Winter Meetings: What is on the Cardinals to do list?

With the acquisition of Paul Goldschmidt from the Diamondbacks last week, the Cardinals already checked one item off their to do list for this off season. Although another big bat, like Bryce Harper, would be nice, it doesn't appear to be in the Cards.

So, what is left on the Cardinals to do list for this off season?  Let's take a look:

1.  Strengthen the bullpen, particularly from the left side

The Cards still have two years and $15 million left on the regrettable Brett Cecil contract and while they don't want to make the same mistake again, they still need to strengthen the left side of their bullpen if they want to contend next year.

Derrick Goold indicates that the Cardinals are in on lefties Zach Britton and Andrew Miller.  Both have closing experience, which could allow the Cards to give Jordan Hicks more time to develop before thrusting him into that role.  

However, both Britton (Achilles) and Miller (shoulder) dealt with injuries last year and will not come cheap.  They are in high demand and will likely cost in excess of $30 million over 3 years.  While the Cards have the financial flexibility to make such a deal, its hard to see them go all in on either Britton or Miller after getting burned by Cecil.

If neither of them work out for the Cardinals, they could pivot to the next tier of lefties, such as Justin Wilson, Oliver Perez and/or Tony Sipp.

2.  Add a left handed bench bat, preferably one with some pop

The Cards entered this off season looking for a big bat, preferably one who hits left handed. 

However, they ended up with Goldschmidt.  

While that is all well and good, the Cardinals could still use some pop from the left side to keep opposing teams honest.

According to Goold, they have had talks with Daniel Descalso's agent about a possible reunion and Derek Dietrich is another possibility.  

Beyond that, there's not many appealing options on the free agent market, so the team might have to look inwards and hope they can make do with someone like the switch hitting Tommy Edman or lefty Max Schrock, although neither offers much pop. 

3.  Sort out the outfield logjam

According to Brendan Schaeffer, the Cardinals are going to give Dexter Fowler every opportunity to assume the everyday right field role in 2019.  While that is the PC thing to say, its hard to see him bouncing back from a .180/.278/.298 season that was cut short by a foot injury.

The Cards have Tyler O'Neil waiting in the wings, but he strikes out a ton (57 times in 130 at bats) and may not hit much better.

That leaves Jose Martinez.  He was the second best hitter on the team, in terms of OPS (behind only Matt Carpenter) and while his defense is much maligned, his DRS of -6 is only slightly worse than Fowler's -5 and his UZR of -1 is actually better than Fowler's -5.2 mark.

Long story short, I wouldn't give up on Martinez just yet.  While they are unlikely to be able to trade away Fowler and his hefty contract, especially given his down year, they could be willing to relegate him to a 4th outfielder/defensive replacement role.

In any case, it should be an interesting week.

How can the Cardinals upgrade their bench?

The Cardinals bench leaves a lot to be desired.  As a team, the Cardinals subs are hitting just .198 with a .555 OPS. 

Other than backup catcher Tony Cruz, who is hitting .292, and Jon Jay, who is hitting .279 while splitting time in center with Peter Bourjos (.210), the Cardinals have gotten little or no production from their bench.

Other than those two, the Cards do not have anyone on their bench hitting over the Mendoza line.  Utility infielder, Daniel Descalso, is not known as a great hitter, but his .172 average is far below his normal level.  Backup second baseman Mark Ellis is hitting .181 and the 5th outfielder shuttle of Shane Robinson (.156), Randal Grichuk (.143) and Joey Butler (0 for 5) haven't fared much better.

So, how can the Cardinals improve their bench?

Well, for one, they can promote Oscar Taveras or Stephen Piscotty.  Taveras is hitting .325/.373/.524 and Piscotty is hitting .292/.330/.426 for AAA Memphis.  Either one could be an upgrade over Robinson and could rotate in the outfield spots to give the team's veterans a rest.

Another potential upgrade would be Aledmys Diaz as a utility infielder.  Unfortunately, he has been sidelined since April 26th due to a shoulder injury.  However, once healthy, he would be a upgrade over Deslcaso and is capable of playing second, third and short.

As for Ellis, the Cards are probably stuck with him, as he is looking like this year's version of Ty Wigginton.  Hopefully the team has learned their lesson and will stop signing 35+ year old veteran infielders to fill out their bench. 

