We're basically past the point where data science and operating on the edges is the best way to improve your team, and your best bet almost assuredly is just paying for better players. I would hope that the reporters and columnists covering this team will continue to ask the front office what the max payroll is, why that is the max payroll, and if there are any scenarios where they would exceed that max payroll.
Sadly, we got Goold, who I generally like, but gets super whiny and defensive when you point out that the Cardinals ownership clearly budges and strategizes for an 87ish win team that competes for the wildcard, and refuses to spend over the amount projected to achieve that minimum level of competitiveness. You'd think he was a Cardinals employee with how petulant he gets when you point out the moves the team could've made that would have gotten us to 90+ wins but would have cost ownership money.
both good posts.
i've definitely soured on goold the last few years. i think he's mentioned it's not his job to investigate the team only report on the day to day actions, which fine, but on the other hand i don't know how he can't be more inquisitive as a journalist.
Goold deleted a tweet about Tyler O’Neill’s arbitration where he was anti-labor. Screw Goold as far as I’m concerned.
DG is a Cardinals employee essentially. Cards own PD being a primary advertising partner (maybe biggest?). IMO that’s the same.
Bernie used to push on the Cards just enough without losing clubhouse access privileges. He wasn’t a beat writer but still was mostly a journalist.
MCG, would that be Mr. Jeff Jones?
When a journalist's job is dependent on access, it's in their economic best interest not to be critical or ask tough questions. It's why the old Deadspin was so fresh and vital when it came out: for once, sports journalism that wasn't beholden to the owners of the sports they were covering, unlike ESPN and every local paper, which either broadcast those sports ($), get ad revenue from those sports ($), or depend on the owners and officials for interviews for their stories ($). Deadspin lost the path along the way, but that's a different story.
Jeff Jones can get a little critical since he works for Belleville paper and not worried about the Cardinals $ as much. Jones is cool in my book because he calls out Buffa so much lol.
(Mod Edit: Jones writes for the Belleville IL paper not some Bellevue WA rag)