Join baseball writer Derrick Goold for his live Cardinals chat at 11 a.m. Monday
Bring your Cards questions and comments to Monday’s 11 a.m. live chat.
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Derrick, Thank you for these chats. They are “must read” for me. Could you give some insight into the Cardinals drafting process? Two of the current Cardinal pitching prospects are Graceffo & McGreevy-both drafted in 2021. McGreevy was drafted in round 1, with Graceffo in Round 5. Both were drafted out of college. Now, here just 2 years later, Graceffo is a Top 100 prospect (#83), and getting a lot of attention, while McGreevy is hardly mentioned when it comes to naming the upcoming pitchers. It’s usually Graceffo, Hence, Hjerpe, and now Conner Thomas. I’m trying to understand why the one player was drafted in Round 1, with the other in Round 5. What did the Cards see in McGreevy that they didn’t see in Graceffo-and I recognize that every other team let Graceffo get to the 5th round also-yet Graceffo seems to be the better prospect only 2 years in. There haven’t been any injuries to slow the progress of each. I’m curious why one in the 1st, and the other in the 5th-. Seems they should have been reversed. And when later round prospects blossom, while top round prospects flounder, do the Cards analyze the why, and make adjustments to their evaluation methods. Thanks again for your insights!
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Let's start here: The industry/rankings/pundits may be underplaying McGreevy. It could start there. McGreevy has the ability to do this spring what Graceffo did this past spring, or even vault ahead of him. It would not a surprise at all if McGreevy makes a play for a long stay in major-league spring training and if he does not make the team, well then he's the opening day starter for Class AAA Memphis. That could happen, and maybe the issue is that the industry/rankings/pundits should be talking more about McGreevy.With that said, it's also worth noting that McGreevy's college career stood out. Graceffo went to Villanova where he was one of the better pitchers in the program's history and in the league. He also had the majority of his college career interrupted by COVID-19, and his profile at the time was a weak-contact pitcher. McGreevy had a scouting report with more pitches, more velocity, and the strong level of competition he faced while leading the rotation for UC-Santa Barbera. That matters in the draft. And that brings me to this:Let's not discount a player's ability to make himself better after the draft.The draft is a moment in time. Development does not end there anymore than it begins there, and players and their potential are not static. A 13th round -- just to arbitrarily pluck a round out of the air -- can make himself better than this draft status. That could be learning a new position. That could be adding muscle. That could be a change in stance or delivery or health. Credit the development. Credit the player for the commitment.Graceffo deserves more credit for advancing his career and unlocking the velocity he has than there is a question of why he was drafted in the fifth round. McGreevy remains the prospect a first-rounder should be. Graceffo has risen to join him.
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Catching acquisition: What would be brewing? I'm not sure I see the smoke for anything exciting other than the Cardinals making the annual acquisition of a veteran catcher who can help them at Class AAA Memphis after the market has been exhausted of starting jobs/backup jobs in the majors. He'll compete with Knizner for the job behind Contreras, but otherwise he will give the Cardinals a veteran presence alongside Herrera at Memphis.
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Should James “baseball” Edmonds be in the hall? I say yes. Contemporary Andruw Jones is a maybe for me.
The combo of defense, ob, ops, power. That sweet swing. The post season pedigree… I know he’s off the ballot. Should he be?
I mean, his middle name is baseball! And he wore that camo padres jersey.! Ok maybe those last two items aren’t super compelling. -
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That would be tricky. And it would be impossible for that line to generate 75% of the vote. I'm not even sure a campaign to make Pete Rose a write-in candidate would generate enough write-in support to surpass 75%. Hard to see that many members of a 400-person voting body agreeing. I appreciate the creative solution, just don't think it's practical. There are other improvements the Hall could make to the ballot.
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Yes, he is. Not sure if Tyler O'Neill will be someone the Cardinals want to trade -- because who is the replacement, is he producing, is he healthy, too many questions and if the answers are yes he's healthy and yes he's producing like a peak player, then why trade him? And if the answer is no, then Cleveland is going to know that. More likely Cleveland would like more control of the talent they'll get in return than just another season.
