It's not a surprise. In recent seasons they have waited a while -- or not done one at all. They recently finalized the extensions for Girsch and Flores. Wainwright could happen any time if he's wanting to return. Arenado could take a bit longer. Again, don't think he's going anywhere but would not be surprised if contract is updated some.
I've become convinced the worst thing to spend money on is "proven" bullpen help. Volatile position. Guys tend to be toward the tail end of their careers by the time they earn big bucks. I wouldn't go full Brewers and start trading away All-Star closers while leading the division -- yikes -- but I wouldn't pay big money for relief. Andre Pallante is a good reason why. He was one of this team's best relievers and few knew who he was entering the season. Gio Gallegos was a throw-in in the Luke Voit for Chasen Shreve trade. Helsley, Hicks, Thompson came from the pipeline. Relievers are never going to be as reliable as you like. That's the business. But overpaying for them makes it worse. Spend the money elsewhere, where past production is more likely to translate to future results.
I think he's here to stay. But he has to play in order to prove that. If his time drops it's better for him to go down and get reps. So far so good.
I'll respectfully pass. Helsley's finger had nothing to do with scoring in three of the 18 innings and getting shut out in Game 2. One extra-base hit in the series. That's the series story. Helsley was the Game-1 story.
I asked Wheeler about that potential deal when he was in town for the series. He made it sound like he felt it was pretty close to going down.
I don't hate football. I love football. Like a lot of people around here, getting an up close and personal view of the underbelly of the NFL made it hard to love the league.
Thomas would make sense. I think Brayden Schenn would make sense. But my preference would be the Blues and O'Reilly acknowledging what everyone else seems to know -- they're better off together. O'Reilly would like to be here and the Blues should be able to make an extension work even in challenging cap times. Can't keep both him and Tarasenko, but I'd prioritize O'Reilly.
A final sendoff for Matt Carpenter? Kidding. I think Wainwright will be the only retirement tour of 2023.
Eh, it's almost always about the money, period. Most of the times "respect" means money. If Wainwright pitches next season it'll be here. If Quintana wants top dollar above all else, and no shame if he does, then I'd imagine it would be best for him to prioritize full-blown free agency over working out a quick extension with the Cardinals. He has said he'd love to be back, but hasn't indicated he would take a discount to do so.
Good question. How the Cardinals view O'Neill is going to be a significant part of the answer. They really challenged him this season to step up and take the opportunity that was there waiting for him. He wasn't able to do that. Sometimes it was because he was injured. Other times it was because he was in a slump. Carlson got chances to run away with center field but didn't do so. Nootbaar as you said took advantage the most. Brendan Donovan, Juan Yepez and Tommy Edman can all factor into the outfield as much as the Cardinals want. And Jordan Walker is coming, soon. Lots to sort out. Cardinals haven't started showing their hand just yet.
The money is always the most important thing -- as you know -- but other factors matter. How that money is taxed can sway a decision, and that's a state issue not a team one. Some guys consider lifestyle or proximity to home or features they like. Giancarlo Stanton inquired about high-rise living when considering his no-trade clause and the Cardinals interest. STL's can't compare with New York City's. For players with families, STL is hard to beat. The fans are hard to beat, and the city's passion for the game. It's a non-factor for some and an appeal to others. Arenado loves it, for example. I think the Cardinals are in as good of a spot as they have been in a long time when it comes to appealing to free agents. They have rescued two of the National League's best players from dire circumstances elsewhere and everybody saw he magic of the Pujols sendoff. Good time to capitalize on the momentum.
Carpenter's downward hitting spiral was unrelated to his defensive changes as far as I can tell. Have not come across any proof that connects the two. Defensive versatility is a good thing. Edman is a fine second baseman, but if the Cardinals don't upgrade shortstop then he's your shortstop until Masyn Winn is ready. I don't think the Cardinals can go back to Paul DeJong at short. That's a hard sell now.
I'm not convinced Pietranelo was as dead set as prioritizing being here as he waned to make it seem. Not finding the spare change for Perron could ding them this season. I'm not convinced the others departing have held back the Blues. O'Reilly would be a big one. Losing back-to-back captains would not be ideal. I do think O'Reilly wants to stick around. But yeah, the trend is real. Guys who enter their final season without a contract seem to go. Now would be a good time to reverse it.
In terms of on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), tied with Milwaukee (.732 OPS) for seventh in the National League during that span.
I've caught a few more games this year than in the immediate post-relocation aftermath. The product is good. Compelling. Great game. But the league is without a doubt gross. Owners are fortunate to have such a compelling sport to mangle with their egos. It's hard to change the channel with Mahomes is on TV. I don't understand how the Chiefs ever lose a game.
Plenty of options. Not a lot of certainty. The sure thing this past season was supposed to be O'Neill. I would be hesitant to make that same decision again in 2023.
But the Blues looked very smart to let Backes go, and it didn't take very long for that to become obvious. Pietrangelo's contract could age poorly but he would have helped the post-Pietrangelo teams.
Yeah, last week I looked up the number of shutouts -- 17! -- and compared them to other teams. It's not the company you want to keep. The Cardinals need to look at that. A team that has two MVP candidates and decent to good offense most of the season should not be getting shut out as often as some of the worst-hitting teams in baseball. That's gotta be a reality check. Ignoring it will lead to more of the same. I think the Cardinals at times fall into hero ball. Home runs are the modern game and every good team hits them. But there are days when the homers are not coming for whatever reason and you have to find other ways to score. The playoffs have provided plenty of examples of homer-happy teams -- the Phillies -- figuring out how to manufacture runs when desperate. The Cardinals get desperate in the opposite way -- the way where every player heads to the plate feeling like he has to win the game individually.
