Category: St. Louis Cardinals

Jim Edmonds: A Hall of Famer in my book

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Jim Edmonds won’t get another shot at the Hall of Fame. After receiving a terribly low amount of votes(2.5 percent, needed 5 to stay on another year) in his first year of eligibility, Edmonds won’t get next year or the year after that. It’s a shame. Edmonds deserves a discussion or at least another chance to be considered.

I’ll admit I am bias. I watched all of Edmonds’ golden years at Busch Stadium from behind the Manual Scoreboard at old Busch. He was a unique and game changing player. He didn’t have the lofty 3,000 hits, 500 home runs or multiple World Series wins that voters covet or look for. Edmonds did plenty in his 17 year career.

He slugged .527 and compiled an average WAR(wins above replacement) of 3.5 over his career, which included six teams, mostly spent with the Angels and Cardinals. He won eight gold gloves and made four All Star game appearances. He changed the way center field could be played, hovering in shallow center and being able to cover a ton of ground by the time he dove into the grass making an unbelievable catch.

Edmonds was elite for an extended period of time with the Cardinals from 2000-2005, compiling an average WAR of 6.1 and winning six straight gold gloves while slugging 30 or more home runs in four of those seasons. With St. Louis, his OPS was .947 over 8 seasons and .856 over 7 seasons with Anaheim.

He wasn’t a playoff slouch. Edmonds hit 13 home runs and drove in 42 runs with 16 doubles while slugging .551 in 64 playoff games. He made the miraculous diving catch off a Brad Ausmus line drive and hit the game winning home run in Game 6 against Houston in the 2004 World Series. Edmonds had several historic moments and a swing that wasn’t as pretty as Ken Griffey Jr.’s but still effective and compact.

Edmonds is far from a Hall of Fame lock. He always has been a long shot. His 393 home runs won’t woo many. His 1199 RBI’s won’t gather a crowd. His 1,949 hits won’t make anybody’s jaw drop. He did deserve another couple of years of discussion and debate.

He made people stop and think. What makes a career Hall of Fame worthy? Is it a prolonged excellence? An overall solid piece of work, perhaps? Or, do you take a player who was excellent for two different periods of time with two different clubs in two different leagues? Edmonds was great from 1995-98 with the Angels but stellar from 2000-2005 with the Cardinals. Doesn’t that deserve more than a year of consideration?

Edmonds signed a minor league contract with the Cardinals after the 2010 season, but retired in February before spring training unfolded. He was 40 and his body was done. He wanted to give it one last go and try to reach 400 home runs, 2000 hits and add more polish to his career. While it may have added a few more long balls to his career, it could have showed an Edmonds that wasn’t as useful or fun to watch. It does make you think. If healthy, could Edmonds have done better than Colby Rasmus and Jon Jay in 2011? We will never know.

Know this. Edmonds had a HOF caliber career. Far from a lock but nearly as distant from a one and done, he was a signature player who left his mark. Years from now. Decades from now. Fathers and mothers will tell their kids about that lefty who cranked meaningful home runs, stole others from over the wall and created dazzling moments. Edmonds is a better ballplayer than at least 2 or 3 of the centerfielders currently in the Hall of Fame, right?

Edmonds deserved better from the voters. Better than 2.5 percent. He was a Hall of Famer in my book.

(In case you missed it on KSDK)

Joe Strauss: One of a Kind Journalist

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Joe Strauss/STL Today

Joe Strauss was late. Matt Holliday had just left the media room at the 2014 Winter Warmup and Strauss had wanted to ask him a question. It was a familiar question but the spin Strauss put on it was unique. Derrick Goold and Jenifer Langosch had asked him the same question but in a different way. It pertained to Holliday’s new teammate, Jhonny Peralta, and his past PED suspension. Strauss walked into the writers room, sat down and asked, “So did Holliday put up his usual moral police stance on PED?”

When I first heard it, I was mad. Enraged. I thought to myself, “What was Holliday supposed to do, tell General Manager John Mozeliak not to sign Peralta because Holliday was so Anti-PED?” I wanted to take a run at Strauss and challenge him. This is was what made Strauss so good at his job. He asked the uncomfortable questions other journalists only thought about afterwards.

Strauss challenged players, coaches, GM’s, his fellow writers and most importantly, fans, to see the other side of the spectrum. The dirty uneven side of an issue rarely talked about. He got me mad about his Holliday claim, but he also got me thinking real hard about my own stance on PED, Holliday’s comments and the future of the game in relation to this reputation. In that one moment, he did what he did best. He challenged me.

Strauss left us Sunday, at the young age of 54, from complications in his battle with leukemia. Like his late fellow colleague Bryan Burwell, Strauss didn’t make his fight with cancer a public one. He fought it behind closed doors, in an abandoned warehouse in his own space where he saw fit. He fought it since January and even survived long enough to write his best most hard hitting column last month about the Mizzou crisis. It was his final swing at a plate where he dominated for many years as a beat reporter and short period as a columnist.

I rarely agreed with Strauss but I respected him more than the people I often agreed with. Does that make sense? Often, Strauss kicked a leg out on the comfy bandwagon many fans rode on. He liked to spin the wheel like calling out young starter Carlos Martinez during a rough patch, discuss the possibility of a player using performance enhancing drugs or challenging popular thought. He did this so much that Albert Pujols nicknamed him “El Diablo”. You know what though…Pujols respected him. So did I.

