Cardinals Hall of Fame Vote

In case you've missed it, in connection with the opening of the Cardinals' Ballpark Village, the team is letting fans vote on the two former Cardinals that they would like inducted into the Cardinals' Hall of Fame.  You can vote over at the Cards website (link) and select two players from the following list:

1. Jim Edmonds
2. Bob Forsch
3. Keith Hernandez
4. Willie McGee
5. Mark McGwire
6. Matt Morris
7. Ted Simmons
8. Joe Torre

The United Cardinals Bloggers are all making our selections for the Cardinals Hall of Fame as part of our April project.  Here are the two players I am voting for and why:

Ted Simmons

One of the best hitting catchers of his time, Simmons is often overlooked as he played during the same era as Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Carlton Fisk. 

In a 2013 version of the 50 Best Baseball Players not in the Hall of Fame, former senior research associate for the Hall of Fame, Bill Deane, wrote this about Simmons:

As a teenager in the mid-1970s, I’d hear people debating about who was the best catcher in baseball: Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, or Thurman Munson? I’d say, “What about Ted Simmons? The guy hit .332 with 100 RBI!” I’d get only puzzled looks from people who were barely aware that St. Louis had a team.

That exemplified Simmons’s problems in getting attention throughout his career: He played in media-Siberias and was overshadowed by two contemporary HOF catchers. But consider their average HR-RBI-AVG stats from 1971-80: Bench (27-93-.263), Fisk (16-57-.285), Simmons (17-90-.301).

Ted Simmons retired as the all-time leader in hits and doubles among catchers, and ranked second in RBI behind only Yogi Berra. Only Ivan Rodriguez has surpassed him in those categories since.

Simmons was one of the ten best all-around catchers in baseball history. He deserves serious consideration for Cooperstown.

 If the Baseball Hall of Fame won't honor Simmons, then I would make him the first Cardinals player voted into their Hall of Fame. 

Bob Forsch

I'll admit to a bit of personal bias here, as Forsch was one of my personal favorites growing up, but there is no question that Forsch had an outstanding career as a Cardinal.

His name litters the Cardinals record book:

• 3rd in career wins (163), behind Bob Gibson and Jesse Haines
• 5th in career strikeouts (1,079)
• 3rd in career innings (2,658.2)
• 2nd in games started (401)
• 4th in total games (455)
• 9th in career shutouts (19)
• The only pitcher in Cardinals history with two no-hitters

He was pretty good with the bat too, hitting .213 for his career with 12 homers.

Sure, he wasn't as dominant as Gibson, but he had a career 3.67 ERA with the Cards and a .562 winning percentage.  He helped set the tone for the Cardinals victory over the Atlanta Braves in the 1982 playoffs, shutting out the Braves in the first game and was part of the Cards 3 World Series teams during that decade.

So, for those reason, and because I had a serious man-crush on him back in the day, he's my second choice for the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

What's yours?

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!

UCB Roundtable: Which rookie will have the biggest impact in 2014?

As part of the United Cardinals Bloggers Annual Spring Roundtable, today I got to ask the question for discussion.  What I originally thought would be a straight-forward question turned into a bit more.

Here is the question I posed and the resulting discussion.

Question: 

Despite several prospects graduating to the big leagues last season, including Shelby Miller, Matt Adams, Trevor Rosenthal, Michael Wacha and Seth Maness, the Cardinals still have one of the best minor league systems. 

Excluding Kolten Wong, who is projected to start at second, which rookie do you think will have the biggest impact on the Cardinals in 2014?  

Discussion:

Mark Tomasik, Retro Simba

Oscar Taveras. He’s likely to emerge as a run producer who gets significant playing time at all three outfield spots.

Matt Whitener, I70 Baseball

Whereas last year's team needed a lot of rookie contribution to make everything work, that's not the case this time around. The sophomores have established roles and the vets are all back for the most part, so it is considerably tougher to pick a rookie that makes a huge splash this year. Not due to a lack of talent, but simply because of available time to make a splash in.

With that preface, I think this year's top rook is finally Tavares, who wont get the early impact chance that everybody wants, but once he hits the field, has the type of talent to force his way into the mix and change what is established already. I see a year for Oscar that mirrors the type of year that Wil Myers had last year: mid-season promotion and increasing impact as the season gets older. He's the type of talent that is an internal trade deadline-like boost, and most importantly, provides a more stable option out of the #2 spot in the lineup, because that's a void that has not been able to be seamlessly filled like others have since Beltran moved on.

Daniel Solzman, Redbird Rants

Oscar Taveras is my answer.  I would expect that Randal Grichuck or Stephen Piscotty will see some playing time come September.

Bill Ivie, I70 Baseball

Taveras is the obvious answer, and I can't argue it. I think the team has a bright future, but most of the players are not quite ready yet.

Christine Coleman, Aaron Miles' Fastball

I agree with Bill, that Oscar Taveras is the obvious and inarguable answer. With the depth and talent (and youth) on even the 40-man roster, hard to see anyone else really having the chance to make a big impact.

Dan Boffa, Dose of Boffa

While we can all say Oscar, I am going with Tim Cooney. I've seen him pitch twice this spring and he's got command, a fine array of pitches and a poise out there that can't be taught. 

Sure we haven't reached the regular season grind yet but this talented lefty could definitely help the club, especially given Garcia's health concerns and John Gast's shoulder surgery comeback. Cooney may not provide a Wacha moment in 2014 but he could have a big impact down the stretch of a long season.

