The NL has been told to expect no DH for next season, so that did take out the option of adding a good-bat, no-glove player. But either way the Cardinals were going to shop the bargain bin this winter.
No, that's just realistic. When the Big Ten decided not to play this year, the decided to play after all -- but not until the start of cold and flu season, when COVID was sure to spike -- the conference created the potential for what happened to Ohio State. It's not like the Buckeyes were looking to duck out of games. So allowing the Buckeyes to play in the league title game was prudent.
I do not believe moving on would hurt Molina. If he goes somewhere, I bet he goes to a team that has a chance to win. And I do believe his reputation as a winner will be what gets him into the Hall of Fame, although it make take an committee selection to get him there down the road. I am not sure the Baseball Writers will vote him in. They are not as sold on intangibles as the the committees.
I still believe Carlos Martinez could be a trade chip that yields a bat, but teams may have to see him pitch in the spring (and pitch well) before they take the plunge. That is best path (only path?) to add proven offense in a trade.
Again, if he pitches well in the spring after reporting in shape, that could open up the market for him. Other teams will suffering pitching injuries and that, too, will create demand if Carlos gets back on track.
The problem is, teams's don't wake those profits and stash the cash in a checking account. The reinvest the money into the business or the ownership spends the revenue on other stuff. So when the spigot gets turned off, they face a huge cash flow crisis. Owners can borrow money to cover some of that, but they didn't get rich by overextending themselves. The owners may have been ready to withstand a rainy day, but they were not ready for a year-long monsoon.
Supply and demand. The NBA generates a lot of dollars, even without fans in the stands. In baseball I believe you will see the top guys continue to get paid even though the sport took this massive hit in 2020.
That's a good question for the baseball guys. I don't know how many of the players live either here or in Jupiter during the offseason.
Evil fielding shifts, advancing age and his inability (or refusal) to make adjustments combined to get him. Some guys fall off a cliff. That's why you have to admire Molina, who remade his body to battle advancing age and made savvy adjustments at the plate to remain viable there.
That's a fair point about pitching. Guys got thrown completely off they routine by building up their arms, then sitting out, then building up again. Look at all the injuries last season as a result. And, yes, I do believe the pitching depth the Cardinals still have wll keep them in the mix this season. The Cardinals can't keep all of those guys forever. so at some point pitcher-for-hitter moves could come.
I get the argument, but I am not a fan. I would rather see baseball evolve back to whole-field hitting and more small ball. Hitters deserve to eat some shift after making a collective commitment to higher launch angle and more dead-pull hitting. That's not baseball. So I saw keep the shifts and change the hitting.
DeWitt also knows that signing players to monstrous contracts is an inefficient way to do business. And by every measurable metric, his ownership track record has been excellent. He took a stagnant operation and restored its luster. The Cardinals have been a huge business and competitive success on his watch. The franchise also reconnected with its storied past after going stale under A-B's ownership.
Indeed it is. While our friends in the Great White North have long clamored for an all-Canada division, the NHL only went there due to the border-crossing issue. Ask the Toronto, er, Tampa Raptors about that. And with that all-Canada division, that forced the U.S. teams to split into three divisions.
Boy, that's a great question. We used a different software back then and I don't think any of that was archived. I just went back in the system and found Rams stuff dating back to 2013, but the links to the chat went nowhere.
I see what you did there. Rough year for Lovie's gang. But that basketball team -- wow. That team has Final Four potential. The freshmen will only better and the veterans are more than capable to taking that team a long, long way. Nice mix there. Teams like Kentucky and Duke seem too young to handle these circumstances.
I can see the Cardinals staying in the hunt without those three because of their pitching. Why? The Brewers look iffy for next year and the Cubs have begun the process of cutting back. The Reds may take a step back too and the Pirates are tanking. Perhaps if the Cardinals can hang around and then fans start coming back due to the COVID cloud clearing, then Bill DeWitt Jr. could open the vault for midseason upgrades.
Sure, that could happen. Molina is a proud, proud guy -- and that's what has driven him to be great. He wanted respect in his last contract and he got it with the $60 million over three years. Can he get what he wants in the midst of the pandemic? We'll see. This is definitely a tough spot for John Mozeliak, given his mandate to tighten the budget until further notice.
OK, that's it for this time. See you down the road. Be safe!
