Weaver should be a double-figures winner this year and could really be effective if he can pitch high in the strike zone.
You need some new material. You used that nickname the last time. I would be happy to answer your question if you had one.
They way to improving the pace of play is for fewer strikeouts and more balls put in play.
A third straight playoff miss, unless there is something involved like a 90-win season that wasn't good enough, will get players and likely the manager replaced.
The wires would have been hot. But the brewery did not give Maxie enough financial flexibility to fix his team if it needed a mid-season fix. And, in those days, Cardinals fans didn't go ballistic if the club didn't make the playoffs for a few years.
I thought Fowler, if healthy, deserved the first shot at center. Ozuna is a Gold Glover in left but perhaps not quick enough to cover the middle. Pham is the man, survey says. He should be all right but how good we don't really know.
The Cardinals don't have to worry about anybody claiming Voit yet. He has two years of options left.
The day minor leaguers are called up to the big leagues, they are paid the daily portion of the minimum big-league salary, which is something over $500,000 for the year.
By my eyes, DeJong is an average defender. He will never be a great defensive player at the position but, on offense, he could be of more value if he would take more walks.
All teams overvalue their prospects. But the Cardinals actually are one of the few teams that made multiple trades _ two with Toronto for Grichuk and Diaz, one to Oakland for Piscotty and one to Miami for Ozuna, not counting the one they probably had in place for Stanton. So, the Cardinals have been out there in the trade market. And Derrick was right. Every potential team in a possible transaction can't be considered to have the same types of talents relevant to making the deal.
The bench, as I see it, is constituted of Kelly, J. Martinez and Garcia almost for certain. That leaves two spots among Bader, O'Neill, Valera, Voit. They will not leave here with 13 pitchers. Too many off days early. Bader and O'Neill both aren't likely to come north. Bader has the advantage of being the better center fielder but Fowler will be the next center fielder if anything happens to Pham.
Of course you would have interest but what would it take to get him?
To my knowledge, no teams have their own planes anymore but all use charted aircrafts for all trips.
Ownership and the front office should hear the fans loud and clear. But there won't be any strong message really delivered until attendance dips. That gets everyone's attention.
I suspect Bowman has options and I know Brebbia does. I'd rather watch fellows pitch before I get too far into this.
This isn't about chasing down the Cubs. The Cardinals have been trying to make their own team considerably better. If that happens, then you see where that leaves you.
I have little concern for Hosmer and the Padres five years from now. Let's play them one year at a time.
I don't know. This free-agent class doesn't overwhelm me. The No. 3 starter in it, Lance Lynn, won 12 games. Eric Hosmer has occasional power. Yu Darvish couldn't get out of the second inning in two World Series games. I found it a very pedestrian class at the top.
The phrase "strong up the middle" applies to shortstop, second base, center fielder and catcher. We know the Cardinals are strong defensively at catcher and we think so at second base. We aren't as sure about the other two defensively but those two positions could provide 50 home runs. So, it's in the eye of the beholder. Strong enough, I would hazard to say.
Wisdom really never has hit for the average that O'Neill has hit for and until last season never showed 30-homer power. To speak more about O'Neill, I'm not prepared to say, because I've never seen him play. I am looking forward to it. I do hope, however, that Wisdom gets a chance with somebody. O'Neill, however, ranks as the better hitting prospect at the major-league level.