Pederson would be at the top of the list because he is a lefthanded batter and the club is short in power from that side of the plate. The NL Central is dominated by righthanded starting pitchers and the only lefthanded power the club has is Carpenter, with Fowler and Carlson as switch hitters. And, yes, all is well, and hopefully for you and your family, too.
Kim is back in Korea. The key is when does the process have to begin to get him back over here again? No one quite knows when spring training and the season will start. All were impressed by how Kim not only survived but prospered being away from his family for about or 10 months this year.
So far, Mo has said Martinez has to earn a starting job, with nothing guaranteed, which means, to me, that he is not in the projected rotation. And he hasn't said at all that Carpenter is his regular third baseman. So, I think those two aspects of the club are markedly different. Not sure what you mean by "Molina calling his own shots for years."
I will not argue with your assessment. We have some larger issues at stake, here, namely people's lives and jobs.
No movement yet. There may be some negotiation being done behind the scenes to keep the DH in play for next year. Personally, I hope to see real National League ball for one more year. But that delay has put a crimp in such players being signed, until those players' agents know there are 30 teams in play, rather than 15. The NL teams, meanwhile, are obliged to sit and wait a while longer.
I have no heard of no plans by BDJ to step down. The "botched" trades are more of an organizational thing (regarding trading certain young players) than the free-agent signings but there has been a rough ride, for the most part, lately here on both fronts. Let's not forget Goldschmidt and Kim, though.
If baseball continues to have enhanced playoff fields, the restraints of trading within the division might be eased somewhat although the Rockies would have to get a haul to do that one.
There should be a place for the speed game and the opponents would be startled to see somebody playing that way. But, everybody--and I mean, everybody--is power conscious and not willing to score just one run when there's a chance for three.
Fowler had a big power year in 2019 with 19 homers and in 2017 with 18. So there have been two decent years out of four, which I hardly would call a horrendous contract. Until Bader shows he is more than a .200 to .220 hitter, he is not a "far superior" player. But, to say the Cardinals expected more out of Fowler--both health-wise and production-wise--in a five-year deal, would be an understatement.
If I could steal Gregory Polanco, who, grant you, has been a disappointment with the Pirates, for not too much in return, I would do it.
Don't hold your breath. Wong would have to settle for far less on the average than the $12.5 million he would have got on a one-year deal if the Cardinals had picked up his option. But let's see what other teams think of him.
Those would be the first three moves the Cardinals would make. They could adjust accordingly after that.
I guess the Cubs and Cardinals would be co-favorites in a weakened division, so far, but it's way too early to answer that one.
I guess somewhere along the way, some of those strong arms got turned into pitchers. The ball parks aren't as big as they used to be and the runners don't take as many chances so a strong outfield arm has lost a little importance.
I am unaware of their salary structure.
The front office has suggested that its hands are tied for various reasons. But you book it that it will never say the division is mediocre and that the Cardinals don't have to make a lot of moves to win it. There will be no talk of "regroup," in 2022, even though there very well may be.
The Cardinals already have Renfroe. He is Tyler O'Neill although he doesn't have the same number of at-bats.
I see a very active January and even a more active February.
If Carpenter's contract vests for 2022, it will be because he has played well enough to play that much. The contract won't keep him out of the lineup. Hitting .200 or below will.
Pederson would be at the top of the list because he is a lefthanded batter and the club is short in power from that side of the plate. The NL Central is dominated by righthanded starting pitchers and the only lefthanded power the club has is Carpenter, with Fowler and Carlson as switch hitters. And, yes, all is well, and hopefully for you and your family, too.