Daniel Shoptaw, C70 At The Bat 


While, as everyone said, you have to figure Oscar Taveras will be the answer to this question, I'm wondering if it might not be a bullpen arm that comes in and pulls a Kevin Siegrist or Seth Maness when someone (inevitably) stumbles.  Could that be Cooney, like Dan said, shifting from the rotation in Memphis to the big league pen?  Lee Stoppelman is my dark horse in that regard.

Mary Claussen, MLBVoice

Oscar Tavares.  He's got oodles of potential.  I'm excited to be able to see him this season (barring no more ankle stuff).

As you can see, the consensus is that Oscar Taveras will be the Cardinals top rookie in 2014.  However, I was surprised that no one mentioned Carlos Martinez in the discussion, which led to a discussion on Martinez' rookie eligibility, as follows.

Me:  What about Carlos Martinez?  He's still a rookie.

Daniel Shoptaw

For some reason, I think Martinez is technically not a rookie.  He didn't reach the 50 innings pitched requirement, but I think he might have had 45 days or more on the active 25-man roster before September. I could be wrong on that, obviously, but I'm thinking I remember that coming up last year.

Bill Ivie

There's a huge debate on Martinez' rookie status.  I've counted his service days and thought he was clear by a day, others have said that he is one day past rookie status.

For what it's worth, MLB does not show him in their rookie run downs.

Daniel Shoptaw

Cot's Contracts shows Martinez with 73 service days, but that should be counting September as well. Which would seem to back up Bill's contention that he was just short.  Like he says, though, Martinez never seems to be included in any rookie rundowns.  Someone Tweet at Goold and have him clear this up!  :)

Me

I stand corrected.  According to Jennifer Langosch, Martinez is not a rookie.  This is from her January 13, 2014 article (in the comments section):

Martinez just narrowly misses rookie status. A player loses his rookie eligibility if A) he exceeds 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched or B) is on a team’s roster for 45 days or more (not counting September, when rosters expand). Martinez only pitched 28 1/3 innings in the regular season, but he did (just narrowly) surpass that 45-day mark for service time. As a result, MLB.com will not consider him for its prospect list.

Bill Ivie

From Goold on Twitter:  Baseball has him hitting just the mark.  Not a rookie.

So, from a discussion on rookies, we found out (or at least I did) that Carlos Martinez is no longer considered one.  However, I think Martinez will have a bigger impact on this year's team than Taveras, rookie status or not, and Daniel Shoptaw agrees:

Per Dan: "To the rephrased question (whether Taveras or Martinez would have a bigger impact), I'm going to lean toward Martinez, just because I'm not sure when Taveras will make the major leagues and I'm guessing they'll break him in gently with a rotation of him, Craig and Adams.  I don't necessarily think Martinez will start the year in the rotation, but what he does give to the team might be more than OT does."

Be sure to check out more discussions, like these, at the United Cardinals Bloggers site, as well as the individual site links provided above.

Annual United Cardinals Bloggers Awards

Since its the end of November, its time for the annual United Cardinals Bloggers awards.  This is my first year running a Cardinals blog and thus my first year voting.  Below you can find the official ballot and my selections for each.  To check out the other bloggers' ballots, go to unitedcardinalsbloggers.com.


Team Awards

1) Cardinal Position Player of the Year
–Matt Carpenter
–Allen Craig
–Yadier Molina
–Write-in: ___________

To me, this was a no-brainer.  Not only did Yadi have another fine offensive year, but he was another pitching coach on the field and the Cardinals went through a seemingly endless supply of rookie pitchers.  Without him, I do not think we would have made the playoffs.

2) Cardinal Pitcher of the Year
–Edward Mujica
–Trevor Rosenthal
–Adam Wainwright
–Write-in: ___________

Another no-brainer.  Adam Wainwright was the best starter and returned to his proper place as ace of the Cardinals staff.  

3) Game of the Year
–May 10 vs. Colorado (Miller’s almost-perfecto)
–May 11 vs. Colorado (Wainwright’s no-hitter into 8th)
–August 26 vs. Cincinnati (comeback capped by Craig slam)
–September 4 at Cincinnati (Adams 2 extra-inning HR)
–September 24 vs. Nationals (Wacha near no-no)
–Game 4, NLDS
–Write-in: ____________

I went with Game 4 of the NLDS.  Facing elimination, Michael Wacha pitched a 1 hitter through 7.1 innings, giving up only a solo homer to Cardinals killer Pedro Alvarez in the 8th, before fellow rookies Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal shut the door.

4) Surprise Player of the Year
–Matt Carpenter
–Joe Kelly
–Edward Mujica
–Kevin Siegrist
–Write-in: ______________

Mujica stepped up big time this year, becoming the Cardinals closer after Jason Motte was lost to injury and Mitchell Boggs fell apart.  It was a huge leap for a career middle reliever and he took to his new role well.

5) Disappointing Player of the Year
–David Freese
–Pete Kozma
–Fernando Salas
–Write-in: _______________

Freese's lack of production in 2013 was surprising after a very good year in 2012 and may open the door for Kolten Wong (and an offseason trade for Freese).

6) Rookie of the Year
–Matt Adams
–Carlos Martinez
–Shelby Miller
–Michael Wacha
–Write-in: ______________

While Wacha was outstanding in the postseason, there would have been no postseason if not for the excellent work turned in by Miller.  His 15 wins and 3.09 ERA were second to Adam Wainwright among the Cardinals regular starters.