Finally, although Tony Cruz has hit well in his limited role as Yadier Molina's backup, the team needs to find someone that Mike Matheny can rely on more so that he doesn't overwork Molina.  Yadi played in 136 games last year and it showed in his second half numbers.

In the first half of the season, Molina hit .341/.386/.489, but he finished the year hitting just .280/.309/.456.  Some extra rest here and there would do a lot to ensure that drop off does not happen again. 

Unfortunately, the Cardinals best catching prospects, Steve Bean and converted third baseman Carson Kelly, are both splitting catching duties for low A Peoria and are not an option, so any catching help will have to come from the outside. 

There are some internal options to improve the bench.  We could see one of those options (most likely Taveras) as early as June 4th and, once he's healthy, Diaz should be able to replace Descalso.  Those two could go a long way to improving the overall performance of the bench.

Does the Cardinals' Greg Garcia have what it takes to start at second base?

With the demotion of Kolten Wong and the promotion of infielder Greg Garcia, fantasy baseball players everywhere were left asking the question:  Will Greg Garcia start?

Its a legitimate question, as the Cardinals other option, Mark Ellis, is currently hitting .100 (2 for 20), however, is Garcia a legitimate starting second baseman for a major league team?

Short answer--probably not, but that's not to say that Garcia doesn't have his merits.

Over 5 seasons in the minors, he has compiled a .280/.385/.411 line.  He has a little pop, with a career high 10 homers in 2012 and he can steal a base on occasion,  with 14 stolen bases in 2013.

However, what is most impressive about Garcia is his eye and ability to get on base.  In his 2012 breakout season, he drew 80 walks against 83 strikeouts finishing the year with a .408 OBP. 

His minor league stats are very similar to Ellis, who put up a .293/.393/.419 line in the minors prior to his first callup.

Best case scenario - Garcia, who hits left handed, forms a platoon with the right handed Ellis and gets the majority of the at bats while Wong sorts things out in the minors.

Worst case scenario - Garcia spends a month with the team as a pinch-hitter, defensive replacement before being sent back down to the minors when Wong is deemed ready.

While its unlikely that Garcia will make a big impact during his current stay, he could eventually replace the light-hitting and overused Daniel Descalso as the Cardinals primary utility infielder.

Catching up with the Cardinals

Well, as often happens with 3 kids and a demanding job, life got in the way of blogging the last couple weeks, so let's all catch up on what's happened during that time.

First, the Cardinals finalized their opening day roster, with the Spring Training Battles being decided, as follows:

5th Starter

Despite having a superior spring, Carlos Martinez was relegated to the bullpen, where his power arm was more desperately needed.  Joe Kelly "won" the 5th starter job, more on last season's performance than this spring's results, which is probably how it should be.

Bench

Thanks in part to an injury to Mark Ellis, both Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma made the opening day roster, along with 4th outfielder Shane Robinson. 

One of Descalso or Kozma will have to go when Ellis is healthy and, if the recent trade rumors are any indication, it will probably be Kozma. 

As for Robinson, he's likely just keeping the seat warm until Oscar Taveras, Stephen Piscotty or even Mike O'Neill is deemed ready to take over the 4th outfield spot. 

Bullpen

The battle for the last bullpen slot came down to Jorge Rondon and Keith Butler, with Butler winning the job.  However, with Jason Motte expected back in early May, it will be interesting to see what the Cards do. 

Will they send Martinez down to stretch him back out as a starter or will they keep him in the pen and jettison Butler?  My hope is that Martinez will be sent down, but the team may keep him up out of necessity, as it already appears that Mike Matheny has few relievers he trusts in the pen.

The Season so Far

With the roster set, the Cardinals have faced the Reds and Pirates in their first 6 games and come out of the road trip with a 3-3 record.  They return home to face the Reds and Cubs this week.

While not a bad road trip, the lack of offense so far is a little bit of a concern.  The Cardinals have scored only 17 runs in those 6 games, including 4 games where they have scored two runs or less.  Hopefully their bats will warm up with the weather.

Overall, not a bad start, but not great either.  Hopefully the Cardinals can make some noise on this 6-game home stand and carry the momentum going forward.

Cardinals Spring Training Battle #3: The Bench

With the start of the season only 8 days away, its time to look at the final Spring Training Battle for the Cardinals--the bench.