Strauss didn’t dress flashy or bring an IPhone into media gatherings to take pics of players. It wasn’t required. Imagine Peter Falk’s Columbo dressing like a reporter, and that was Strauss. He had one goal and an initiative every time he entered the press box. He stood there and traded shots with Tony La Russa on many occasions. He made colleagues nervous. He got on Twitter and poked the Best Fans in Baseball with trivial observations. If narrative was water, Joe Strauss was oil. They didn’t mix and he liked it that way.

When I cover the Winter Warmup next month, I’ll miss Strauss. That’s the last thing I thought I would say this year but it’s true. I’ll miss his presence keeping every other scribe honest. I’ll miss his curveballs and verbal fastballs that made players do a double take before answering. I’ll miss seeing a Twitter notification from him rubbing people the wrong way and causing fellow journalism students to formulate a popular defense. I’ll miss the 140 character batches of tears he caused.

This has been a terribly drastic year of loss for the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Burwell passed away from cancer last December. Film critic Joe Williams died in a tragic car accident this past summer. Now Strauss is gone. I had the opportunity to talk to all three, debated with them and respected them. I learned from each of them. The world lost three different kinds of fire.

Young journalists should read Strauss’ work. Study it. Take the articles apart. Read them over and over again. There’s a world of knowledge in there. I doubt a hardcore fan can read more than two Strauss takes without feeling a fiery pull inside their heart and throat. A need to debate his point of view. It’s hard to not get fired up about his various stances over the years. His work will live on, growing legs that hopefully touch many up and coming scribes.

Joe Strauss was a journalist who would run towards a player or manager when others decided to retreat. He was never afraid of finding dirt. Sometimes, a writer(even myself) can struggle with that particular initiative. Do you write something that makes you the bad yet honorable scribe? Do you ask that question that may divide a room? Joe was that guy. I feel honored to have known him. Rest in peace Joe.

Cardinals: Mike Leake isn’t flashy but effective

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Sometimes when you are walking along the buffet line, you fill your plate with the less than savory option. Pork steak instead of brisket. You have to eat something and don’t want to wait on the next serving. That’s what the St. Louis Cardinals did in signing free agent starting pitcher Mike Leake. They quenched their hunger for innings in the rotation with a dependable starter. The deal is five years and 80 million dollars, which comes out to an average annual income of 16 million. Thank Jeff Samardzija for that one but also understand market value moves in tricky ways. Most recently, up.

Leake split time in 2015 between the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, faring worse in the spacious ballpark of AT&T Park than he did in the home run friendly confines of Great American Ballpark. Leake’s FIP(fielding independent pitching) was a nasty 4.83 with the Giants is the one true warning sign with Leake. He puts a lot of balls in play, which will keep Jhonny Peralta and Kolten Wong busy. His hits allowed per nine innings, 8.3, isn’t bad but he will require great infield defense to be effective. As my colleague Caesar McCruddy of The Roo pointed out, Leake is a Jeff Suppan type. He won’t overpower you but get plenty of contact, throw strikes, hit his marks and get outs.

Leake pitched well against the Cards in Busch Stadium, especially in 2015, compiling an ERA of 2.23 at the home ballpark. Leake was also exceptional on the road last year, posting an ERA of 2.91 in 102 innings with a 0.9 WHIP.

Mike Leake offers the Cards a dependable 3rd starter type, which is what the rotation needs with the loss of Lance Lynn and John Lackey. They need a guy who can give them 190-200 innings and produce quality starts throughout the season. A rotation with leaks bound to spring open(Waino’s age, Martinez’s shoulder, Garcia’s entire body) needs an ordinary yet effective innings guy like Leake.

Over his six year career, Leake has averaged over 200 innings, posted an ERA below four and a strikeouts to walks ration of 2.65:1. That isn’t Cy Young worthy or ulcer inducing worry. It’s middle of the pack effective and that is the what the Cards need.

Leake wasn’t my top choice because I didn’t want to give five years to a #3 type with Lynn returning and the young talent on the rise in Alex Reyes, Luke Weaver, Austin Gomber coming up. Tim Cooney could be ready for MLB service and may be as competent as Leake sooner rather than later. I wrote Monday night that I preferred a stop gap type in Mark Buehrle for a year over five years of Leake. However, while I didn’t prefer Leake’s services, that doesn’t mean he is bad for the team. Once again, he’s pork steak.

Steamer projections at Fangraphs have Leake posting a record of 11-12 with a 4.22 FIP and 3.88 ERA to go with 193 innings and a 2.0 WAR. At an annual salary of 16 million, that doesn’t sound too exciting but unfortunately, in this market, that is what you get. Leake won’t blow anyone away but he’s durable and effective. A move to a pitcher’s park in Busch will only boost his numbers.

Leake is only 28 years old, so the contract will expire when he is 33 years old, which is reasonable. Due to the in season 2015 trade, Leake didn’t cost the Cards a compensation pick. They still have all three at their disposal. Leake, via Tom Ackerman, has shut down new Cub centerfielder Jason Heyward in his career, holding him to a .071 batting average(1-14) with three strikeouts.

A winter spending session that started with John Mozeliak looking at David Price has ended with Leake. There’s no denying it’s a disappointment but consider this. What the Cardinals needed in a free agent starter was a replacement for Lance Lynn.  In Leake, they got a #4 starter who could possibly pitch like a #3. While he doesn’t strike out as many as Lynn(and gives up an average of 21 home runs), Leake is a basic replacement pitcher for Lynn that down the road could be an excellent #5 at the very least.

