StL will guage Arenado trade interest

[dmarx114]

My understanding of their priorities earlier on was something like this, which I was/am fine with given the circumstances:

Reduce payroll this year and maybe next due to decreased tv revenue and recent ticket sales.
Hope to contend with a younger roster, but sink or swim on it.
Keep reliable, paid/controlled players like Helsley in areas where they don't have confidence in their prospects. I think they want their starting prospects to start.
Trade players like Arenado, Fedde and Matz - non-difference makers (offensively in Arenado's case) who don't substantially improve upon what the prospect's ceilings are.


I'm now less confident about that last one and it's the only area that bugs me. I don't see any reason to pin what happens with Fedde and Matz to what happens with Arenado but for some reason they seem to be doing that. Or maybe the market just hasn't materialized.

I don't see them spending any money on the bullpen unless they're spending money in general, which we knew they wouldn't.

2023 was a disaster record wise, but they probably should have won 10 more games.

In 2024, they had a winning record, but won a ton of close games.

In both years, they were around a 76 win team.

In 2025, they need to stop fooling themselves. They aren't going to make the playoffs. Do a full rebuild, strengthen the farm system, and let Walker, Winn, Gorman, Burlseon, Donovan, and Saggese each have 500+ plate appearances. Give McGreevey 20+ starts. Bring Hence and Mathews up at some point this season.

Buying top free agents will never happen here. Our path to winning is through the kids. Draft, develop, and let them play.

Serious as a heart attack here-- what if the kids just suck? What if after 2025 you realize Winn is the only one that's a difference maker?

You replace them with new kids and you (eventually) replace the person in charge of drafting the kids with a new person.

[Jocephus]

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that “the Mariners and Tigers are options for Nolan Arenado if the Red Sox and Cardinals aren’t able to reach an agreement.”
Arenado has reportedly let it be known that he prefers to be traded to Boston; however, Boston already has Rafael Devers at third base, so they would need to shift other players around to make room for Arenado. Considering the 33-year-old is coming off a down season, there’s a chance the Red Sox don’t want to shake things up too much to bring Arenado in, which means the veteran would need to waive his no-trade clause to other teams. Morosi believes the Mariners and Tigers could have a shot if things don’t work out with Boston, and he would be a huge addition to either of those lineups.

Source: Jon Morosi

[MrCrowesGarden]

My understanding of their priorities earlier on was something like this, which I was/am fine with given the circumstances:

Reduce payroll this year and maybe next due to decreased tv revenue and recent ticket sales.
Hope to contend with a younger roster, but sink or swim on it.
Keep reliable, paid/controlled players like Helsley in areas where they don't have confidence in their prospects. I think they want their starting prospects to start.
Trade players like Arenado, Fedde and Matz - non-difference makers (offensively in Arenado's case) who don't substantially improve upon what the prospect's ceilings are.


I'm now less confident about that last one and it's the only area that bugs me. I don't see any reason to pin what happens with Fedde and Matz to what happens with Arenado but for some reason they seem to be doing that. Or maybe the market just hasn't materialized.

I don't see them spending any money on the bullpen unless they're spending money in general, which we knew they wouldn't.

2023 was a disaster record wise, but they probably should have won 10 more games.

In 2024, they had a winning record, but won a ton of close games.

In both years, they were around a 76 win team.

In 2025, they need to stop fooling themselves. They aren't going to make the playoffs. Do a full rebuild, strengthen the farm system, and let Walker, Winn, Gorman, Burlseon, Donovan, and Saggese each have 500+ plate appearances. Give McGreevey 20+ starts. Bring Hence and Mathews up at some point this season.

Buying top free agents will never happen here. Our path to winning is through the kids. Draft, develop, and let them play.

Serious as a heart attack here-- what if the kids just suck? What if after 2025 you realize Winn is the only one that's a difference maker?

You replace them with new kids and you (eventually) replace the person in charge of drafting the kids with a new person.

Okay but you’ve probably wasted 3-4 years doing that at the minimum.

[ghostrunner]

My understanding of their priorities earlier on was something like this, which I was/am fine with given the circumstances:

Reduce payroll this year and maybe next due to decreased tv revenue and recent ticket sales.
Hope to contend with a younger roster, but sink or swim on it.
Keep reliable, paid/controlled players like Helsley in areas where they don't have confidence in their prospects. I think they want their starting prospects to start.
Trade players like Arenado, Fedde and Matz - non-difference makers (offensively in Arenado's case) who don't substantially improve upon what the prospect's ceilings are.


I'm now less confident about that last one and it's the only area that bugs me. I don't see any reason to pin what happens with Fedde and Matz to what happens with Arenado but for some reason they seem to be doing that. Or maybe the market just hasn't materialized.

I don't see them spending any money on the bullpen unless they're spending money in general, which we knew they wouldn't.

2023 was a disaster record wise, but they probably should have won 10 more games.

In 2024, they had a winning record, but won a ton of close games.

In both years, they were around a 76 win team.

In 2025, they need to stop fooling themselves. They aren't going to make the playoffs. Do a full rebuild, strengthen the farm system, and let Walker, Winn, Gorman, Burlseon, Donovan, and Saggese each have 500+ plate appearances. Give McGreevey 20+ starts. Bring Hence and Mathews up at some point this season.

Buying top free agents will never happen here. Our path to winning is through the kids. Draft, develop, and let them play.

Serious as a heart attack here-- what if the kids just suck? What if after 2025 you realize Winn is the only one that's a difference maker?

You replace them with new kids and you (eventually) replace the person in charge of drafting the kids with a new person.

Okay but you’ve probably wasted 3-4 years doing that at the minimum.

Yep. It’s just setting difficulty mode too high for yourself. If the plan is not to eventually get back to something like #7-12 in payroll, I can’t see myself being interested. A year or two, fine.

[jagtrader]

One could make the case the Cardinals have already been counting on too many young position players.

[Spider John]

I was reading again about teams waiting for Bregman to sign before moving on to Arenado. It occurred to me to check to see who Bergman had as an agent and I see what the hold up is. The agent is Scott Boras.

[GeddyWrox]

The agent is Scott Boras.

Because, of course he is. Ugh.

[Magneto2.0]

Mo says trading Arenado is priority 1, 2 and 3

[ghostrunner]

Mo is usually cagey as hell but the desperation is right out on the table on this one.

[heyzeus]

How bleak that the only new thing for ownership to tout at winter warmup - a fan event - is the top priority for ownership to save money.

Like going to a car show where instead of cool new cars, there’s just upper management stiffs giving press conferences about their layoffs.