The Cards recently announced that Kolten Wong had beaten out Mark Ellis for the starting second base job, which means that the starting lineup is pretty much set, if not the batting order.

Here's how the team lines up:

Catcher - Yadier Molina
First Base - Matt Adams
Second - Kolten Wong
Shortstop - Jhonny Peralta
Third - Matt Carpenter
Leftfield - Matt Holliday
Center - Peter Bourjos
Rightfield - Allen Craig

Ellis and Jon Jay are likely guaranteed a spot on the bench along with Tony Cruz at backup catcher.  That leaves just 2 spots open on the bench. 

The leading contenders are Daniel Descalso, Pete Kozma, Randal Grichuk and Shane Robinson.  Its likely that the Cards will keep one more outfielder and one more infielder.

Here's a look at each contender:

Pete Kozma

The main advantage for Kozma is that he is the best shortstop on the team defensively.  If the Cardinals feel they need a defensive replacement for Peralta late in games, then Kozma may be the man.  However, with trade rumors already swirling around him, it appears that the Cards are ready to part ways with Kozma.

Daniel Descalso

Descalso may have an edge in the infield battle as he can play second, short and third and is a better hitter than Kozma.  However, with a career .243 average and .655 OPS, he should not feel too comfortable.  Aledmys Diaz is waiting in the wings in the minors and, as soon as he proves himself ready, he could easily fill Descalso's role, but with an higher offensive upside.

Shane Robinson

Robinson was the Cardinals 5th outfielder last year and hit .250/.345/.319 in just 144 at bats.  He is versatile, playing 26 games in left, 27 in center and 34 in right, but with a career .246 average and .644 OPS, his hitting leaves much to be desired.  If the Cardinals value his defense and versatility, he will likely make the team.  However, if they are looking for a little more pop off the bench, they may go in another direction.

Randal Grichuk

Acquired from the Angels in the David Freese trade, Grichuk is also capable of playing all 3 outfield positions.  In addition, he has a bit more pop than Robinson.  Robinson had only 22 homers in his minor league career, while Grichuk hit 22 homers last year alone and has 61 for his career.

Again, whoever wins the job may be there only temporarily as the Cardinals will likely promote top prospect Oscar Taveras, when the deem him ready.

Prediction

The Cardinals will probably go with Descalso and Grichuk to start the season.  But look for Diaz and Taveras around mid-season.

Bird's Eye View: Cardinals Season Preview

Each year, a group of us Cardinals bloggers puts together a newsletter that is e-mailed out before each series.  The bloggers take turns writing the newsletter, so you get a different style and viewpoint each time.

This year, we put together a season preview as well.  I did the writeup on the infield, while other bloggers discussed the lineup, outfield, bench, defense, starting pitching, bullpen, manager and front office.

Here's a sneak peak at my section:

The Cardinals infield underwent some significant changes over the winter, as the team looked to shore up its defense while also improving the offensive production from the shortstop position.  Here’s a position-by-position look at the Cards 2014 infield.

First Base

With the free agency departure of Carlos Beltran, Allen Craig moves to right field to replace him and Matt Adams steps into a full-time role at first base.  After hitting .284 with 17 homers in just 296 at bats, Cardinals fans are excited to see what numbers Adams can put up in a full season.

Second Base

The departure of David Freese caused the biggest shake-up, allowing Matt Carpenter to move to his natural third base position and opening the door for rookie Kolten Wong at second.  Wong didn’t hit much in his limited exposure to big league pitching last season (.153 in 59 at bats), but is a career .301/.365/.446 hitter in the minors.

Third Base

Matt Carpenter takes over at third for the departed Freese.  He hit .318/.392/.481 and finished 4th in the MVP voting last season.  His shift to third and the addition of Wong at second should greatly improve the Cardinals’ defense at those positions.

Shortstop

Obviously displeased with the offensive production they received from the shortstop position in 2013, which finished 13th in the league in OPS (.583), the Cardinals quickly addressed that issue in the offseason by signing Jhonny Peralta to a 4-year, $53 million contract.  While the Cards may lose a little bit defensively over the displaced Pete Kozma, Peralta, and his career .755 OPS, should make up for it offensively.

