Nolan Arenado filled a major hole for the 2021 Cardinals, but a pair of third base prospects may give the team an abundance going forward
The pending Nolan Arenado conundrum
Let’s take a deep breath and build a Hall of Fame ballot
There are thirty candidates. Only ten can make the ballot. Let's fake-vote.
Constructing a dream 26-man roster for the last 26 years for every team in Major League Baseball
In which we dig up a years-old thought exercise, modernize it slightly, and do it thirty times
Take Ozzie Smith’s name out of your mouth when making a Omar Vizquel Hall of Fame case
It is impossible for me to conceive of a semi-credible argument for Omar Vizquel, who is presently on his fifth ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, without mentioning the name of Ozzie Smith. Smith, who was elected to Cooperstown on his first ballot, is the embodiment of a specific type of shortstop--one renowned…
Who is the greatest “overpaid” St. Louis Cardinal?
As you have likely heard, but which likely has not yet tangibly impacted your experience as a consumer, Major League Baseball owners locked out its players on December 2. Despite implications from commissioner Rob Manfred, this was not a requirement of MLB owners, as the league's collective bargaining agreement had not expired, but it was…
Wander Franco and the ten Cardinals pre-free agency extensions of the 21st century
Upon being called up to the Tampa Bay Rays on June 22, 2021, twenty year-old shortstop Wander Franco earned the Major League Baseball minimum of $570,500 for the remainder of the season. The extension which Franco signed with the Rays on Tuesday pays him more than that per each of his 308 career MLB plate…
The Steven Matz signing is a good signing as long as it isn’t the only signing
Since debuting with the New York Mets in 2015 as a lesser-but-not-insignificant prospect in the young pitching core that guided the Mets to their first World Series in *checks, assumes it must be many many decades based on how Mets fans discuss their futility* fifteen years, Steven Matz has been an aggressively average pitcher. Both…
Which is the superior Rick Hummel Bit: Matt Cain or Trea Turner?
Sports media is an often far too self-serious business. While most other subsections of the media landscape view sports journalism as access-based propaganda (often true) and no more dignified than entertainment reporting (almost always true), its practitioners frequently treat what they are doing as though asking Giovanny Gallegos what he was thinking when Christian Yelich…
How good is Dakota Hudson, and why will that define the Cardinals’ off-season?
In 2019, the season in which he threw 70% of his Major League Baseball innings to this point in his career, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dakota Hudson accomplished something that had not been seen in Major League Baseball since 2003 and which no pitcher came particularly close to accomplishing in the two subsequent MLB…
If the NL adopts the designated hitter, how should the Cardinals fill the position?
Occasionally lost the hubbub about the pending free agency signing period is that we are looking down the barrel of some contentious labor negotiations. And an oft-cited potential ramification is the institution of the designated hitter in the National League. To be frank, I don't really get it. This isn't because I have a strong…
An alternative to my Just Sign Max Scherzer plan
Yesterday, I wrote a long post about all of the top ticket free agents available this off-season. I noted that Carlos Correa and Corey Seager are great players and will be a wonderful fit for somebody, but that since the St. Louis Cardinals do not have a pronounced weakness at shortstop, with both Paul DeJong…
Which free agent should St. Louis Cardinals fans covet the most?
The time will come, likely quite soon, for keeping our expectations in check. It may soon be time for St. Louis Cardinals fans to talk themselves into how Actually If You Think About It Anthony DeSclafani Is A Game-Changer, but for now, let's fantasize. It's probably a bit unfair to the Cardinals to dismiss immediately…
How the Cardinals helped launch the Atlanta Braves World Series run (and why that shouldn’t bother you)
When it comes to making trades, the primary directive, particularly when dealing with teams which are not your direct divisional rivals, ought to be for teams to improve based on the context of their own specific situation. During the Walt Jocketty era as general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, there was this weird tinge…
The twenty greatest baseball plays of the 21st century
Why yes, Game Six of the 2011 World Series will be present.
