Live Chats

Join Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel for his live Cardinals chat at 11 a.m. Monday

Bring your Cards questions and comments to Monday’s 11 a.m. live chat.

3rd & 7 37yd

What Cleveland has done with a low payroll and with little fanfare is one of the great baseball stories of the season. Terry Francona has shown himself to be a winner before but this might be his best managing job. The Guardians' style might be suited even better to the new rules.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 4:36:59 PM
As we say farewell to the great Yadi, what is your take on the Cardinal catchers? Will they chase a Free Agent? Thanks.

by BobG 9/26/2022 4:37:04 PM
The Cardinals certainly will have to look for a veteran catcher. What they have to decide is whether Knizner or Herrera figures as a regular catcher. If so, they look for a veteran backup. If not, they look for a regular catcher. It will be a lot different, won't it?

by rhummel 9/26/2022 4:38:56 PM
Hello! I'm curious what you think about the Cards having so many pop ups? Do you remember a season where it seems even our stars are popping up and not squaring the ball so consistently?

by Joe J 9/26/2022 4:39:05 PM
I hadn't really noticed it that much except that they don't have a lot of ground-ball hitters, other than Donovan, Molina and Dickerson.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 4:40:13 PM
The 2006 Cards lost 8 of their last 11 games and looked finished before going on an epic post season roll. The playoffs are strange animals, anything can happen. So there is hope. Is O'Neil close to being back and can he still be a factor? I think Oli should go with the best defensive line-up, O'Neil, Carlson and Nootbar in the OF except Donovan at 2B in every game. I think that line-up gives them the best chance. Is Oli leaning that way?

by ICCFIM 9/26/2022 4:40:21 PM
I agree with you on their best outfield, if O'Neill can get healthy. And I like Donovan at second, to be replaced by Edman late if the Cardinals are ahead and DeJong goes to short. Not sure how Oli is leading because he does like Dickerson's left-handing hitting in the outfield against all the right-handers the Cardinals may face.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 4:42:53 PM
Hey Commish, got kind of an oddly defensive response on this question in another chat, but I want to try again with maybe better clarification on my end....

I think we all generally understand that the MLB level is more difficult than AAA, and the Cards have really done well to get quality production from some of their less-celebrated youngsters (Carp, Edman, Donovan, Hicks, Bader, and Yepez, just to name a few). But it does seem like they consistently get underwhelming results from the *most* highly-regarded guys coming out of their minor-league system, which leads to fans seeing the "next big thing" and wondering if *this* is the time a top-50 prospect will actually pan out as hoped.

Certainly, injuries (or worse; RIP, OT18) have been a part of this for a few, like Flaherty, Alex Reyes, and O'Neill, but a whole host of other most-hyped prospects have simply not reached their projected ceilings: An Reyes, Rasmus, T Greene, Piscotty, Weaver, Tsunamy.....so now seeing all four of Carlson, Gorman, Liberatore, and Herrera have seemed to hit a wall early on in their pro careers, do you think fans are being overly unfair in wondering whether the Cards are currently capable of developing their top prospects into All-Stars? Teams like LAD, Atlanta, Houston, and Tampa seem to turn a lot of their top-20 guys into ROY/CYA/MVP candidates, so just hearing "this game is hard" when we openly wonder about this comparison with other top franchises falls flat after a while.

by Phil 9/26/2022 4:44:42 PM
You raise a good point, here, especially when it seems that the Cardinals' recent batch of highly touted prospects has hit that proverbial wall. Those are young players, still, and not to be dismissed just yet as failures. The best of the best is yet to come in Walker. To counter the ones you cited, it seems the club may have mined several less gaudy gems in Donovan, Yepez and Pallante.
But, in a broad answer to your original question, the fans have a right to expect some more production out of the top of the top.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 4:51:09 PM
Hey Commish, I know the team's great offensive summer quieted a lot of the questions about Jeff Albert, but I can't say I've been particularly satisfied yet. The biggest difference in the team's offense this summer vs 2019-2021 has been getting elite second-half output from three veterans who've had plenty of coaching in their careers prior to working under Albert. Meanwhile, I think Edman is the only hitter who's come through the Cards' system in recent years and showed multiple years of sustained offensive success.

After last year's more-of-the-same disappointing offensive output, I was hoping Albert could continue running the Cards' system-wide approach while Mo and Girsch might find a new voice for the big-league dugout. Do you think that's still a possibility, or has the team's upper-third offensive output this year cemented JA as the primary hitting coach going forward?

by Phil 9/26/2022 5:02:43 PM
Until lately, the offense hadn't endured much criticism but recent events have raised questions. I have heard no talk about any changes in the offensive structure, though.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:04:46 PM
by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:05:07 PM
My apologies for the negativity on a Monday, but I’m getting the feeling we are about two weeks away from DeWitt sitting at the season ending press conference with Mo telling everyone how magical the summer was with Yadi and Waino breaking their record and Albert hitting 700 but also how random October is and how this team just went cold at the wrong time.

by JoJo Disco 9/26/2022 5:05:13 PM
Anything is possible, along these lines. But the Cardinals limped to the finish line in 2006 and that turned out all right. I'm a firm believer that the playoffs are almost entirely a new season and what happened up to that point doesn't have as large a bearing as it might seem. Any of the contestants can get hot for couple of weeks or even a month.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:07:45 PM
Hello Rick

Well DeJong is set to make $9.17 million next year (but a $12.5 and $15 million club option in 2024 and 2025....which they won't exercise), so what can they do with him next year? No one will trade for him and if you put him on waivers, no one will pick him up. Do they just eat the $9.17 million next year? No reason to keep that player who is taking up a valuable roster spot. And if they keep him BECAUSE he will make $9.17 million, that is not the way to put together a roster...just because he will make money. Whether he stays or is released they still will pay $9.17 million, so why not just replace him with a better hitter rather than one hitting .150?

