OT: OT: Lets Go Cardinals! (All Baseball Talk Here) Part 2

[The Note]

the starting pitching is interesting, as 3 of our starters have really come back to more of what we could expect of them, so we have 3 guys at a 2/3 starter level; and Liberatore and Wainwright both have a FIP 2 runs better (though still not good) than their actual ERA which could be lived with in 4/5 starters if the bullpen wasn't so completely putrid
we really do need an ace

relievers are always up and down from year to year, but I cannot recall ever seeing every single guy in a teams bullpen to be worse than expected (and mostly by quite a bit)

and the team's defense has been brutal, and with our style pitching staff the Cards need good defense
Lars and Dejong have been the only guys with decent defense this year, even Arenado has been bad, and Goldy has just been ok, and the outfield defense has been especially horrid
how does a team go from good defensively to bad in one year with the same players

I understand what you're saying about the starters, but the team has gotten 25 quality starts, which is only 8 more than a dreadful A's team that is actively trying to lose. That's not an end all be all, but it tells the story. Wainwright finally falling totally off the cliff was something that had to be considered a realistic possibility given how he ended last year and the fact he's well past his prime (to put it mildly). I think the bullpen - which is also not great - is being taxed even more heavily by the fact the starters can't consistently go deep in games. Your point, which I think you are correct in, that three of the starters are more or less what you'd expect and the rotation is still a shambles speaks to the construction issue, I think. The baserunning and defense are both a disaster, and you are spot on that the whole crux of this team succeeding from a run prevention POV is built on solid defense. Perhaps an abject failure of a season finally makes them reassess some things, but I remain skeptical that happens with the current leadership.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

Our bullpen went to shit as soon as the MLB started cracking down on pitchers with sticky hands.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[bleedblue1223]

I mean no shit, but I'm not buckling up for something massive either.

 

[Spear]

I'm worried that it's still Mo doing the trades. His most recent trade history is kinda sucky!

 

[PJJJP]

Can he trade himself for a really good return? Gotta make it up to us for this season

 

[Celtic Note]

Translated: be prepared to be underwhelmed like usual.

 

[kimzey59]

Can he trade himself for a really good return? Gotta make it up to us for this season

Do you really think anyone would take him?

 

[Mike Liut]

Goodbye to Monty, Flaherty, Hicks, Gallegos, DeJong at minimum.

 

[Mike Liut]

Adding Chase Davis to Walker, Winn and Gorman is a nice good young core. And now you’re going to get a good haul for Monty and Flaherty and then throw in a top 5 pick next year. The future is pretty decent for the Cards.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

 

[bleedblue1223]

The guy has talent, but hasn't been able to follow up his solid 2021 season.

 

[bleedblue1223]

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[TheDizee]

Scott Rolen's friendship with Tyler Frenzel still resonates

The Official Site of Major League Baseball

www.mlb.com

 

[Celtic Note]

Scott Rolen's friendship with Tyler Frenzel still resonates

The Official Site of Major League Baseball

www.mlb.com

Rolen was one of my favorite Cardinals ever.

That story was both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[bleedblue1223]

For as bad as we are, if it wasn't for a crazy amount of blown saves, we'd be in the playoff race.

 

[joe galiba]

For as bad as we are, if it wasn't for a crazy amount of blown saves, we'd be in the playoff race.

For as bad as the starters have been at times, and as bad as the defense has been at times, our relief staff is really why we suck so bad this year
our CLOSERS have ERA's of 3.67, 3.92, and 3.24
our other relievers with over 10 innings have ERA's of 4.47, 4.70, 4.71, 5.06, 4.12, 5.06 (only Hudson has under a 3 ERA)
relievers are always up and down, I don't remember a year where every reliever had a bad year at the same time

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Hopefully the pitching staff and coach can figure out wtf they broke

 

[542365]

Flaherty is going to get traded to a better organization and they will help him get in the strike zone more often and he’ll be a great starter again. Hopefully we get something decent in return, but it feels like baseball trades are usually lopsided in favor of the team receiving the proven talent unless you’re trading for top prospects, which Flaherty won’t command. Hicks might return something solid, but that’s about it unless we’re moving Donovan or Edman, which I doubt.

 

[Spear]

Flaherty is going to get traded to a better organization and they will help him get in the strike zone more often and he’ll be a great starter again. Hopefully we get something decent in return, but it feels like baseball trades are usually lopsided in favor of the team receiving the proven talent unless you’re trading for top prospects, which Flaherty won’t command. Hicks might return something solid, but that’s about it unless we’re moving Donovan or Edman, which I doubt.

Cards have been talking to Hicks about an extension....

 

[bleedblue1223]

If we can get decent value for Edman, I'd absolutely move him. I don't think his ability to play OF brings a ton of value to us, and Winn is ready for SS.

 

[PJJJP]

Well Giolito and Lopez got decent value. I'd probably put Monty's value somewhere around what they got. Maybe we can add a relief pitcher to the Monty package