caulfield12

If they don’t make any big free agent moves, they’re essentially stuck with a 2-3 year window like the Royals had (also due to unexpected rash of injuries to key players in 2016 and the inability to keep their bullpen intact as it became more and more expensive).

Braun just homered. 3-0. Jimenez now 3/24, .125. 6 hits already by the Brewers, Moustakas just hit a rocket right at Garcia. High 7’s ERA for the irreplaceable Ivan Nova. Sox don’t even belong on the same field against a playoff team with Chacin starting. No hit so far. Oh, well...not unexpected, right? Well, maybe not Jimenez struggling out of the gate.

Yes, except for Soler, who helped them acquire an excellent closer in Davis. You can argue that Russell, Almora, Happ and Schwarber have been different levels of disappointing, but they all made it. Of course, Baez and Rizzo from the previous regime were gifts as well, the pre-existing connection of Epstein to Lester, not to mention the willingness to spend top dollar on coaching staff and scouting. Imagine the Cubs today with Gleyber Torres, Jimenez and Cease...?

That’s like saying the Eaton and Sale trades were good, except for the fact those acquired players are underperforming expectations. If you don’t execute the plan, identify the wrong players to target...or put the apple cart before the horse (could have waited until after Machado signed to go out and get Alonso, Jay and Kimbrel instead of Colome/Herrera), then it’s still a failure. In the end when those players contribute to a 68-72 win team, fans won’t remember. Baseball is about entertainment. Without a star, and the belief your team can legitimately compete, fans won’t turn out for most MLB markets. In lieu of that, you need exciting/dynamic young position players to rally around, not Fulmer/Collins/Burger.

Jimenez, Mendick and Robert in lineup today... https://www.mlb.com/gameday/white-sox-vs-brewers/2019/03/11/567544#game_state=preview,game_tab=videos,game=567544

Profitability is much higher at $90 million unless they can sign a superstar who will actually move the needle.

LFer’s reaction is hilarious... https://www.mlb.com/video/garcia-s-solo-tater-c2523508783

Best Fans in America/Cardinals’ Nation believes it.

I just meant any type of pitcher who flies through the system as a starter or reliever. Boone Logan and Radinsky come to mind. Or McCarthy/Hudson. Lambert, potentially...Hansen as a reliever, but that’s an iffy proposition. Flores doesn’t really have dominant stuff.

Take back that last sentence!!! Color everyone skeptical about Collins and Zavala behind the plate. For Hahn and Hostetler’s sake, they need to be right about one of these guys in the 8-12 range of the 1st round eventually.

McCann has looked good so far...actually just 28, throws quite well...but many still would have preferred Maldonado. Detroit let him go at that age for a reason. Of course, we did the same with Tyler Flowers.

Not giving up...but not counting on until he puts up a 15-18 homer season, at a minimum...over 140 games.

Too much seems to be predicated on Burdi. Other than Hamilton, maybe...who else has the ability in their minors to make that jump up 2-3 stops in one year? Fry, if his elbow holds together? Burr, not likely. Veira? Ruiz? Seems like a bunch of optimistic suppositions so far.

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/st.-louis-cardinals/matt-carpenter-8735/ Carpenter will be 34 next year and StL has an $18.5 million option for 2020. If they lose Goldschmidt and Ozuna, they almost have to bring him back unless he totally falls apart, in which case he’d be the perfect White Sox signing.

Color most of us skeptical that we won’t end up wasting another $45 on riff raft that not one single ticket buyer is motivated to attend a game due to their ongoing presence. It’s like we signed the equivalent of five Jeff Keppingers as far as the fanbase is concerned.

Which puts his return to real game action mid to late June...and probably not really clicking until mid July due to the missed spring training time and (April/May also toast) in order to get his offensive rhythm back. Robert never really found himself last year until the AFL for that very same reason.

Balta already made the point that Abreu, Alonso, Colome, Herrera, Rodon, Leury/Yolmer, Anderson, etc., gets you fairly close to $75 million before you even blink.

Sheets is about as close as Burger to being in anyone’s plans for 2020. It’s going to take Basabe until early/mid July to be in game form, so counting on him or Dunning or Adolfo seems foolhardly coming off their various injuries...in terms of MLB starters next year.

Bogaerts, Cole, Ozuna, Puig, Castellanos...only five big-time free agents will be under 30 next year. Rendon, Wheeler, DiDi G, Bumgarner and Scooter Gennett will be 30 exactly, with everyone else older. Of course, our supposed strength is OF prospects, so that means either Bogaerts or Castellanos at 1B/DH.

At least Votto, Suarez and Puig are established hitters. Senzel looks like he’ll be fine in CF. Ervin and Winker have a lot of potential, but might get buried behind Kemp, Schebler, Senzel and Puig. Barnhart and Farmer are a solid catching tandem, too. They could always hold onto Gennett like they did Suarez recently.

That’s a bold statement considering the odds are 50/50 JDM is back with Boston, Goldschmidt extends in StL and Bumgarner sticks in San Fran as they pair him and Posey with someone like Bogaerts. SF can’t afford to rebuild from scratch with their fanbase, they’re going to need to make a big splash. Odds are still way higher that Santana, Nova or Alonso will still be around. Lopez is the only one most of us have any confidence in being ready to pitch 180-200 innings in 2020. Giolito, Rodon and a Dunning are just as likely to be injured and/or ineffective. We still don’t even know about Kopech, as Burdi’s taken longer than most expected to get back to 100%, especially for a reliever.

It has to do with continued idiotic decisions that won’t contribute to our next playoff roster. How many at-bats do you think Palka should get this year? Should we already deem him a strictly platoon hitter? I have a feeling he will get less than last year unless Jay and Guyer completely lose it. Or Engel is so bad again offensively we have to play Jay or Leury in CF nearly every day.

Sure, with two seam fastballs or sinkers that pitchers want the batters to top and beat into the ground for double plays...

I will save this post for posterity. At least one of Alonso, Nova and Santana will still be around next year, if not two. Santana didn’t dip from 93-94 until that finger injury last year, and Verlander’s proven to quite effective in his mid to late 30’s. Just as importantly, if Dunning’s year is lost, who will we use next year, especially if Giolito flames out? Kopech/Cease will have innings and pitch count limitations, Covey and Banuelos are the only internal options right now. Lambert’s at least 1 1/2 years away, arguably, or Flores. And we won’t spend the money for JDM, Goldschmidt or Bumgarner...as much as you might wish it. Just watch when they send Palka down and Engel/Jay/Guyer are playing everyday.

Except there’s probably at least 15-25% of the population who would wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments expressed...and won’t change until it affects their families or loved ones firsthand (see Dick Cheney.)