Utility

The Cardinals brought in second baseman Mark Ellis as an insurance policy for rookie Kolten Wong and holdovers Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma should back up the other positions.  The X factor is recently signed Cuban defector Aledmys Diaz.  Capable of playing second, third or short, he could replace Descalso or Kozma on the Cards bench when ready.

 

If you're interested in seeing the rest of the season preview as well as receiving the newsletter before each series, you can signup using the following link:

 

BEV Signup

 

Thanks and Go Cards!

Cardinals sign Aledmys Diaz. But where will he play?

According to Jennifer Langosch (and other) the Cardinals have signed infielder Aledmys Diaz to a major league deal.  The team did not release details, but it is believed to be for 4 years. 

This represents the biggest investment ever by the Cards in a Cuban player and while that is all fine and good, the first question I asked myself is where will he play?

According to scouts, Diaz is capable of playing second, third and short.  However, the Cardinals currently have Kolten Wong, Matt Carpenter and Jhonny Peralta manning those positions.  Carpenter just received an extension from the Cards, which has him under team control through 2019.  Peralta was signed as a free agent through the 2017 and Wong is under team control through 2019.  So, there is no obvious spot for the young Cuban.

But there are some scenarios under which he could make an impact this season:

1.  Kolten Wong struggles

This is Wong's first full season in the majors.  He was a September callup last year and hit an uninspiring .153 in 59 at bats (small sample size rules apply).  However, he is a career .301/.365/.446 hitter in the minors.

He could hit the ground running or he could struggle in his first extended taste of the bigs.  If its the latter, look for Diaz to get the call.

2.  Someone gets injured

Obviously, the addition of Diaz gives the Cardinals some much needed infield depth.  Behind the starting 3, there is only Daniel Descalso, Pete Kozma and Mark Ellis.  Ellis has only really played second base in his career and while Descalso and Kozma can play short, neither is a very good hitter.

Diaz would give the Cards a decent hitting backup to Wong, Carpenter or Peralta, should they get injured and would not be as big of a downgrade as Kozma or Descalso would be.

3. Trade

The Cardinals could decide to jettison one of their infielders for an upgrade elsewhere.  This doesn't seem likely though, as it appears that the Cards are committed to Carpenter, Peralta and Wong on the infield.

4.  Utility Infielder

This seems to be the most likely scenario.  With his ability to play 3 different positions, Diaz could become a better hitting version of Descalso.  Despite hitting a meager .238 with a .656 OPS last season, Descalso still managed to play in 123 games last season "earning" 328 at bats.  He played 39 games at second, 55 at short and 38 at third.

Diaz does not have a lot of pop, but he showed the ability to hit for average, batting .315/.404/.500 with 12 homers and 11 stolen bases in his last season in Cuba.  In fact, Diaz' presence could spell the end of Descalso's career with the Cards.

My guess is that the Cardinals will start Diaz in the minors to get him accustomed to American baseball.  Ones he proves himself, he will get called up to play a utility role. He could get significant playing time if there is an injury or Wong struggles, so I could see him getting around 300 at bats.

Johnny Peralta signing sets the Cardinals lineup. But what about their bench?

With the signing of Johnny Peralta, the Cardinals starting lineup is set for 2014.  As of right now, the 2014 lineup would look like this:

C - Yadier Molina (Right handed)
1B - Matt Adams (Left handed)
2B - Kolten Wong (L)
SS - Johnny Peralta (R)
3B - Matt Carpenter (L)
LF - Matt Holliday (R)
CF - Peter Bourjos (R)
RF - Allen Craig (R)

Jon Jay (L) will be relegated to the bench and Oscar Taveras (L) will likely start the season in AAA.  However, once Taveras is ready its likely that the Cardinals will trade Jay to make room for him.

With Daniel Descalso (L) likely acting as utility infielder and Tony Cruz (or some other seldom used catcher) acting as Molina's backup, the Cardinals will still have two spots to fill on their bench.

Shane Robinson (R) could fill one spot, as the 4th or 5th outfielder, but the Cardinals could use a right handed hitter for their bench, particularly one who can play the infield (2B, 3B and 1B), as they've got an abundance of lefty-hitting infielders.

Pouring over the options, I think the Cardinals should pursue Jeff Baker.

