have the scrapped together pen we are seeing. If O’Neill is the LF when he gets his annual injury Donovan or Burleson can fill LF, Burleson/Yepez DH, having a guy like Capel in AAA is pretty valuable. This is also assuming Nootbaar is traded for someone, who’s name I forgot to mention in that I expect to see him traded a few posts ago.
Capel probably doesn’t have much trade value, but he’s going to have 2 more option years for depth. Nootbaar would have significant more trade value. Gomez probably doesn’t have much value with limited time in AAA and was a minor league FA signing. I expect Woodford to be included for someone.
without dominating stuff, have a short shelf life.
His slider 2019-2021 has been filthy. He’s either off mechanically which is why everything is up and flat or he’s hurt and having to overthrow to keep the velocity up causing him to have no command.
I have more way more confidence in Fernandez than I do Oviedo. But here we are with VerHagen and McFarland just wasting spots in the pen still. Be nice to get a SP and be able to put Pallante back in a middle to late role possibly.
Said it last night and say it again, Gallegos control is way off. He needs shut down until after the break and work on mechanics with him to get him right for the 2nd half.
Sellers:
DET, KC, LAA, OAK, WASH, PITT, CHC, CIN, COL, AZAZ and LAA with their roster construction and intent to content, I think they would mostly only be selling off pending FA and maybe a contract to free up money to retool another roster spot.
BALT has been hot and played themselves out of sellers and possibly into buyers, CHWS, TEX, and MIA are back a little but still in contention and probably would look to add, especially CHWS who have been getting guys back from the IL and playing better. Basically there are only 10 probable sellers, 2 of them may not have everything available, 3 probably don’t deal with the Cardinals. DET, KC, OAK, WASH, COL, and maybe LAA and AZ to realistically be looking to buy from.These added playoff spots are going to keep teams as buyers, sellers can demand more, and possibly content faster….in theory.
I really don’t want to see them give up Burleson, Yepez, much of anything big. I know they need help, but the cost to acquire is going to be too high to make big moves. Probably best off with a inning eater SP and an solid reliever. Best case scenario is they take on a contract for someone to take on DeJong, VerHagen, McFarland, with a prospect but I don’t know if they can make it work. I still like Yepez and Burleson to replace Pujols and Dickerson in the DH role for 2023 and possibly even LF if needed (trade O’Niell, Walker forces way to DH or moves to LF, injuries, ect.). From the “top 30”, I would definitely talk Nunez, Baker, Torres, Perez, Rodriguez, Gomez from the position players. I know a lot of their stock is down and they wouldn’t bring much. Pitchers I’d talk Woodford for sure, he needs it, and I’d probably have no pitcher off limits. Liberatore would be close to off limits, but I’d talk Hence, McGreevy, Graceffo, but only 1 and the return would have to be pretty darn significant.
I think realistically, and Mo’s past, they don’t give up top talent and they roll the dice with
1. Mikolas
2. Wainwright
3. ??? (Solid middle rotation)
4. Hudson
5. Matz (L)1. Pallante
2. Naughton (L)
3. Fernandez/?
4. Hicks
5. ??? (Solid reliever capable of helping late)
6. Cabrera (L)
7. Gallegos
8. Helsley
Be able to call upon Thompson (L), Oviedo, Naile if needed, maybe Whitley and Walsh if they get healthy.Edit: Basically the 2011 Rasmus, Trevor Miller, Brian Tallet, PJ Walters for Jackson, Dotel, Rzepczynski, Patterson. VerHagen and McFarland are the Miller and Tallet, they have many “PJ Walters”, just who’s the Rasmus and who’s the Jackson (middle rotation, innings eater SP) and Dotel (Solid RP, capable of helping late)
I love Gio, but man has he left a lot of pitches up this year and then over compensation ripping pitches, especially the slider, into the dirt. The last 3 HR he’s given up I know we’re supposed to be down and he’s missed badly and left a pitches right in the middle of the zone. He needs some extended rest and mechanical work and come back in the 2nd half the Gio we all love.
And from the look in the box score, they were real scorchers
Box scores are deceiving. I didn’t see his first, the 2nd was a jam shot blooped into shallow right. Dickerson, who has looked good again, read very well and scored from 2nd.
If this was the plan, why in the Sam heck was Liberatore kept up and Thompson sent down? Would have made way more sense to let Thompson, who was having success, be used in this role and not Liberatore.
Molina out until August just seems stupid. Is there even an injury
And I don’t understand the mentality when they know their leadership is needed – letting down all their teammates.
I thought from the get go Molina looked over weight and unmotivated. He showed up late to camp and I doubted the reason then when I saw his weight. I try to give a veteran like him benefit of doubt with the motivation part, but he never seemed 100% invested. Maybe the time away he’s got himself motivated for the stretch run, or he’s actually nursed a sore knee.
I think Thompson has filled the gap of 2nd LHP, and Naughton too really. I think there are more pressing needs than a LH relief pitcher right now. McFarland is on rehab, but I don’t see how they can add him to this pen.
I can’t find anything else on it, but it scrolled across the screen while I’m watching Matt Carpenter start in LF and hit 3rd. Who would’ve thought.
O’Neill has a tear in his wrist going to be out much longer
Guess he was HBP in a rehab game and the MRI revealed a tear. Just saw on MLB Network.
Does anyone legitimately care about the all-star game or whos on the team? I remember as a kid, 8-10 years old, and watching it because I wanted to see Ken Griffey Jr and maybe another player or 2. But I didn’t care hardly at all then, and then ESPN was a thing and then internet and so many other ways to see any player at any time and what was a very minor interest by the time I was in middle school was just 3-4 days I didn’t get to watch the Cardinals and I hated it. And I can guarantee for probably the 25th straight year I won’t watch a second of anything all-star related, because I just don’t care. And the Manfred adding old washed up players makes it more of a joke.
