Join columnist Ben Frederickson for a live STL sports chat at 11 a.m. Tuesday
Ben Frederickson answers your Cardinals, Blues, St. Louis City, Mizzou and SLU questions in Tuesday's 11 a.m. live chat.
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Back during spring training one of the PD reporters had a article about Goldy using a different bat than
he had used for several years. Is he still using it and if so could this be part of his fantastic start to the year? Thank you for your time during these chats. -
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The Cardinals currently have the top 2 WAR players in MLB w/ Edman and Goldy, 3 in the top 10 w/ Nolan. They have the 3rd best run differential in MLB, top 10 in almost all major offensive stats. The bashing of this team seems extremely unwarranted. There is no need for a youth depleting trade but rather small pieces to steady the ship in the bullpen and a back end starter, depending on Flaherty. I for one am excited about this team now and in the future.
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The Chat does not like series lost at home to the Cubs, it appears.Yep, pitching is the need. Effective pitching.Matz is on track to make a couple of starts before the the trade deadline.Flaherty is at best a question mark now.If Pallante is going to stick in the rotation, the bullpen needs help.And that alone is not quite enough.Star power can take a back seat to effectiveness. To me, what the hollering should be about, is the front office showing it can add some guys who can help. It did it last season during the innings crisis. But this offseason's additions, most of them relatively cost friendly, have not been very effective so far.
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I think its in everybody's best interest that Flaherty and the Cards part ways. Hopefully he can get healthy enough next year and the Cards can get something in return at next year's deadline. He seems to be more focused on his social views than he is on baseball. It's getting tiresome
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He's a name worth noting, yes. I'll add another one. A familiar one. Trevor Rosenthal. He's waiting for someone to sign him. He's healthy. He's throwing hard. Some in the organization would love to see him back, and think he could help. Would cost nothing in prospects. Just cash. The kind of cash the Cardinals made by bringing back Pujols for Pujolspalooza. How many times has Marmol said the bullpen needs a right-hander who can get strikeouts?
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The Blues had to have liked what Leddy brought to the team and if he is willing to take an extension below what he could get on the free-agent market, that could be compelling. If not, I don't think you get into a bidding war for him, and yes, think about perhaps finding a way to add some length and disruptiveness to the blue line moving forward. That seemed to be lacking often this season and at times in the postseason, especially against Colorado.
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No, I think it's pretty smart. Guys can still make the reliever-to-starter path in the majors. They would rather be up and in the bullpen, even if temporarily, than waiting on an injury up there to give them a chance to start. Spending money on established, older relievers is risky business, a the Cardinals have learned time and time again. If you are a draft-and-develop team, and the Cardinals are proudly, then you have to find ways for guys who can help you at the major league level to get there in roles that can benefit the big league club while also helping their development. The Cardinals are doing as good of a job of that this season as we've watched. Marmol gets a lot of credit for that.
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I know Mo gets a lot of heat in these chats, so of it deserved (putting together this bullpen for team that is supposed to contend for a championship is inexcusable). That said, I remember when chatters were whining six years ago when "all" they got back for Matt Adams was some A ball teenager hitting in the low .200s at the time. How many would take that trade back now?
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Players have to accept rehab assignments, meaning teams can't impose them.Teams decide when a player is activated, meaning players can't activate themselves.In short, there was a talk. Cards had a plan. Flaherty pushed for a different route. Plan changed. The team doesn't get to throw it all on the player, and the player shouldn't attempt to make it sound like he was just following marching orders. And neither side can say with conviction that things would have turned out differently with a different plan.There, I solved it for all sides :)
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The DH solves any worrying, because he can always just go there. The Cardinals are increasingly cool with using guys who prove they have solid versatility in different spots. See Edman, Donovan, Yepez as examples. I don't think it would have to be any different with Walker, especially early on. Corner infield and corner outfield could be on his list in addition to DH. For as much complaining about the DH as there was, it's going to be really good for the Cardinals as they welcome this wave of young hitters. It creates more opportunity and buys time for defense to evolve on the fly.
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McFarland hasn't been cleared from the COVID protocols.Dickerson and VerHagen are on the injured list.All could be at the end of the road soon after their returns if they don't perform.Also, the health around them matters. If Tyler O'Neill is hurt, for example, the Cardinals have less reason to walk away form Dickerson.Guys are more likely to lose spots as roster gets tight.
