2019 St. Louis Cardinals

#26      

Illwinsagain

Cary, IL
Ozuna not coming to Jupiter for rehab is a concern. Fowler is an obvious concern. These two situations nullify the addition of Goldy. We'll be scrambling for a wild card spot (again).
I don't expect either to be worse this year, than 2018. So, Goldy is still an upgrade. I have given up predicting bullpens, every time I feel good, it blows up, when concerned, someone magically shows up to be a shutdown closer. I hope it is better than last year, I supposed I should be concerned. :)
 
#27      
Bernie's comments on Bryant-Dempster-Yadi:

Let’s get out the report card. As trashing a rival city goes, I’d have to give the Kris Bryant, Ryan Dempster giggle fest a C minus grade overall. The fellows get credit for stirring up a fuss, and arousing the media and fans. But the execution was awkward. Bryant and Dempster had to sell it harder. They didn’t put their hearts into it. The insult seemed a little forced.

I’m not sure Bryant and Dempster were the best spokesmen to initiate this little kerfuffle. Of course Dempster finds St. Louis dull; I wouldn’t like this place at all as a visiting pitcher who had a horrendous career ERA of 4.82 when pitching in St. Louis. And Dempster claimed — or at least suggested — he rejected the idea of waiving his no-trade clause he had in his Cubs’ contract to accept a deal to join the Cardinals. This would have been late in 2012. And if Dempster exercised a his no-trade clause to block a deal to St. Louis … well, thank goodness. He was dealt to Texas and had a 5.09 ERA in 69 innings.

And Bryant is one helluva baseball player, and he seems like a solid guy. But let’s be straight about something here. He doesn’t have much of a personality, right? It’s kinda, well, boring. As a couple of Chicago sports talk-show hosts told me Tuesday morning, this was the first time that Bryant said anything that qualified as remotely interesting.

And, much like Dempster, Bryant hasn’t had a good time in St. Louis for an obvious reason. In MLB ballparks where he’s had at least 40 career plate appearances, Bryant has his lowest batting average (.228), OBP (.307) and slugging percentage (.382) at Busch Stadium. He’s struck out 31% of the time in his 140 PA at Busch. How humdrum.

(That according to The Sporting News.)
Disney films for kids … Junior Mints … Taylor Swift … How thrilling. Would somebody please get this wild man under control? And St. Louis is boring? OK, champ.

As for Yadier Molina’s response to this …
“Stars, elite players and leaders of their teams do not speak bad about any city,” Molina wrote on his Instagram account. “There should be respect and you should play and compete with respect.” A little heavy, yes. But that’s the Molina ethos. No one should be surprised by his oh-so-serious reaction. Proud man. Fierce competitor. Lives by the code … whatever the code is. (Loosely translated, I think the code goes something like this: Do not bleep with me.) I give the first part of his response a “B.”
Then Molina added, “Only stupid players and losers make comments like the ones made by Bryant and Dempster.” Oh, that’s an E-2. Molina lowered himself to the Bryant-Dempster level by making it personal in a name-calling way. Grade: D.

I edited it a bit so Dan wouldn't have to.

My take- It's winter. Not much is going on (including free agent moves). If players want to try and talk a little smack at their winter conventions it's ok. That's what the fans want to hear. Good thing Bryant doesn't tap the catcher's shin guards before his first AB. Yadi won't like it. ;)

BTW- Bernie gave himself a "D-" so there you go.
 
#28      
Ozuna’s off season rehab is puzzling. Turning down rehab in Jupiter could prove costly for both the Cardinals (wins) this season and Ozuna ($$$) in free agency.

If I’m the Cardinals, I’m a little more than worried that my outfield production is just flat bad in April. A healthy Ozuna is a must.
 
#29      
Mozeliak has 'no concerns' about Ozuna's shoulder

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said he wasn’t really worried about the condition of left fielder Marcell Ozuna’s right shoulder but, after his recent visit to Ozuna in the Dominican Republic, Mozeliak nonetheless was heartened.
“It was a very positive meeting,” Mozeliak said Wednesday. “From a pure baseball standpoint, he’s been swinging the bat for two weeks. I don’t think he’s quite letting it go but it looks like there aren’t going to be any real limitations or concerns from an offensive standpoint. He plans on beginning his throwing program when he reports to Jupiter (Fla.) in February.

With Ozuna in his native Dominican Republic and not in Florida at the Cardinals’ spring training site, there was an information shortage as to how he was rehabbing his shoulder on which he had an offseason surgical procedure.

I understand that the DR is not Silicon Valley but with all the technology available you would think that Ozuna would have had someone recording his rehab workouts and sending them to StL just to keep them in the loop. Skype the workout or something. Even someone from Team Boras could record it on his phone and passed it along once he got back Stateside. Then again management could have sent someone down weeks ago.
 
#30      

DrewD007

Woodridge, IL
Mozeliak has 'no concerns' about Ozuna's shoulder



I understand that the DR is not Silicon Valley but with all the technology available you would think that Ozuna would have had someone recording his rehab workouts and sending them to StL just to keep them in the loop. Skype the workout or something. Even someone from Team Boras could record it on his phone and passed it along once he got back Stateside. Then again management could have sent someone down weeks ago.

