Indeed. Marmol was too trustful of Helsley coming off the finger injury and too slow to react when trouble struck. That cost the Cardinals Game 1, but not the two-game series. Scoring a combined three runs over two home games and none in Game 2 was the the continued, bigger problem from this vantage point.
That was a regrettable comment, and he regrets it. I've certainly made a few in my lifetime, too!
One loss in a Quad 1 game. Undefeated (4-0) on the road. Top-10 offense per KenPom and perhaps the best defense in the nation, at least so far, whether measured in 3-point percentage allowed, 2-point percentage allowed, blocks or steals. All top-10. And name brand factor, after an Elite Eight appearance last season. No problem with that ranking here.
Hopefully the biggest thing done to solve it is that two MVP finalists play up to their potential in the playoffs. That would be the biggest help.
I'm with you on starting pitching being a bigger need at the moment. Have been saying since Contreras addition that it should be number one now.
I wouldn't be surprised if he mixes it up (or wins) the NL rookie of the year race in 2022. I think that could be possible for a few reasons. One, he's good. Two, he's going to get a chance to make the team out of spring training. And three, the Cardinals outfield is not exactly the hardest thing to crack at the moment, and how much a rookie plays factors into that race. That said, you never know how a guy is going to adjust to the big leagues and continue adjusting as the season progresses. Health matters. We can reasonably set expectations for proven players who have a track record of major league performance. Not rookies. That's what makes it fun, but also what suggests against banking on production from a player who has not yet debuted. The Cardinals should treat Walker as a hopeful situation sweetener, not a main ingredient to be relied upon from the jump.
The Mets are OK at shortstop even after the Correa pivot. Francisco Lindor can play shortstop and Eduardo Escobar plays third. The Red Sox, however, probably need a shortstop. Trevor Story just had elbow surgery, it was announced today. Rough timing. Not full blown TJ but he's going to miss time.
I'd reconsider your evaluation of Lopez. I see a lot to like there, and the Cardinals along with the Yankees and Dodgers in the recent past have wondered if there's a fit. He hasn't yet pitched his age-27 season and is showing an increased ability, as you would hope to see, of piling on starts and innings. He would have led last year's staff in strikeouts, by 20-plus Ks.
They want and hope the best for their internally produced answers. And they're not shy about it. And it can leave them exposed at times, yep.
I think there's less of a difference between Class AA and Class AAA every day, and it shows in how players -- not just Cardinals players -- sometimes skip steps entirely. There is more development going on than ever before at the major league level, for a few reasons. One is the shifting landscape that makes it less valuable for teams to stash talent in the minors. Another is the trending away from paying older non-elite players, which means more chances for younger (cheaper for a time being) options. The minor leagues are shrinking as well. And certain rule changes, like the NL's embrace of the designated hitter means guys who can do major league ready things with the bat don't have to be held back to season their defense, because they can help a team with their swing now. I don't think the answer is holding guys back longer. I think it's taking steps to make sure teams that rely on young, unfinished players are making sure they're finding ways to continue the development process at the major league level. It's not ideal, but it's reality.
Not sure what you mean by the DeJong thing. He could be traded. He has no starting role on the team right now. The Cardinals don't seem interested in paying him to walk away, and that's about it. Anything else beyond that is speculative. No one should be surprised the offseason talk about him is rosy. That's every team with every player at this time. I'm not sure what Tommy Edman has to do to get acknowledged as existing this offseason.
It's the weekly pile upon DeJong portion of The Chat
No, there are some tough and proud players on that line. And if the Blues are going to do anything, it's time to play that way. But they've got to do it consistently and as a group. The response after the injuries to Tarasenko and O'Reilly has been strong, but can it be sustained? They've been wildly erratic in performance so far.
I don't mind Andrew Knizner and Ivan Herrera (maybe a little bit later in the season) competing for those backup reps, if both are still around. The Cardinals are planning on a lot of starts for Contreras. His agent said 120-140 starts was the discussed goal when the two sides sat down this offseason.
I imagine he was hoping for more, but let's be clear about the situation going back from the start. The Cardinals rescued him from the Rockies. It was an understanding at that time that he was here for the long haul, and he honored that. Arenado knows what it's like playing for a bad team. He knows this is not one of them. He has perspective.
It sounded to me like he was gently trying to remind listeners that he alone is not the bottom-line decision maker about what the team's payroll will be. That's chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.'s call.