Not only is he capable of playing 1B, 2B, 3B and the corner outfield spots, but he kills lefties.  For his career, he has hit .298/.353/.522 against left handers, including 35 homers in 751 at bats.  Plus, even though he is 32, he showed no signs of slowing down in 2013, hitting .297/.390/.653 including 10 homers in 101 at bats against lefties.

He would be the perfect compliment to a primarily left handed infield and would basically fill the role that Ty Wigginton was suppose to fill last year.

Could Kolten Wong end up being traded?

Earlier, I made the case for keeping David Freese (along with Matt Carpenter and Kolten Wong).  In his chat today, Jeff Gordon backed me up, indicating that Matt Carpenter is probably the Cardinals long-term second baseman and that the Cards are unlikely to trade Freese.  However, he surprised me a bit by indicating that Wong is expendable. 

Here's Gordon's quote:

Matheny's proclamation that Carpenter is the league's best 2B tells you that Matt will play 2B here for a long, long time. And there is no need to run off David Freese any time soon. With Descalso firming up his utility value, that clearly blocks Wong. Other teams will be on this.

So, while I suggested that Daniel Descalso could be the odd man out, it appears, to Gordon at least, that Wong is the guy that could be moved.

It makes sense, in that you could get more in return for a top prospect like Wong (perhaps the Cardinals could use him to acquire Cliff Lee).  I'm not sure if this is a move the Cards will make in July, as they don't really have an abundance of needs at this time.  Sure, someone like Lee would be great, but is he really necessary?

More likely, the Cardinals will wait until the end of the season and assess their organizational depth and how to sort it all out. 

As Joe Strauss points out, the Cards are in an envious position, with an abundance of major league ready talent as well as money to spend heading into next season.  What they do with all that leverage remains to be seen.

Should the Cardinals trade David Freese? I don't think so.

After a slow start to the season, which included a stint on the D.L., and a hot start by Kolten Wong at AAA, many Cardinals fans were thinking that the team should trade David Freese, put Matt Carpenter at his natural position (third) and call up Wong.

It got so bad that even Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports picked up on it, saying that trading David Freese made sense financially, as Freese earns $3 million and will likely get a raise through arbitration during the offseason.

However, sometime its not always about the money.

Freese, a World Series hero and local kid made good would sorely be missed, not just by the Cardinals fans who love him, but also because he is an important cog in the Cardinals lineup.

Its no surprise that in April, when Freese was struggling with a .163/.255/.204 line, the Cardinals went 15-11 for a .577 winning percentage.  However, in May, when Freese turned things around and hit .299/.365/.429, the Cardinals were 20-7 (.741).  Put another way, in games that the Cardinals have won, Freese has hit .330/.416/.450 and in games that the Cards have lost he has only hit .194/.231/.258.

That's not to say that Freese is the most important piece of the Cardinals offense, but he is an important piece and the offense works best when everyone is clicking.

I think it doesn't have to be a case of Wong vs Freese.  I think the Cardinals could carry both players next year (along with Carpenter) and make it work.

Here's the plan.  The Cardinals rotate Freese, Wong and Carpenter at the second base and third base positions next year.  On days that Carpenter starts at second, Wong can come in as a late inning defensive replacement.  In addition, by rotating the players, it would help keep Freese, a notoriously injury prone player, fresh and (hopefully) healthy.

Its not a perfect plan, but it might allow the Cardinals to trade Daniel Descalso or, better yet, dump little used Ty Wigginton, while improving their bench as a whole. (In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing the Cardinals release Wigginton and call up Wong now, but that's a discussion for another day).

Overall, I think that by keeping Freese, Carpenter and Wong, the Cardinals will be a better team in the long run.

Cardinals cut ties with infielder Ronny Cedeno.

In a move that is mildly surprising, the Cardinals released infielder Ronny Cedeno yesterday.

Cedeno, who was brought in as a backup to Rafael Furcal, quickly became expendable when it was determined that Matt Carpenter could handle the second base job and Pete Kozma won the short stop job.  This allowed the Cardinals to use Daniel Descalso as their backup short stop and, with Ryan Jackson and Greg Garcia waiting in the wings, Cedeno became redundant.

What this also means is that the Cardinals now have a bench spot open for hard-hittin' Matt Adams.

