****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

[DJ's left nut]

That's a BIG win for STL and keeps some key pieces in play for an Arenado deal if there's traction there.

[George Liquor]

Works for me

[Pasta Little Brioni]

That's a solid trade. Jose belongs in the AL too. Good for him.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

That's a BIG win for STL and keeps some key pieces in play for an Arenado deal if there's traction there.

Originally Posted by BDj23

Works for me

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

That's a solid trade. Jose belongs in the AL too. Good for him.

My Rays fans are pissed.

Looks like a solid deal. Looks like Martinez had more value than some people in here thought.

[Marco Polo]

How did this happen? How did Mo make such, what appears to be, a phenomenal trade?! Did TB have to make up for the Pham trade?!

[Miles]

Sounds like a really nice deal.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

My Rays fans are pissed.

Looks like a solid deal. Looks like Martinez had more value than some people in here thought.

Rays are trying to run down the Yankees and stay ahead of Boston.

The Yankees have Paxton and Happ in their rotation (lefties) not to mention a LH closer in Chapman. The Red Sox have Price, Sale, Rodriguez and Perez in theirs (potentially 4 more lefties).

You want to find a spot for a RH contact hitter who puts good swings on lefties but can't play defense to have significant value? My friends, I give you the AL East.

His value in a vacuum is iffy but he's actually a pretty damn good fit in TB for a team that's looking for cost effective ways to hang with two very talented teams with a lot of lefty pitching.

But yeah, your Rays fans should be pissed. And you can take this deal back to it's roots and give Mozeliak quite a bit of credit for it. Martinez was acquired from the Royals for nominal cash considerations and Arozarena was a relatively affordable international signing. Then a little luck to boot when they won the 'lottery' to get their comp balance pick in the A round after the 1st rather than the B round after the 2nd.

I mean the Cardinals gave up a player they acquired for free who simply didn't fit in the NL, a draft pick they were given due to the largess of MLB and an international signing who was largely unheralded at the time.

And in return they got a kid who was considered the best P prospect in his class during the pre-draft run-up (but scared teams off with the possibility of honoring his college commit; turns out he likely overplayed his hand) and who's pitched well since being drafted. Hell, even the C they got appears to have a hell of a stick. Reminds be a bit of Jhon Torres who they got in the Mercado deal; a 'who' of a prospect at the time but a guy who puts bat to ball with authority.

[Marco Polo]

Very interesting trade indeed. Cardinals won’t add Carlson in a potential trade for Arenado. Now they get Liberatore, who, as mentioned earlier, is best friends with Gormon. Coincidence or just another trade chip?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Marco Polo

Very interesting trade indeed. Cardinals won’t add Carlson in a potential trade for Arenado. Now they get Liberatore, who, as mentioned earlier, is best friends with Gormon. Coincidence or just another trade chip?

https://stlbullpen.com/2020/01/06/ca...third-basemen/

Based on recent and career history, Anthony Rendon is the superior player. He has generally drawn walks more frequently and recently, has struck out less frequently. Over the course of his career, Rendon has been a superior base runner, and while Arenado has the stronger career fielding numbers, Rendon has also been defensively stellar and the totality of his statistical profile, assuming you’re willing to acknowledge that Nolan Arenado plays his home games on the moon and should be treated as such, is superior.

...

Assuming Nolan Arenado is what his statistics tell us he is, trading more than spare parts for Nolan Arenado in lieu of signing Anthony Rendon doesn’t make sense under any ideology.

Now I don't necessarily agree that Rendon's a superior player, but the conclusion is definitely sound - they're close enough as to make little difference.

Which is to say this team damn sure does not need additional prospects to get this deal done - they simply need the will.

And if they include prospects it is effectively selling them for the purposes of getting the Rockies to take additional contractual liabilities that would free them up for the Ozuna contract.

This idea that Liberator was acquired to flip to Colorado had better just be typical hyperventilating Bob Nightengale horseshit There's simply no reason for the Cardinals to be going ham in their offer here.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Well to clarify, he's Gorman's best friend and has been since they were 4.

So that's...interesting.

Matthew Liberatore and Nolan Gorman met when they were 5, played baseball with and against each other until they went 16th & 19th overall in the 2018 #MLBDraft and now will reunite in the #STLCards system. Here's a closer look at the longtime best friends: https://t.co/LUe8d7Nt5n pic.twitter.com/zIbYDPSKu9

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) January 10, 2020

[DJ's left nut]

Side note to your Rays fan friends - remind them that they'll REALLY like Hose. Mostly because they won't have to watch him try to field.

He's as nice a guy as you'll find in the game and a genuinely great teammate.

[VAChief]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Side note to your Rays fan friends - remind them that they'll REALLY like Hose. Mostly because they won't have to watch him try to field.

He's as nice a guy as you'll find in the game and a genuinely great teammate.

Who wouldn't enjoy watching a giraffe on ice skates.

[Marcellus]

Mo actually came out good on this, color me shocked.

[Marco Polo]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

https://stlbullpen.com/2020/01/06/ca...third-basemen/



Now I don't necessarily agree that Rendon's a superior player, but the conclusion is definitely sound - they're close enough as to make little difference.

Which is to say this team damn sure does not need additional prospects to get this deal done - they simply need the will.

And if they include prospects it is effectively selling them for the purposes of getting the Rockies to take additional contractual liabilities that would free them up for the Ozuna contract.

This idea that Liberator was acquired to flip to Colorado had better just be typical hyperventilating Bob Nightengale horseshit There's simply no reason for the Cardinals to be going ham in their offer here.

If we somehow get Arenado and get to keep Carlson, Liberator, and Gorman (yes I know we should, but Mo makes dumb deals) and get rid of at least one bad contract, if not more, then I may have to give Mo a pass for a while.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Marco Polo

If we somehow get Arenado and get to keep Carlson, Liberator, and Gorman (yes I know we should, but Mo makes dumb deals) and get rid of at least one bad contract, if not more, then I may have to give Mo a pass for a while.

Rosenthal seems to think this was the first move to ultimately get Arenado.