7) Acquisition of the Year
–John Axford
–Randy Choate
–Write-in: ______________

I'm sure most of you would pick Ty Wigginton for acqusition of the year (just kidding), but considering how few moves the Cardinals made, Choate was just what the Cards needed.  The epitome of a LOOGY, Choate only pitched 35.1, but had a 2.29 ERA and held lefties to a .176 average.

8) Most Anticipated Cardinal
–Stephen Piscotty
–Lee Stoppleman
–Oscar Taveras
–Write-in: ______________

Injuries derailed Taveras' season, but they did not diminish his top prospect status.

Blog Awards

9) Best Individual Cardinal Blog*
–Write-in: _Retro Simba

Like most baseball fans, I get caught up in the history of the game and Retro Simba provides a unique perspective on the history of the Cardinals.

10) Best Team Cardinal Blog*
–Write-in: Viva el Birdos

There is no surprise that VeB has been around for so long.

*–Individual means the blog was written mainly by one person, while a team blog is composed usually by two or more. For classification’s sake, each blog under The Cardinal Conclave label are considered separate entities and should be considered in either team (Pitchers Hit Eighth) or individual (everyone else).

11) Best Media Coverage
–Derrick Goold
–Jenifer Langosch
–Stan McNeal
–Bernie Miklasz
–Joe Strauss
–Write-in: ____________

Langosch has proven time and again that she belongs with the big boys.

12) Best Rookie Cardinal Blog
–CardinalsFarm
–Dose of Buffa
–stlcupofjoe’s Sports Page
–The View From Here
–Write-in: ____________

Good writing and analysis.

13) Post of the Year
Bad Body Language Has No Place In Baseball (Cardinals Fan in Cubs Land)
Closing The Book On The John Axford Trade (On The Outside Corner)
Doors Close On The Cardinals In 2013 (Dose of Buffa)
How A B-17 Nearly Clipped Cardinals In World Series (RetroSimba)
Matt Holliday: One Of The Most Cost Effective Players In Baseball (stlcupofjoe’s Sports Page)
Memories Help Come To Terms With The Season’s End (Aaron Miles’ Fastball)
RIP Stan The Man (Women Who Love Cardinal Baseball)
Time For The Relievers (The View From Here)
What Does Your Cardinals Jersey Say About You? (C70 At The Bat)
–Write-in: _______________

I voted for the "RIP Stan The Man" piece.  It was a fine tribute to "The Man".

14) Best UCB Project
–Cardinal HOF Inductees
–Cardinal HOF Memorabilia
–Roundtables
–Top 7 Prospects
–Write-in: ____________

I like doing the roundtables with everyone and getting their perspective on the Cardinals.

15) Best UCB Podcast
–Conversations With C70
–Gateway To Baseball Heaven
–UCB Radio Hour
–Write-in: _None-I don't follow podcasts

16) Best UCB Twitterer
–Write-in: None - I don't follow twitter much

So, those are my picks.  Who or what would you have picked differently?

UCB Roundtable Day 3: The Cardinals 2014 starting rotation

For the United Cardinals Bloggers November project, we are conducting a roundtable discussion taking a look at the 2013 season and what the 2014 season may bring.  To follow the Roundtable, be sure check out the United Cardinals Bloggers' website.

Today's question, posed by your truly, was as follows:

With incumbents Adam Wainwright, Shelby Miller, Lance Lynn, Michael Wacha, Joe Kelly returning, Jaime Garcia and John Gast likely returning from injury and Carlos Martinez, Tyler Lyons, Seth Maness and even Trevor Rosenthal as possibilities for the starting rotation, who would want in the starting rotation and what would you do with all the leftovers?

Here are the responses from my partners in crime.

Christine Coleman - Aaron Miles' Fastball

So many arms! So few starting slots! Obviously Adam Wainwright, Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha are in the rotation, and Jaime Garcia too. Trevor Rosenthal, as John Mozeliak said the other day, is going to be in the bullpen and Seth Maness was too valuable this season with his double-play-inducing magic out of the bullpen to give that up. 

Despite all that he did this season, I just don't see Joe Kelly being guaranteed a spot and can see another spring training competition happening -- probably with the remaining pitchers you listed here, in John Gast, Carlos Martinez and Tyler Lyons. I really liked Martinez in that eighth inning role out of the bullpen, though, and he succeeded there but I can see him more as a starter. Gast seems headed to Memphis for me. Lyons is intriguing -- perhaps in the bullpen to begin with, but available as a starter as needed too or if someone else falters (which of course won't happen, right?)

Mark Tomasik - Retro Simba

Strongest rotation: Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez, Jaime Garcia. Like Wacha, Martinez is a special talent and needs to start.

Trade material: Lance Lynn or Joe Kelly for a starting shortstop.

Bullpen: Trevor Rosenthal, closer; Lynn or Kelly, 8^th inning; Seth Maness, 7^th inning; Kevin Siegrist and Randy Choate as left-handed specialists.

Ready in Memphis: Tyler Lyons and John Gast are on-call to replace an injured or faltering starter.

Daniel Solzman, Redbird Rants

I couldn’t agree more.  So many arms, not enough spots!