Adams has hit well this spring (.304/.333/.565 with 3 homers) and deserves a bench spot.  What's more, the Cardinals probably could use his left handed bat off the bench.  With a projected lineup that features only 2 lefties (John Jay and Matt Carpenter), having a left handed bat off the bench, especially one with power, could definitely come in handy.

In addition, with 2 open spots on the 40 man roster, the Cardinals will be keeping a close eye on the waiver wire to see if a team tries to pass anyone useful through.  However, that is pretty unlikely.  More likely the Cardinals will use those 2 spots for a couple players that could help them this year, such as Michael Wacha and Oscar Taveras.

With Cedeno out of the picture, the only battle for the Cardinals bench appears to be that of Shane Robinson and Adron Chambers for 4th outfielder. 

On the pitching side, there are still a few things to sort out, such as the 5th starter and whether the loser of that battle will end up in the pen or at AAA.

But we've still got 11 days to figure that out.

Cardinals second base battle to continue into the season

According to Derrick Goold, the Cardinals second base battle will continue into the regular season, with "performance and need dictating the starter."

What does this all mean?

Well, it means that what once started as an experiment to find another way to get Matt Carpenter's bat into the lineup and make him into a super utility player is quickly becoming a potential regular gig for Carpenter.

With the recent news that Rafael Furcal is done for the season, the Cardinals are probably looking for more offense from their middle infield positions.  Pete Kozma could provide some offense at short, but he is still an unknown quantity, having only played 42 games in the majors.

Carpenter, on the other hand, has hit .283/.359/.447 in 311 at bats in the majors, including a .294/.365/.463 line in 2012.  Getting regular at bats at second for him could help offset the loss of Furcal.  In addition, it gives the Cards the opportunity to use Daniel Descalso at short.

With both Descalso and Carpenter hitting left handed, the Cardinals cannot use a straight platoon with them.  More likely, Carpenter will start the majority of games with Descalso coming off the bench as a defensive replacement late in games. The Cardinals could also choose to start Descalso when sinkerballer Jake Westbrook is on the mound.

In any case, the Cardinals appear comfortable with Carpenter at second and it may be Descalso who now holds down the super utility role.

Early look at Cardinals Spring Training battles

Heading into this spring, there were two key spots that were up for grabs for the Cardinals, second base and 5th starter.  After one week of games, here's how those battles are shaping up:

Second Base

This is a 3 horse race between incumbent Daniel Descalso, convert Matt Carpenter and rising prospect Kolten Wong. 

After a down season offensively last year, Descalso is fighting to hold onto his job this spring.  He plays solid defense, but his lack of offense hurts him.  He is hitting .250 (3 for 12) so far this spring.

Carpenter, on the other hand, has shown the ability to hit in the majors, but it remains to be seen if he can handle the position defensively.  He is hitting .273 (3 for 11) so far.

Wong, who is excellent defensively, is expected to develop into a solid hitter.  However, he probably needs more time to develop.  He is hitting .333 (3 for 9) this spring.

Overall, I expect Descalso to hold onto the job.  Carpenter will end up as a super utility player and Wong will likely start the season in AAA.  However, if Wong gets off to a fast start in the minors, a mid-season callup is not out of the question.

5th Starter

Here's where things get really interesting.  The Cardinals have 3 pitchers vying for the 5th starter job, Shelby Miller, Trevor Rosenthal and Joe Kelly. 

Miller is considered the favorite, but early shoulder discomfort set him back a week or so and he has yet to pitch in a spring game.

Rosenthal has made two appearances so far this spring.  His first outing, in which he admittedly was pressing, was a bit of a disaster, allowing 4 runs in 2 IP.  He bounced back nicely yesterday, allowing just 1 run in 3 IP. 

Despite his stellar efforts filling in for injured starter Jaime Garcia last season, Kelly is kind of the forgotten man in this year's battle.  He is making his first appearance this spring today and we'll see if he can impress the Cardinals enough to edge out the higher upside competition.

It should be noted that, after two stellar outings, Michael Wacha has entered into the conversation for the 5th starter spot.  However, I think it is in his (and the Cardinals) best interest for him to start the season in the minors.

Overall, I still can see Miller winning this battle, with Kelly being the long man in the Cards bullpen and Rosenthal starting the season at AAA as the Cardinals "6th" starter.  However, at this point the race is still wide open.

I will continue to keep an eye on these battles each week, so stop by each Friday for updates.