Oliver Marmol, like most good managerial hires, is a conventional and boring one
Demographically, there is a fair amount about Oliver Marmol, who it was first reported by The Athletic's Katie Woo and then confirmed by every baseball reporter under the Sun will be announced this morning as the sixty-fifth manager in the history of the St. Louis Cardinals, that is striking. Marmol, upon taking reigns of the…
If Mike Shildt was a baseball problem, an internal option isn’t the solution
Let me start off by saying that I think the decision by the St. Louis Cardinals to relieve manager Mike Shildt of his duties was a very stupid one. Shildt was not a perfect manager--he lacked what I would consider an optimally quick hook when it came to pulling starting pitchers--but he was undeniably successful--his…
If I were the St. Louis Cardinals, I simply would have scored more runs yesterday
0 for 12 with runners in scoring position. Zero extra-base hits. Three totals players who got any hits. The St. Louis Cardinals lost last night and concluded an extremely up-and-down season on a sour note and they have nobody to blame but their offense. Over their final twenty meaningful games in the regular season--until they…
The Cardinals should destroy the Dodgers
I am not a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but I am fascinated by them. For years, while consistently winning the National League West and being among the sport's biggest championship threats, the Dodgers were among the sport's biggest spenders, but they were also building a juggernaut less through big-ticket free agents and more…
A completely objective ranking of the ten MLB playoff teams by likability
If you are a fan of one of the ten teams which will participate in the Major League Baseball postseason of 2021, you don't need these rankings. You will root for your team, and there's nothing more to say about that. And that's the way sports work. Your allegiance is not an intellectual pursuit--it is…
The National League Wild Card game is anyone’s to win
In 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals were heavy underdogs in the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. While the Cardinals had rallied in September to overcome a massive deficit in the Wild Card race, with an 18-8 record in the season's final month, they finished twelve games behind the Phillies, who had arguably…
The (Probably) Cardinals Vaccine Paymaster Belongs in the Hall of Fame
Yesterday afternoon, Kalyn Kahler of Defector dropped a fascinating report, published under layers of anonymity, about a Major League Baseball player, labeled "a possible future Hall of Famer", who took an aggressive approach to making sure his teammates were vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, going so far as to offer payments to vaccine-hesitant teammates in…
These aren’t your father’s (or possibly older brother’s) St. Louis Cardinals
When the St. Louis Cardinals last won the World Series, their current starting catcher, Yadier Molina, was on the field. Adam Wainwright was in the dugout as a Cardinals employee but not a 2011 Cardinals player, having been shelved for the season in Spring Training due to Tommy John surgery. Matt Carpenter had appeared on…
In my opinion, Lars Nootbaar
Is St. Louis's love of its new backup outfielder ironic? Does it matter?
Setting a Cardinals postseason roster (because that’s a thing we can start actually planning out!)
Tomorrow, the St. Louis Cardinals will begin a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, a team with no motiviation. The Brewers clinched the National League Central on Sunday and are mathematically locked into the NL's second seed. Because Brewers manager Craig Counsell is a fairly smart guy, you can rest assured that if the Brewers…
An eight-game winning streak and the validation of two once-maligned trades
If you take a long enough view and accept a narrow enough range of acceptable outcomes, one can both-sides pretty much any baseball trade. For instance, last weekend's visit from the San Diego Padres brought the return of Tommy Pham, whose departure from the St. Louis Cardinals via trade in 2018 was much-maligned and frequently…
So, um, we doing this?
And just like that, the St. Louis Cardinals are in a playoff position. A week ago, the Cardinals were firmly in single-digit odds to make the postseason, trailing both the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds for the National League's second Wild Card spot. And now, the Cardinals' playoff odds, effectively staked entirely in the…
Matt Carpenters don’t grow on trees, either
On Monday night, following Max Scherzer’s excellent outing against the St. Louis Cardinals, one of my admittedly numerous pet peeves sprung up—the deeply retrospective takes that the Cardinals committed historical malpractice by not signing Scherzer, Who You May Have Heard Grew Up In St. Louis And Went To Mizzou, when he became a free agent…
Are the Cardinals overrepresented or underrepresented in Gold Glove victories?
Yesterday, on his daily video for STL Today, columnist Benjamin Hochman asked whether St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado would win the Gold Glove this year. To which I will give you the simple answer: Yes. Should Arenado win the Gold Glove? That's arguably the more interesting question. By Defensive Runs Above Average, Arenado…
The Brandon Dickson and Ali Sánchez promotions are exactly what you think they are
This afternoon, it was reported, initially by Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, that when the St. Louis Cardinals' roster expands from twenty-six to twenty-eight players tomorrow, the new additions will be pitcher Brandon Dickson and catcher Ali Sánchez. The news brought inquisitive replies of "Who?", which is generally not considered a good sign when…
Ranking the 22 seasons of the 21st century St. Louis Cardinals
Yesterday, the Twitter account for the Seeing Red podcast, hosted by the omnipresent Will Leitch and Bernie Miklasz, posted a ranked list of the 22 seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals this century. Here is that tweet. https://twitter.com/seeingredpod/status/1430535458224803847?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet I agree with some of this list and disagree with other parts of it, but also it's…
The Yadier Molina extension is a slam-dunk move for sentiment and a solid move for winning in 2022
Yadier Molina is well past the point where the St. Louis Cardinals should reasonably expect him to be one of the best catchers in baseball. Entering play tonight, Molina's offensive numbers were underwhelming--an on-base percentage just a tick above .300 with just eight home runs amounting to an 86 wRC+--and his defensive metrics, while still…
Adam Wainwright and the greatest 39-and-older seasons in St. Louis Cardinals history
In May of 2018, I flew on an airplane for the first time in my life to and from San Diego. Long-time readers of the blog may remember this. It was a great trip and San Diego is a lovely city with great food, great drinks, and properly celebrated, immaculate weather. And when I got…
The All-Under 30 St. Louis Cardinals Team
On August 7, 1991, the uncontested greatest baseball player of his generation was born. Michael Nelson "Mike" Trout was born thirty years ago today, and while the Los Angeles Angels center fielder began his career as a moderately divisive avatar for old school vs. new school statistical proxy wars, even Trout's most hardened critics were…
An analysis of the Cardinals’ bizarre J.A. Happ and Jon Lester trades
Sometimes, making a move because it is funny is worth it.
