Quote:
Originally Posted by Marcellus
I wonder if not picking up the option on Carpenter and Martinez had something tho do with it.
|
No.
A) Nobody in the organization likes Martinez. And he left the team after he got hurt while a short-termer like Wade LeBlanc stuck around even after his season was over. Shildt is more than happy to see Martinez go.
B) Why would Shildt give a rip that the Cardinals elected not to pay Matt Carpenter $18 million? Yes, he occasionally played him, but he also mostly buried him down the stretch. If he really wanted Carpenter back, he knows full well that the move is still to decline the option. Carpenter knew that the option was going to be declined.
No, Shildt didn't go to war over those 2.
It's almost certainly a Jeff Albert thing, IMO. That or payroll. He either wanted an organizational shift in hitting philosophy after seeing the offense go dark (again) vs. the Dodgers or he wanted to see the Cardinals add a big bat or big arm in the offseason as was told no.
Hell, it might've been both. Time will tell.
But if the rumors are true and Mozeliak fired the guy over the phone and Shildt was blindsided by it, then I think it's pretty clear that Shildt found his voice, announced his displeasure at the direction of the team and was cut off at the knees for not genuflecting at the altar of the mighty Mozeliak.