***Official St. Louis Cardinals Thread***
- Thread starter Kaner04
- Start date
I think it’s pretty safe to say they will not be close to playoff contention. Battling the pirates for 4th place in the division
I was in Jupiter at Spring Training the year they brought him up to the Majors the first time. I can appreciate why they are giving him time because he is a physical specimen that seperates him from his peers. What stood out to me was his smooth athletic coordination and how fast he is for his size. I suggest that they brought him up too soon to face major league pitchers and needed a full year at Triple A against good pitchers. I’d give him another year to figure it out. Gorman is at a make or break point to produce. Now that first base is open might be best to see if playing at that spot would help their hitting.
You hit on the two players that must start producing at the MLB level, Gorman is so up and down, a very streaky hitter, but when he is off, he becomes an almost automatic out.
Walker who knows, the guy has so much potential but at some point that potential has to start to produce. Still after two seasons has not figured out that low and away pitch that starts on the corner and drifts back outside. He refuses to lay off it, and swing through it every time. It would help if started to show a little more emotion, he plays with a he doesn't care vibe. Guy was supposed to be the next big thing and right now if he is not producing by the All Star break I would move him or send him down. What I have been reading, if he does not produce during spring training he will not even make the team. Time for him to start producing.
Part of this is on the team I feel for bringing him up too early. Kind of why I hope they leave Weatherholt in triple A for one more season.
I get the idea of keeping them down until they are ready, but Walker has had 2 full seasons, and still is not hitting. When he was sent down last year, he was crushing the ball. Its time for him to either start living up to his potential or for the team to move in another direction.
Walker 100% was brought up too early and a lot of it was the pressure the organization felt to continue to win after the magical run Pujols provided the year before along with 1st and 2nd place MVP finishes. There’s a small chance JJ could start the year in AAA but it wouldn’t be for long
It’s make or break for Gorman and Walker. Herrera too when it comes to sticking at catcher. Obviously Herrera’s bat will play wherever but if he can be average or a little below behind the plate that’s a big win
Herrers is going to play somewhere because he can hit, if not behind the plate, then as a DH or first. It would be better if he can catch, but I would rather have him healthy and hitting playing a different position, then beat up as a catcher.
Absolutely. This team ain't winning jack this year. But maybe a HARD reset is long overdue.
Cards have let a lot of their young talented players get away recently and many players ended up being huge contributors to contending teams elsewhere.
The goal is clear now, load up on young talent, develop! develop! develop! and even more importantly: retain the youngsters once they are proven, everyday contributors.
It's fun to watch the young players of the future playing. Walker is starting to figure it out, three hits today, with a homer. Crowds have been down, kind of depressing to what it was 3 or 4 years ago, but they only have themselves to blame.
As an "outsider" (Brewers fan) BUT an avid MLB follower/fan - these first 3 games have been an impressive one, offensively, for one of the youngest teams in all of baseball (over 7 runs per game). The pitching will be something to monitor. I remember my Brewers being absolutely destroyed in their 1st 3 games last year (vs the Yankees) - we gave up something like 50 runs & I thought our pitching would be absolute horse crap. We turned it around & I was surprised by how the season played out. Could be the same for the Cards this year - you never know. Sometimes the years of either lowered expectations or uncertainty can yield the most surprising results. Anyway - good luck this year (just not too much 
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).The Cards do not have the pitching to do what the Brewers did last year. They said in the broadcast today that St. Louis was the youngest team in the league age wise. Their minor league system was recently ranked in the top five in baseball. I was telling my wife yesterday I can remember when the Brave brought up Glavin and Smolts and basically let them learn at the MLB level, they took a beating for a couple of years, but then figured it out and got Maddix to round out their rotation. Hopefully that is the path the Cards will take with their young pitchers, throw them out there, let them make mistakes and improve from it.As an "outsider" (Brewers fan) BUT an avid MLB follower/fan - these first 3 games have been an impressive one, offensively, for one of the youngest teams in all of baseball (over 7 runs per game). The pitching will be something to monitor. I remember my Brewers being absolutely destroyed in their 1st 3 games last year (vs the Yankees) - we gave up something like 50 runs & I thought our pitching would be absolute horse crap. We turned it around & I was surprised by how the season played out. Could be the same for the Cards this year - you never know. Sometimes the years of either lowered expectations or uncertainty can yield the most surprising results. Anyway - good luck this year (just not too much
I’ve watched most of them. A bunch of people are saying 100+ losses but I still don’t see that at all. I expect a a few games under .500. Offense looks fun, pitching gave up 40+ hits in the series but I really expect pitching to be better without god awful Mikolas and Fedde
They've been fun to watch so far. A lot of energy and, by God, Victor Scott the Second seems to have learned how to bunt. But our ostensible closer (Stanek) had an ERA of 5.30 last year. And the team has only a few legit long-ball threats (Burleson, Gorman, and Herrera).
They are going to have to manufacture runs, but look at TB this week end, that is what they did and scored 6, 5 and 11 runs without homers. lots of base hits back to back,.
I think they’re going to be a scrappy team. I think it’s pretty obvious that they’re a lot more loose without really any expectations. I was pretty pleased with just about everybody at the plate in this series.
Starting pitching has looked ok, but the bullpen is absolutely atrocious. If they can keep decent offensive numbers, I feel like the whole fanbase is going to despise Stanek before the end of the year.
Step up in competition this week against the Mets. I’m looking forward to it!
Starting pitching has looked ok, but the bullpen is absolutely atrocious. If they can keep decent offensive numbers, I feel like the whole fanbase is going to despise Stanek before the end of the year.
Step up in competition this week against the Mets. I’m looking forward to it!
I’m having fun. I don’t care if it’s a “rebuilding” year. The team is very fun to watch. I know the starting rotation probably doesn’t hold up the entire year and half the bullpen is miserable but a lot of these young guys can play some serious ball.
