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Cardinals Outlook '23
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Anthony Franco
2:29
Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well!
Let's talk Cardinals
Elwood
2:29
Aaron Nola feels like a Cardinals type of pitcher. Do you see them making a run at him this offseason?
Anthony Franco
2:30
Yeah I could see this. He'd be their biggest FA pitching acquisition ever but he'd immediately be their top starter and offer a second source of innings (with better production than Mikolas) in a rotation that desperately needs it
Mr. Retrospect
2:30
Would the Cards season played out any differently if they would have just traded for Sean Murphy instead of signing Contreras?
Anthony Franco
2:31
They would've been a better team, but swapping out any one player wouldn't have been enough to put them anywhere close to the playoff picture. The rotation just wasn't good enough
2:32
Would the results have been a little better if Murphy were calling pitches than if Contreras were doing so? Probably. But there's only so much to be done when the pitching staff doesn't have much swing-and-miss ability and the defense behind them takes a big step back
Bradygrg
2:33
Looking at the Cards draft pick after this horrible year they will pick between 1-7 more than likely but even at 5-7 range is this normally an area of getting impact MLB help? Do they go Offense or Pitching here?
Anthony Franco
2:33
Have to pick the right player obviously but yeah, you should be going after someone you think will be an impact player in the back half of the top 10
2:34
Teams usually just draft best player available (with signing bonus demand as a factor) independent of position. I expect the Cardinals to do the same
Bradygrg
2:34
Other than Hader are there any other relief pitchers out there with swing n miss stuff that St Louis would be interested in. Also side note is Thompson best suited as a starter or reliever? I thought he was really good as a lefty reliever!
Anthony Franco
2:36
I'd give him a shot to stick as a starter. He can handle right-handed hitters reasonably well. He's not a great strike-thrower but there's probably enough command there to stick in the rotation even if he's a little inconsistent
You know he's a pretty good reliever if that's required as a fallback, but I think he can stick in a rotation
Cynical Card fan
2:37
Matz more likely in the pen, especially if Mo actually does get 3 SPs?
Anthony Franco
2:38
If they add the three starters they're looking for, I'd take Thompson to beat Matz for a rotation spot
JB
2:38
On a scale of 1-10, how surprised are you the Oliver Marmol still has a job after this season?
Anthony Franco
2:39
2 or 3. One terrible year doesn't typically cost the manager his job unless it's accompanied by the clubhouse collapsing or something. If they repeat this season next winter, I could see Marmol being in jeopardy at that point
Nick
2:39
Hi thanks for taking questions. Do you have a feel for what deal it’d take to have a Jordan Hicks reunion in STL?
Anthony Franco
2:40
Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams and I have been debating the free agent relief class over the past two days. Hicks is a really tough guy to place. Super young, throws the ball a million miles per hour, gets a ton of ground-balls
2:41
But the command is erratic and he has a pretty spotty health history before this year. We all lean towards him getting a three-year deal. I'm more in the $25-28MM range for the guarantee, I think Tim and Steve prefer him a little north of $30MM
Carlson
2:41
Am I headed elsewhere? Doesn’t seem the team really wants me or believes in me. I got passed over so many times in the last year.
Anthony Franco
2:41
I think so but I would've also said that at the deadline given the amount of smoke there was around him and it obviously didn't happen
2:43
But now that there's increased pressure to rebuild the pitching staff, he (and Herrera to a lesser extent) still feel like the logical trade candidates. Gorman or Donovan still have clearer roles on the big league team, can't see them dealing Nootbaar
86troll
2:43
why not trade goldschmidt and arenado?
Anthony Franco
2:44
The position player group is still good. The division is improving but not a gauntlet or anything yet. They're right to give it another go this offseason. If they're bad again in the first half, there'd still be a ton of interest in Goldy at the deadline
2:45
Obviously there'd be a ton of appeal with Arenado too, although it's harder to move a star on an expensive long-term deal midseason. That'd probably be a move they entertain next offseason if they decide it's time for a more significant reset
Nick
2:45
Would you keep Knizner or Herrera as backup next year? It’s my understanding Herrera is out of options.
Anthony Franco
2:46
I'd try to flip Herrera for pitching, probably non-tender Knizner, and sign a defense-oriented backup in free agency
2:47
Nothing extravagant. A couple million for Austin Hedges or something to give you a glove-first alternative to Contreras on certain days
Kellen
2:47
Edman or Donovan? Who has more trade value currently in your opinion?
Anthony Franco
2:48
Donovan has the extra three seasons of club control and a little more offensive upside. I think he's more valuable overall, though I could see the calculus being different for teams (e.g. Miami, SF) that specifically need a shortstop in a winter where there are no good ones in free agency
C.D.
2:49
Do you think they’ll target any of the starters coming out of Japan or focus on SPs with MLB experience?
Anthony Franco
2:50
Got a few questions on the possibility of making a run at one of the NPB starters. I'd be surprised if they're not reported among the teams with interest (especially regarding Yoshinobu Yamamoto), but I tend to think they're better off targeting someone a little more stable
2:51
Yamamoto could be great, but there's a higher risk with any pitcher who doesn't have any MLB experience than there is with the typical free agent. Yamamoto's contract could wind up higher than any other free agent starter (maybe aside from Blake Snell), and that's a lot for a team that probably needs to add at least two arms via free agency
2:52
Shoto Imanaga could fit as lower-cost back-end type, but he can't be the top pitcher they bring in
Jimmy Ryan
2:53
What is a more likely trade, Gorman or Donovan/ extra piece (yepez/baker/burleson etc) for Gilbert, or Gorman for Bryce miller/ a bullpen piece
Anthony Franco
2:53
The latter for me. I don't think Gorman or Donovan as a headliner would pull Gilbert or Kirby
Drew
2:53
Am I crazy for thinking the move is to trade Goldy for the best single SP you can get, and then move Jordan Walker to 1B?

Improve the pitching rotation, improve the outfield defense without hurting the infield D "too" much, and probably open up some payroll room.
Anthony Franco
2:55
I don't think it's crazy but it's probably harder to execute than you're suggesting. The list of teams willing to move a productive big league starter for one year of a first baseman making $26MM -- even one as great as Goldy -- is going to be pretty slim
Fredbird
2:56
Is there a potential starter that stands out for an off-season trade in your eyes?
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