Cardinals announce that Jay will have arthroscopic surgery on his wrist.

Wainwright, Molina and Wacha need no additional medical attention, just rest.

"Taveras' late-season benching occurred after Taveras failed to run out a fly ball that Kolten Wong had to retrieve in mid-right field"

This sentence makes no sense.

forsberg_us wrote:

Couple of takeaways here.

Taveras has clearly pissed of the organization. Don't be surprised if he's moved this off-season

Mike Matheny is an idiot, but he won't be moved this off-season.

http://www.stlcardinalbaseball.com/what-we-learned-from-the-mathenymozeliak-press-conference

That and there's money to use, either for keeping people, or making a move should one present itself. 

APIAD wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

Taveras has clearly pissed of the organization. Don't be surprised if he's moved this off-season

 

Well they are doing a great job of lowering his stock to the point anyone will take him.  Nothing like publicly  calling your number one prospect a lazy pos and then asking if anyone wants him.

It wasn't exactly an inside secret.

Spitballing:
According to VEB, the Cardinals have a net $20 million coming off the books, with six arbitration eligible players, most notably Lynn, who they may try to sign to an extension. I'll assume Jay, Cruz and Bourjos will also be offered arb, and Robinson and Descalso won't.
Which may make the roster look something like this:
C - Molina
1B - Adams
2B - Wong
SS - Peralta
3B - Carpenter
LF - Holliday
CF - Jay
RF - Grichuk

C - Cruz
OF - Bourjos
OF - Taveras

SP - Wainwright
SP - Miller
SP - Lynn
SP - Lackey
SP - Wacha

RP - Rosenthal
RP - Choate
RP - Maness
RP - Martinez

That's 20 spots, which leaves five, likely two position players and three pitchers. 
Piscotty is supposedly going to get a look, but if he makes the team, they'll have six outfielders. They need a utility INF, which would appear to be Kozma, or Garcia, but that still leaves them without a backup 3B or 1B, so they may go the FA route there and get a Nick Punto-type on the cheap. I don't think Diaz is ready to crack the roster yet.
In the bullpen, Gonzalez, Martinez and Siegrist will probably get the longest looks, and then Freeman, et al. The wild card is Garcia. If he's healthy, he makes the team, but does he/ can he start? Wacha's health is also a concern, but I've put him in the rotation after the report that indicated his most recent MRI was better than expected.

Last edited by artie_fufkin (10/22/2014 11:36 am)

alz wrote:

Are you ready for the world to stop spinning? 

I'd like them to keep Lynn..... 

Yeah, it's almost a no-brainer at this point. The criticism the past two years was he benefitted from run support, but that didn't happen this season. His second half splits were very good. He becomes a FA in 2018, so they don't have to rush to lock him up, but if he starts 2015 the way he finished 2014, they should sign him to something long-term. He's had no significant arm issues, and I think they've finally gotten his weight to the point where he's neither too thin nor too heavy.
 

Last edited by artie_fufkin (10/22/2014 1:22 pm)

"Piscotty is supposedly going to get a look, but if he makes the team, they'll have six outfielders. They need a utility INF, which would appear to be Kozma, or Garcia, but that still leaves them without a backup 3B or 1B"

Piscotty was a college third baseman.  I haven't followed it that closely, but is there a reason he can be that Scott-Spiezio-type player who plays the corner infield and corner outfield spots?

artie_fufkin wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

"Piscotty is supposedly going to get a look, but if he makes the team, they'll have six outfielders. They need a utility INF, which would appear to be Kozma, or Garcia, but that still leaves them without a backup 3B or 1B"

Piscotty was a college third baseman.  I haven't followed it that closely, but is there a reason he can be that Scott-Spiezio-type player who plays the corner infield and corner outfield spots?

He played 3B in Single A in 2012 and committed 22 errors in 119 chances. Ryan Braun wasn't even that bad at third.

Piscotty can't throw accurately to third base. I think he's even admitted as much.

Cubs to hire Maddon ?
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

They were going to be good before Maddon came riding in so he could get the glory. I had them down for 96 wins and a division title next year. I don't think Maddon flips that number in either direction.

The middle of the lineup with Castro, Rizzo, Bryant and Soler is going to be frightening. The Cardinals have nothing comparable to it.
 

"The middle of the lineup with Castro, Rizzo, Bryant and Soler is going to be frightening"

So is Edwin Jackson pitching every fifth day. Sorry, I'm not going to buy the hype yet.