I think our window is closing on this "golden" era. Figuring we have 2 years left in this window. After that, Waino, Molina, Holliday, Peralta are on backside of their careers and or done. We can't replace that kind of production in 2 years.

Now, I don't ever see us becoming bottom feeders as long as Mo and the draft and develop philosophy is in place. You get to the playoffs, you never know what will happen. It will have been a fantastic 12 year run. But, all good things must end at some point.

Yeah, it was a good pick. He fell to us in the 20's because most thought he would go play college ball and not sign a professional contract.

20+ teams passed on Trout. Don't know why he was misjudged but it wasn't just a Cardinals issue. 300 players picked before Pujols selected moment in draft lore.

Trout was misjudged because he was from the New England area, didn't play year-round, hadn't faced a lot of elite pitching, and just didn't have the same level of reps. He was a great athlete with 5-tool potential but was considered extremely raw.

He was basically the same package coming out of HS as Bubba Starling, except 2 years younger.

The Cardinals have a lot of good, young, complementary type guys (Carpenter, Wong, Piscotty, Jay, Adams) around/on the way in the everyday lineup and enough great young pitching potential to feel great about that moving forward (with Lynn, Wacha, Martinez, Gonzales, etc).

They just need the centerpiece/superstar to fit into the middle of it.

Heyward has the potential to be that guy, I think. If he breaks out offensively in St. Louis this year, it might just extend that Golden Age you're talking about.

I don't think Bubba's scouting report ever said, "Best player on the planet," as an Angels report did for Trout.

You're right about his drop, though.

:)

FWIW, I'm going to toss out one last nugget:

The guy who just signed the $325 million extension is only three months younger than the guy we just traded Shelby Miller for.

He's also has two years above 3.2 WAR. Heyward has four.

Yeah, he has had much better luck staying healthy than Stanton. That's an important "skill" to possess.

It's one of the things I love about baseball. So many ways to "win" and find value. Heyward and Stanton are great examples of that.

you and Duncan know WAR way better than my superficial top level comprehension but wasn't Heywards high WAR # mainly due to his defensive prowess?

I can admit that It's going to nice to have an OF that can actually throw out a runner.

its hard for me to think of Stanton and Heyward at the same level of worth to a team. :hmmm:

Simply Red has in the past praised Heyward for his good locker room presense, charity work in. The community and the way he treats the fans.

Holliday's contract is up in two years. The Cardinals have worked with Boras successfully in the past. We could give Heyward Hollidays $120 million contract money and not even increase payroll.

That Stanton deal seems nuts... But Miami is stupid.

I texted a buddy who is a braves fan and asked him about Heyward. Said something about "he has forgot how to hit". Personally I am excited about the deal.

Yes, but he's still an above average offensive player due to his ability to get on base at a .350 clip, hit for decent power, and run the bases at an elite level.

He didn't "Forget how to hit." He just isn't going to hit 40 bombs a year like Atlanta Braves fans assumed/thought.

Not to get lazy, but he and Alex Gordon are really very, very similar player in terms of how much value they add and how they add it.

Gordon is a superstar, even though baseball doesn't realize it, because of how good he is across the board. Heyward is the same way.

Its essentially a 6 year deal at 25 million per season. Pretty solid deal.

No its not. He blows out a knee, decides he wants to phone it in now that he got paid or can't physically play baseball ever again, he gets the $325 million. Miami doesn't have an out clause after 6 years.

If any franchise on Earth needs to get ****ed with a decade-plus albatross of a contract it's that ownership group.

I hope that Stanton has a long, productive career, but if he totally craters then I'll smile knowing karma finally slid its meaty cock into Loria's dirtbag ass.

So in terms of Heyward, do you approach him about an extension now or wait?