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The Cardinals not wanting to set the standard for a FA acquisition strikes me as a reversal from recent past practice (Brett Cecil and Dexter Fowler come to mind.). I thought they viewed that as buying on the cheap.
After 5 minutes (max) of thought, ….I’d like to see Daniel Poncedeleon get a look as a late-inning reliever. Two reasons: (1) our glut of pitchers in his category and (2), perhaps more importantly, I think he’s got the IT/RIGHT-STUFF factor between his ears.
I love this trade. It feels like the reverse of the Tommy Pham trade on a higher plain. And as an earlier poster noted, Paul G is simply taking Holland’s place in the payroll. Good job Mo!
I don’t see this as an obstacle to pursuit of any free agent the organization desires. I’m not a Harper fan, especially for a contract that could run $300Mg, but I don’t see Goldy’s acquisition putting an additional $30+Mg annual salary out of reach.
The bullpen (Holland in particular), IMO, cost us a playoff position in 2018. I’d prefer we went with our youth, partly because I don’t trust veteran relievers on contracts beyond 2 years. Our bullpen, as is, can get us to the playoffs (again, IMO).
IMO, the problems at the back end of our bullpen cost us the playoffs in 2018. Mo whiffed on every big $$ FA reliever he signed. That stated, our young pitchers were gassed as a group. But we got to enjoy their growing pains. They’re going to be great.
The Pham trade was a qualified disaster, given his super recovery in Tampa and our low-watt offense in September. And we still have Fowler’s situation. Our bullpen needs new faces–like the past 3 offseasons. Release Cecil. Trade Leone, Mayer and Weaver. Let’s look at Reyes in the bullpen. Suck it up and acquire another big $$ reliever. Sooner or later Mo will connect with one as long as he keeps trying.
I’m looking forward to seeing how the individuals, on our September roster, react next spring given the bitter medicine they had to swallow this past week.
Good topic UConn.
My sentiments run with Nyqui–Memphis had a pitching staff that comes along, maybe, once in a generation/lifetime. And now they’re shooling MLB. Has me feeling a return to the WS is possible this year.
Pugs–your love for the underdog and underappreciated has served you/us well. But Weaver? IMO, he’s never been very effective after August. Our organizational love for FSU players in the first round of the draft got him a status that I don’t feel he’s earned. I’ll be surprised if he’s with us come spring training.
Ponce is my choice as the 5th starter, replacing the Card that he most closely resembles (IMO), Waino. I love his toughness and grit. He’s made/wired for starting elimination games. Waino would be my 2nd choice citing experience and having the freshest arm on the staff.
Leave the “Interim” on his title. No hurry.
Brent Musburger once stated it was a good idea to give his players a quest in response to the same issue facing Michigan’s basketball team–the AD had, immediately, fired the current head coach upon learning he was leaving for ASU as soon as the season was over–prior to the NCAA Final Four in 1989.
But the FO needs to move quickly, after the WS, if they want to retain his services for the long term.
Poncedeleon going down, instead of Weaver? I think there’s more to this than meets the eye. Could get down to remaining options. IMO, Poncedeleon has a higher probability of being a Cardinal a year from now than Weaver.
Time to try another of our young guns in Weaver’s rotation slot. Move him to the bullpen. We have others (Poncedeleon, Hudson and Gomber) who may be better that have nothing left to prove on the farm.
As far as return, this is a terrible trade for the Cards. We traded a possible impact player for three MiLB’ers, two of whom will probably not be in the org when play commences in 2019–my understanding is that all will have to be protected if we want to keep them from the next Rule 5 draft. And the Cards gave up $.5Mg of their international bonus pool.
O’Neil has to make good at the MLB level for this to work, for me.
Pham was loud, but he was mostly justified. I didn’t get the impression that he received help from the org with his eye issues beyond keeping him on the roster. And his complaint regarding being kept on the farm while the playing time of flailing young players was extended at the MLB level was valid to me.
