Mark Polishuk's NL Central comments

[mikechamp]

These comments came from a chat with MLB Trade Rumors' Mark Polishuk that occurred on October 4.

A lot fewer questions this week. The first question's answer makes me scratch my head, though I'm interested in the discussion it (hopefully) sparks. I also included 3 bonus questions: one about the WBC, one about playoff format and another about HoF voting. Enjoy the read!!

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/09/ ... t-919.html
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We all wanna know… who’s the STL 3B of the future?

Mark Polishuk
They may not be in the organization yet, unless this Rainiel Rodriguez experiment works out. If Rodriguez is at least passable at third, that makes things very interesting given STL’s crowded catching picture. If Rodriguez remains behind the plate, however, I see this being a spot where the Cardinals can eventually spend some money whenever they decide to start competing. Maybe one of Saggese/Jordan changes the equation with good numbers in 2027, but time will tell.

It’s a good sign that at this relatively early stage in the rebuild, the Cardinals have relatively few positions that are true question marks.
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White Sox and Brewers in the World Series?

Mark Polishuk
Crazier things have happened! Maybe not many in the case of the White Sox, but sure! This would be the wildest possible new incarnation of the long-running Milwaukee/Wisconsin vs. Chicago sports rivalry.
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The Cubs won’t be spending on Skubal, but who is a likely starter they’ll actually offer a competitive contract?

Mark Polishuk
I didn’t mention the Cubs when discussing Skubal earlier because you’re right, he’s out of their self-imposed price range. Of course, the Cubs are a big-revenue team who plays in Chicago, and has a glaring need for starting pitching. Plus the club has a lot of money coming off the books this winter. One can easily argue that if the Cubs were ever going to splurge on a signing, it should be for Skubal, arguably baseball’s best pitcher. While the Cubs have almost a full rotation to fill, having Skubal on board as the cornerstone is a rising tide that can lift the whole enterprise.
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Could you see the Reds going after Arozarena or Robert Jr on a chance? Or asking too much of ownership… maybe Bubic for starting support?

Mark Polishuk
The Reds were linked to Robert in past trade talks, so I can see them making some kind of play for him if the O’s decline the club option. Personally, I think Baltimore just exercises the option and makes this moot, but perhaps the Reds could try again on the trade front. Arozarena is definitely too expensive but probably shouldn’t be, given how Cincinnati was ready to stretch their budget for Schwarber last year. Bubic seems like a decent fit but a lot of teams will be looking at him as a lower-cost option.
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Do you think the Cardinals will get a real number one starter?

Mark Polishuk
Nope, or at least not in the sense of bringing in an established ace type. St. Louis is still going to be primarily in rebuild mode, so their goal this winter will surely be to add pitching, but at most perhaps a controllable young arm who has the potential to become a future No. 1.
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Who do you see the Cubs going after to vastly improve their biggest flaw, their bullpen? Via Trades or FA signing(s).

Mark Polishuk
The Cubs will probably spend some real money to sign one particularly strong reliever (Bednar, Morejon, etc.) as the anchor of their pen. This is basically what I suggested earlier for Skubal except at a much lower price, thus making the tactic more feasible for the front office and ownership. With their one “big” acquisition in place for the bullpen, the Cubs probably then turn to their usual tactic of less-expensive relief pickups, with the hope that more of them will hit.
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Dome roof and bullpen blow ups or else the Padres are up 2-0 on the Brewers. Are they done or can they bounce back?

Mark Polishuk
Things admittedly look pretty grim. But, the Padres play great at Petco and anything can happen in a Game 5 if the team can grind out a pair of wins at home.
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How many games does Herrera catch next year?

Mark Polishuk
Behind the plate for 52 games in 2026, and I’d suggest it’s less than that next year. The Cardinals have too many other backstops in need of playing time.

I should also note, there’s a non-zero chance Herrera catches more than 52 games… if he’s dealt elsewhere.
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How much do you buy into the WBC being responsible for Skenes’ struggles?

Mark Polishuk
I can buy it. Different players react to a disruption to their routine in different ways. For Skenes in particular as a player who’s still pretty inexperienced, having an abnormal spring might’ve had a larger impact than the WBC might’ve had on a veteran player. Though, to be fair, we’ve also seen plenty of vets have slow years after playing in the WBC.
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On the playoff format, I think it was Smoltz (maybe another analyst) who made this point on a broadcast, said if your stars are your pitchers, you want the bye for rest. If your stars are hitters, you’d rather play in the wild card and stay hot. Think there is anything to that?

Mark Polishuk
That makes some sense, but again, it’s probably a case by case basis. If players are playing through injuries or just came out of a grueling playoff race, five days’ off can seem like a godsend.
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I would like to see Hall of Fame voting done by a committee of its members. Instead of writers.

Mark Polishuk
Most of the worst players in the HOF got to Cooperstown by having their friends and former teammates (Frankie Frisch, I’m looking at you) run the veterans’ committee for years.
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[mikechamp]

Mark Polishuk
They may not be in the organization yet, unless this Rainiel Rodriguez experiment works out. If Rodriguez is at least passable at third, that makes things very interesting given STL’s crowded catching picture. If Rodriguez remains behind the plate, however, I see this being a spot where the Cardinals can eventually spend some money whenever they decide to start competing. Maybe one of Saggese/Jordan changes the equation with good numbers in 2027, but time will tell.

It’s a good sign that at this relatively early stage in the rebuild, the Cardinals have relatively few positions that are true question marks.

I guess I am not seeing things quite the same way as Mark. To me, 3B, CF and most of the pitching staff are question marks. I wouldn't characterize that as "relatively few" questions marks.

At the same time, I would hope the Cards could trade one of their catchers for a possible 3B or CF candidate, or a #4/5 SP, or a legit set up man.

I know they're excited about Doyle. IMO, Matthews/McGreevy/Liberatore/Pallante/Leahy are all in the #3-5 SP bucket. They really need a legit ace to lead the way, though. Putting that on Doyle's shoulders, or frankly anyone currently in their organization, is asking too much at this point. If Doyle turns into an ace someday, great! Then you have a Verlander/Scherzer situation like DET or a Schilling/Johnson situation like AZ had many moons ago.

I don't see O'Brien as a closer, despite his All-Star year. But in a slightly lower leverage situation, I think he will do fine.

[booger71]

Wasn't Walker a 3rd baseman for most of his career in the minors?

[st.lewis11]

Wasn't Walker a 3rd baseman for most of his career in the minors?

A horrible one