Christine Coleman (follow-up)

 
In seeing Mark Tomasik's reply, I realized I totally forgot to mention Lance Lynn. And, not surprisingly, that's because I don't see him staying -- trade bait, for sure, hopefully part of a trade to land a quality shortstop.

Joe Schwarz - stlcupofjoe’s Sports Page

In my opinion, you give every single pitcher that wants to start a chance to do so in Spring Training, and this includes Trevor Rosenthal and Kevin Siegrist. Will both likely end up in the bullpen? Yep, but down the road when it comes time to re-sign them, the Cardinals will have the leverage to say that they at least gave them a shot to be a starting pitcher. Otherwise, their agents could use that against the Cardinals saying they "misused" their client or "didn't allow them to reach their full potential."

However, this is my starting rotation at this time: Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Shelby Miller, Jaime Garcia, and Carlos Martinez. I honestly believe Martinez has the best "stuff" of that group and has the potential to become great. Will he succeed in the role as a starting pitcher? That is yet to be seen, but we will never know until he is given that shot. The bullpen will always be a solid fallback option for Baby Pedro.

As Mark said, this leaves Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn out. Do I think they are able to bring the return that the Cardinals want at shortstop? No. Thus, given the risk of injuries, especially with Garcia (as most of you will soon find out, I am not a big fan of his), I think you hang on to Kelly and Lynn for at least the first part of the season. Gast, who I do not think will be healthy yet, will be in Memphis, and Lyons will likely be in the 'pen or shipped out.

Ben Chambers - The View From Here

 

This is a great problem to have. The Cardinals have too many talented starting pitchers and they have to figure out who it’s going to be in the rotation! 

Let’s start off with the easy ones: John Gast had shoulder surgery near the end of July. The initial reports were unclear as to the timetable for him to get back, but espn.com reported that it would be 8 to 12 months. If that is the case, then the earliest he would be able to throw again is right around opening day, so I expect him to be in Memphis getting stronger and being able to step in during the middle/late season if injury prompts a need for him. 

Mo and Matheny have already said that Rosenthal is coming back as the closer. This is probably the best move for the team. Motte will be back next year, but there are too many questions that need to be answered first: Will he be able to pitch on back-to-back days? Will his stamina hold all season? Will he have a semi-struggling year like Wainwright did coming back from Tommy John? Will he still be able to hit 100 on the mound? There are just too many unknowns at this point. I hope that the Cardinals give him a shot in 2015 (although I am not sure how much of a shot he’ll have then, either), but for 2014 he’s needed in the 9th inning.

So, that leaves: Wainwright, Miller, Garcia, Lynn, Wacha, Kelly, Martinez, Lyons, and Maness. I think Maness continues in the bullpen. It’s always nice to have a guy out there who you can trust to come in the game with runners on in late innings. Even if he doesn’t get all the double plays next year, every bullpen needs at least one guy like that. Lynn has been up-and-down both of the last two years, and I really hope that they put him in the bullpen. He has the ability to be great, and he’s shown that, but he also has the ability to lose quite a few in a row, and he’s shown that, too. 

Wainwright, Wacha, and Garcis are the only three that are locks for the rotation. Wainwright because he is the ace, Wacha because he is so talented, and he has ice running through his veins. Garcia because he has been a starter the entire time he’s been with the Cardinals and being a lefty, it does keep the rotation from being strictly right-handed. 

I expect Lyons to also be in Memphis. He was great his first few starts, but then he just went downhill. I don’t know why, but maybe the Cardinals do. Either way, he probably needs a little time to get himself back on track a little, and Memphis will provide him that opportunity.

Who gets the last two spots? I think it’s Miller and Martinez. I would personally like it to be Miller and Kelly. I think Kelly has good stuff, and he showed it in 2013. He was one of the best pitchers in the second half last year. Lowest ERAs for the second half of 2013 in the NL: Kershaw at 1.59, Grienke at 1.85, and Kelly at 1.91. I really like him, and I think he can be a 15-20 game winner if the Cardinals give him a chance. Martinez might get the nod over him, but I would be personally upset if it happens. Kelly currently is the better pitcher. If Martinez gets the spot, Kelly will go back to being the long man out of the bullpen. If Kelly gets the spot, I expect Martinez to be in Memphis.

No matter who actually gets into the rotation, I am excited to see those arms. The depth that the Cardinals have in starting pitching is unlike any other team has. I will end with this stipulation: I could see one or two of those guys being traded to get a SS, and that would change this quickly, but as of right now, that’s what I think will happen.

John Nagel - CardinalsFarm.com

My rotation would be Wainwright, Miller, Wacha, Martinez, and Garcia as well. The potential for those five is out of the planet. Joe Kelly is intriguing, but I think he is near his peak value, but that doesn't mean I want to trade him. I think he is great in the clubhouse and would be a great fit in the bullpen.

What to do with the others..... 

Lynn: I am going to disagree with you all that Lance Lynn does not have that much trade value. I think people in St. Louis value him a little lower than those in other MLB cities. If you look at his numbers and take out the emotion, he has had a couple of solid seasons. I am not saying that Lynn alone would net Profar or even Starlin Castro, but he could be a very valuable trade chip. How many other teams would want a perennial 15 game winner?

Rosenthal: Don't let Mozeliak fool you, Rosenthal will end up the 8th inning guy on one condition, if Jason Motte is healthy. I know that Mo said he will begin spring as the closer, but what else should he say? Motte is not guaranteed to be healthy by then, but i don't think Jason loses his closing spot due to injury. Wally Pipp may disagree with me.

