Assuming the Cardinals re-sign Heyward, and barring another trade, the offense looks like this

C- Molina
1B- Piscotty/Holliday
2B- Wong
SS- Peralta
3B- Carpenter
LF- Piscotty/Holliday
CF- Grichuk
RF- Heyward
Bench- Pena, Moss, Adams, Gyorko, Pham

It's basically the same lineup as last year, but that's a much better bench.

Mlb trade rummors list the cardinals as a team interested in mark reynolds.  Been there, done that....ill passs.

forsberg_us wrote:

APIAD wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

Assuming the Cardinals re-sign Heyward, and barring another trade, the offense looks like this

C- Molina
1B- Piscotty/Holliday
2B- Wong
SS- Peralta
3B- Carpenter
LF- Piscotty/Holliday
CF- Grichuk
RF- Heyward
Bench- Pena, Moss, Adams, Gyorko, Pham

It's basically the same lineup as last year, but that's a much better bench.

Im assume 1b should read piscotty, moss, adams and not holliday?

The Holliday to 1B experiment isn't dead.  We were at Chad's for Thanksgiving.  Apparently Oquendo and Holliday are going to Jupiter early to see if he can pick up 1B.

Thats why i asked and the answer i wanted to hear.  To me, if holliday can learn first that is the position of his future.  Piscotty and moss would be a large improvement playing left field. Also maybe holliday wont blow his legs out trying to chase down fly balls.

La Russa gave up Dansby Swanson for Miller, and I guess the other prospect is pretty good. I never thought much of Inciarte, though. He's kind of Gerardo Parra without the defense.

Zobrist is an upgrade over Castro, but you wonder what the Cubs are going to do at shortstop. Russell, to me, is the guy, but I'm not sure I'd be ready to give up on Baez. I would have maybe started the year with Russell at short and Baez at second and then filled in as needed before the trade deadline, but I guess Maddon pushed Theo to go get Zobrist.

artie_fufkin wrote:

Zobrist is an upgrade over Castro, but you wonder what the Cubs are going to do at shortstop. Russell, to me, is the guy, but I'm not sure I'd be ready to give up on Baez. I would have maybe started the year with Russell at short and Baez at second and then filled in as needed before the trade deadline, but I guess Maddon pushed Theo to go get Zobrist.

I assume zobrist was promised a everyday job and as you stated russell should be the ss.  I assume zorbrist is your second baseman and baez is a bench player.  I did catch some talk of putting bryant in the outfield to make room for all the infielders in the cuns system but i havent heard that mentioned in awhile.

APIAD wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

Zobrist is an upgrade over Castro, but you wonder what the Cubs are going to do at shortstop. Russell, to me, is the guy, but I'm not sure I'd be ready to give up on Baez. I would have maybe started the year with Russell at short and Baez at second and then filled in as needed before the trade deadline, but I guess Maddon pushed Theo to go get Zobrist.

I assume zobrist was promised a everyday job and as you stated russell should be the ss. I assume zorbrist is your second baseman and baez is a bench player. I did catch some talk of putting bryant in the outfield to make room for all the infielders in the cuns system but i havent heard that mentioned in awhile.

Yeah, Bryant's defensive metrics in the minor indicate even the average skills he displayed at third base last year probably aren't sustainable. But I don't know if Maddon can pencil in Bryant and Schwarber into the outfield every day and not risk a mutiny by his pitching staff. And they don't have a centerfielder right now. 
 

Was just watching MLB Network, and I think we should assume Heyward won't be back. They apparently aired an interview with Mozeliak and the broadcasters all seemed pretty convinced that the only way Heyward comes back is if he accepts less than the highest offer.

Screw that. If someone offers him more money I hope he tells Mozeliak to go fuck himself. This bullshit of the Cardinals expecting players to accept less for the "privilege" of playing here is ridiculous.

APIAD wrote:

I agree.  Idk how this team can afford to lose heyward.  Maybe gordan or upton could be had more reasonably.  Im like you, tk and alz.  Im tired of the cards sitting on their asses in the free agent market.

I don't mind the inaction as much as the attitude. We've seen in the past that sometimes better deals can be had later in the process. But if the market for a player is $180M (and I'm just making up that number), then you don't get to offer him $160 and say you tried.

The Cardinals seem to be of the mindset that they know better than anyone else how to determine a player's value. If the player goes elsewhere for more, the other team must have overpaid. Bullshit. You were too cheap to come up to the player's true worth. If Heyward is your guy, pay him his money and go sign him. If he's not, then go work out a deal with whoever that guy is.

It's a long way until April. I get that. But right now the team they'd be putting on the field probably tops out at 85 wins. They'll be sitting at home come October if that's the case.

And we have the usual and expected "mystery team" entering the fray for Heyward.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25407810/who-might-be-the-mystery-team-after-jason-heyward

"The Cardinals seem to be of the mindset that they know better than anyone else how to determine a player's value. If the player goes elsewhere for more, the other team must have overpaid. Bullshit. You were too cheap to come up to the player's true worth."

I don't disagree, but they can point to their track record over the past 15 years and say the know what they're doing. 
The problem now is they have some actual competition in their division, especially the Cubs, who seem like they're going to be a good team for a long time. 
The other issue is their payroll. They're still pretending they're a mid-market team when they've been drawing more than 3 million every year since the new ballpark opened and their new TV deal is kicking in. 
Their arrogance is going to bite them in the ass. Despite what Billy Bean thinks, there's no trophy for the most wins per dollar.

I agree Fors. Trying to find a discount among the premier free agents is fruitless and borders on insulting. I can't pretend to know Moz' line of work better than he does, but so far we've replaced our backup catcher, and picked up a serviceable bench infielder. 

That's just not going to cut it against a Chicago team that was nipping at our heels for the division, kicked our ass in the playoffs, and took one of our pitchers.