The Leake signing will look especially tasty if the Cards can land a bat for the lineup. It won’t matter if they get Price or Lynn production out of Leake if the lineup can’t produce more than 2.9 runs per game(the Cardinals average for last two years combined). If you find a Leake, you need a strong patch to seal it folks. Simple as that.

So let’s recap to this point. 

The Cards have subtracted Pete Kozma, Peter Bourjos, Jon Jay, Tony Cruz, Mark Reynolds and Steve Cishek.

They added Leake, Jedd Gyorko, Brayan Pena and retained Jonathan Broxton and Brandon Moss.

They failed to sign David Price and Jason Heyward.

Chris Davis, Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton and Alex Gordon are still out there. Each offer pop, versatility and something unique. Each have hazard labels attached. The Colorado Rockies have Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon at their disposal for a trade.

What happens next, Cardinal Nation?  Sign Cespedes and it will be a Happy New Year if you ask me.

St. Louis Sports: 12 things to be thankful for

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It’s Thanksgiving and since we all know the importance of being thankful for the family that surround our dinner tables every November, we need to remember the talent that surrounds us in this city. It’s not all greatness or flat failure but the dying of the light is far from us in this great town. Here are 12 people or things to be thankful for in St. Louis sports. In no logical order…

Alex Pietrangelo

The young captain of the St. Louis Blues is a workhouse and under-appreciated in this city(even from me in the past). He may not score a ton of goals and has problems finding the net with his shot at times(how easy is it really?), but Pietro is the backbone of this team. He faces the top line of the opposition for 30 minutes every game and has played in 97% of the games for the past six seasons. He may show up on every trade fan forum, but they just don’t get it. Be thankful for this kid. He’s only 25 by the way.

Matt Carpenter

He scared us last season with his swoon at the plate, but in the end he led the team in vital areas like home runs, on base percentage and versatile awesomeness. The only thing that can stop this guy is his own intensity and drive. Carpenter’s career .828 OPS and 128 OPS+ is very very good.

Vladimir Tarasenko

You may see defenders get in this Russian’s way but it doesn’t matter. He is awesome. He fits that word to a tee. Every time Vladimir hits the ice, the other team goes on high alert. I asked for a game changer two years ago and got one in this kid. He’s freakishly lethal with the puck and also knows how to dish it to his teammates. He also has a smart head on his shoulders. He’s ours for a long time. Stan Kroenke can take our Rams but he can’t take Tarasenko.

Yadier Molina

His bat is declining and his thumb has betrayed him two seasons in a row, but he is still the most important player on this team. He won his 8th Gold Glove this past season and did it with a patch work staff and ever changing crew in front of him. The world knows he is a God and he meets the hype. His bat may not slug much, but it can still produce runs when needed. Yadier is getting older. Father time is undefeated but Molina isn’t done yet. He has a few more seasons left in him. He also threw out Billy Hamilton this season. Props.

Adam Wainwright

The horse went missing for most of the 2015 season, but wasn’t it so essential when he returned in late September. It’s an arguably theory of whether a team plays harder for a certain pitcher but the Cards definitely rest easier behind the mound with Waino out there. He’s still a potent competitor and has been slowed by unique injuries(Tommy John, Achilles) the past two extended DL stops. Expect a robust season from him in 2016. For those who think he can’t do it, revisit his last full season in 2014.

David Backes

Should he be captain? Should he be traded? Please. Backes is still an essential asset to the Blues. He is a leader of men, a trusted ally and someone these guys look up to. He can still score 25 goals and play the top line minutes against the fiercest opponent. He has underrated hands for a big guy and kills penalties as good as anyone. Is his spot on this team guaranteed next year? Who knows? Stop complaining and appreciate.

Todd Gurley

Remember when people couldn’t figure out why the Rams drafted Gurley? Yeah, me too. Out of all the misery on the Rams offense this season, Gurley has been a positive. He leaps over defenders. He runs through a block better than most. He has an offday and still finds the end zone. When he’s on, the man carries the team on his back. Gurley is a reason to want the Rams to stay. He will only get better with age. Looking like a sneaky steal from the Rams 2015 draft.

Jake Allen

The young goaltender isn’t making Ken Hitchcock’s choices in net too hard this season. While Brian Elliott deserves more starts, it’s hard to deny what Allen brings to the ice. He’s got a unique talent and an ability to make huge saves. Seven games this season, he has posted a save % of .950 or greater. He is atop the leaderboard in shutouts. He is the future(and the present) of this team’s face in net. Get used to it.

Robert Quinn

A sack artist isn’t too easy to find. Anybody can rush the corner and grab a few. Players like Quinn change the other team’s game plan and affect the entire field. Take him away and the team operates differently. His loss has been felt this month and that is because Quinn is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. He’s collected 50 sacks and 16 forced fumbles in just 47 starts. He’s also 25. Be thankful.

Aaron Donald

This guy is a beast and is so young and raw. He doesn’t just deny the run game. He abolishes it on every snap. Together with Michael Brockers, Chris Long and Quinn, Donald gives the Rams the best front four in the NFL. A worthy defender capable of big plays and a big part of this team’s future.

Matt Holliday

He is like David Backes to Cards fans. Trade him? Move him? Do this. Do that. Holliday’s 73 games in 2015 were the least amount of games in the regular season in the Stillwater, Oklahoma native’s long career. For the people who complain about home runs and RBI, please don’t forget OPS. As in on base percentage and slugging percentage combined. Holliday’s last three full season OPS’ are .877, 879, and .811. He’s still got a lot of value to this team.