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BenFred -
Listening to ESPN local radio, there's been some chatter lately about the packages that would be necessary for a Tkachuk and/or Chychrun trade. Most of them include some combination of Kyrou, Barbachev, Bolduc/Neighbors and a first round pick or two. Normally they talk about 4 of those pieces for Tkachuk and 3 of those pieces for Chychrun. I know Doug Armstrong isn't afraid to make a big move where he sees fit, but these packages seem insane to me. I'd stand pat and bank on internal options to develop if that's truly what it would take. Do you see those packages as about accurate? Are there less expensive pieces that you see as a decent fit? -
I'd be tempted to wait on Matthew Tkachuk.
If he gets to unrestricted free agency, figure out how to make a compelling pitch if there's still a fit.
He's close enough now to not want to pay the trade price on top of paying him the extension that would follow.
If he gets a deal before then, maybe see if you can deal him later in his career.
I would not feel very great about shipping out Kyrou at this point, and as you mentioned that alone would not be enough. -
What is the protocol for questions in the post game interview with the manager. Are questions randomly asked by all whenever the urge or what. Then, what is the protocol for repeating or rephrasing a question when the original question is not really answered. How forceful can your be without jeopardizing your welcome in the room. Thanks
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It's pretty simple. You ask what you want to ask, taking turns with colleagues. Some of it -- not all -- gets shown on TV live depending on time constraints. And you can follow up on stuff after he's off the podium too. Oli's pretty good about that. There are also pregame sessions with the manager in his office for writers, separate from TV/electronic media ones that happen as well, usually in the dugout. Marmol doesn't get bent out of shape much, but he is not afraid to give it right back, and that's fine, too.
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Let's break it down a bit.Carlson has been really good since May. It's going under the radar for some reason. He's averaging .295 with a .372 on-base and a .508 slugging percentage since then, over 100-plus at-bats during that stretch.O'Neill has to be on the field in order to produce. He should be back soon. Before his second injury, he had seemed to lock in his swing. But his tendency to get hurt is concerning. I was the one suggesting it's why the notion of some big extension for him at spring training didn't make a lot of sense.Bader's power hasn't been as present, and some of that could be traced to the foot stuff he's now on the injured list with. It was affecting his at-bats toward the end. Plantar fasciitis can be a bear to manage. Ask Pujols. Especially for a player who thrives on speed.At some point it would be nice to see what Burleson can do. Mozeliak was raving about him this week. Says he's a professional hitter now.Altogether, this has not been the first half of the season the trio (O'Neill, Bader, Carlson) hoped to show. The circumstances have led to Yepez and Donovan getting reps out there so their bats can be in the lineup. More outfield production, from the trio or the additions to the mix, are going to be a must in the second half. At catcher, it is what it is it seems. Not sure what improvements this season are realistic there -- unless Molina comes back and does some damage at the plate. Herrera sure seems to be nudging Knizner aside for opportunities, so perhaps that means more offense than what Knizner was struggling to provide.
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Obviously he has to come back and start performing again, but isn't Tyler O'Neil the obvious trade candidate to get some pitching? There's no way the Cardinals are gong to commit to him long term with this never-ending spate of injuries, and you've got more OFs on the way (Burleson, Jordan Walker, etc.).
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If the Cards are only going to trade for some “innings eaters” why wait until the trade deadline to make those deals? The team needs help sooner rather than later to hang with the Brewers. The FO claims deals can’t get done until the deadline but other teams manage to go out and get what they need ahead of the deadline. It’s not like the other 10 teams in playoff position are all clamoring for those same starters.
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BenFred -
When looking at trade candidates in our farm system, who stands out to you? Obviously Walker, Liberatore and Thompson seem like they won't be going anywhere. Winn, mcrgeevy and Graceffo seem like they're creeping into that territory as well. What about guys like Alec Burleson, Tink Hence or Joshua Baez? Are they valuable enough to command a difference maker in return? Are the cardinals willing to part with any of these players? -
Paul DeJong. Is there a team that likes his defense, thinks it can help his offense better than the Cardinals did, and see a fit?If the Cardinals don't want to move Burleson without seeing what he can do at the major league level, would they consider moving Lars Nootbaar? At some point there is some repetition there, and only so many spots.Jake Woodford does not seem destined for a role on this team but can help someone and would probably be starting for other teams.All of these guys but Burleson I mentioned have had some chances to show what they can and cannot do at the major league level, meaning the Cardinals might be more willing to feel OK sending them off for a need.
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