Maness: As much as I want Maness to start, the role he played this year was best for the team, plus there isn't a starting spot for him in St. Louis. He is one that could be a very solid starter somewhere else, but i am fine with him as the DP man.

Lyons and Gast: Both begin the season in Memphis with opportunities to fill in at the MLB level.

Daniel Shoptaw - C70 At The Bat

I'd agree pretty much entirely with what John wrote, but for his comments on Rosenthal. In my mind, Rosie will be the closer, because by time you can be comfortable with Motte and his recovery, Rosenthal will already be entrenched.  Given the myriad of issues surrounding a hard-throwing reliever coming off surgery, including command issues, I can't imagine that Motte would be anything more than an eighth-inning guy.  Should Rosenthal stumble and Motte look good, they might flip, but I'd be shocked if Rosenthal doesn't get the first save chance of the year.

That's a bit off topic, but being that I can't disagree with a rotation of Wainwright, Wacha, Miller, Garcia and Martinez, what else am I going to say?

Dan Buffa - Dose of Buffa

Being late to the party, I will basically break things down as best as I can without being redundant.   

Barring further injury, my starting rotation out of the listed candidates has to Wainwright, Wacha, Garcia, Miller and Martinez unless Lance Lynn finds a way to be not be traded.  

Lynn is premium trade material.  He has a fine resume that includes over 30 wins in two seasons and good bullpen work.   He is young and hungry and may need a change of scenery to lower his pouting potential.  

Jaime is making 7 million this year so he needs to be in the rotation and he is a lefty who can be great when he is on.  Let's hope his feelings are in check.

Joe Kelly is Mr. Stretch.   He can start, relieve, and close and will find himself in that long arm bullpen spot to begin the season as insurance in case someone gets hurt.  Few can do what he does effectively.   Be solid out of the bullpen and win a lot of starts.  His mindset is key and helps him adjust.  I am surprised teams don't target him in a trade because of his versatility.  

Lyons and Gast are Memphis starters until injuries happen.   They performed well in 2013 but won't climb over guys like Martinez and Kelly for starts, at least not again.  These guys are also trade depth because they proved they can come up to big leagues and instantly win games.  Look for them to be add on's to big deals Mozelaik keeps up his sleeve.

Trevor Rosenthal is a setup-closer with this team for a long time.   He has the makeup, ability and finish to go into the ninth and let it rip.  We saw it for good when he saved 3 games in the final week of the season and basically made the Pirates, Dodgers and Red Sox look stupid for a month.   He has a propane heater and a decent changeup and if he was going to try his hand at starting again, he would have to redefine that third pitch.   I get why he wants to start but at this point it's futile.  Jason Motte will be back but won't be ready to even compete for the closer role until July.   Motte had the surgery in May of 2013 which means he may not touch a baseball diamond during a real game until late April/early May.  He will find his control and slowly develop back into that stopper we knew from 2011 and 2012.  He will set up until the Cards really deem it necessary to switch him and Rosenthal.  If Trevor is throwing gas and closing everything, it won't happen unless Motte is electric.  I do think Motte gets back to the closer role sometime, but too late for Rosenthal to switch back to starting.  Motte makes 6 million this year but needs to get healthy.   Rosenthal may say he would like to start but watching him close in October I see a man empowered and having a lot of fun.  Let's not believe he is wanting to truly move just yet ladies and gents.  

There I go too. Wow.  Just like Shoptaw.  HA!  Must be a Daniel thing.  

Waino, Wacha, Garcia, Miller and Martinez for me in early April.  

Chris Mallonee - Bird On The Bat 82

If we are answering "who we would want" instead of "who do we think it will be", then I will go with Wainwright, Wacha, Garcia, Miller, Lynn as the Opening Day Starters.

Lynn had a nice turn-around in September and deserves a spot in the opening 2014 rotation in my opinion.

I would keep Kelly, Maness, Siegrist, and Rosenthal in the big-league bullpen as they were such vital pieces in 2013, and Kelly moves into that long-relief role to keep innings load off Wacha and a security net as Garcia gets back up to health. He is also the first inserted into the rotation when the inevitable injury occurs.

Gast, Lyons, and Martinez could start in the Memphis rotation. I don't think that would be a waste of Martinez as he is still so very young and needs to harness his power stuff and learn to go deeper into games. IF Gast is healthy near the start of the season, the Cardinals have three pretty good options for when a starter gets injured, and if 2014 follows the pattern of other years all of these guys will be called on at some point.

Matt Whitener, Cheap Seats Please 

Wainwright, Miller and Wacha are the locks, so I won't waste time discussing them and why.

Maness, Gast, Lyons and Rosenthal aren't in the convo, for various reasons.

I also don't want to delve too deep into what hasn't happened yet, such as trades and situations like that. Basically, what it comes down to is Joe Kelly, Lance Lynn, Jaime Garcia and Carlos Martinez in a four-corners match, albeit one that is not that difficult to sort out.

Martinez has the best arm of the group (and maybe the entire team). With the said, I'd like to see him in a year like Rosenthal, at the end of the pen in some capacity. Motte's status is uncertain and both Axford and Mujica are gone. Bottomline, the back end of the bullpen is questionable, and bringing Martinez along there would be a perfect way for him to gain some Big League experience and expand his repertoire.