Carlos Martinez

El Gallo to most fans, Martinez went from “maybe 5 inning starter” to probable ace in one season. He was dynamite on the road or at home, and was mean to hitters with runners in scoring position. His injury at the end of September hurt the team the most. Soon enough, Martinez will lead this rotation. He’s something else.

I probably forgot some players. Maybe I didn’t. Either way, be thankful for these 12. Have some turkey, smile a bit and enjoy the family.

-DLB

Cardinals Offseason Questions: Round 1

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What needs to happen to the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason? Every winter, the United Cardinal Bloggers get together and ask questions for the group to answer. I will be bringing those questions and answers here.

Question via Kevin Reynolds-How, specifically, would you solve and resolve the Cardinals offensive woes for next season? By “specifically,” I mean identify the problem(s) you want to fix and tell us how you would fix it/them.

Answer-I don’t mean to disappoint the Mabry critics, but I don’t put too much weight into the hitting coach category. I don’t put much stock there. Unlike the pitching coach, the hitting coach effect doesn’t show up on the field as often as fans would like. When they get to the big leagues, their approach is pretty much locked in. There may be a few notable exceptions, but when I look at John Mabry, I don’t think about a savior. Did Big Mac do a better job than Mabry? Sure, but how can we actually quantify the worth of a hitting coach? And is it accurate? Nobody wanted to give Mabry credit for 2013 due to the high RISP average but they pounded him for the next two seasons. I don’t. I actually think Mabry or whoever is down there should just get out of the way. These are big boys. Once they make it through three farm systems, a hitting coach just doesn’t have much to teach. It may be the unpopular take, but it’s mine.

Resolving this offense isn’t like sending your car to the shop for an oil change and tire alignment. The contract status of players and the fact that all the positions are full if Mr. Jason Heyward returns throws a wrench into any plans John Mozeliak would like to make. As I wrote for STLSM this morning, Mo will have to get creative in order to shake this ship. Here are a few truths.

*Matt Holliday will play and it won’t be first base. Sorry folks, the 1B idea is unfortunately fiction. Holliday is here for at least another season and will play. He also deserves the spot. While he isn’t a power threat anymore, Holliday is an OBP machine and can deliver. I’ll take a slice of the 2014 season with an extra order of doubles, something that was missing from 2015.

*Stephen Piscotty will play and isn’t going anywhere. If JH returns, he plays first base. Sorry Matt Adams revival lovers.

*Randal Grichuk is an everyday player when healthy. He is the only Cardinal capable of hitting 30 HR and does a number of things well.

So, unless Mo wants to trade Kolten Wong or re-sign Jaime Garcia and package him into a deal with Adams, I don’t see a major change. Like the coaching staff, the offense may look the same. That doesn’t mean Mo can’t find some middle infield depth or catching help.

I don’t particularly want Brandon Moss back. I’d take Adams at 650-700K instead. Tommy Pham will fight Jon Jay for starts in the 4th OF spot.

Mozeliak needs to find a player who can backup Jhonny Peralta and Wong so the two starters don’t get driven into a brick wall with playing time. Peralta’s 2014-15 durability caught up with him in the second half and Wong’s power and OBP disappeared. They need help. While I won’t sit here and dream about Brian Dozier of Minnesota, I do think someone like Ben Zobrist could help. If KC doesn’t retain him, the Cards could look to him. He can play so many spots and help a team in a number of ways. There will be injuries and there will need to be help. You will a flexible guy to help and Zobrist, will expensive, can help and give you some pop as well.

This could be a year Aledmys Diaz and Mike Ohlman play big roles. Mo could try to sign Mike Wieters to back up Yadier Molina and maybe play some first even though that’s unlikely.

With the flexibility restricted due to contracts like Holliday and Peralta, Mo will have have to be incredibly crafty to make a big impact signing like Yoenis Cespedes.

The payroll may be going up but Cespedes could command similar money as Heyward, so how do you sign both? Now, if Yoenis wants to accept that 2015 salary of 3.73 million, I’ll go pick him up at the airport. You can only have one and I’ll take Heyward even though Cespedes is a KO artist. I’d wait until next offseason to make your big financial push. Holliday’s option may not get picked up, and that gives you options.

The 2016 offseason should see the end of Pete Kozma and Peter Bourjos along with the see ya nod to Mark Reynolds. Moss isn’t an exciting option esp if Adams returns. Piscotty and Grichuk become full time players(each could easily give you 20-25 HR) and there has to be better middle infield depth.

Question via Josey Curtis-Is there anyone that you think could be a Seth Maness or Kevin Siegrist in 2016? By that, I mean someone who could pitch his fair share and hinder Mike Matheny’s urge to bring in Maness or Siegrist a bit. If you do think there is someone that’s capable, who is that guy?

For me, it’s a restructuring of the entire bullpen that could help Matheny’s urge to prove to the world that Seth’s arm is actually rubber and not flesh and bone. First part of this is finally claiming that Tyler Lyons could be a valuable asset out of the bullpen. His splits are better out of the pen and could help the team in a number of ways. Here is a guy who can do it all. Relieve in the first, sixth or eighth inning. When Mike called on Kevin “Seabreeze” Siegrist in Game 4, I screamed at my television, WHERE IS LYONS? If you don’t want to see Siegrist’s arm fall off this year, make Lyons a bullpen guy. There is enough starting depth in this system so it’s time to close up the Tyler Lyons is a starter shop.

