Tweet
Not signing Maddux was a good move no matter what we pay Albert.
First, he would have been another older starter who at best had 2 or 3 years left as an effective player. We already got one called Williams. Two would have kept the Cardinals from developing any young pitchers this year. This year the question about Marquis will be answered (barring injury) because he is going to have to pitch. We may find out about Calero, Wainwright or some others because I am not sold on Carpenter until or if he pitches and Matt ain't exactly been Mr. Healthy. If you go back and look at the rosters for the Cardinals over the last five years you will find guys that basically where here for a year or two and left. What makes the Cubs so powerful is that they have four guys that should be their for a while - we all know what Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux where able to do in Atlanta.
At one time it looked like Morris, Kile and Ankiel was the future. That no longer applies - the key all the time was Ankiel - because he was left handed and he was cheap - he might still be a big part of the puzzle.
If Marquis can pitch as a 1 or a 2 and Ankiel comes back to his rookie level as a solid 3, and you can get Wainright and Haren (who wasn't that bad - considering he was exposed by Tony in back to back series against San Fran that just made no sense among other things) to be effective 4 and 5 then Morris ain't going nowhere and you could actually afford him as the one high paid horse. If those guys don't develop we can't compete anyway because of the money tied up in offense. So we have bit a bullet that makes sense to me.
This may be the worst season for the Cardinals for a while but it could set a great foundation for the future.
The best overall, offensive and defensive infield in baseball.
The outfield needs to be replaced with all young guys who can just run, bunt well, steal a base, and no what a walk looks like - the opposite of what we have now but it really shouldn't be that hard to find once Tony rides off into the sunset this year. They too should be real cheap.
So you will have a cheap but defensively good outfield - a powerfull expensive infield (except at 2nd) - and a one highly paid pitcher and the rest of the young Cardinal guns pitching.
It could work.
First, he would have been another older starter who at best had 2 or 3 years left as an effective player. We already got one called Williams. Two would have kept the Cardinals from developing any young pitchers this year. This year the question about Marquis will be answered (barring injury) because he is going to have to pitch. We may find out about Calero, Wainwright or some others because I am not sold on Carpenter until or if he pitches and Matt ain't exactly been Mr. Healthy. If you go back and look at the rosters for the Cardinals over the last five years you will find guys that basically where here for a year or two and left. What makes the Cubs so powerful is that they have four guys that should be their for a while - we all know what Glavine, Smoltz and Maddux where able to do in Atlanta.
At one time it looked like Morris, Kile and Ankiel was the future. That no longer applies - the key all the time was Ankiel - because he was left handed and he was cheap - he might still be a big part of the puzzle.
If Marquis can pitch as a 1 or a 2 and Ankiel comes back to his rookie level as a solid 3, and you can get Wainright and Haren (who wasn't that bad - considering he was exposed by Tony in back to back series against San Fran that just made no sense among other things) to be effective 4 and 5 then Morris ain't going nowhere and you could actually afford him as the one high paid horse. If those guys don't develop we can't compete anyway because of the money tied up in offense. So we have bit a bullet that makes sense to me.
This may be the worst season for the Cardinals for a while but it could set a great foundation for the future.
The best overall, offensive and defensive infield in baseball.
The outfield needs to be replaced with all young guys who can just run, bunt well, steal a base, and no what a walk looks like - the opposite of what we have now but it really shouldn't be that hard to find once Tony rides off into the sunset this year. They too should be real cheap.
So you will have a cheap but defensively good outfield - a powerfull expensive infield (except at 2nd) - and a one highly paid pitcher and the rest of the young Cardinal guns pitching.
It could work.
Comment