MLB: ***Official 2023 St. Louis Cardinals Thread ***

[Aclone]

Draft lottery standings as of yesterday in case anybody is interested.
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If I read it correctly, the MLB lottery is for the top six picks. So…the Cards would basically be guaranteed to still be in the top ten?

I was considering the return they got for Flaherty, Montgomery and Hicks. In no instance did the Cards get one of Texas, Toronto or Baltimore’s first tier pitching prospects. It would take some development for them to reach the middle of the order.

The one pitcher in the system with top of the order stuff right now looks to be Tink Hence, so it would be nice to snare a potential impact pitcher high in the ‘24 Draft—and the early notes suggest there will be a handful of college guys fitting that description.

 

[mramseyISU]

If I read it correctly, the MLB lottery is for the top six picks. So…the Cards would basically be guaranteed to still be in the top ten?

I was considering the return they got for Flaherty, Montgomery and Hicks. In no instance did the Cards get one of Texas, Toronto or Baltimore’s first tier pitching prospects. It would take some development for them to reach the middle of the order.

The one pitcher in the system with top of the order stuff right now looks to be Tink Hence, so it would be nice to snare a potential impact pitcher high in the ‘24 Draft—and the early notes suggest there will be a handful of college guys fitting that description.

I am not in tune with the amateur pitching prospects out there for this draft. It's not like the NFL having all these mock drafts and guys who get paid for a week of TV talking about the draft. Lets face it though even if the Cardinals draft the second coming of Bob Gibson with the next draft he won't see the mound at Busch before 2026 or 2027. I would really like to see them trade that pick for some AAA pitching prospects because I'm impatient.

Tink Hence as much as I think he's going to be great won't be in St Louis when the break camp in April. He might see some innings after the All Star break but my gut feeling is he'll get the Masyn Winn treatment and get a late August call-up if everything goes great for him in AAA next year.

 

[KidSilverhair]

A miserable season, to be sure, but Adam Wainwright got win number 200 tonight, with 7 shutout innings. He also pitched very well in win 199. Heck, he pitched pretty well in a bunch of losses/no decisions over the past several weeks, because the Cardinals just would. Not. Score. Any. Runs. For. Him.

Naturally the final tonight was 1-0. Fitting.

Congrats to Waino! Surprisingly, he’s just the third Cardinals pitcher ever with 200 wins (Bob Gibson and Jesse Haines are the others).

 

[kentkel]

Just wanted to say to you Cardinal fans how much respect I have for Waino. I know he has had a rougher year - but he is one of the treasures of Major League Baseball. He was a royal pain in the Brewers' side for years - but he is a great player AND a greater human being and will be missed.

 

[mramseyISU]

Well it's over. Looks like we ended up in 5th for the MLB draft Lottery.

Hopefully the front office makes some moves for pitching this off season (they won't).

 

[TheHelgo]

Well it's over. Looks like we ended up in 5th for the MLB draft Lottery.

Hopefully the front office makes some moves for pitching this off season (they won't).

I've heard recently that they are looking at making a strong push for Sonny Gray. I'd be ok with that, as long as they grab 1 more top line starter as well. They need to acquire a minimum of 2 1-3 starters.

 

[TomTreebow]

I've heard recently that they are looking at making a strong push for Sonny Gray. I'd be ok with that, as long as they grab 1 more top line starter as well. They need to acquire a minimum of 2 1-3 starters.

There were the rumors that Seattle was a match around the deadline so one of their arms would be a great addition but costly. I wonder if they target Shane Bieber - in his last year and will be costly in terms of $ to the Guardians. Maybe they want to make a run next year with him, but we could bring him in for less than it would cost to get one of the young Seattle arms I would imagine if Cleveland decides to commit to their youth. He's not the CY Young contender he was a few years ago but would be a stop-gap for a year and a top of the rotation of Bieber, Gray, and Mikolas is better than we've had recently.

Agree on Sonny Gray, he doesn't hurt you with a contract long-term and has been very reliable lately.

 

[CyCrazy]

Just wanted to say to you Cardinal fans how much respect I have for Waino. I know he has had a rougher year - but he is one of the treasures of Major League Baseball. He was a royal pain in the Brewers' side for years - but he is a great player AND a greater human being and will be missed.

He will be greatly missed, hope he sticks around the organization in some capacity. Or goes back home to Georgia and enjoys the good life.

 

[Aclone]

Well it's over. Looks like we ended up in 5th for the MLB draft Lottery.

Hopefully the front office makes some moves for pitching this off season (they won't).

I’m still convinced that the long term pitching health of the franchise is going to come from that draft. If a prospect emerges the way Paul Skenes did this year, that could make for a high quality ace to build a staff around.

Something like the Dodgers drafting Kershaw.

Looks like there are at least three or four college pitchers who could emerge like that—including UI and Ankeny’s Brody Brecht, if he can make decent progress with his command.

FWIW, Skenes already reached AA ball this year.

 

[mramseyISU]

I’m still convinced that the long term pitching health of the franchise is going to come from that draft. If a prospect emerges the way Paul Skenes did this year, that could make for a high quality ace to build a staff around.