A healthy Jordan Walden fills a gap. When he went down, Siegrist’s arm went into overcook mode as setup man, fill in closer and whatever else. Walden can setup, close and provide Mike the 7th inning arm needed to get to Siegrist.

In 2016, I want to see Sam Tuivailala unleashed. Here is a kid who came up in 2014 with a straight heater and was asked to add another pitch. Which he did. Sam added a slider and a curve to his high 90’s fastball and it was a huge lift on his game. I remember his big innings in the pre All Star break series against Pittsburgh. This is a guy with closer stuff(he was finishing games in Memphis all season) and someone who can alleviate some late inning pain for the team.

You can yank Steve Cishek and Jonathan Broxton out and throw in Walden and Tuivailala. The late innings would receive a healthy boost.

Lyons takes over for Carlos Villanueva or you bring back both and tell Matt Belisle no thanks. Either way, another LHP guy who isn’t a Loogy is needed to help Siegrist.

Furthermore,

Marco Gonzales could definitely use a season or half season to figure out where his arm is after a lost 2015 season. Lyons has simply proven to be a guy who can come out of that pen whenever.

Tim Cooney could be your new Lyons and be that I-55 starter in need.

Another swing and miss LHP pitcher is an option, but I think with the load of starters, a guy like Lyons or Gonzo could fill that other LHP spot. Since Siegrist can get the swings and misses when his arm isn’t grated, I think they can be efficient. Walden has swing and miss stuff when he is right and is especially hard on LHP. Since 2012, Walden has struck out 70 LH hitters in 185 at bats with a .188 average. He is as good as anybody lefthanded down there.

Question via Joshua Gilliam, Cards Conclave

Consider these trade proposals: Both involving Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk.

Trade Offer # 1

Chris Sale from the White Sox?

Trade Offer # 2

Sonny Gray from the A’s?

Trade Offer # 3

Chris Archer and Evan Longoria from the Rays?

Answer-Scenario #1-Chris Sale is not happening. No. First, the White Sox aren’t stupid enough to trade their best pitcher by a mile. That would be like Seattle making King Felix available. If Mo made that call, the other end would hang up in laughter. Not happening.

Scenario #2-Sonny Gray. A 25 year old who isn’t a free agent until 2020!? No. Again, Billy Beane is ballsy and likes to rock the boat and go against convention, but there isn’t enough dirty water in the Pacific to make him ponder this deal. Not for Piscotty or Grichuk.

Those two scenarios are dream boats.

Why the need to trade Randal Grichuk? John Mozeliak likes this kid more than his red set of bow ties and why not. The kid had 47 extra base hits in 323 at bats in 2015. He was riding towards a rookie of the year battle before he got hurt. He’s 24 years old and can’t even talk arbitration for three years. My son Vinny will be doing Bautista bat flips in little league when he is a free agent. You don’t trade your legit power threat for a starter when the past year saw your team put up historically efficient pitching. Grichuk strikes too much but so do a few others on this team. The one thing he can do is change a game with one swing. Piscotty, Grichuk and Heyward the young rock of this team.

If the Cards are going to acquire starting pitching, they will sign it. Jordan Zimmerman looks tasty. David Price is a steak. Why trade controllable assets for pitching when your payroll is rising every year? If we are going to extend an olive branch, let Kolten Wong carry it.

Trade #3 is also a no go but not as insanely “Jimi Hendrix may still be alive” as the others. I like Longoria and Chris Archer. Archer had a fantastic FIP and K total in 2015 and signed through 2019 which I doubt TB gives up. Longoria is nice but where does he play? Who goes? Longoria has an affordable long term contract through 2022 but do you trade Wong to them and move Carpenter to second base? Will Mo take on the cash for a guy who put up Jhonny Peralta type numbers this year and is moving to a pitcher’s ballpark in St. Louis? Is Longoria on the down slope power wise? Last two years slugging is .404 and .434. Nah.

Trading for starting pitching is not in the best interesting of this team. They can sign them or stick with their five already in house. Offense is the elusive catch but you have to be sure what you are getting is better than what you got. Such as Chris Davis. He may seem like a turkey leg at Six Flags on first glance, but take him away from the AL East ballpark happy playgrounds and he may be a richer looking Mark Reynolds. After the 2016 season things get interesting. For now, Mo will have to be crafty. If he is going to make a big trade, it should be offense. That is the leaking wheel the past few seasons.

Maybe health could help out. In April, when the band was together, team averaged 4.38 runs per game, good for 10th in the league. Just saying.

Question via Bill Ivie, I-70 Baseball

I’m giving you a blank check as my fantasy General Manager. Who do you sign and what do you think the contract would have to look like in order for it to happen?

Answer-Since the offense is locked up if Jason Heyward is signed, all Mo can really do this offseason is beef up the already stout starting pitching. If you acquire a guy like Chris Davis, where does Stephen Piscotty play? Does Matt Adams even get any at bats because he is LH? Can Davis hit away from the AL East? Complicated. Adding offense takes creativity that Mo probably won’t tap this winter. Maybe next year.

While David Price is nice, I like Jordan Zimmerman. He just completed a two year, 24 million dollar deal. He went 27-15 in that time with a 3.00 ERA(3.75 FIP in 2015, 2.68 in 2014). He has a filthy strikeouts to walks ratio. 4 K’s for every walk in 2015 and 6-1 in 2014. He is a great #2 to settle in behind Adam Wainwright and in front of the young combo of Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha. You’d decline Jaime Garcia’s option, get off the injury watch train and install a guy who can win a lot of games and fit nicely into Busch Stadium. He would complement the Cards staff and not cost you an arm and a leg like Price. I think Price is going to break the Scherzer type bank and I don’t think Mo wants to go there. Zim is a good move and adds some meat to your rotation as it gets a year older.

