Sure, if the team considered that a major need. But there is no indication that management feels that way and there is every indication that top priorities lie elsewhere.
Well, they would have to be interested in spending big money on a DH. And given how the team used the DH slot last season and all the low-cost, in-house DH candidates the Cardinals have, that's why you haven't heard much about Bell.
I haven't seen enough of the Illini to judge. Are those young guards ready to step up against real competition? They will be ready by Big Ten season, but are they ready now?
Fair point. Josh Bell had a .784 OPS last year. Could Yepez and Gorman settle in and produce something like that for very little cost? Either Yepez or Gorman could get moved in the right deal, but that deal would have to be a big impact play to clear out young power potential. Maybe Murphy is a big enough play for that.
Stay healthy, play better, promote elite prospects when they are ready and make adjustments when needed. And I expect the Cardinals to add more than just replacement-level players.
Better, yes, He is noticeable because he is in the battle. But he still must get better with the puck.
The trouble with Parayko and Mikkola together at even strength is their mobility, rush defense and puck-moving. As penalty killers, they can use their size, clear bodies and block shots. They just have to clear pucks, not make great outlet passes -- something Mikkola is not great at. Also, I can use using them together for defensive zone starts late in periods for the same reason.
The Cardinals value Gorman, but what is his long-term fit? If Winn is the future at shortstop, then Edman or Donovan could play second base. If believe if the right trade came along for a long-term asset at a need position, the Cardinals could listen on him.
I would expect multiple additions from the outside, more subtractions of players you saw last year and, yes, some promotions. Better health from Matz, Flaherty, Hicks and O'Neill could also go a long way (assuming they stay). And as always, the team will look to add talent as needed in season.
Generally speaking, what you say is how the Cardinals operate. But . . . there is some overlap with young players and there are some needs that can't be filled internally. So the Cardinals will look into some trades and deal from players where they know they can't keep everybody. For instance, there is some reason to believe that Moises Gomez is a legit prospect now and that's one more young slugger.
Jake Woodford learned to pitch. True enough. And he added more bite, because, yes, the team did not like his spin metrics earlier in the season. VerHagen is still on the roster because he is still on the payroll for a second contract year. But Marmol got more than a little frustrated with him. Spin rates are great, but they don't matter if you pitch defensively.
Flaherty wants to produce a healthy season, put up numbers, point to the Mikolas and Wainwright salaries and figure that he is worth $20 million-plus when he is at full strength. He is not in a position where he needs to grab lesser money now for the security.
We know that Tyler is supposed to train more in the STL this year with the Cardinals staff to work on durability. As for his hitting guru, I'm not sure. Before his 2021 season he worked on his swing in Canada in the offseason.
Buck is the perfect manager for a team has a feckless front office because the man loves controlling EVERYTHING. And he is a smart, smart guy. Fitting Buck into how the Cardinals run things . . . uh, no. Tony La Russa was optimal because Walt Jocketty empowered him and he had enough clout to fend off the encroachment of the analytics crowd for the bulk of his time here.
Touched on Bellinger earlier. Conforto is trying to get big coin coming off a shoulder injury, so there is some risk there. Brantley is a nice player later in his career and I don't know if there is much heft there.
Let's just say Paul O'Liney had an interesting past. Rich Daly found him in the JUCO ranks and they got in the mix in midseason. Paul ended up doing well for himself after Mizzou playing some foreign ball.
I'll give you that. A lot of yellow.
With a full roster, the space is just $170,000 today, according to Cap Friendly. Adding Pitlick ate into the Scandella savings.
Freshman guards for Illinois. Are they ready? Shannon and Hawkins are ready.
