****The Official 2019 STL Cardinals Thread****

[BigRedChief]

Cardinals announce 25-man Opening Day roster for the 2019 season.

Spoiler!

The Cardinals today announced their 25-man Opening Day roster that includes four first-time Cardinals and 13 players that were developed within their organization.

PITCHERS (12): 60 – John Brebbia-RHP, 22 – Jack Flaherty-RHP, 53 – John Gant- RHP, 49 – Jordan Hicks-RHP, 43 – Dakota Hudson- RHP, 55 – Dominic Leone-RHP, 59 – Mike Mayers- RHP, 21 – Andrew Miller-LHP, 39 – Miles Mikolas-RHP, 29 – Alex Reyes, RHP, 52 – Michael Wacha-RHP, 50 – Adam Wainwright- RHP;

CATCHERS (2): 4 -Yadier Molina, 32 – Matt Wieters;

INFIELDERS (6): 13 - Matt Carpenter, 12 – Paul DeJong, 46 – Paul Goldschmidt, 34 – Yario Muñoz, 33 – Drew Robinson, 16 – Kolten Wong;

OUTFIELDERS (5): 46 – Harrison Bader, 25 - Dexter Fowler, 38 – José Martínez, 41 – Tyler O'Neill, 23 – Marcell Ozuna;

DISABLED LIST (5): 27 - Brett Cecil (10-day, left hand Carpal Tunnel syndrome), 44 – Luke Gregerson (10-day, right shoulder impingement), 18 – Carlos Martínez (right shoulder cuff strain), 3 - Jedd Gyorko (10-day, right calf strain), 67 - Justin Williams (10-day, right hand 2nd metacarpal fracture).

2019 Opening Day Line up

Spoiler!

Starting lineup
Matt Carpenter 3B
Paul Goldschmidt 1B
Paul DeJong SS
Ozuna LF
Yadier Molina C
Dexter Fowler RF
Kolten Wong 2B
Harrison Bader CF

Won the Central Division. Won the NLDS.

NLDS Playoff roster

Spoiler!

Pitchers (12): Miles Mikolas, Jack Flaherty, Adam Wainwright, Dakota Hudson, Genesis Cabrera, Tyler Webb, Andrew Miller, John Brebbia, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, Carlos Martinez.

Catchers (2): Yadier Molina, Matt Wieters.

Infielders (6): Paul Goldschmidt, Kolten Wong, Paul DeJong, Matt Carpenter, Tommy Edman, Yairo Munoz.

Outfielders (5): Marcell Ozuna, Harrison Bader, Dexter Fowler, Jose Martinez, Randy Arozarena.

NLDS Playoff Game 1 starting lineup

Spoiler!

1. Dexter Fowler, CF

2. Tommy Edman, 3B

3. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B

4. Marcell Ozuna, LF

5. Yadier Molina, C

6. Paul DeJong, SS

7. Kolten Wong, 2B

8. Harrison Bader, CF

9. Miles Mikolas, P

NLCS Game One Starting lineup

Spoiler!

1. Dexter Fowler, CF

2. Kolten Wong, 2B

3. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B

4. Marcell Ozuna, LF

5. Yadier Molina, C

6. Matt Carpenter 3B

7.Tommy Edmond RF

8. Paul DeJong, SS

9. Miles Mikolas P

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by VAChief

A series like this, especially early in the year sometimes can help force better personnel decisions. Fowler in center was exposed. Waino more than two times through the lineup is rolling the dice.

Agreed. Maybe Reyes can learn how to thrown a strike, grow up mentally and the 3rd time through the lineup come in for Waino. Would help keep his innings down.

Originally Posted by VAChief

Also ***** Gregerson taking a roster spot up...I get you paid the turd, but that is Cecil/Holland level stupid. While you are at it jettison Leone as well.

You want to win or try to get some production out of money already spent at the expense of the team. You don't think other players know the best option is not out there? If this player didnt get millions, he's not out there.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I think your talking about the ball in the gap that Fowler missed. Bader gets to that ball easily. Its still a 1 run game. Having Fowler out there cost us 2 runs. Defense matters.

