Will even try to keep Lackey and/or Heyward? If so how much are they willing to pay either them and for how long? If not can they cover the starting pitcher issue with Wainwright back? They have some very good young outfielders under control for a few years, will they fill the RF spot in house or look for a big bat corner outfield guy and big bat 1st baseman?
Birds season is over, on to their free agent issues
- Thread starter 3Rfan
- Start date
Holiday is not going anywhere. With the way this team ended the season losing 6 of their last 7 and the Pirates and the Cubs continuing to improve they have a lot of decisions to make. For 2 years their offense has been awful and need to improve the 4-5 hitters in the lineup, Now after watching this team it is obvious they don't have enough starting pitchers. Should be a very interesting offseason #1 priority has to be to get a legit cleanup hitter! If I have to watch Honny bat 4 or 5 again next year I will join runny as a Royals fan
I'm for trying to sign Lackey, and letting JHey walk. Money committed to Holliday and Jay, and neither are trade bait. Piscotty, Grichuck, and Pham all under club control. I'd offer Reynolds in hopes of actually getting to use him as intended this year, before injuries forced him into the role he played. I'd explore Moss too. I think he might be arb eligible for one more year. Not sure. Having both Moss and Reynolds probably negates the need for Pham, except for needing insurance in CF (really, for Jay...but dunno how you rid yourself of him). And at least leaves room to peruse the market for a bopper. And I think said bopper doesn't have to be limited in position. Get one for the OF and let Piscotty play 1B. Get a 1B bopper and play Piscotty in RF. Get a 3B and move Carp to 1B. Get a SS and move Peralta to 1B. It doesn't have to be a 1B. Lots of flexibility. I'd love to see a bench of Moss/Adams, Reynolds, Cruz, Pham, Cruz, and whoever your backup MIF guy is...if they get the bopper.
So you know Holliday isn't going anywhere for sure?
Holliday has lost his power and he can't run or field. We have better options on the bench.
I read one fan comment online that the Cardinals keep Holliday batting third like its a lifetime achievement award. Same with Peralta batting fifth. First base is unsettled. Yadi needs more rest during the season.
We need either a good utility infielder or a new starting SS. Peralta was totally ineffective late in the year.
Holliday has 10/5 rights, what incentive does he have to take a deal? That's the #1 issue. He can sit here and collect $17 Million. He knows they will play him.
Holliday does need to move down the lineup until he hits better. And I'm in total agreement on Yadi.
I think they sign J Hey with the post-Holliday money (they live with one year of pain), and they pick one of Garcia or Lackey.
I suspect it depends a lot on what the players will agree to.
Only thing I know for sure is I just finished breakfast, and I'll be searching for more grub in about 30 mins. But...Hard for me to imagine an AL team giving much more than a dozen baseballs for him, given the $17M price tag.
Totally agreed on Molina. And no reason to think Cruz can't play more. Dumb. Backup MIF is a different story. Gotta get somebody that can spell Peralta at times. Or deal with Garcia's defense. No place on a MLB roster for Kozma. IMHO, Molina and Peralta need more rest. One has a capable backup, one might or might not. But Matheny has to be willing enough to do it too.
I'm just not big on the JHey thing. Grichuck and Piscotty are good enough defensively for me. I'd just as soon use that money to find someone that bombs.
I agree with Eags. One thing that has to be taken into consideration is the fact that Holiday, Grichuk, Jay and Pham all spent significant time on the DL and Heyward played every day and has since he came up with Atlanta. Lots of value in that. Sign Chris Davis decide who you want on your bench between Reynolds, Adams and Moss and then beef up your pitching. They have the money!!
Holliday isn't going anywhere next year. Neither is Jay. Grichuk and Piscotty are better than both but will have to split time again for another year. They can all still play quite a bit and hopefully stay fresh. And you know someone will get hurt again, they always do. I think they sign JHey. He's the next long term "core" player. It'll cost some money but they have it and he's pretty darn good. Not the bopper we'd like to have but he did lead in several categories. He could move to CF in 2 years and have Piscotty and Grich on each side. That's a pretty good OF.
The bopper is going to have to come at an IF corner. Wong hasn't come around like I hoped he would. Carp could go back to 2B if necessary.
And yes, we've said it the last couple years but Yadi has to take more time off. He won't want to but MM will just have to do it if we want him more productive at the plate and late in year. I'm not so sure Cruz wouldn't be OK if he got a little more time. Hard to be very good when you don't play very often.
I'm also not sold on GGarcia. What to do with Adams? Give him another year to see it he can become the cleanup threat or move him now? I'd probably be OK with Reynolds in the bench role we expected.
So for me, sign JHey and look for a real power threat at 1B or 3B and a better MIF backup.
Oh, and probably a new hitting coach. I know that probably won't happen but we have to start taking better ABs. Too many wasted whiffing at a ball in the dirt. You can call it 75% of the time.
The bopper is going to have to come at an IF corner. Wong hasn't come around like I hoped he would. Carp could go back to 2B if necessary.
And yes, we've said it the last couple years but Yadi has to take more time off. He won't want to but MM will just have to do it if we want him more productive at the plate and late in year. I'm not so sure Cruz wouldn't be OK if he got a little more time. Hard to be very good when you don't play very often.
I'm also not sold on GGarcia. What to do with Adams? Give him another year to see it he can become the cleanup threat or move him now? I'd probably be OK with Reynolds in the bench role we expected.