Garcia is purely a starter, and a much needed left-handed one at that, so he's in there too from the moment he's ready. All indications say that's spring training as of now, so that brings the rotation to a four-man group.

For the final spot, I opt with Lance Lynn. He's not always the popular choice, and surely isn't the most consistent of the group, however, there are a lot of things that work in his favor. He's still young, is steadily racking up experienced innings and still has a great skills package that can develop. He would be as good of a fourth/fifth starter that any team in the NL would have on their side.

So, if the Cardinals can break camp (for the first time since 2010) with a completely healthy rotation, I'd like to see a Wainwright, Miller, Garcia, Wacha, Lynn (in that order) mix take to the mound.

Nick Waeltz - Pitchers Hit Eighth

Who I would want: Wainwright, Wacha, Miller, Garcia, Martinez

Who I think it will be: Wainwright, Wacha, Garcia, Martinez, Kelly

<Strauss'd> intrigue... </Strauss'd>

Josh Gilliam, Pitchers Hit Eighth
 

I've given this way more thought than I should, and the trio at the back-end keeps changing by the hour. Most of us know it really doesn't matter who starts the season in the rotation, however, the changing of the guard could be 2014.

I'm sticking with Wainwright and Garcia to anchor the veteran portion of the starting five and then throwing darts after Wacha. The job Kelly did down the stretch while still adjusting to various roles gives him the nod as possibly the best #5 starter in the National League. That leaves a toss-up for the 3-4 spot between Miller and Lynn, both who could be former Cardinals as Nick pointed out.

My head says Lynn should be traded, but my heart wonders if the Miller/Kelly show may be coming to an end. Maybe a coin flip will solve it, but I hope the only uniform Shelby wears is the BOB for many years to come.

Finally, my thoughts

The Cardinals have an abundance of riches with a stockpile of young arms to choose from for their starting rotation.  The only locks I see for the 2014 rotation are Adam Wainwright, Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha.  

Jaime Garcia should grab the 4th slot, but only if he proves to be healthy, which, when dealing with shoulder injuries, particularly labrum tears, is never a sure thing.

Lance Lynn will probably end up getting traded as part of a package for a shortstop, as he is in desperate need of a change in scenery.

That leaves Joe Kelly and Carlos Martinez to battle it out for the 5th spot.  Kelly will probably be wondering what he has to do to prove he is a major league starter, especially after going 13-9 with a 3.03 ERA in 31 starts over the last two seasons.  However, just like Shelby Miller did this spring, I see Martinez beating Kelly out for the last spot, leaving Kelly to return to his long relief role.

John Gast and Tyler Lyons will return to Memphis to provide depth and Seth Maness will return to the bullpen.

Trevor Rosenthal will start the season as the Cardinals closer and never look back, even when Jason Motte returns.  After his dominant display at the end of the season and in the postseason, I just don't see him relinquishing the closer role.

Overall, its a good problem to have and one that will take the Cardinals some time to sort out both during the offseason and next spring.

Interview with a UCB'er

For our August United Cardinals Bloggers project, we got the pleasure of interviewing (and being interviewed) by our fellow UCB'ers.  Christine Coleman of Aaron Miles' Fastball interviewed yours truly for the project.  Be sure to check out her site to find out more about me.

My task was to interview Matthew "Pip" Phillips of Fungoes.net.  Here are his responses to my probing questions:

1.   Where do your Cardinals roots come from or how did you become a Cardinals fan?

I grew up in southwestern Illinois cheering for the Cardinals, mostly inheriting the allegiance from my mother, who as a girl was a big fan of Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst. My favorite player was Keith Hernandez, and so when the Cardinals traded him after he captained their 1982 championship team, I felt betrayed and ultimately turned to the dark side (Mets). For the rest of the '80s and until 2006, I rooted against the Cardinals. But thankfully I returned to the fanship of my youth and now cheer again for the Cardinals as a recovering Mets fan.

2.  Why did you create your blog or why did you start blogging?

I started the blog in the fall of 2004 as a way to comment on the playoffs and coordinate watch parties with my friends. At the time, the title was "Fall Classic," but after the World Series I just kept writing and renamed it Fungoes and focused on the Cardinals and have been writing ever since.

3.  Who is your favorite Cardinal player of all time?  What is your favorite moment/memory?

Although with the attaining of a lot more age and a bit more wisdom I can acknowledge that the Cardinals have had many better players (both on and off the field), my favorite remains Hernandez. To this day, I still claim to have the largest collection of Keith Hernandez baseball cards. My favorite moment was probably at the old Busch Stadium when my wife informed me that she was expecting our daughter by giving me a baby-sized Cardinal cap with a pregnancy test attached to it.

4.  What do you feel are this team's greatest strengths and weaknesses?

Strengths: Power starting pitching, balanced lineup, diversity of role relievers (ground-ball guys, strikeout guys, LOOGy). 

Weaknesses: Defense, mismanaging (sacrifice bunting, suboptimal use of players).

5.  How far do you see the Cardinals going this year?

I see them winning the division; anything else would be disappointing. After that, it's of course a crapshoot, more based on luck than talent.

6.   Finally, what moves would you like to see the Cardinals make this offseason?  

Buy out Westbrook's option, which is what they should've done last year.

Let Beltran walk, unless he'll settle for a one-year contract (move Craig to RF and Adams to 1B).

Make a play for Stephen Drew.

Be sure to check out the other interviews on the UCB website to find out more about the Cardinals bloggers.