Trading a noisy Pham, with years of cheap control, while retaining Fowler(???), (I’d stick with Ozuna a little longer.) for three low-ceiling players on short tethers, suggests (to me) the front office is feeling heat and not going to tolerate (public) criticism from within.
Just back from Mars and the locals were overwhelmingly underwhelmed by Baltimore’s take in this fleecing. Not a single player was in LA’s top-30 list (MLB) at the beginning of the season. Duquette’s “offers” must have been spiraling downward for him to take this offer with the big part of 2 weeks left. He didn’t come close to acquiring an MLB-ready starter as was his rumored objective.
For that matter, Machado’s hitting metrics were not star-quality (.797 OPS) away from Camden Yard. In this, his best MLB season at the plate. Also, his defense has lacked “ept” at his chosen position of SS (-19 runs saved) in 2018. Maybe the Dodgers did get what they paid for…
Gant’s earned more time, IMO.
I don’t see Weaver’s future in our rotation. His stuff would “play up” in shorter outings. Looking at his splits (baseball-reference.com), he seems fairly consistent. He’s made it through the 4th inning, every time, with the 4th, easily, being his best IP. And then he implodes. He’s got an 8+ ERA in the 5th, and 11+ in the 6th and 7th (small sample size) IPs. That doesn’t work in any MLB rotation.
Luke had logged 104 pitches. And he should have left with a positive vibe. Time for him to call it a game.
Let him earn the benefit of doubt with a stronger body of play.
I hope MM doesn’t allow Weaver any (more) slack with a, seemingly, comfortable lead. Don’t let Luke make this game exciting, please…
Mikolas
CMart
Flaherty
Hudson, Gomber or Poncedeleon. Pick two. And there is still Gant and Mayers. We don’t lack for legit options. If we didn’t have so many, I’d be more patient regarding Weaver’s mediocre-AAAA performances in the middle of the season. I feel that I’ve seen this previously and, w/o an extended break, his slide will continue.Answering your question–M.o.L, yes. I feel like Weaver is tracking his performance pattern of being less effective as the grind wears him down.
IMO, Weaver’s future is the bullpen. Yes, he has stuff. But it seems to become hit-able the second time it’s seen. I feel that he has a 100-120 IP limit as an effective pitcher. Compare his development to Flaherty’s if you will.
Too much for a small sample of Machado-perhaps. Let’s get an O’s prospect added. But I feel better about Hudson, Poncedeleon and Gomber than I do Weaver. Helsley (SP?), …I have no opinion at this time except I’m thrilled he’s in our system. Ditto Gant. Weaver is not too far removed from his max trade value (IMO) so let’s move him before he loses his starting slot to another of our prospects as Wacha’s injury provides auditions for some of our other prospects.
If Holland is finally right, we’ll be okay.
Too many offensive pieces who are underperforming have me believing Mabry will be elsewhere next year.
Looking forward to Luken Baker playing healthy. Given his size and bat speed, I can fantasize great things if he’s got the work ethic required at the top level.
Holland, IMO, has hurt us more than his -0.8 WAR implies. I consider him the difference between winning the division and fighting for a WC slot. If he rebounds and earns his pay, I think we will win the division.
Trade Weaver for Machado. I don’t have confidence in Weaver. Especially given the emergence of some of our other prospective starting pitchers. He’s a speed bump in their development.
IMO, we’ve just got to ride out this lull on our offense.
Carp WILL get on base and WILL end up with an .800+ OPS. I’d like to see him rest a little more.
Fowler is the only one I’d give any consideration to benching and, IIRC, he’s a notoriously slow starter.
Stick w/Wong.
Martinez blows my mind with all the motion he has during an AB. But he seems to hit. He has to have the most complicated trigger mechanism in MLB.
NO to any Machado bid. Ditto Harper.
If Cincy showed an interest in trading Votto, I’d inquire.