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The decision came with three left-handed pitchers: Buerhle, Pettitte, and Wagner. And then also determining what was consistent with Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez. I had room to make the call and put all three lefties on, or choose one lefty and put the two sluggers on. So I spent a lot of time looking at where the line of my ballot was going to be drawn, and just how I felt about Billy Wagner's career as a dominant reliever (but far far shorter in innings pitched than the starters).I had read a lot about where Wagner's stats fit for pitchers who had 800 or more innings, and I was always struck by that. Of course he would stand out because he didn't have the added innings of mediocre to soften those stats. He was helped by being closer to 800 innings, for example. So I flipped the search. I looked at where Wagner was vs. his peers in that 500 innings to 999 innings and if he stood out for others in that same workload frame.He did.
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I don't get that sense. Other teams do have a higher opinion on the Cardinals ability to develop and identify talent than you read on Twitter. That is true. There was a stretch where teams would seek pitchers from the Cardinals because of their reputation for building and having young talented pitchers. Look no further than Gallen's inclusion on the Ozuna deal.
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Why do you believe the Cardinals have given Paul DeJong so many chances when there are others they've cut bait with sooner. He has a contract, but it's not like it's so big they couldn't eat it. I guess I just don't understand why he's getting the Matt Carpenter treatment.
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What they have in common is a multi-year contract. That affords time other players on one-year deals who can be non-tendered or dismissed don't get. Contracts matter. That's true for the 29 other teams, too. Well, not for the ones who don't sign young players to extensions and just trade them before they cost more.
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They are considering one, yes. They have had some candidates -- I don't know they are, sorry -- but I do know they are weighing what would be a good fit and have some connection to St. Louis. I spoke to an executive recently who told me that they are trying to decide if there is a business partner that captures the right "values" to join the birds on the bat. It does seem inevitable, if not this season.
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Agree with Rolen. I can’t argue with your ballot. Kent? Can buy into. It’s great that Simba finally got in. I really hope that someone (DG?) picks up the gauntlet for K Boyer (my favorite Cardinal growing up). I never thought Santo was better than Boyer but do believe both belong. Can you share some comparisons?
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I think there is a strong comparison between Santo and Boyer from their era. Santo was the first third baseman in the NL to have 30 homers, 100 RBIs, and win a Gold Glove. Boyer had already won all of his by that point. Those are arbitrary data points, but not without value in showing how the position grew in both defense and power performance. It's my view that the more third basemen get in in the coming years -- Rolen, Beltre -- then it will help cast a brighter light on the third basemen overlooked (Boyer stands out).Boyer's 62.8 WAR is 12th among players who spent at least 51% of their career at third base. Santo has a greater WAR (70.5), right there with Rolen's 70.1.
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I always look at how many "if's" have to go right for a team to have a legit championship season. I really think the Cards missed an opportunity, whether it's with the SS or SP market to minimize the "if's".
As it stands now...if Tyler O'Neill can stay healthy and return to 2021 form...if Dylan Carlson can achieve a full season level he has yet to realize...if Lars Nootbarr can take it to the next level...if Steven Matz buck his career trend and stay healthy...if Flaherty can regain form and health from 3 or 4 seasons ago...if Waino finds the form he carried in the season's first 3 quarters...am I missing anything? -
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There's an argument that he would have been more of the same of what the Cardinals had. I guess. But he does seem like more of a sure thing -- a known quantity. And the Cardinals could use that. Even if he's not the leader of the rotation, he's a ballast for the rotation. One less question mark for innings. One more possibility for a quality start. That does matter.
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I hate to keep piling on Cardinal ownership, but I've been a passionate fan since 1969 and I've never been this disgruntled. I heard all the rhetoric from WWU, and all that. I understand all of it. But ownership is NOT putting the best team on the field that they are capable of doing and it is making me angry. They built this monster (of expectations) through the many years and if you build it you must feed it. In your opinion is this a fair reaction?
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