Join columnist Jeff Gordon for his live STL sports chat at 1 p.m. Friday
Bring your Cards, Blues, Mizzou, SLU and MLS questions and comments, and talk to columnist Jeff Gordon in his weekly live chat.
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Corey Dickerson was a stopgap signing to buy developmental time for DH candidates like Nolan Gorman and Juan Yepez. Fans were demanding that the team throw big long-term dollars at, say, Kyle Schwarber even through the Cardinals had some excellent hitting prospects on the cusp. And sure enough. Yepez, Gorman and Brendan Donovan have all added nice offensive support. So going with a short-term, low-dollar veteran made sense. -
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When was the last time I did that? I expect the Cardinals to be in the postseason this year, just as they have been the last three seasons. But given the assets building behind the big league team this year, the franchise has an opportunity to build a special roster in a year or two. They have a chance to build the sort of nucleus other teams build through deliberate losing. The Cardinals have a chance to do it AND stay on their course of perennial contention.
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Speaking as an old white guy -- full disclosure -- I found Tim Anderson comparing himself to Jackie Robinson ludicrous. As much crap as Tim has had to put up playing a white man's game, his life has been an endless holiday compared to what Jackie and his peers endured. How are he put him self on that level!But, yeah, it would have been better of a Black player mocked Tim instead. I get it. These are the times we live in. There are lot of open sores out there, understandably so.It was interesting that Josh Donaldson's teammates scattered to the wind when he was looking some support after Jackiegate.
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Hi Jeff, been reading you forever and love your takes. My question is about Flaherty. Can you tell us any more about his injury, rehab, time-table, etc. I feel like he's going to come back ok just in time to hit free agency. I may be mistaken but it seems like this time off isn't even rehabbing....just resting. is that accurate?
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Carlson will play a LOT when he returns. This team still values outfield defense. But he, Tyler O'Neill and Harrison Bader could all yield some at bats if the team keeps getting production from Juan Yepez, Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman. Oliver Marmol will have options and he can look for matchup edges.
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A couple of years ago the Cardinals lineup was full of 6 hole type guys. Legit big leaguers, but not the type of player who can carry a team. The team has legit middle of the order bats now, with more are on the way, but the rotation has now flipped. If Flaherty comes back healthy he’s a legit top of the rotation arm, but this team doesn’t have a real number 2. Mikolas is a really good number 3. Hudson, Matz, and Libatore could all be respectable number 3 to great number 4 type of guys. Wainwright can still get it done, but his days of being that consistent guy at the top have past. This assumes health but look at the number 2 starters for the Mets, Dodgers, Padres, Brewers. Giving up good prospects hurts, but so does getting crushed early in the playoffs. Will the Cardinals make a move, or do we get another dose of “be grateful we’re not the Phillies”? I’m fully aware Cardinals fans could have it worse, but I’m starting to wonder if some people realize we could have it better too.
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As I noted earlier, this team will be positioned to build a special roster in 2023 or 2024. The simultaneous arrival of elite prospects combined with big money coming off the books will put the team in position to trade and to spend. Could the team do something this summer? Sure, because this is a postseason-caliber team. But the will be operating from much better strength in the very near future.
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Jeff - the complaints about the change in the NBA are insane. Baseball is a a completely different game now with 3 outcomes and i would say more boring. Hockey has changed to a speed game and is called completely different and for me at least is more fun to watch. The NBA changes are off the hook and the players talents incredible much more fun to watch . Anyone who says NBA don't play defense didn't watch the Celtics 4th quarter last night . I think many of their detractors don't like the NBA players who have taken political positions they disagree with and haven't ever even watched the game today .
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The NBA has come a long, long way since this young reporter watched fat Mel Turpin lumber up and down the court in his bright orange Cleveland Cavaliers uniform. And I would shake my head at The Whopper, chubby, aging, profusely sweating Billy Paultz somehow staying in the league at what seemed like the age of 46.
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There will be an opportunity to add talent this summer, but there will be much greater opportunity down the road when this team can deal from greater asset strength while operating with more payroll space. This team still needs to learn what it really has with its young veterans and its second-tier prospects on the cusp.Will Dylan Carlson reach new levels or will he plateau ala Stephen Piscotty?Is Tyler O'Neill an all-around star -- power, speed, defense -- or was last season an outlier?Can Ivan Herrera and Andrew Knizner adequately replace Yadier Molina?Can Jack Flaherty stay healthy? Will he sign an extension or eye free agency?Can Jordan Hicks harness his power and emerge as a starting pitcher?Can Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson find consistency needed to stick in the majors?Armed with these answers along with more knowledge about Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez, Brendan Donovan, Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, Gordon Graceffo and Michael McGreevy the Cardinals will be able to positioned to make additional plays on the Nolan Arenado/Paul Goldschmidt level.
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Jeff, my wife complains that I don't do enough around the house. But at this time of year with MLB, NHL, NBA all on every night I don't feel like I have time to worry about needless details that interfere with this. Also, I've noticed that she's starting to 'slip' a bit when it comes to making dinner. Thoughts?
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Gordo - I am following the game on ESPN's MLB gamecast and essentially reading about the game in almost real-time. I am constantly amazed at how quickly these sites get updated. Same with hockey. The TOI stat is pretty detailed - down to the second of on-ice time. How many people do they have tracking and entering this data? It's kind of mind-boggling.
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Hockey uses tracking technology, so there an amazing amount of data acquired in real time. For baseball, employees on site are using software to track the game moment to moment.I grew up in the day when we got one national TV game a week, perhaps a few local TV games and newspaper boxscores. Getting a copy of The Sporting News was like having a world revealed to you.
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Gorman was hyped big time, here and elsewhere. His last at bat against Marcus Stroman showed how he is learning on the fly at the highest level. And he has a swing that most prospects can only dream about. If he stays disciplined at the plate and keeps improving his pitch recognition, look out.
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