Ozuna is under no obligation to do so. From the end of season until spring training the players are free to workout/rehab how they want and the team can't really do anything about it. Of course it'd probably be better for all parties if the team was involved.
 
#31      
Ozuna is under no obligation to do so. From the end of season until spring training the players are free to workout/rehab how they want and the team can't really do anything about it. Of course it'd probably be better for all parties if the team was involved.

I am well aware that players are under no obligation. In a walk year you would think a player would want to document his health every chance he can get.
 
#32      
Mo is selling a load of crap about how there isn’t any room on the roster for anymore moves this winter. Just say you don’t want to give Harper 10/380 or say nothing.
 
#36      
I liked Bernie's approach
More Carlos Martinez Drama

(sort of abridged version)
Five quick questions:

1. How serious is this? The Cardinals, per standard team custom, are downplaying the severity of Martinez’s setback. The team is “encouraged” that an MRI came back clean. No signs of structural damage. I’ll translate: you should be concerned. When the Cardinals tell you that an injury-related matter is no big deal, then expect a lengthy absence.

2. What does this say about Martinez? After experiencing the adversity of a strained right shoulder last season — which included a fear of letting his pitches fly at full velocity after returning from the DL — Martinez should have been in maximum condition coming into camp. Did he put in the necessary training work, or just coast through the offseason? Or did he experience a physical setback and decline to inform the front office? At this point you just have to wonder if it will ever be possible for the Cardinals to trust Martinez, rely on Martinez. And if you are wondering why the Cardinals were unable to market Martinez as a trade piece this past offseason, there’s your answer. His off-field escapades, injuries, and a pattern of tardy arrivals to the ballpark triggered plenty of alarms for interested general managers. This is a high-risk player.

3. If Martinez makes it back anytime soon, then what? Short answer: bullpen. Just like last year, when he had a 1.47 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 18.1 innings of late-season relief.

4. What will the Cardinals do? I’d like to say “pursue free-agent starter Dallas Keuchel” but I live in the real world and realize that ownership-management put a hold on spending after signing free-agent reliever Andrew Miller a few days before Christmas. Perhaps the Cardinals will be aggressive and surprise us by expanding the payroll in pursuit of a World Series … but don’t count on it. Until we see DeWallet open, we have to assume that DeWallet is closed.

5. OK, seriously: if Martinez is out for more than a few weeks, how will the Cardinals cover his rotation spot? The answer: take your pick. The Cardinals have cultivated strong depth for their rotation.
 
#37      
I liked Bernie's approach
More Carlos Martinez Drama

(sort of abridged version)


Keuchel stinks, there's a reason he's unsigned for the amount he's demanding. He has "walks almost as many people as Tyler Chatwood" downside, I'd hate to be the team that gives him $100MM.

Carlos will be fine. But I'm sure glad the news about him was coupled with the news of Reyes being ahead of schedule. Swap out a 3.5 win starter, swap in a 3.5 win starter (unrealistically optimistic for Reyes, but whatever it's spring).

And it doesn't sound like Carlos is out for the year or anything. He's probably "out for 2-3 weeks at the start of the season", which, whatever, saves innings for the stretch and they have oodles of starting pitching depth.
 
#38      
I liked Bernie's approach
More Carlos Martinez Drama

(sort of abridged version)

Bernie has started trying to go the Stephen A. Smith route. What he says is sometimes right, and he may be right in this case, but that is generally more because of random chance. What he seems to mostly care about now is just saying things that will get a reaction.
 
#39      
More from Bernie (even if you hate him.)
Here’s another example of why teammates — including former teammates — love Goldy:
after learning in December (t)hat he’d be moving to first base for the Diamondbacks this season, third baseman Jake Lamb asked for Goldschmidt’s advice. And Lamb received a more than advice. Goldschmidt and Lamb met once a week to discuss the nuances of playing the position — covering every aspect of what it takes to become a good defender at first base. And Goldy gave Lamb a parting gift: one of his first-base gloves.
 
#41      
Cardinals Facebook page
Two more years!
We've signed José Martínez through the 2020 season.
I could not find the details any where.
 
#42      
I could not find the details any where.

Two years, $3.25 million. It includes a bonus that Martinez will get at the start of the season. It also includes incentives that will increase Martinez's value if he becomes a starter for the team and increases the possibility of earning more through arbitration.

Martinez was set to be arbitration eligible after this coming season.
 
#49      
I like the Miles deal....has 3 good pitches FB around 92-94mph.....can throw 96-97mph but wasnt as effective as his 92-94 with a little movement.
 
#50      
I like the Miles deal....has 3 good pitches FB around 92-94mph.....can throw 96-97mph but wasnt as effective as his 92-94 with a little movement.

It's just the Evoaldi deal except a year into the future. I'd take Miles 10/10 times over Nathan Eovaldi, even with the age difference.