Question via Nate and Ben @talkaboutbirds

My question is simple. Which rookie player are you most excited about seeing in 2016, and who do you think will make the most impact? 

Answer-The player I am most excited about seeing is Michael Ohlman, a player who could finally remove Tony Cruz from the equation at Busch Stadium, eventually. Ohlman has the youth, size and pop in his bat to be a credible backup and maybe successor down the road to Yadier Molina. He should start the year at Memphis and get a shot in St. Louis eventually.

The player I think will make the biggest impact is Aledmys Diaz. The player who came to the team with a big contract and much promise was DFA’d last season and made it through waivers. He made a huge impact at Memphis in August, hitting for power and average. He could be the middle infield depth the Cards have coveted the past two seasons. An ineffective or hurt Mark Ellis hurt in 2014 and Pete Kozma soaked up too much real estate in 2015. Hopefully, 2016 is where Diaz is unleashed.

Question via Jon Doble-Certain players up for arbitration this winter. What do you do with the following players?

Answer-The first real taste of offseason action!!!

Matt Adams-One year deal. They will settle this early. While I call the big guy trade bait, they will go the one year route to see if Adams finally puts it all together.

Peter Bourjos-Non tender. Yes, they could sign and trade but I don’t think they will go through the hassle. Free both Petes!

Steve Cishek-Non tender. Thanks for the mildly decent efforts, but see you later. Take that side arm thing somewhere else.

Tony Cruz-One year deal. Unless the team signs a true backup or suddenly invests loads of trust in Mike Ohlman, Lil Yadi gets one more year before Ohlman is ready.

Seth Maness-One year deal. By and large, Maness’ 2015 season was worse than his 2014 season. His WHIP went up, but he stranded several runners and was a workhorse again. However, I don’t see them going more than one year with Seth. First time hitting arbitration, so bump that 530K up to an even million to satisfy the workhorse.

Brandon Moss-Non tender. Just call this one a Mo misfire. If Adams returns, non tender Moss. I know we gave up Kaminsky, but if you bring back Adams and most likely have Heyward in right field and Jon Jay and Tommy Pham waiting behind them, how much will Moss really play? Is his power gone? I can see them possibly throwing him a one year deal. Moss made 6 million last year, but saw his stats take a hit in 2015. He will still want 5 million. Not sure I do that for a backup bench bat.

Trevor Rosenthal-Buy out rest of arb years. If Scott Boras acts like a less of a shark, I’d get in talks to lock up Rosenthal, who may have just put together the best season by a Cardinals closer ever. He’s young, mastered the WHIP and was very good in his second full year as a closer. I’d say buy up the rest of his arbitration years(three year deal up until 2019). That is all Boras will allow but it would be a solid investment. 3-5 million per season. Maybe that’s too rich or weak. I am not sure. I don’t own any bow ties.

That’s it for Round 1 of Offseason St. Louis Cardinals questions. Come back next week for more.

The Manual Scoreboard and I: 10 Years Later

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J.B. Forbes
J.B. Forbes

October 19th. 2005. The day that the Houston Astros and Roy Oswalt shut the lights on the old Busch Stadium. Every St. Louis Cardinals remembers the Albert Pujols majestic blast off Brad Lidge to extend the series to Game 6, but few remember that the next game ended the season and gave a nod to the construction crews to start swinging the hammers. For me, it was the end of my run on the Manual Scoreboard, the wonderful spot located up in the Upper Terrace Reserved from 1997-2005. I worked for eight years on the Scoreboard, watching the true birth of Tony La Russa baseball in St. Louis, the Mark McGwire spectacle and the beginning of Pujols. Ten years later, I think back on my time there.

If I had a chance encounter with Doc from Back to the Future, I’d ask him to me back to a weekend series at old Busch so I could work the scoreboard again. It was located at the highest point of the stadium, and contained layers of scaffolding and enough metal to attract the sun on the hottest of days. You’d sweat a pint off before first pitch, setting up the board with team names and starting pitcher as well as updating the Dow Industrial Board and leaderboards on the ends of the board. (more…)

One Year Later: Oscar Taveras’ death can still be a lesson

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Taveras_1280_4v5j1r9j_ory7b0beYou can have sympathy for the weak, the strong, but not for the devil. What about the devil inside us all?

A year ago, young Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras drank five times the legal limit that the Dominican Republic allows drivers, got into his sports car with his girlfriend and went for a drive on wet rainy roads. It’s a bad decision to drive during a thunderstorm or during a serious downpour. It’s even worse if the driver is impaired, under the influence or swimming in the influence.

It’s almost like the tale is already concluded wen the engine gets turned on. Taveras crashed his car. In the process, Taveras died and so did Edilia Arvelo, who was just 18 years old. Forget baseball here. Put it away. Put the idea of what a supremely talented Taveras could have done with another 5-10 years. It’s not important. As much as fans try, sports can never touch life and death yet only exist as a comfortable metaphor and detour. (more…)

First base belongs to Stephen Piscotty

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KSDK
KSDK

Let’s just play along in a world where Jason Heyward signs with the St. Louis Cardinals and retains his spot in right field. All signs point to the two sides coming to an agreement sometime this winter. I wouldn’t bet your mortgage on it, but take a leap of faith with me anyway and let’s talk about first base in 2016. For my money, the position belongs to Stephen Piscotty, the Stanford whiz kid who came up and energized what existed of the Cards second half attack.

