The Cardinals have been burned in trades with the smart Rays (Arozarena) in the recent pass and made a point of protecting this rising wave of prospects, one that includes perhaps the shortstop of the future in Masyn Winn. A shortstop deal that would make more sense to me would be a shorter-term deal with a proven shortstop as a bridge. Also, Edman has looked solid at shortstop if the Cardinals want to go elsewhere in their additions.
Every inch of unclaimed cap space should be squirreled away for the #KeepTheCaptain quest. The Blues invested big in Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, and I get why. But to get the most out of that investment it would be wise to keep O'Reilly around for one more contract.
I'm not convinced he's starting Game 1 regardless of what happens. They're gonna go with what they thinks give them the best matchup once they know their opponent. If it's the Brewers at home, Montgomery probably gets Game 1.
Better performance tends to create more money pouring into the department and the new silos around athletic departments, like collectives designed for name, image and likeness. Win, and people spend. That's anywhere. There also are geographical differences. States without pro teams -- or pro teams that are not as established as the college teams -- tend to rally around their college programs more. The deeper you go in the south, the more football turns into something closer to a religion. Compared to many other SEC programs, Mizzou trails in things like donations to the athletics departments, alumni involved in alumni groups that give money to the department, and upstart NIL collectives. That's not a knock, just a fact. Mizzou has to do two things. Try to create bigger cash pools, and try to spend smarter than a lot of its SEC peers -- because it will never have the most money. The best way to get more money to spend is to win, because saying winning will come once the money comes in is not going to be very well-received. Even if it's kind of true.
The new CBA runs through 2026 and sets the postseason structure through that time. I don't think we will see any changes during the window. Postseasons growing seems to be a theme and it could always get bigger in the future. If there's money to be made, leagues are going to chase it. Hopefully this holds.
He's 31 now and is under contract for six more years. It could get a little hairy. Then again, Schenn was quite good last season (plus-21) and is the kind of player who finds a way to produce as long as he can be out there. He was a key part of the championship and is still a key part of the current team. He's on the right side of the extension still. I have a hard time seeing how he's the block for O'Reilly. There have been other questionable contracts handed out since then, some to players not as key as Schenn. And you can almost always trade guys to open up space if you want to, meaning it's rare that one single player is the single reason another player doesn't get a deal. If the Blues can't create enough cap room for the captain, it's because they didn't want to pay him what he could earn on the free market, more than anything else.
No one said the buyout life isn't a good life. It's just the term.
I didn't convince you?! All good. Let me ask you: What do you think someone (or Pujols) would pay for the ball on the open market? Or would someone outbid the guy who actually hit it?
Eight teams across MLB already have 85 losses. Three of them are in the National League Central. A division that used to be praised -- and sometimes mocked -- for its parity has surrendered that territory. The Cardinals are 10-10 in interleague play. They're 27-30 against greater-than-.500 teams. In short, yes. We agree.
I hear you. I'm not here to preach. Was just asked what I would think I would do, and that's what I would hope I would do. I don't think that approach would go unrewarded by the player or the team.
Part of that depends on the supply, right? The fewer that hit the open market, the more "valuable" they will become. The sports merchandise world is an odd place to me.
Free market rules, per Ed. I'm sure many agree.
Well said. It's a postseason mettle test. The Cardinals swept the Yankees and beat the Braves. They've managed to win one more game against the Brewers than they've lost. But this is the most telling series, plural, of games they've had since the All-Star break.
Only Yadi knows what Yadi does next. I think he's in the saddle for the stretch here. But I'll be honest. The basketball trip surprised me and some others.
Hey, it's "only" $283.6 million, not $300. But no, I hear you. Back injuries are scary. Example: Christian Yelich. Combine that with the prospect haul the Angels would demand to "win" the trade for public relations appearances, and it's hard to see the Cardinals aligning there. They have, however, become the perfect homes for two proven star players who became either too costly or too jaded by lack of success at previous stops. The Goldschmidt and Arenado trade model has worked wonders. Trout would fit that model to some degree. But at the same time as Goldschmidt and Arenado? Hard to see.
How would you want someone to handle it if you hit it?
I don't think Goldschmidt is being affected by the triple crown thing. He's said from the start it's going to be almost impossible to pull off. And how other players perform affects that, which is beyond his control. I do think Pujols is pressing a bit. Hunting. I think that's showing some in his recent at-bats.
Gotta go. Thanks for your time. If you catch No. 700, do the right thing! (Maybe you will make some money that way, too!)
I just read an article from another publication about some star players who (hypothetically) could be traded in the off-season, be it for financial or competitive reasons. One of the names I found very intriguing was Wander Franco. It doesn't seem likely, even though it does feel very Rays-ish, trading a young stud with a big contract for a bunch of cheap, high-quality prospects, but say he were available. Do you think the Cardinals would be in on him? Would finally give us that franchise SS we haven't had in forever