So for me, sign JHey and look for a real power threat at 1B or 3B and a better MIF backup.
Oh, and probably a new hitting coach. I know that probably won't happen but we have to start taking better ABs. Too many wasted whiffing at a ball in the dirt. You can call it 75% of the time.
10/5 rights, too, Holliday can veto any trade.
Yes, middle IF is crazy, Peralta needs more rest too.
Assuming all are healthy...and I agree...that doesn't happen...but NO FREAKING WAY...Grichuck and Piscotty don't play everyday. Not a chance. If Jay plays over either on a regular basis, I'll personally drive to STL and finish what I threaten on Matheny when he does some things like PH'ing Garcia for Grichuck.
Wong isn't going anywhere, the Cards aren't going to sign a 3B bopper to bench a 2B making the league minimum who is putting up 2 WAR a year. Plus, who is this 3B that is available? 3B is pretty weak now. Waaaaay more efficient to sign a 1B or corner OF if they need power.
If you want power, it's Chris Davis at 1B or a corner OF (or a trade)
Lol. I don't expect Jay to play every day but I'd bet he plays some. Holliday is going to play too. They're not going to sit $17 M on the bench regardless of whether he's the best option or not. If Heyward does stay there's not going to be room to play those two every day. At this point I don't disagree with you, I'm just not sure it will happen.
Totally agree...but IF there's a 3B...theoretically...you have that person at 3B and move Marp to 1B. But totally agree, more 1B/corner OF'ers available that can provide pop.
Being tired did NOT get Yadi injured, not to mention he got a lot of rest when he was on the DL. Since he lost the weight he hasn't hit worth a crap and it sure didn't make him any faster.
If you bopper at 3rd base he'll be just like carp was this season. 39HR's and 250 k's I liked the other Crap much better, he started rallies and got things going the right way. If he's gonna be a HR hitter who strikes out that much he can't stay in the leadoff spot.
Jesus man. It doesn't matter what I say I am wrong. If I said sex is good, you would say it's over rated. I never said he got hurt because he was tired. Show me where I did.
However, before he got hurt he had caught more innings than any catcher in baseball.
Muscles and joints that don't get proper rest are much more susceptible to injury. Don't take my word for it, go to www.commonsense.wtf.
His thumb got bent back by the leg of a dude sliding into home. That injury had NOTHING to do with needing rest! If it had been an oblique strain, hamtstring or a should issue I might agree with you.
He isn't 23 years old dude. The older you are as a catcher the more rest you need. The wear and tear on a man's body makes him more SUSCEPTIBLE TO INJURY. I guarantee you he made that same tag when he was 25 and wasn't injured. In his twenties he had none of these issues. Now this is two years in a row he has. Explain that to me Dr. 3R. Just coincidence. Has nothing to do with age or wear and tear, right?
Yadi hasn't hit for 2 years now. If they would invest in a good hitting Catcher they could give him more rest, but that's not going to happen Holiday will also play and if he stays healthy might have one more decent year in him! I know you guys get tired of me saying it but for this team to improve on offense Honny has to hit 6th.
1 Carp
2Heyward
3Holiday
4Grichy till he gets hurt then we will be screwed
5 Piscotty
6Wong
7Honny Batting Honny and Yadi 7 8 means they might be able to score 1 run when Carp doubles and they are on 2nd and third
8 Yadi
Hopeful lineup
1 Carp
2 Heyward
3 Piscotty and Holiday MM will never sit Holiday but one can hope
4 C Davis
5 Grichy Picotty once Grichy gets hurt
6 Wong
8 Honny
8 Yadi
Piscotty is supersub and Pham gets plenty of PT
One good side effect of the Cubs getting good earlier than expected will (hopefully) be some splashy moves in the offseason. We can't think we can simply plug holes from within anymore. Need a balanced approach to keep up.
You don't have to be old or tired to get hurt if your thumb gets bent backwards too far. It's not like he's 60. Age and fatigue come into play more for muscle injuries, not so much for your ligaments when they are stretched the wrong way. I'll take your $25 copay now and bill you for the rest.
You don't have to be old or tired to get hurt if your thumb gets bent backwards too far. It's not like he's 60. Age and fatigue come into play more for muscle injuries, not so much for your ligaments when they are stretched the wrong way. I'll take your $25 copay now and bill you for the rest.
You have turned into Drop.Tine.
I just try to be reasonable about what went on. Neither Yadi's age, or fatigue,had anything to do with his current injury and you just won't admit it.
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I think the Cubs along with the Pirates being as good and as young as they are is good for the Birds. Dewitt is very competitive and this should make him loosen his purse strings. Don't think they can stay competitive with these two unless they spend more money.
I would wager some big bucks that being the first team to lose a playoff series in 107 years to the Cubs at Wrigley pisses you and I off more than it does Dewitt, Mo, MM or any of the players.
We just let them hit nine homeruns in two games without backing anyone off the plate. Where is the pride? I bet Cris Carp and Gibby threw up in their mouths watching that sh!+.
Letting rookies dive into every swing with no fear whatsoever is ball less.
http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/st-loui...louis-cardinals-roster-entering-the-offseason
Couple of good looks at roster construction for next season...Side note. Read the comments in the PD article. Those beaches be cray cray.
I think they might be worse than TB. Sheesh. Sorry, had to edit. Had an issue copying both links and lost my patience a bit.