No. I was talking about a ball that was "in the gap" but it was really more right field that was just barely left and over Martinez's head and before he can get to the ball Bader came flying in from off camera to cut him off and throw it back in. I want to say it was Baez's double to lead off the 8th inning when they scored 6 runs.

It almost doesn't really matter how bad Bader's bat is because your outfield defense is so ****ing bad that you need him out there if only to be the guy that gives a shit about running a ball down and getting it back in as fast as possible instead of jogging after it.

[Marcellus]

Back in 1st place. I hope the Cubs enjoyed their stay.

In all seriousness, Miles looked sharp last night.We needed that.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

They need to make the following roster moves

Waino to the pen, Martinez to the rotation
Hudson to the pen, Gomber to the rotation
Wacha to the pen/IL to be determined, Gant to the rotation

Totally on board with the 1st 2 options but I can't take Gant out of the role he's in. His stuff is playing up so much in relief whereas it's pretty average as a starter. I'd rather keep him in the bullpen and frankly I'd probably just send Hudson to Memphis to keep him stretched out and get him to focus on fastball command.

Then you see which one of him and Reyes can eventually kick Wacha out of the rotation as well.

Cut Leone and Gregerson, replace with Ponce de Leon

Leone has options - no reason to cut him. Just demote him and let him figure it out. His stuff is solid and he's cheap. With the way pitchers go down, they'll need him at some point. Gregerson, OTOH, I couldn't give a **** less about.

Fowler cannot play in center. The ball he didn't get to that helped blow the inning open last night was a 60% catch probability. Maybe he's regained enough value that you can ship him off while only eating a small portion of his remaining salary. Of course, knowing Mo, he'll let him crater his value and kill his value. I think you just have to ride out Bader's bat and take the elite CF defense, especially if you're going to roll with the two oafs to either side of him.

Bader has to start. There's just no other option. And he's not a terrible hitter he's just a flawed one. He has solid pop, has shown an increased willingness to take walks and is a good baserunner. I'd be surprised if he didn't end up being a positive offensive contributor and that's good enough for arguably the best defensive CFer in baseball.

Funny thing is, this team could have done absolutely nothing since July of last year and actually have been in a better shape both short and long-term

Keep Pham and Voit and the offense and defense are both better, plus the team makes the playoffs. Don't sign Miller and the bullpen is no worse off.

It's really like the FO is trying to crater the team.

That's because John Mozeliak is bad at this.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Totally on board with the 1st 2 options but I can't take Gant out of the role he's in. His stuff is playing up so much in relief whereas it's pretty average as a starter. I'd rather keep him in the bullpen and frankly I'd probably just send Hudson to Memphis to keep him stretched out and get him to focus on fastball command.

Then you see which one of him and Reyes can eventually kick Wacha out of the rotation as well.



Leone has options - no reason to cut him. Just demote him and let him figure it out. His stuff is solid and he's cheap. With the way pitchers go down, they'll need him at some point. Gregerson, OTOH, I couldn't give a **** less about.



Bader has to start. There's just no other option. And he's not a terrible hitter he's just a flawed one. He has solid pop, has shown an increased willingness to take walks and is a good baserunner. I'd be surprised if he didn't end up being a positive offensive contributor and that's good enough for arguably the best defensive CFer in baseball.



That's because John Mozeliak is bad at this.

Are you sure Leone has options? I read differently, but it was random internet chatter.

Regarding Gant: I understand your point, and he is great from the pen, but I wonder if the gulf between an average-slightly above average SP and Wacha is good enough to justify the move.

As far as Hudson goes, I wonder how much you can teach improved fastball command for someone who is already 24 and pitched all through HS and college.

[Jewish Rabbi]

Should have been 4 outs already this inning

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Are you sure Leone has options? I read differently, but it was random internet chatter.

Regarding Gant: I understand your point, and he is great from the pen, but I wonder if the gulf between an average-slightly above average SP and Wacha is good enough to justify the move.