UCB Roundtable - Day 7: Putting together the Cardinals 2014 lineup and starting rotation

Its day 7 of the United Cardinals Blogger annual spring roundtable, which means its my turn to pose the topic for discussion.  Below is the transcript.

Cardinals Fan in Cubs Land: 

With the World's best minor league system and some big contracts coming off the books after the 2013 season (notably Chris Carpenter, Carlos Beltran and Jake Westbrook), the Cardinals will find themselves in the enviable position of having the young talent to fill some lineup holes as well as the payroll flexibility to fill others.

Given the Cardinals current crop of prospects and assuming that the Cardinals have in the neighborhood of $25 million to spend next year, put yourself in Mo's shoes and put together the Cardinals 2014 starting lineup and starting rotation.  (Note: You can also assume trades, if reasonable, and any free agent signings must be actual free agents after the 2013 season).

Daniel Shoptaw - C70 At The Bat

Some part of this are pretty easy, some a little tougher.

C Yadier Molina

1B Allen Craig

2B Kolten Wong

SS Troy Tulowitzki

3B David Freese

LF Oscar Taveras

CF Jon Jay

RF Matt Holliday

Adam Wainwright

Jaime Garcia

Lance Lynn

Shelby Miller

Michael Wacha

I think that if the Rockies have an off year, they will be likely to move Tulo and the Cardinals will be the ones most likely to be able to swing the deal.  Shortstop has to be addressed and with no obvious up and comers in the system (depending on what you think of Ryan Jackson and Greg Garcia, I guess), I think they'd make that splash.

Obviously, I'm also counting on the Wainwright extension to get done.

CFCL - So, who are you trading for Tulo?


Daniel Shoptaw - C70 At The Bat

Oh, man, I've got to do all of Mo's job for him?  :)

It's obviously going to have to come from pitching.  Joe Kelly and Carlos Martinez would likely be the brunt of the package, assuming the Cards don't take on much salary, which they can afford to do.

Daniel Solzman - Redbird Rants

Wouldn’t Carlos need his visa issue taken care of first?

Daniel Shoptaw - C70 At The Bat

I think we can safely assume that will be cleared up.  We're talking 2014, not what the lineup will look like for the next home game.  If it's not, Martinez has bigger issues to deal with than a trade.

Bob Netherton - On The Outside Corner

This is a fascinating scenario - one that has been discussed many times. Clearly, the Cardinals don't have anything in the system like the old Rockies version of Tulowitzki. I think we should keep an eye on him this year to see if he returns to form after a rough injury year in 2012.

One look at his home/away splits is enough to give you to willies though. That's not a lot of return for more than a half a decade of $20M/yr.  I'd almost rather have Jackson/Garcia and a guarantee of extending Wainwright for a
ridiculous sum and still being able to afford Wong/Rosenthal/Miller/Wacha/Taveras/Craig (or Adams) beyond their first arbitration year than put that much forward money on Tulowitzki.

But I like the way you think, Dr. Moneybags 

Tom Knuppel - Cardinals GM

I didn't check these for accuracy but found this on another site...If correct, Tulo doesn't look too bad away from Coors Field...

(Away from Coors Field)

2012

.275/.347/.467, .814 OPS

2011
.292/.362/.519, .881 OPS

2010
.291/.358/.504, .863 OPS

Bob Netherton - On The Outside Corner

Those look about right.  And they are a good 100 points (OPS) lower away than in
Colorado. Is that worth 6/118M (which is Matt Holliday money) ?  

Tom Knuppel - Cardinals GM

I am sure they are lower than Coors but look good at Busch.

As far as the money dealings, I don't get too wrapped up in them much. So I can't really say.

The Cardinals have done well for almost my entire life... 70's and 90's were bad... so I let them sort out what they want to spend.

I go with the flow. 

Tom Knuppel - Cardinals GM

 

C Yadier Molina

1B Matt Adams

2B Kolten Wong

SS Troy Tulowitzki acquired in exchange for Allen Craig and John Gast

3B David Freese

LF Matt Holliday

CF Oscar Taveras

RF Ben Zobrist signed as free agent

Trevor Rosenthal

Jaime Garcia 

Phil Hughes  signed as free agent

Shelby Miller

Michael Wacha

Wainwright goes the Pujols route. John Jay gets traded somewhere in there.

Matt Whitener - Cheap Seats Please

This is a tough one, because there is going to be a lot of change
coming to this club over the next year. They're in the middle of what
I've come to see as a "competitive rebuilding" process, sticking in
the prospects, while having the luxury of not having to rush any of
them.

So to that extent, I don't think we see Michael Wacha or Carlos
Martinez next year. Wacha will get time at Triple A, while they'll
make a decision on whether it's early or late innings for Martinez. As
for trades, I'm going to stay away from that, too many variables in
play there, and it makes virtually the entire MLB available for
interpretation.