How an honest look at the Cardinals’ window should impact their trade deadline
How a pair of 2010s NBA trades inform how the Cardinals should handle the 2021 trade deadline
The eight greatest home runs in St. Louis Cardinals history
Do you want to know the terrifying truth about the 2021 Cardinals, or do you want to see some franchise legends sock a few dingers?
What age is the mid-point for a premier 2021 MLB baseball player? A half-hearted research project
Hello, friends. I was born on January 25, 1989, one day after two notable American League players--Los Angeles Angels pitcher José Quintana and Kansas City Royals second baseman/outfielder Whit Merrifield--and one day before Branden Pinder, a New York Yankees relief pitcher in 2015 and 2016 who is substantially less famous than Quintana or Merrifield. I…
The St. Louis Cardinals are in need of a new front office
It speaks to how successful the John Mozeliak/Michael Girsch era of St. Louis Cardinals baseball has been that the median casual baseball fan who comes across this headline will dismiss this post as the whining of a spoiled baseball brat. I get it. Since the tenure began in earnest following Walt Jocketty's dismissal as general…
The St. Louis Cardinals Aren’t Living in Reality
Two years ago, I wrote a post on this blog about the increasingly obvious culture problem within the St. Louis Cardinals. At the time, the Cardinals were an organization that seemed lost in every sense of the word. They weren’t a particularly exciting team, they were coming off of three straight Octobers without postseason baseball…
The ten greatest players in St. Louis Stars history
Yesterday, Baseball Reference rolled out arguably its most ambitious project since, well, the very first day the website included statistics for every player in the history of the National and American Leagues. It was a project that at once feels long overdue but also like such a research challenge that demanding such a free and…
I promise the Cardinals will be just fine without you
Last night, for the first time since October 12, 2019, the St. Louis Cardinals played a home baseball game played at its full stadium capacity. With 45,494 seats at Busch Stadium, plus the potential for a few thousand more via Standing Room Only spots, the June 14 tilt against the Miami Marlins had the potential…
Should the Cardinals trade for Max Scherzer? A look at the pros and cons
Max Scherzer, 36, is scheduled to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2021 Major League Baseball season. His team, the Washington Nationals, is currently in last place in the National League East, 7.5 games behind the New York Mets and with, per Baseball Prospectus's PECOTA standings, just a 5% chance at reaching…
The peculiar ascent of Tyler O’Neill
There was quite a bit of hype, some of it substantiated and some of it a bit overdone, around several units on the St. Louis Cardinals entering the 2021 season. The corner infield duo of Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt were to fortify the team's offense and defense by themselves. The starting rotation had a…
Why are the worst players in St. Louis Cardinals history?
On Friday night, Seattle Mariners catcher José Godoy made history when he became the 20,000th player in Major League Baseball history. The former St. Louis Cardinals farmhand drew a walk in his second plate appearance, in a game which was not particularly notable beyond the history being made. It does seem weird to give Godoy…
The five St. Louis Cardinals who already have Hall of Fame resumés
Hall of Fame cases are a lot easier to make when you think about the lesser Hall of Famers.
Albert Pujols and the dream final act
After plenty of conjecture and very little tangible evidence, rumors of Albert Pujols reuniting with the St. Louis Cardinals following a nine-plus year stint with the Los Angeles Angels were formally put to bed today when the Los Angeles Dodgers officially announced the signing of the greatest living St. Louis Cardinal to serve, presumably, in…
Tommy Edman, Nolan Arenado, and the Cardinals players who could break a century-old franchise record in 2021
One of the strangest runs in St. Louis Cardinals history may continue beyond this season
Breaking Brad: The great lie of Albert Pujols’s legendary 2005 NLCS home run, and why we should stop telling it
Albert Pujols did not break Brad Lidge. And that makes his home run even better.
The statistical case for (and the emotional case against) signing Albert Pujols
Thursday's news that Albert Pujols, the greatest living St. Louis Cardinal, was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels invited a whole host of emotions. Pujols, in the final year of a ten-year contract which lured the long-time Cardinal to Anaheim in the Fall of 2011, is by any measure a shell of his…
The folly of the beanball war
Even if beanballs weren't dangerous, they are an inherently losing baseball move
St. Louis Bullpen 