Something like the Dodgers drafting Kershaw.

Looks like there are at least three or four college pitchers who could emerge like that—including UI and Ankeny’s Brody Brecht, if he can make decent progress with his command.

FWIW, Skenes already reached AA ball this year.

Drafting a guy is great but best case scenario that gets you help in 3 or 4 years not next year. Baseball isn't like football or basketball where drafting a guy in the 1st round means he's coming to help immediately. Tink Hence is probably the best pitcher in the whole organization and he won't sniff the majors until August or September next year.

 

[TomTreebow]

Drafting a guy is great but best case scenario that gets you help in 3 or 4 years not next year. Baseball isn't like football or basketball where drafting a guy in the 1st round means he's coming to help immediately. Tink Hence is probably the best pitcher in the whole organization and he won't sniff the majors until August or September next year.

Tekoah Roby, who we picked up for Jordan Montgomery, may supplant him. It's just injury concerns with Roby. His peripherals have been great, just too many HRs last year. He cut those way back this year and he dominated when he pitched at Springfield. Now he opened AFL with 3 innings of 1 hit ball with 5 K's and no BB's. He'll likely open on Top 100 lists and at Memphis next year.

So neither will help immediately but should both be within a year. Hjerpe may be as well but he was injured most of the year so needs to show he can hold up if he's going to be a starter. All 3 should be in contention to help back-end of the bullpen for the stretch run next year, if needed.

 

[Aclone]

With guys coming off the DL, and these two acquisitions, the roster now stands full at 40.

That’s a whole lot of trade fodder before any FA’s are signed.

 

[Aclone]

I feel like Yoshinobu Yamamoto would be my top FA starting pitcher choice. He reportedly has great stuff, he’s at least five years younger than most of the other guys mentioned—and wouldn’t cost prospects or a high (likely second round) draft pick.

That would offer more flexibility to fill the other two SP spots they’re reportedly looking for.

Only potential drawback I see is that he’s listed as 5’10”.

Has ties to Nootbaar and Arenado—or at least, shares Arenado’s agent.

 

[matclone]

I feel like Yoshinobu Yamamoto would be my top FA starting pitcher choice. He reportedly has great stuff, he’s at least five years younger than most of the other guys mentioned—and wouldn’t cost prospects or a high (likely second round) draft pick.

That would offer more flexibility to fill the other two SP spots they’re reportedly looking for.

Only potential drawback I see is that he’s listed as 5’10”.

Has ties to Nootbaar and Arenado—or at least, shares Arenado’s agent.

All-star Sonny Gray is only 5-10 too, but that is certainly out of the normal range for pitchers.

 

[Aclone]

All-star Sonny Gray is only 5-10 too, but that is certainly out of the normal range for pitchers.

And he’s also supposedly one of the other acquisition targets.

Further down the list, I believe, would be re-signing Jordan Montgomery—who wouldn’t require a draft pick, because no qualifying offer. Or so I understand.

That second ‘24 draft pick (around #35) is kinda important,

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

Hate to say it, but the Cards will kick tires on a lot of the FA pitchers, and then decide it too expensive and then Mo will go dumpster diving again to pick up a couple of starters. Its the way we have always done it, because actually signing topflight FA pitchers costs a lot of money, and the Cards love to make it but really hate to spend it on pitching.

If they are serious then sign the guy from Japan, to be their #1 starter, then either Gray or Montgomery to be the #2 and spend money on the bullpen. But none of that is going to happen, just watch.

 

[Kaner04]

We won’t get Yamamoto. But any of Gray, Monty, Nola, trading for Glasgow should be highly achievable

 

[Aclone]

Hate to say it, but the Cards will kick tires on a lot of the FA pitchers, and then decide it too expensive and then Mo will go dumpster diving again to pick up a couple of starters. Its the way we have always done it, because actually signing topflight FA pitchers costs a lot of money, and the Cards love to make it but really hate to spend it on pitching.

If they are serious then sign the guy from Japan, to be their #1 starter, then either Gray or Montgomery to be the #2 and spend money on the bullpen. But none of that is going to happen, just watch.

They said they’re planning to match the ‘23 salary total—which was the highest in team history. $200 million, iirc.

And with all of the salaries they’ve dumped since the trade deadline, they have lots of spending to do to match that.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

They said they’re planning to match the ‘23 salary total—which was the highest in team history. $200 million, iirc.

And with all of the salaries they’ve dumped since the trade deadline, they have lots of spending to do to match that.

Highest in the history of the team, really sounds impressive, currently they are 15th in salaries, at $157 million, that is $200 million less than what the Mets are paying in salary right now. No one is saying that we need to spend that type of money, but we should be in the top ten in salary. The cards have been in the top 3 in attendance for years, how about we finally spend some of that money on the team?

MLB payrolls 2023: Full list of every baseball team from highest to lowest

Mets billionaire owner Steve Cohen, who purchased the team for $2.4 billion, is not afraid to open the checkbook. Complete list of the 30 payrolls.

www.usatoday.com

 

[cmjh10]

Cards will resign Monty, come “second” to some notable FA’s and trade candidates and then find some old washed players. That’s all they ever do.