Official 2017 STL Cardinals Thread

[BigRedChief]

My as well get it started. Here's my "Matheny" lineup.....

Fowler CF
Diaz SS
Carpenter 1B
Piscotty RF
Grichuk LF
Molina C
Peralta 3B
Wong 2B
Pitcher

My "Matheny" Starting rotation

Martinez
Reyes
Wainwright
Lynn
Leake

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Nice deal on Ozuna...wow. Dealt the wrong OF though. You'll see.

[jd1020]

Some names floated by the A's beat writer

St. Louis is looking for prospects off Oakland’s 40-man roster, and though the A’s will not discuss any of their top young players, one name that has been discussed, according to one industry source, is infielder/outfielder Yairo Muñoz. The Cardinals have interest in relief help, too, and previously have asked about Liam Hendriks. Frankie Montas is another possibility, as is power-hitting corner infielder Renato Nuñez, who is out of options.

http://www.sfchronicle.com/athletics..._medium=social

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Nice deal on Ozuna...wow. Dealt the wrong OF though. You'll see.

Dealing Piscotty was a humane and classy move by the team. His mom is dying of Lou Gehrig's disease and Oakland is near where he grew up, so he can spend time with her. It's bigger than baseball.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Dealing Piscotty was a humane and classy move by the team. His mom is dying of Lou Gehrig's disease and Oakland is near where he grew up, so he can spend time with her. It's bigger than baseball.

yeah sometimes it's not about squeezing every nickel out of a business deal. Maybe allowing a man to be closer to his dying mom has merit too.

[jd1020]

The #STLCards have strong offer as well for #Orioles Manny Machado, but not quite as strong as #Whitesox proposal

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 14, 2017

Have to imagine that if the White Sox really want him then there isn't much any one in the league can do about it, he'll be a White Sox. I have to wonder exactly what they are thinking though. They aren't going to compete with him this year so they must believe that they can re-sign him.

[VAChief]

Originally Posted by O.city

I’d like to do the deal and keep Kelly

But if not fine.

Just do it and then pay him

I can live with that deal, but I would like them to work out an extension. You were going to give Stanton his money, start with that add an opt out for his age 31 season and go from there.

Pham
Carpenter
Machado
Ozuna
Delong
Fowler
Molina
Wong

That is a deep lineup

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by jd1020

The #STLCards have strong offer as well for #Orioles Manny Machado, but not quite as strong as #Whitesox proposal

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 14, 2017

Have to imagine that if the White Sox really want him then there isn't much any one in the league can do about it, he'll be a White Sox. I have to wonder exactly what they are thinking though. They aren't going to compete with him this year so they must believe that they can re-sign him.

And also, unless he's just looking for the biggest payday possible, why the **** would he want to play for them?

[jd1020]

Rosenthal wrote this:

The White Sox want to land Machado and sign him long-term before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season, sources said. However, the possibility also exists that the White Sox could flip Machado to another club — most likely the New York Yankees — and secure additional prospects for what already is one of the game’s best farm systems, if not the best.

Thats an angle I hadn't thought of. That would be hilarious. Orioles trying to avoid sending him to the Yankees so they trade him to the White Sox and in-turn they flip him to the Yankees for what the Orioles should have got.

He also mentions that the White Sox offer is centered around their choice between Giolito or Kopech, so the Cardinals would have to include Reyes at the very least to be competitive.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I'm leary of that trade for one year. Even with Ozuna we are not a legitmate threat to win a World Series next year.

In the past I thought our baseball loving fans, history and track record of producing winners would sell itself to FA's. All we had to do was get in the neighborhood of what other teams were offering and we could close the deal. I was confident that this would occurr with Holiday. And it did.

Now, with Meathead in charge, I don't think we can get the same FA's as we once did. Marchado is going to be able to go wherever he wants to go. I just don't feel confident in the resigning to give up so much for one year.

I think part of it is not having that star anchor the players know they're going to play with. For years, it was Pujols, the best player of his generation. Then It was Holliday.

Now? Matt Carpenter and Yadier Molina don't move the needle the same way.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

If they do trade for Machado, they need to immediately offer him 10/350.

[jd1020]

A’s and Cards had agreement on deal/framework for Piscotty deal last night but somethings come up. @susanslusser reports they are trying to rejigger it. Source says “work to do”

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 14, 2017

[VAChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

If they do trade for Machado, they need to immediately offer him 10/350.

Might not be enough, but is worth trying. Probably going to have to add an opt out for him after 5 years.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by VAChief

Might not be enough, but is worth trying. Probably going to have to add an opt out for him after 5 years.

Yep, all these big deals have an opt-out in favor of the player. I suck, your on the hook for the whole package and no trade. The market changes and pay rates go up, I get a new deal even if we are both happy.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Yep, all these big deals have an opt-out in favor of the player. I suck, your on the hook for the whole package and no trade. The market changes and pay rates go up, I get a new deal even if we are both happy.

Giving a guy an opt-out that would fall after his age-31 season is not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, it sucks if he's a total bust, but w/o the opt-out, if he's a bust you're still on the hook for the salary. If he opts out after five years and then goes somewhere else, you actually dodge what the Angels did with Pujols, where you're paying huge money for his decline years. This would actually enable the Cardinals to sign him to a contract that gives them surplus value.

Imagine if the Cardinals had done that with Pujols after 2006 and given him 10/250 (yes, I know he had a different contract and was not a FA). He opts out after 2011 and then signs that deal with the Angels. Do the Cardinals regret that initial opt-out at all?

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

If they do trade for Machado, they need to immediately offer him 10/350.

I just dont see his agent allowing him to take any offer especially this agent.

I could easily see his agent say......

Pujols was offered $200 million when our cable contract was what, $40 million a year if that. Now its $133 million a year plus now they have the money from ballpark village and the 30% profit from Fox Sports Midwest. And their franchise value has went from $144 million to $1.2 BILLION.

You just bet the farm on my client. Traded the last best pieces you have left. Go all in on my client and I'll try to sell it. $400 million for 10 years with no trade clause and opt-out after 5 years.