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No, teams that throw a lot of money around do not always win but they are always at least in the conversation.
Teams with the ability to spend big and then spend / paper over mistakes & injuries are always simply one smart GM hire away from putting it all together.
There absolutely must be a salary cap, a salary floor, and an even more draconian luxury tax implemented in order to preserve any semblance of a level playing field and some sort of parity in MLB.
Even with those guardrails in place the teams that make the best decisions will be the teams that win the most; but ‘pay to win’ must be pretty much removed from the system. It’s too easy and too boring for the 80% of us that don’t root for teams that have virtually unlimited money to burn.
Jim Wyatt, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson have gig together doing a podcast. I.m pretty sure they have moved over the line and joined us in the ‘fans’ category.
DH should be and I’m sure it is judged differently for the amount of WAR a player has the opportunity to generate.
I don’t think anyone is fooled.
The NFL has a cap. The NFL is the gold standard.
I agree with a salary cap AND a salary floor along with doubling or trippling the luxury tax for teams that exceed the cap along with some penalty for teams that didn’t meet the floor amount that is more than they ‘saved’.
College sports today is a real good example of what happens without rules and regulations regarding spending and tampering with other team’s players. It’s a hot mess.
The players don’t want a salary cap and that might very well be the issue that costs us the 2027 season.
I really like the idea of Herrera to the OF. I don’t think he’s a great catcher and he doesn’t shut down base stealing at all. he sure can hit though.
We have a lunch line of catchers already – I know he said he wants to catch but man we sure do need an outfielder that can hit over his own weight.
Burleson should be able to take on a leadership role along with Donovan this year.
Winn also seems to be a very serious young man
From the outside looking in it did not appear that either Goldschmidt nor Arenado were vocal leaders – I’m not saying that didn’t work hard at their craft and set a great example – but it doesn’t seem like they provided ‘in your face’ leadership. Maybe they did and kept it all very private.
Anyhow as I said in another thread – selfishly I hope Donovan isn’t traded.
Selfishly – I hope Donovan stays as I think he’s just young enough to see the other side of this rebuild with some tread left on the tire and we need veteran leadership.
I also would understand trading him if someone is willing to at least slightly overpay but – I hope he stays if for no other reason than it might just keep Gorman on the bench if Wetherholt can hold down 3rd base.
It’s the OF that is terrifying to look at in 2026. Even if Nootbar is healthy it’s putrid – if Nootbar starts the year on the hurt list – Church, ScottII, and Walker? Oof…
Bernie M. says he’s being told –
Burleson 1b, Donovan 2b, Winn ss, Wetherholt 3b
If Donovan is traded then Wetherholt to 2b with Gorman and Saggese platooning at 3rd.
“Real payroll for the guys on the team today is $64.7M.”
Holy Cow that’s really low.
I’ve always heard you get what you pay for.
Well, It’s another ‘it needed to happen’ deal – and it did BUT wow it’s a pretty painful deal.
If a whole bunch of young guys / marginal MLers don’t find another gear 2026 will be a 90 loss season.
I mean, so be it – We will find out who can play and who can’t and go from there.
We’ve pretty much stunk for 3 years now anyway – Sure, we’re already tired of losing but it is what it is.
I do not want to see Walker in StL polluting RF but I have a feeling that is exactly what’s going to happen.
I figure the longer it goes without Arenado being traded the more money the Cardinals will have to eat to execute a trade.
I’d bet the dollar amount is increasing by 7 figures each week that passes.
Mo had him traded to Houston last season but NA exercised his no trade clause to kill it. I wonder how close Bloom is to getting this worked out?
Obviously, everybody out there knows the situation and so it appears that there’s just no interest in him other than as an afterthought veteran presence on a real contender.
If the Cardinals just cut him loose and ate his contract he’d probably get signed to a 1 year 5-10 Million dollar deal with a ton of incentives in case he takes a drink from the fountain of youth.
Yeah that’s true. With Mikolas, Matz, and Gray out the door there are no ‘must plays’ on the pitching side.
Has Mikolas caught on anywhere yet or is he still waiting for a date to the prom?
Yeah I don’t see Walker being any better than below average at the plate and in the field.
Probably can do better than his historically horrible last two seasons but so what?
I’m going to spontaneously combust if he starts 2026 with the big league club.
We knew what Mikolas was going to do, Fedde kinda fell apart quickly.
I’d guess that the entire body of work turned in in 2026 by the starters will be about the same as 2025 – no way we go the entire season with no injuries again though.
If both those guys are pitching in StL by August then either they were killing it at AAA and / or the ML starters were horrible / injured / traded away for prospects.
I could see Mathews since he’s already had some AAA time. Doyle? Well, maybe he’s just that good…
Funny that he might walk the path Puhols walked from StL to Anehiem.
I do not dislike Arenado in the least, wish him well, and enjoyed watching him play 3rd – but it is time he moved on and let Gorman flail around at – errrr – play 3b.
I think it’ll sort itself out between performance and injuries.
Pages and Pozo are very pedestrian. Herrera will likely get hurt and can then hopefully move to the outfield to help improve one of if not the worst outfield in MLB.
Crooks didn’t hit at all but neither did Winn his first taste of the bigs.
If a young man shows up, can play good behind the plate, and hit .255 with 15 dingers the job is his.
The cumulative effect of ’23-’25 and knowing that the success of the next 5 years (beyond 2026) is unproven and hangs in the balance between the ears of Bloom has me largely unenthusiastic.
We pretty much understand that ’26 is not going to be a good year record wise. It will be a year to grow and hopefully a year where those of us paying attention can see the growth and feel the direction of the franchise start the turn back towards sustained success.
As the ’26 season approaches some of us will fool ourselves and start to concoct scenarios where we make the playoffs this year though.
The individualized and inconsistent strike zones just have to go. We have the technology to have balls & strikes called by AI. That’s how it needs to be with a very limited number of challenges per team.
I’m for speeding the game up AND getting the calls right – not slowing it down.
Yes – the pickings in AAA are pretty lean for sure so – let’s go sign a 0.1 WAR rh of to play RF for one year while Walker figures it out (or doesn’t) at AAA.
He’s been historically bad at the plate and just bad in the field.
I would like them to hit the reset button with Walker.
He can’t get any worse so I don’t see the harm in sitting him down, having an adult conversation, and letting him have his AAA year WITH all new shiney minor league development toys and increased coaches / instructors.
If it works then that would be awesome; if it doesn’t then that’s an ‘aww shucks’ moment but I refuse to believe they have to play him in StL in 2026 because they can certainly dumpster dive for a 0.1 WAR veteran to hold the fort for one year.
I didn’t know different baseballs were used at different levels
What is reason for that? It’s usually financial so – are minor league baseballs cheaper?
I just read another ‘patience with Walker’ piece that seem to be en vogue these days.
I don’t mind keeping him —- just in Memphis not in StL.
As far as I recall he has never dominated AAA pitching and has been historically bad at the ML level the last 2 years.
Personally I don’t want to see him polluting RF and the batter’s box in StL.
Surely there is a reasonably priced journeyman outfielder that can hold down RF and provide at least close to average defense and offensive production until Walker develops or doesn’t and the organization moves on??
Even with a rebuild going on I don’t want to see ’24 or ’25 Walker in RF or in the lineup at DH.