1. Brendan Donovan (L) 3B
2. Juan Yepez (R) RF
3. P. Goldschmidt (R) 1B
4. Nolan Arenado (R) DH
5. Nolan Gorman (L) 2B
6. Lars Nootbaar (L) CF
7. Conner Capel (L) LF
8. Edmundo Sosa (R) SS
9. Austin Romine (R) C
Why was Capel called up recently instead of Burleson?
Capel would have been a minor league FA after the year if not added to the 40 man. He’d God hot and was hitting well in Memphis after a slow start. So add him now and give him a shot and see what you’ve got. He’s a serviceable 4th OF, no hate for adding Capel from me at all. Burleson is limited defensively, but he’s more deserving than Nootbaar, but he’s caught in a numbers game for sure right now. He’s forcing their hand though and after the deadline we’ll see how many 40 man spots open, if they trade Nootbaar, all will open up for Burleson if so.
I wouldn’t be mad about Mad Bum, just think I’d prefer Corbin, especially if Washington is willing to eat DeJong and VerHagen and a lot of Corbin money, which they seem more likely than AZ to do so. But I think they need more than just 1 of them or any middle rotation guy right now. But I’m really afraid what the cost of trading is right now and the prospects to pick anyone up could be way more than what any fan is going to want to see.
Right, so then the list to buy from is down to 3 or 4 teams. Unless you can convince CHWS to deal Kopech in a deal for O’Neill, which I don’t see happening, or Lynn back maybe, or AZ does sell off and then Kelly or Bumgarner come into play. You know Mo wants Kelly BAD, he played in the KBO. I’ve said it before and will keep saying it I’ll take Corbin over Bumgarner right now. Both 32 and Corbin stats are better, and coming off 2 starts where he’s looked like the old Corbin. I think Washington would eat quite a bit and probably take DeJong and VerHagen to help eat some more of the money. They are in a position to be able to give DeJong a chance and have an opening at SS. Give them DeJong, VerHagen, Baker, low level minor leaguer and get Corbin, $30-45 million (mostly covering that 2024 salary), and a minor leaguer (more money they eat the less of the “prospect” I’d want back with him) and they can save $10-25 million over the next 3 years. They could sell Bell and Cruz, have 2 1B in AAA that are older but hitting and give them chances and give Baker a chance at not being blocked.
I know I’d like to see this team healthy and have some pitching something like
1. ??? (I don’t know if a #1 is available though)
2. Mikolas
3. Corbin (L)/Bumgarner(L)/Kelly/???
4. Wainwright
5. Matz (L)
I don’t know where that leaves Hudson, maybe included to get a #1.1. Pallante
2. Hicks
3. Thompson (L)
4. Fernandez
5. ??? (Another proven reliable arm)
6. Cabrera (L)
7. Gallegos
8. HelsleyMay be asking for to much, and maybe the deal with Washington isn’t close, but they’ve got to do something to be more consistent.
I posted this in a different thread, but it fits here better.
Obvious sellers: BAL, DET, KC, OAK, WASH, PIT, CHC, CIN, COL.
Then there are the borderline teams that could sell, but they are still relatively in the hunt, expected to compete with the current roster, or multiple big contracts, and probably just retool a bit and try again next year but not necessarily going to sell. LAA, AZ, CHWS, TEX. I would say LAA should sell, but I don’t see their ownership doing it and still trying to compete with Trout and Ohtani, but pending FA could possibly be sold, but they are going to want major league ready returns I’m sure. The only reason I included CHWS here and not buyers is they have a good starting staff that is controlled and Cueto is a pending FA and selling him, but buying elsewhere could be an option because they aren’t out of it yet.
9 sellers
3-4 stuck in the middle
17-18 buyers (depending on where CHWS fall)The price for anyone is going to be high. The demand is much higher than the supply, especially when you factor those 9 teams are selling for a reason…they aren’t good.
St. Louis currently has 11 players on the IL. And their starting shortstop to open the season fizzled out and was sent down.
Brian, I know you defend the organization more times than not and try not to be the “negative Nancy” fans tend to be, especially when things turn the way they have the last few weeks. But every team has injuries. Philly is still winning with a top 5 hitter, reigning MVP, out and when he was playing it was with a busted elbow. And you can’t say some of the “injuries” weren’t welcomed with McFarland and VerHagen. And saying the starting SS “fizzled out”, come on. He’s been fizzled out for a few years and he didn’t deserve to be the starting SS to start the year to begin with.
I agree this team is better than many fans are giving credit, but fans don’t want to lose. They look at the team and stats that say they are good, but trailing to Milwaukee, been below .500 the last 5 weeks, losing to Philadelphia, 3 straight to Atlanta who are 2nd and 3rd in their division with a better record than the Cardinals and clearly look like better teams right now.
The offensive stats look good, but at no point have they been close to clicking together. The SP has been been iffy to start and Mikolas, who many fans had given up on before the season, is really the only reliable guy right now but he’s still a #3, maybe #2, on all the other playoff contention teams. The pen has started to come together, but most of the season has been a disaster outside the back 3. Fans want to see winning, and a lot of this patchwork pitching, excuses for not being better, has grown old and nobody cares what Pujols did 10+ years ago, he’s a liability now and taking a roster spot I’m sure could be utilized better (yes, I know he got 2 hits tonight).