Join columnist Jeff Gordon for his live St. Louis 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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I was pole-axed by Brendan Donovan winning a Gold Glove instead of Tommy Edman. You mean like that?
Gordo, I've seen Christian Vasquez and Tucker Barnhart suggested as possible winter acquisitions. But then I check their Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference pages only to find they are not actually good at baseball. Specifically, they are each sub-1.5 WAR guys per 150 games for their careers. That's NOT a valid MLB starter. (And they're both on the wrong side of 30, to boot.) I say if the Cards can't get Murphy, then Contreras should be the backup plan. After that, just stick with the kids, plus some marginal veteran backstop, and see where you stand when July rolls around. -
Good use of pole-axed --more graphic than gobsmacked.Vazquez checks the defense/pitching framing box and he would be a cultural fit. And he would provide more offense than Molina while earning reasonable money. That would give the team another year to see if Ivan Herrera can develop.
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Why the clamoring for a lefty bat, Gordo?
2022, OPS+ for three lefty bats: Schwarber 130, Nootbaar 126, Donovan 126. It doesn't matter what *shape* the production takes, as long as it's there. (Of course, Donovan is solely a top-of-the-order guy, as opposed to the other two. But the general point still holds: the Cards have more lefty hitting that fans want to acknowledge. And that's not counting the kid, Nolan Gorman, who was 21 on Opening Day and still managed an above-average OPS+ despite streakiness.)
The Cards need an excellent veteran catcher, and more pitching depth (the team ERA+ has been league average for two years running). Bring on Sean Murphy! -
Lars Nootbaar added power and drew some walks, but we're dealing with a small sample size there. The team would like to add somebody with a longer track record as protection not only for Goldschmidt and Arenado, but for the reality that the development of young outfielders is not always linear. Jordan Walker will play in the majors next season, but will he make a big impact next year?
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sorry Bobo, A simple google search answered my question. morehockeystats.com I appreciate your opinion on it. It just seems to backfire more often than not.
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The one saving grace so far is that many NHL teams that missed the postseason last year started well and a lot of playoff teams started badly. So the usual guideposts -- teams can be toast by American Thanksgiving -- may not apply.Now the bad news: There are no truly terrible opponents on this side of the league. So going on a 2019-like run will be hard.
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Maybe I'm asking too much, Bobo, but you wouldn't happen to have any inside dope on Japanese star Koudai Senga would you? I know his ERAs have been great in Japan and he hits 100 on the radar gun, and he's neither young nor old for a stud pitcher (29). I see at Fangraphs that they predict a modest $15M per year deal for the man, for just 3 or 4 years. Based on the success of Final Boss and Miles Mikolas under the Arch, I would love to bring Senga in, even if he costs the same as Miles' current contract -- or even a bit more. Say, 4/70 or 5/90.
Any insights, good scribe? -
Three things: A fastball that tops 100 miles per hour, a nasty splitter to use off that heat and he comes without a posting fee. For teams that can't swim in the Carlos Rodon waters, he could be an interesting bet. The Cardinals have put in a lot of work on players on that side of the Pacific.But his agent Joel Wolfe had this quote, which speaks to my earlier assessment of the challenges facing the Cardinals in free agency:“Senga’s very open minded and would like to play in a big market with a team that wants to try and win right now,” he said, adding, “He has a great deal of interest in being in a big market.”The Cubs are in on him big time.
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Gordo - I wasn't saying that the media is promoting the "that's not what the Cardinals do" narrative but it is the response every winter when the hot stove starts to heat up. Like it is some "out" they have carved out for themselves. And it is like the fanbases just nods and accepts it. This team can afford Trea Turner and still turn a handsome profit. If DeWitt is that concerned about money than maybe don't extend $17.5m contracts to a 41-year old. Pujols/Yadi collectively made $5m less last year.
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Two more Mizzou questions? What is the time frame players on the 2022 football team have to enter the transfer portal?
Also, which key players will not be back in 2023? They've used up their eligibility including their redshirt season and the COVID-19 season of 2020. -
On the first question:A 45-day transfer window for fall sport athletes will open the day after championship selections are made (Dec. 5 in football this year), or from May 1 until May 15. The window includes "reasonable accommodations" for FBS and FCS players competing in championship games. Athletes in basketball and other winter sports will have a 60-day transfer window, beginning the day after championship selections are made, and spring sports athletes will have windows from Dec. 1 to Dec. 15, as well as a 45-day window beginning the day after championship selections are made.As for the second question, I would bring that one to Dave Matter. He could give you a pretty good summary off the top of his head.
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Cardinals developed pitchers: Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen, who are both aces. Then there are Jack Flaherty, All-Star closer, Ryan Helsley Jordan Hicks, Andre Pallante, Dakota Hudson, Zack Thompson and Jake Woodford, with Gordon Graceffo, Michael McGreevy and Tink Hence in development. Not bad.
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Resolved: last week's Illinois football game was a fluke. Couldn't convert any 4th downs, muffed an un-pressured punt like I have never seen outside of a high school JV game, dumb timeouts from the coaching staff, a dropped pitchout in a critical situation, and on and on. I say they bounce back and beat Purdue by double digits tomorrow. What say YOU, sir?
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Happy Friday, Gordo. Thanks for chatting!
I have seen it written here and elsewhere that the Cards must acquire a "big bat" over the winter. I have seen it written about 873 times. But nobody yet has said WHO this "big bat" is supposed to be.
This all reminds me of the terrible offseason when the Cards "had to" get Marcell Ozuna. They just had to! Even to this day, Derrick Goold insists that they HAD TO do it. Which of course was nonsense then and is nonsense now. What the Birds "have to" get is a starting catcher, and some pitching depth. Nothing else qualifies as an emergency. It doesn't. So please, Mo, don't repeat the mistakes of the Ozuna (and Fowler) acquisitions. Don't acquire mediocrity at an exorbitant cost. -
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I see you think the Blues need a young stud D man? Probably true old back there. Huberdeau is not really a goal scorer more of a playmaker. So Calgary did not replace 80 goals from Tkachuck and Gaudreau. Not by a long shot. They'd have a lot of good D however so maybe trade ROR there? Vladi might be a fit Calgary is trying to win now. Maybe we can get Weegart? Or is it Kylingyton? Valimaki? Hanifan?
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The two biggest rumors of the Angels are Steve Ballmer and the owner of the LA Times. Ballmer spends $ and the owner of the Times is Asian. Not sure, but they might be given a little time to see who they can sign or how if any trades are made after the new owners take over.
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I will do my first regional ranking on Monday. The Egyptian Dogs have Southern Indiana up next. Interesting. And how about SEMO winning at South Florida? Big for that program. Illinois is still getting organized with a couple of kids at point guard, but that is going to be a fun team.