Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
If Liberatore wants to be a starter he needs to go win the job in Spring training…I would say the time is now for him or it’s not going to happen
They come in 5th place again this year I bet 2024 will be both Mo and Marmol’s last season with the Cardinals
If you’re a team trying to win championships and you are worth over 2.5 billion with close to $400 million in revenues a year you shouldn’t be sweating $450,000 to a key player on the current roster.
If you’re that careful with money where else are you cutting corners:
Training and medical staff…they seemed to have a ton of injuries last year in the outfield, maybe just a coincidence or maybe not
Coaching staff….they actually had an NCAA assistant women’s softball coach as one of their assistant hitting coaches last year at the Major League Level…have they just replaced Maddux with a cheaper option at pitching coach (Maddux seemed to have a good year with the Rangers staff)
Player Development in the minors
Scouting
Yet in 2 years if he has good #’s ownership will be clamoring for a home team discount in his free agent year yet they want to fight over $450,000 when the team probably had a profit of over $100 million this past year
That they are squabbling with Edman over $450,000 is pretty pathetic on the part of ownership….they will probably spend $50 grand or more on an attorney to argue the arbitration hearing
They say Hicks will be a starter….I have doubts that will last, but there is recent precedent with Lugo
They really should not have any uncertainty with fan attendance they have drawn over 3 million fans every year since 2004 except the Covid years where limits were in place. If they are worried about season tickets it’s should be because there is little excitement with the team….the product they put on the field last year was not good and the pitching staff was beyond terrible and they were pretty much out of contention after the first couple of weeks in May yet they still drew over 3.2 million fans
The Cardinals were also 4th in Major League attendance behind the Dodgers, Yankees and Padres at 3.24 million people…they seem to be worried about the RSN deal with Bally’s (diamond sports group) but The Rangers are in a similar perilous situation with Diamond sports group on there RSN deal and yet they spent $35 million more on payroll last year than the Cardinals and averaged 2.53 million fans.
If healthy Kittredge is pretty good, the positive might be he has only thrown 31 innings the last 2 years b/c of injury with him being 34.
Primary starters threw 623 as a Cardinal (2 were traded)….Mikolas skews the # some b/c he was 4th in the majors for innings pitched
Wainwright….101
Mikolas………..201.1
Matz………………….90 (excluded his bullpen innings)
Montgomery..121
Flaherty…….109.2The rest came from a wide cast: like Hudson, Woodford, Thompson Liberatore , Woodforde, Rom
Matz, Thompson, Liberatore, Woodford and Hudson all had bullpen innings as well
I think that 2year $20 Mill contract would be reasonable. It would be a gamble maybe a little similar with what they did with Chris Carpenter…though I think Carpenter was an elbow where Woodruff might be a shoulder.
A little out of the box and while he may not be able to pitch in 2024 Brandon Woodruff might be a good gamble on an incentive laden 2 year deal(a healthy Woodruff and Gray would be a pretty good starting duo for 2025)…pending a look at his medicals
Well if they were to sign Montgomery one of 2 things will probably have to happen after he signs, Matz is 1) traded or 2) Matz is moved to the bullpen (Lynn could go to pen instead but I doubt that happens)
If Matz is traded, maybe the Mets are desperate for a starter, that saves some $ to pay for Montgomery’s salary this and next year.
I still think they sign 2 relief pitchers which was somewhat reported they were looking to do after Gray’s signing
I still am unclear on their budget though….it looks like they have added around $8 million in projected salary so far according to spotrac who have them around $165.5 million right now
I don’t think the Cardinals can give up their top starting pitching prospect (Hence) under any circumstances with the cost of starting pitching nowadays in MLB and the cardinals budget
The money per year is not to bad, but 5 years I wouldn’t be all that thrilled with…but that might be my bias fearing another Bret Cecil implosion
I doubt they could play the dodgers any worse than they did at the end of April of last season.
Padres will not be as good as last year, marlins still little offense and no Alcantra, Phillies are solid but not world beaters, Dbacks same as Phillies.
The lack of urgency in bullpen signings is puzzling, but the silver lining may be if they are terrible this year I would expect a major house cleaning from manager to GM to president of baseball ops
My guess Yamamoto will be pretty good from what I saw in the WBC but 12 years is a deal that a small or mid mid market team could never do.…my guess is they are going to do some type of a tv deal in Japan with him and Ohtani, but $325 million plus the additional $50 million posting fee could be interesting if things don’t go to plan with his production….12 years is a long time for a pitcher
December 21, 2023 at 11:09 pm in reply to: Trade Ideas/Acquisition Ideas/Non-Cards Rumors – 2021-2023 #240153If you add the posting fee they have to pay Orix it is $375 million for 12 years
From what I saw last year they have very little bullpen help at AA or AAA unless they plan to start Graceffo in the pen when he is ready if he is ready in 2024.
Some of the free agent options are:
Hector Neris…would think he gets b/w $8-11 mill a year, but would probably be best option 68 IP, 41 hits 77 K’s, 31 walks in 2023
Robert Stephenson…did well last year with Rays but seems to be good every other year.
Jordan Hicks…was good in Toronto but seems to always be close to being really good but doesn’t quite get there
Phil Maton…pretty solid last 3 years with Astros but like Gallegos has pitched a lot of Innings and has a lot of appearances
David Robertson…old, was good with Mets was just short of horrible after trade to Marlins
I’d probably try to sign both Neris and Maton, and then hope a couple of the lefthander’s they already have b/w Romero, Libratore (who was pretty decent out of the pen end of last year) King, Naughton can get the job done at least till the summer trade dead line.
Outside of Hader, Matsui (padres I assume), wandy peralta and Matt Moore(injuries) there is not a lot in LH relief….don’t see the Cardinals looking at Chapman I guess they could take a flyer on Brent Suter from Colorado he would be cheap which seems to be the Cardinals M.O. these days.
The problem with Hader is he has made a lot of appearances and the guy was terrible in 2022; if he reverts back some you are stuck with a long term deal with a lot of money tied up each year….it’s a pretty risky move with the Cardinals budget and Dollar Bills penchant for spending
I don’t really see the Cardinals signing or trading for any more A or B list starters so I might take a flyer on Frankie Montas if he can pass a physical in an incentive laden deal.
It would definitely be a risk, but there could be some upside possibilities if it is the right price
Jim Bowden (not the most informed but a former GM) in the Athletic predicts that:
Yamamoto will get a contract of 9 years $304 million
Montgomery will get 6 years $167 million
Snell will get 6 years $162 million
Wacha will get 2 years $28 million
Giolito will get 1 year $15 million
Seth Lugo will get 2 years $24 millionMay not be accurate in the end, but it’s at least a ballpark
The Braves are the model the Cardinals need to copy not the Dodgers
The Cardinals cannot be any worse than the 3 they played at LA last year …that and the Giants series right before it pretty much ended there year to close out April
Not sure I would want to be on the hook paying Ohtani $15 million when he is 60 to sign baseballs
-
AuthorPosts