Piscotty was one of the few Cards to contribute more than a solo home run in the postseason against the Chicago Cubs. He helped put Game 1 away, tried to pull his team back in Game 3, and started off Game 4 right with a two run home run. He was the Cards best hitter from August until the end, so that means you make room for him in 2016. Whether it is in the outfield or at first base, Piscotty will play.

When Heyward returns, he takes over right field. Randal Grichuk, who was challenging Kris Bryant and Joc Pederson for the rookie of the year award before an August elbow injury slowed him down, takes over center field. Matt Holliday enters the final deal of his seven year contract and will play in left field. An offseason of rest should do that 35 year old body good after an i  njury plagued 2015 campaign. Tommy Pham and Jon Jay will anchor the 4th and 5th outfielder spots, giving the starters rest and challenging for more time. Don’t sleep on Pham remaining a mere backup, but he starts 2016 that way if J Hey returns.

That leaves first base to Piscotty and for good reason. I am sorry, but the Matt Adams starter show at first is over and has been for a while. Since the midway point of 2014, Adams has lost his power stroke and become an ordinary hitter. He doesn’t even take the ball to left field anymore or hit for average. This trend was in high gear before he tore his quad in May. Adams was on a tear in the first half of 2014, but after the All Star break, he only slugged .358. In 2015, he slugged .377. Somewhere along the line, Adams lost his big gravy boom stick. When he was slugging, his weak showing against lefties was digestible, but once the power left he became a dry entity. The future is now, and that is Piscotty, who I like call “COTTY” because it’s less characters on Twitter and rolls off the tongue better.

Piscotty is too good to make wait. He hit .305 in 233 at bats and slugged .494 and contributed several big hits down the stretch and in the playoffs. If the Cards want to get better on offense, shoving three guys at a position and seeing who sticks isn’t the right move. If the Cards retain Brandon Moss(same type of hitter as Adams but more flexible in field), there’s no room for Adams. If the plan is to bring Heyward back, there is no room for Adams. He’s a worn out idea in St. Louis and with the decreasing slug and out of time position play, he could be a trade candidate this winter. With Piscotty’s emergence, Adams became expendable.

First base is an important spot to have nailed down heading into 2016 with a beefier more menacing division to deal with and Stephen Piscotty solidifies that position for the Cards moving forward.

Did Cardinals burn a bridge with Lance Lynn?

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(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The playoffs are a time where previous alliances are left behind and a new truce is set. Do whatever it takes to win the game is the idea. The St. Louis Cardinals chose to not go to Lance Lynn in the NLDS against the Cubs. The righty pitched one inning of action, taking over for Jaime Garcia and allowing a run.

He didn’t get the start in Game 2 even though Garcia was sick and he was passed over for John Lackey on three days rest in Game 4. Neither plan went well, as Garcia was shelled and Lackey gave up four runs in three innings. Neither plan had a good chance to working. This is where I want to crawl into the head of Lynn and wonder. Did the Cards burn a bridge with this guy in skipping over him?

Burning a bridge isn’t an over the top way to put it. They can be rebuilt over time but were the Cards justified in skipping Lynn against the Cubs. The North Siders had their way with Lynn but they also had their way with Michael Wacha, the game 3 starter who got shelled for four runs in four plus innings. If there was trepidation about Wacha’s abilities after a long season, why was Lynn shoved to the side?

If we are keeping score, Lynn was passed over by a…

*Mentally bruised lefty with a stomach virus

*Tired young arm.

*36 year old pitching on three days rest for the first in October in 10 years.

Does it all add up? If we go by a “what have you done lately” scenario, Lynn closed the 2015 season better than Wacha with three solid starts. In his last three starts, Lynn allowed a single earned run in 16 innings. Sure a little luck played a part in that final walk, but the stats back up the man here. Lynn had just as much merit for a postseason start as Wacha, a 2013 postseason hero who got lit up down the stretch(allowing 13 earned runs in his final 14 innings). Unlike Wacha, Lynn is a horse in this Cardinals rotation. Four straight years of 29 or more starts and 175+ innings. Shouldn’t that speak for something on the big stage?

Lynn is entering the second year of a three year, 21 million dollar deal. A final contract to buy up his arbitration before he truly cashes in. Where do John Mozeliak and Cards management stand on Lynn at the moment? Is he a trade piece? He has a team friendly contract and at 28 years of age, has plenty of ammo left. Like Matt Adams, I am getting the odd feeling that Lynn could be sitting on the trade market.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to see him go. He’s a bargain at seven million. For all the people who want the Cards to drop 160 million on David Price, don’t sleep on Lance. He’s a fine component to a rotation. Lynn gives you solid innings and kept his ERA and WHIP in check and was worth 3.4 wins above replacement to the Cards despite his struggles. Was he hurt down the stretch? Does he rely on his fastball too much? While both are logical questions, I think many under-appreciate Lynn’s value to the team.

For those who say he plummeted in 2015, they miss a few key stats. Lynn’s fielding independent pitching was an above average 3.44 and his ERA+(which factors the ballparks a pitcher throws in) was 131, way above average. Sure, he was my candidate to sit out if Carlos Martinez was healthy but for the people overvaluing Wacha’s 17 wins and placing him over Lynn for a postseason start, they are a bit off.