by Evil Calvin 9/26/2022 5:07:59 PM
Any deal involving DeJong probably would include the other club picking up some of the money or that club sending a fairly high-priced player the Cardinals' way to even it out a bit. They won't keep him just because he is making $9 million. But they likely just won't release him either.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:10:21 PM
How can anyone substantiate Hudson over Woodford. He is constantly overlooked because he is not flashy or throws hi 90's, but what he does do is move the ball around, hits spots and is smart. He and Hudson have about the same Fastball, and similar offspeed, difference is Woodford is locating much better.
Hudson ERA, 4.07. 1.39WHIP, HRs-9,
Woody, ERA, 2.44, 1.15 WHIP, HRs-1,

by Thomas 9/26/2022 5:11:05 PM
Hudson has had much more experience pitching when the game is on the line. Woodford has had a good season but he hasn't been used in many high leverage spots. It would be good to have both and maybe both will be on the club if Hicks isn't healthy enough.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:12:29 PM
This team keeps pitching fans/media the idea that the offensive outage is just good players having cold streaks. For Goldy, sure that is true. But the reality is that when things were going gangbusters it was just mediocre or bad players having hot streaks. That is not sustainable, not matter how many platoons or match-ups you play. Counting of Dickerson, Nootbaar, DeJong, Gorman, etc. in October is not a recipe for a deep run.

by JoJo Disco 9/26/2022 5:13:20 PM
They intend to count on Nootbaar, who is a regular player now, and Dickerson to a lesser extent. You might not see much of the other two.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:14:53 PM
by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:14:54 PM
a lot of complaints about the game being on apple tv friday. but why not any complaints about the game starting after 9 CT and 10ET how many people complaining about apple tv were even awake when Pujols hit his home runs?

by brandon 9/26/2022 5:15:07 PM
You have to account for the fact that it was only 7 p.m. when the game began in Los Angeles. You can't expect them to start at 5 no more than you would want the Cardinals to start at 5 here on a Friday night.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:16:36 PM
Can you clarify when Carlson will hit a sufficient age that we stop hearing that "he is only ____"? Kind of tired of that crutch being used as a means to explain his regression this year. I'm not saying DFA the guy but at some point maybe we need to consider that '21 was the outlier and his true value is a hybrid of these past two seasons, not the "cold dead hand" projections this team initially had for him.

by JoJo Disco 9/26/2022 5:17:02 PM
I would say it's eminently fair to expect Carlson to show more next season or you look in a different direction. But he had a pretty good year here last year, finishing as a Rookie of the Year finalist.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:18:24 PM
Losing to the Brewers in the Wild Card round would be brutal. Their top 3 starters are back at it again, pushing 2 decent starters to the pen. The way the Birds offense acts sometimes, that could be a quick series unfortunately. They need a stick this winter not named Walker. Someone who has done it in the bigs.

by Ryan 9/26/2022 5:20:28 PM
The best way to avoid playing the Brewers in the playoffs is to beat them the next two nights. It's going to be a quick series anyway, two out of three, if the teams meet next week here.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:22:16 PM
Is Salvatore Perez of the Royals a free agent next year? Has he declined after his injury from a couple of years ago?

by AustinTx 9/26/2022 5:25:05 PM
Salvador Perez isn't a free agent until 2026. He played in every game but one (against the Cardinals) last year and hit 48 homers and knocked in 121 runs. He would fit in well here, but not likely to happen.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:26:10 PM
I think people forget that Piscotty had really good seasons in 3 of his first 4 years. His 4th season which came with Oakland he was exactly who the Cardinals had hoped he would be 27 homers and an .822 OPS. He has fallen on hard times since, but comparing young Piscotty to young Carlson, Piscotty had better numbers.

by brandon 9/26/2022 5:26:13 PM
Stephen Piscotty had some good years here, for sure, but, unfortunately, not in Oakland. To date, he has done more than Carlson. But Piscotty also no longer is in the majors.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:27:51 PM
Is Moises gomez another AAAA type player? He has done way more than Burleson it seems

by john 9/26/2022 5:28:04 PM
Gomez had more home runs than Burleson this year, but most of them came in Class AA. He is not as good a hitter as Burleson but he is worth keeping on the winter roster, I would say.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:29:05 PM
Looks like Q may be pitching his way to an offer from the birds?

by Flip 9/26/2022 5:29:13 PM
That is something that will have to be explored. But, with Matz and Flaherty figuring to be part of the rotation next year and with Mikolas and Montgomery also to be back, that leaves only one spot. Hudson? Wainwright? Liberatore? Quintana?

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:31:18 PM
Is anyone on the PD going to cover the Arizona Fall League this year? Probably the best Cardinal prospects to attend the AFL this fall.

by AustinTx 9/26/2022 5:31:21 PM
I would hope there would be some coverage from there.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:31:41 PM
Commish, Pujols hitting his 700th was very exciting and epic. I could make the argument that, in reality, he ranks ahead of steroid Bonds and Ruth in the HR category, as the latter did not face the same quality of pitching. Having said that, I think that if he passes Ruth to be second on the all time RBI list, that would be more impressive than 700 HRs. Do you agree or disagree?

by Kevin in DC 9/26/2022 5:31:56 PM
Pujols is so high in so many categories, the mind boggles. But, to be second in RBIs would have some weight to it.

by rhummel 9/26/2022 5:34:10 PM
How long does it take to recover from a "dead arm?" If Waino skips a start would he be ready for the playoffs, or does it take longer to recover from it? How does his dead arm change the pitching lineup for the playoffs?

by Kevin in DC 9/26/2022 5:34:27 PM