Goldschmidt to Cardinals for Kelly, Weaver, Young, Comp pick

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Fat Strat
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Goldschmidt to Cardinals for Kelly, Weaver, Young, Comp pick

Post by Fat Strat »

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/basebal ... cef10.html
The free-agent class that baseball has been waiting on and, in some cases saving for, opened officially Friday as Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and a deep, rich group of talent became available to all interested teams. Or, as Mozeliak’s question implied: The highest bidders. With a stockpile of young pitching talent, a billion-dollar TV deal, and few longterm or high-dollar contracts, the Cardinals are positioned as well as any team in the majors to shoot for the stars.

Three years since their last postseason appearance and five since their last National League pennant have given the Cardinals a palpable impatience. The team and chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., according to one industry source, are “sending signals they are out to be a player.” The Cardinals intend to explore Harper’s market and see how they fit, sources confirmed. They have long eyed free agent Josh Donaldson as a possible answer at third base. The improvement the Cardinals seek, especially when it goes by the name Bryce, comes at a price.

“Do I agree that we need some level of elite talent to compete at the highest level? Yeah, I’d accept that,” Mozeliak said. “In a perfect world, you’re developing that. But we have not been able to. Part of that is where we (draft). … Do I think there’s opportunity here? Yes. I’ve been referred to as the bridesmaid before. And then there are other times that I’ve been referred to as, ‘Do you regret doing it?’ So, there is sort of a Catch-22.
(I don't like to bury interesting articles and major events -- the GM meetings -- in other threads during the offseason. Start new threads! That can focus conversations.)

One of the interesting things I have seen so far about this offseason is that everyone has tunnel vision on the free agent market. It makes sense, in some regard. FA's require money and there doesn't seem to be a shortage of teams who have it and are ready to spend it. Trades require young talent and young talent is essential to making that money go further in building a contender. Player evaluation has become almost universally better. There is no fleecing teams anymore. If you have good talent in your system, you can't hide it. So, if you want to make a trade, the other teams are going to ask for the players you want to keep. It can be paralyzing, and has been, to some extent for the Cards, who have bypassed deadline deals and settled for weaker trades to keep the players they want and clean up their overflowing 40 man roster.

I think that factor -- the balance in player evaluation -- along with the decline of StL as a destination (both in terms of city and ballclub) have been the biggest deterrents to our landing that elite player that Mo has so obviously coveted. He talks openly about this in the article.

So, Goold -- and apparently Mo and DeWitt -- focused on the best thing they have to offer: money. Goold goes on to list about a dozen names that the Cards might be interesting in -- from Bryce Harper to Michael Brantley and even the likes of Joe Kelly. Most of those names don't seem to fit within the conversation of finding "elite" talent. But all of them were free agents. Nary a trade option was mentioned.

So... is it all in the FA basket this year? Are there no elite players to be gained by trade? Or is the FA market so loaded that we have to take advantage of it? Is there no real trade market this offseason? I have heard and read nothing about elite players available through trade. That seems odd to me. If the Cards remained focused solely on the FA market, especially considering our history there, I think we might miss out on opportunities that are currently well below the radar.
Last edited by Fat Strat on December 5 18, 12:18 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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MinorLeagueGuy
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Re: GM Meetings: "Elite" Talent - Is that Only FA's?

Post by MinorLeagueGuy »

You might put Jt Realmuto in the really good class, if not elite. He'll get traded. Someone will balk at Ramos or Grandals asking price.

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go birds
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Re: GM Meetings: "Elite" Talent - Is that Only FA's?

Post by go birds »

Its going to have be a combo of FA and trading imo. Sorta like what the brewers did last year. Overspend on a top FA (Cain) and trade away a top prospect (brinson) for an elite proven bat (yelich).

So, trade Reyes for (???) and sign Corbin.

Not really sure who the elite bat that could be had, but to me, thats the formula for the offseason since we're not signing harper/machado--as much as Mo would like for this fanbase to believe we might.

If Donaldson ends up being our Big FA Acquisition (R), i will lose my [expletive].

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Re: GM Meetings: "Elite" Talent - Is that Only FA's?

Post by Socnorb11 »

I think Mo nailed it when he said that the key is to develop that elite talent. If the Cards could have developed even ONE elite talent in the last 5-7 years, we wouldn't be having this conversation, most likely.

That being said, I'm always in favor of free agency over trades. All of you guys here who say "it's not my money" should feel the same.

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Re: GM Meetings: "Elite" Talent - Is that Only FA's?

Post by Joe Shlabotnik »

Socnorb11 wrote:I think Mo nailed it when he said that the key is to develop that elite talent. If the Cards could have developed even ONE elite talent in the last 5-7 years, we wouldn't be having this conversation, most likely.

That being said, I'm always in favor of free agency over trades. All of you guys here who say "it's not my money" should feel the same.
Actually, we did develop an elite talent who decided to wrap himself and his girlfriend around a tree in a drunken stupor.

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Re: GM Meetings: "Elite" Talent - Is that Only FA's?

Post by jagtrader »

What year was this story written?

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go birds
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Re: GM Meetings: "Elite" Talent - Is that Only FA's?

Post by go birds »

Socnorb11 wrote:I think Mo nailed it when he said that the key is to develop that elite talent. If the Cards could have developed even ONE elite talent in the last 5-7 years, we wouldn't be having this conversation, most likely.

That being said, I'm always in favor of free agency over trades. All of you guys here who say "it's not my money" should feel the same.
hard to develop elite talent when you dont wanna spend the money to acquire elite talent...for fear you'd have to pay them more 7 years down the line

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Re: GM Meetings: "Elite" Talent - Is that Only FA's?

Post by pioneer98 »

I'd go after Goldschmidt if he is remotely available

Socnorb11
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Re: GM Meetings: "Elite" Talent - Is that Only FA's?

Post by Socnorb11 »

go birds wrote:
Socnorb11 wrote:I think Mo nailed it when he said that the key is to develop that elite talent. If the Cards could have developed even ONE elite talent in the last 5-7 years, we wouldn't be having this conversation, most likely.

That being said, I'm always in favor of free agency over trades. All of you guys here who say "it's not my money" should feel the same.
hard to develop elite talent when you dont wanna spend the money to acquire elite talent...for fear you'd have to pay them more 7 years down the line

I'm not sure what you're talking about, but the elite players that we're pursuing currently were all drafted and developed by other teams. That's what I'm referring to.

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Re: GM Meetings: "Elite" Talent - Is that Only FA's?

Post by Socnorb11 »

Joe Shlabotnik wrote:
Socnorb11 wrote:I think Mo nailed it when he said that the key is to develop that elite talent. If the Cards could have developed even ONE elite talent in the last 5-7 years, we wouldn't be having this conversation, most likely.

That being said, I'm always in favor of free agency over trades. All of you guys here who say "it's not my money" should feel the same.
Actually, we did develop an elite talent who decided to wrap himself and his girlfriend around a tree in a drunken stupor.
I was actually going to mention that, but I'm afraid that people get tired of hearing it. I'm glad you brought it up.

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