Lynn carries his emotions on his sleeve and won’t forget this dismissal. This isn’t like Shelby Miller getting shunned in 2013 after his first season. He didn’t have Lynn’s pedigree and durability. This is a whole new kind of beast. Something I want to see Lynn turn into a ferocious 2016 season in St. Louis. If he had a chip on his shoulder heading into the 2015 season, he has a stack resting there now.

I don’t think the Cardinals burned a bridge to Lance Lynn with their playoff decision, but the cheddar springs loving arm won’t soon forget what occurred this postseason. If he is smart, he’ll wear it like a badge of honor as he hustles towards that big payday.

5 Reasons the 2015 Cardinals are done

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Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

It’s over. The 2015 St. Louis Cardinals are done. The Chicago Cubs, via a fiery lineup and surprisingly solid bullpen, knocked out the Birds at Wrigley Field. The Cubs first playoff series win in 12 years happened for many reasons but I’ll toss five at you as the nerves go on ice for the offseason.

I’ll be honest and say it hurts. Seeing another team celebrate in front of your team is an event I can’t say someone should ever get used to. It’s ugly. You can’t say there will be another game tomorrow. You can’t say there’s a chance. It’s over and the dust settles and lockers are cleaned out.

5. Too much power from Chicago. Anthony Rizzo. Kris Bryant. Kyle Schwarber. Javier Baez. Addison Russell. List goes on and on. Schwarber hit a mammoth shot that hasn’t even landed yet. Rizzo wrongly predicted the NL Central winner but his smoked solo blast was the deciding blow in Game 4. While the Cards hit eight home runs, the Cubs made their ten blasts count and had more men on base for a few of them. They are a tough team to play in Wrigley and showed their ability to change a game instantly with the long ball. Cards couldn’t keep up.

4. Mike Matheny’s decisions. Once again, the skipper made some questionable calls, especially at Wrigley. In a tight five game series, every move will be scrutinized. Matheny refused to pitch Tyler Lyons, a guy capable of throwing 2-3 innings, for the entire series. He brought in Kevin Siegrist in the 5th and 6th innings, which didn’t end well. He pulled Seth Maness in the middle of an inning when he needed a double play and brought in Adam Wainwright, who immediately allowed a two run Game 3 deciding home run to Jorge Soler. Matheny wasn’t the main reason, as many on Twitter will point out, the Cards lost but he made some dicey moves that shouldn’t be overlooked. He also started Jaime Garcia with a stomach virus when Lyons was down there. The same Lyons who took over for Carlos Martinez after three batters in a late September game.

3. The plate discipline left the window. The Cardinals tried to impersonate the Cubs and became home run hitters. They struck out over 48 times in the series, averaging 12 per game. They struck out 27 times in their last 54 at bats. They swung at pitches in the dirt or at their chin. Sure, the strike zone was bad for the majority of the series, but that doesn’t excuse the terrible plate discipline by this team. They drew walks but struck out far too often.

3a.-The veterans coming up short. Matt Holliday hit .129 in the series, hitting third. Jhonny Peralta hit .143 and batted fifth. Both unacceptable. 

2. The bullpen got smoked, with the biggest culprit being Siegrist. The guy led the National League in appearances in 2015, threw a lot of pitches and was fatigued but saw himself entering the game midway. He served up a bomb to Rizzo on Monday night.  He entered on Tuesday with the game tied at 4 and promptly hung a pitch for Rizzo to blast into nearly the same spot. Siegrist missed location horribly on both pitches. He finished by serving up a majestic blast to Kyle Schwarber that left the stadium, 418 feet away. In 2013, Siegrist was unhittable until late September and got beat by David Ortiz and the Red Sox in the World Series. Two years later, he failed to pitch well in the playoffs. He wasn’t alone in bullpen blasting but he is the guy who stands out. As a reliever, you have to be efficient with your pitches and keep the game in hand. Siegrist did not and got smoked. Maybe next year don’t make him throw so many pitches. Anyway…

1. The Jaime Garcia implosion. As the Cards faced elimination, I kept wondering how the series would have went if Game 2 went a different way. As in, what if Garcia didn’t start and Lyons did. What if the enigmatic starter known as Jaime didn’t wait until an hour before the game to tell Matheny he was very sick and take the mound again in the playoffs impaired. Or, what if Garcia fields that bunt cleanly and flips to Yadier Molina to nail Austin Jackson at home plate? What if the Cubs don’t score 5 runs that inning? What if the Cards win Game 2 and don’t need to start John Lackey on short rest in Game 4? All these conundrums and so much time to answer them. Starting a sick Jaime Garcia was a costly and stupid move. Most of that fault falls on the player for not admitting sickness earlier, thus putting his own legacy(or need to remake it) in front of team importance.

Yeah, there’s more. Lackey serving up a two out RBI single to Jason Hammel that preceded the Baez home run. Kolten Wong hitting .143 and swinging at everything in the dirt. Mark Reynolds breaking windows in batting practice but whiffing in real games. Yadier Molina playing badly hurt without an ability to hit. There are more things but the five above explain the meat of the reason the Cards aren’t advancing.

It’s over folks. The 2015 Cardinals took us on a ride that we won’t soon forget, for better or worse. It was thrilling, frustrating and ultimately disappointing while being impressive at the same time. Despite injuries, they won 100 games. In the end, the pitching broke down and the bats couldn’t keep up. 2016 holds a lot of questions, mostly fun and interesting. For now, ice the mind and toss the stress in the trash can. There’s plenty of time in the next six months to think about what could have been.