But based on what's here, in the system and on the 2014 free agent
market, this is what I see it looking like:

C: Yadier Molina
1B: Allen Craig
2B: Kolten Wong

3B: David Freese
SS: Willie Bloomquist (FA)
LF: Matt Holliday
CF: Jon Jay
RF: Oscar Tavaras

SP: Adam Wainwright
SP: Shelby Miller
SP: Jaime Garcia
SP: Lance Lynn
SP: Jason Hammel (FA)

RP: Trevor Rosenthal
RP: Edward Mujica
RP: Mitchell Boggs
CL: Jason Motte 

Daniel Solzman - Redbird Rants

2014 Starting Lineup

C Yadier Molina

1B Allen Craig

2B Koten Wong

3B David Freese

SS Greg Garcia, barring a trade

LF Matt Holliday (he’s played LF his entire career so there is no need to move him to RF)

CF Jon Jay

RF Oscar Taveras

SPs: Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Shelby Miller, Michael Wacha, and Joe Kelly/Lance Lynn

If there is a trade for a short stop, I can see Lance or another starter being moved in the deal.

J.D. Norton - Bleed Cardinal Red With Me

2014

C-Molina

1B-Craig

2B-Wong

3B-Freese

SS-Kozma

LF-Holliday

CF-Jay

RF-Taveras

SP's

1. Adam Wainwright

2. Trevor Rosenthal

3. Lance Lynn

4. Shelby Miller

5. Michael Wacha

Cards bring back Wainwright, Rockies ask for too much for TT.  Mo stays smart and doesn't deal young pitching.

Corey Rudd - St. Louis Sports Minute

Wow, this is fun (and dangerous)!!

A couple of moves highlighted:

1. Mozeliak let's Wainwright walk (which makes my heart hurt)

2. Trade for Elvis Andrus. I think Rosenthal alone and some mid-tier pitching prospects gets this done (maybe Maness). Texas will always need pitching and they have Profar ready. I prefer Andrus over Tulo because I think he will cost less in a long term deal, can be a top of the order guy, gets hurt less, and is younger.

3. To replace Wainwright, Mo will bring home innings horse Dan Haren, who is in a one year deal with Washington right now. Something like 3 years, $42 million could get this done, considering Haren is making $13 mil this year and would come at a big discount compared to Wainwright.

Lineup:

2b Wong

SS Andrus

LF Holliday

1b Craig

RF Taveras

C Molina

3b Freese

CF Jay

Bench:

Adams

Cruz

M. Carpenter

D. Descalso

T. Wigginton

Starting rotation:

1. Haren

2. Lynn

3. Garcia

4. Miller

5. Wacha/Martinez

Bully:

Motte

Boggs

Kelly

Gast

Choate

Scrabble

Also, since it hasn't been pointed out yet, guys like Jay, Craig, Freese again, and Boggs are all gong to be do decent arbitration raises this winter, so we will likely not have as much money to play around.

Also, I left off a seventh in my Bully, which will be Salas, who also will be arbitration eligible soon enough.

Matt Whitener - Cheap Seats Please

GREAT call on Dan Haren. He's said before he wouldn't mind coming back
to St. Louis, and with or without Wainwright, I think he's a smart
play for next year. The rotation needs more experience still, and I'm
not counting Jaime as that veteran guy. 

Bob Netherton - On The Outside Corner

Count me in on Dan Haren.  He could be the new Jake Westbrook and would be a
great addition to the rotation.  We might get a Woody  Williams kind of
performance out of him, and that would be just fine with me :-)   Doesn't change
the need to resign Wainwright, but he would be a fantastic addition to the rotation. 

Wes Keene - Keene on Baseball

I'm going against the grain here. Young, club-controlled talent is great but I need veterans, too. I'm keeping Waino. I'm also moving Beltran's money to SS. We'll put some of our young talent in the outfield (Oscar), and put up the old Beltran dollars as trade enhancement to get Tulo or Andrus (whoever wants to make a deal happen). That will also enable us to deal one of our middle infielders now. At this point, I'm looking at Descalso, I don't want to lose M Carp.  

Matt Whitener - Cheap Seats Please

The middle infield market is so much stronger next season, and while
I'm pretry sure the Cardinals won't come roaring out the gates after
Robinson Cano, there's plenty of upgrade worthy talent out there. I
don't think it's too far out of a possibility that Mo goes after
another short-term veteran at Shortstop. Especially if Greg Garcia
shows some promise.

A utility infielder, that can start as well would have some value, and
not at an overpay rate like the Red Sox did for Stephen Drew this year
($10 M, 1 yr). 

Mark Tomasik - RetroSimba

Lineup: Molina, catcher; Craig, first base; Wong, second base; Tulowitzki, shortstop; Freese, third base; Holliday, Jay, Taveras, outfield.

Rotation: Wainwright, Garcia, Lynn, Miller, Wacha.

For more of these roundtable discussions, be sure to check out the links at United Cardinals Bloggers. 

United Cardinals Bloggers release 2013 UCB Annual

I only recently started blogging about the Cardinals, but one of the immediate benefits of doing so was being able to join the United Cardinals Bloggers.  For those of you who are not familiar with the UCB, it is an "organization of quality, active bloggers who interact regularly and respectfully as they report and opine about the St. Louis Cardinals."

At the end of each year, the UCB puts together the United Cardinals Bloggers Annual, a collection of the best stories and analysis from the Cardinals blogoverse that recaps the season as well as looking forward to the next season.

This year's UCB Annual includes a forward from Will Leitch, founder of Deadspin, and features the work of 18 Cardinals bloggers, capsules of every player with projected role for 2013 and an overall look ahead to the 2013 season.  It is a must have for all Cardinals fans.

In addition, for the first time, the UCB Annual is available on Amazon.com.  You can purchase your copy at the following link

       2013 United Cardinals Bloggers Annual

Please check it out and help support Cardinals bloggers everywhere.