As far as Hudson goes, I wonder how much you can teach improved fastball command for someone who is already 24 and pitched all through HS and college.

Yeah, I was a little surprised as well. But evidently a couple of his minor league stints since being called up have been rehab stints. So he has 1 option left.

On Gant - put PDL in the rotation if you're that committed to removing Gant. Then hopefully Reyes un****s himself and bumps PDL shortly thereafter. At that point your July rotation could look like Flaherty, Mikolas, Martinez, Reyes and Gomber.

You also have Helsley as a possibility there if you get him stretched out. Cabrera's probably pitched himself out of consideration but Woodford may well have moved himself towards the top of the heap. His big problem is gonna be that he's not on the 40 man so they'll exhaust all other options before outrighting someone off first.

Then again, they could outright that Gonzalez kid they picked up right before the season started with no real loss to be had. So if Woodford gets his walk rate dialed down a bit, he could prove himself among our better options as a 5th starter.

In either event, I think you're looking at a relatively short-term problem given that the Cards really want Reyes back in the rotation. That being the case, I just wouldn't dick around with Gant.

As for Hudson's fastball command - maybe it's less about commanding his 4-seamer and more about letting it do the work for him. Not an execution issue but an approach one. He has GOT to stop throwing it at the bottom of the zone because it's gonna run low and everyone knows that now. He needs to go full Julian Tavarez and start throwing it at the middle of the zone while letting it's natural run take over.

Because right now Hudson's the most painful start in baseball to watch, Wainwright and Wacha included. That goddamn guy has got to stop nibbling himself to death.

[Jewish Rabbi]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

My worry right now is that I think the offense will cool somewhat and the SP may absolutely crash. There are some real alarming numbers under the hood here.

The Cardinals did some stuff shortly after LaRussa where they followed a year with unnaturally good string luck on offense with a year of unsustaintably high strand rates with their pitching staff.

The offense looks to have some staying power but the pitching isn't gonna keep stranding 80% of their runners, not when they struggle to generate strikeouts. Hudson, Wacha and Wainwright are borderline MLB starters right now based on their stuff, IMO. Mikolas has better stuff than his results but he just makes too many bad pitches; he's a poor man's Syndergaard right now in that he's just constantly making a bad pitch at a bad time.

The starting pitching to this point has been bad so many folks assume it's gonna improve. Folks - there's a decent chance the results get WORSE. There's a ton not to like about this starting staff.

Personally I think they need to work a lot harder on un-****ing Carlos Martinez and getting his ass in the rotation. They really need any version of the 2015-2017 Carlose Martinez in there.

DJ, this is your fault.

[BigRedChief]

You win 9/10 but then lose 6/7 your not a good team mainly because of your starting pitching.

[Miles]

The team currently has zero quality starts from the pitchers.

[VAChief]

Originally Posted by Miles

The team currently has zero quality starts from the pitchers.

I knew it was bad, that is telling. I am open to renting MadBum if the Giants decide to offer him up.

He isn’t what he was, but if the cost isn’t too high he would be a great add. His WHIP still looks good and he is still getting a K an inning.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by VAChief

I knew it was bad, that is telling. I am open to renting MadBum if the Giants decide to offer him up.

He isn’t what he was, but if the cost isn’t too high he would be a great add. His WHIP still looks good and he is still getting a K an inning.

By that time they’ll be well out of contention, I think.

[VAChief]

Originally Posted by Frazod

By that time they’ll be well out of contention, I think.

Maybe, but every team in the central has flaws.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by VAChief

Maybe, but every team in the central has flaws.

True, but I fear having an undead starting rotation may be a bit of a fatal flaw.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Miles

The team currently has zero quality starts from the pitchers.

Mikolas’s in the last 4 games has an era of 2.5 or something like that. Flaherty is a stud. He will get back on track. But, two pitchers don’t make a staff.

We need Reyes to throw some strikes and get back in the rotation. It would also be great if Martinez would get his damn head on straight. He has stud stuff. Get some mental balls dude. Take something to help you focus beyond a couple of innings.