NL Central Update: ST Louis Cardinals
NL Central Update: ST Louis Cardinals
Pitching:
Brett Cecil did suffer a fairly significant hammy injury in the last game before the spring shutdown. He didn't pitch in 2019 after wrist surgery, in 2018 he missed 6 weeks to shoulder troubles. He obviously hasn't been able to stay healthy enough to prove worth his contract. But now we wait and see how serious the injury is and if he needs surgery.
One guy the Red Birds need to show up in a big way at the back end of the pen is Andrew Miller who pitched well below expectations in 2019, to say the least. He was dealing with injuries this spring, but the 34yo should be fine for the 2020 season we do get. The Cards need him to at least be the career player he has been.
On this side of the ball, the Cards have a few options for early extension- Jake Flattery obviously but unlikely because they just renewed his contract. Dakota Hudson, RP- Giovanny Gallegos and John Brebbia are two other guys. I think it's smart to lock down your pitchers early and before their best years for cheap.
Good news for the Cardinals Miles Mikolas did start throwing again after injection to this right arm in February. He rehab should be complete once the 2020 season does get underway.
The Cards did option RHP Jake Woodford to AAA as well.
Hitting:
The Cardinals have a few guys who they need to bounce back and produce better at the plate this season. Paul Goldschmidt who is the review post I said would end up winning the NL MVP, yes I still think that to be true. But he is just so good. He did hit 34HR but his average was off from his career by .037 which is a lot for hitters. I fully expect Goldy to come back from this and be the best player in NL and lead the Cardinals this season to the whatever Playoffs we see.
Matt Carpenter is the next guy to talk about for rebound, but I have had this guy in Fantasy baseball for years and never been so disappointed. But he is 34 and getting older so maybe he's lost a little bit of his edge and maybe a step. But we will see if he continues to trend down as he did in 2019
Another guy whose father time may be coming for is the great Yadi. He had a powerless bat, is caught stealing rate went down and his pitch framing did as well. Let's hope Yadi can continue his HOF career and continue to be great. I sure hope so.
Harrison Bader who was awesome as a defender last year where he had 14 Defensive Runs Saved. But his plate production was poor. He had more strikeouts than in his 2018 standout campaign. For the Cardinal's sake, let's hope that bat matches the defensive production again.
Again I am posting this article for the what could have happened with the almost trade of Albert Pujols/ Ryan Howard in 2010-https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/03/rumor-retrospection-the-would-be-albert-pujolsryan-howard-trade.html
Another awesome article is on the "Butterfly Effects & The Jason Heyward Signing" by Jeff Todd
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/03/butterfly-effects-the-jason-heyward-signing.html
The team also has a few guys that could extend on the offensive side in Kolten Wong who is two years out from free agency, emerging utility man Tommy Edman and maybe even a pre-debut pact with Dylan Carlson. Which we are seeing and could help lock down a potential franchise player during his best years.
On this side of the ball, the Cards have a few options for early extension- Jake Flattery obviously but unlikely because they just renewed his contract. Dakota Hudson, RP- Giovanny Gallegos and John Brebbia are two other guys. I think it's smart to lock down your pitchers early and before their best years for cheap.
The Cards did option OF Austin Dean, Justin Williams, IF Edmundo Sosa to AAA- these moves all make sense as these guys were competing for depth spots and not starting spots and if their best chance was to start in AAA and get a call-up, then that's better in my opinion.
Overall:
After everything, I just wrote about the guys the Cards need some better production from I am not sure how they won the NL Central. But I think The competition will be better from the Reds and the Brewers this season. But the Cardinals are just one those teams who just hang around all season and make the playoffs. which I think is likely to happen.
Pitching:
Brett Cecil did suffer a fairly significant hammy injury in the last game before the spring shutdown. He didn't pitch in 2019 after wrist surgery, in 2018 he missed 6 weeks to shoulder troubles. He obviously hasn't been able to stay healthy enough to prove worth his contract. But now we wait and see how serious the injury is and if he needs surgery.
One guy the Red Birds need to show up in a big way at the back end of the pen is Andrew Miller who pitched well below expectations in 2019, to say the least. He was dealing with injuries this spring, but the 34yo should be fine for the 2020 season we do get. The Cards need him to at least be the career player he has been.
On this side of the ball, the Cards have a few options for early extension- Jake Flattery obviously but unlikely because they just renewed his contract. Dakota Hudson, RP- Giovanny Gallegos and John Brebbia are two other guys. I think it's smart to lock down your pitchers early and before their best years for cheap.
Good news for the Cardinals Miles Mikolas did start throwing again after injection to this right arm in February. He rehab should be complete once the 2020 season does get underway.
The Cards did option RHP Jake Woodford to AAA as well.
Hitting:
The Cardinals have a few guys who they need to bounce back and produce better at the plate this season. Paul Goldschmidt who is the review post I said would end up winning the NL MVP, yes I still think that to be true. But he is just so good. He did hit 34HR but his average was off from his career by .037 which is a lot for hitters. I fully expect Goldy to come back from this and be the best player in NL and lead the Cardinals this season to the whatever Playoffs we see.
Matt Carpenter is the next guy to talk about for rebound, but I have had this guy in Fantasy baseball for years and never been so disappointed. But he is 34 and getting older so maybe he's lost a little bit of his edge and maybe a step. But we will see if he continues to trend down as he did in 2019
Another guy whose father time may be coming for is the great Yadi. He had a powerless bat, is caught stealing rate went down and his pitch framing did as well. Let's hope Yadi can continue his HOF career and continue to be great. I sure hope so.
Harrison Bader who was awesome as a defender last year where he had 14 Defensive Runs Saved. But his plate production was poor. He had more strikeouts than in his 2018 standout campaign. For the Cardinal's sake, let's hope that bat matches the defensive production again.
Again I am posting this article for the what could have happened with the almost trade of Albert Pujols/ Ryan Howard in 2010-https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/03/rumor-retrospection-the-would-be-albert-pujolsryan-howard-trade.html
Another awesome article is on the "Butterfly Effects & The Jason Heyward Signing" by Jeff Todd
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/03/butterfly-effects-the-jason-heyward-signing.html
The team also has a few guys that could extend on the offensive side in Kolten Wong who is two years out from free agency, emerging utility man Tommy Edman and maybe even a pre-debut pact with Dylan Carlson. Which we are seeing and could help lock down a potential franchise player during his best years.
On this side of the ball, the Cards have a few options for early extension- Jake Flattery obviously but unlikely because they just renewed his contract. Dakota Hudson, RP- Giovanny Gallegos and John Brebbia are two other guys. I think it's smart to lock down your pitchers early and before their best years for cheap.
The Cards did option OF Austin Dean, Justin Williams, IF Edmundo Sosa to AAA- these moves all make sense as these guys were competing for depth spots and not starting spots and if their best chance was to start in AAA and get a call-up, then that's better in my opinion.
Overall:
After everything, I just wrote about the guys the Cards need some better production from I am not sure how they won the NL Central. But I think The competition will be better from the Reds and the Brewers this season. But the Cardinals are just one those teams who just hang around all season and make the playoffs. which I think is likely to happen.
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