The Cardinals were aggressive in trying to sign Cuban outfield prospect Luis Robert, but general manager John Mozeliak sensed the 19-year-old would end up elsewhere, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. Robert proved Mozeliak correct when he agreed to sign with the White Sox on Saturday. Ultimately, St. Louis wasn’t up to paying north of $50 million, including a 100 percent overage tax, for Robert. “When you’re looking at the overall investment, it’s real and historically there are not too many players that sign for that many dollars,” said Mozeliak. “It’s really hard to justify those types of dollars for any player with a lack of a proven track record. No matter how you try to equate the Cuban league or his international experience, it’s very hard to calibrate what that means to here.”
More from two other National League cities:
- While the Padres would gain an extra year of control over outfielders Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe if they’re demoted to the minors for a couple weeks, the team doesn’t plan to send either rookie down, sources informed Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The rebuilding Padres are pleased with the progress the two have made at the major league level, a high-ranking team official told Lin. “We started them here for a reason,” the official noted. “We think they’re ready to contribute and be part of what we’re doing.”
- Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez continued a disappointing season with another rough outing Saturday, and he suggested afterward that he wouldn’t resist a move to the bullpen. Asked if he feared losing his rotation spot, the hard-throwing Velasquez said (via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com): “Is it a fear? No, it’s not a fear. If it’s a way to help the team in the bullpen, then so be it. But do I think about that going out there? No.” There’s no indication that Velasquez will lose his starting role, though his struggles have nonetheless been alarming. After a highly promising 2016, his first in Philly, the 24-year-old has pitched to a bloated ERA (5.98) over 43 2/3 innings and seen his strikeout and walk rates trend in the wrong direction. Velasquez attributes his issues to “a lack of commitment, a lack of concentration, just a lack of everything” and believes he’s putting too much pressure on himself.
- It seemed possible on Friday that righty Jered Weaver’s 2/3-inning, seven-earned run debacle against Arizona would go down as his last outing with the Padres, but they’re not ready to move on quite yet. Instead of cutting ties with Weaver, the club placed him on the disabled list Saturday with left hip inflammation. Manager Andy Green indicated the 34-year-old will be out longer than 10 days (per Ryan Posner of MLB.com), saying: “He’s been battling and hasn’t been at full health, and it’s something for the last couple years he’s battled. He just doesn’t feel like he has the freedom to pitch the way he can pitch.” The Padres have lost all nine of the soft-tossing Weaver’s starts, in which he has logged a 7.44 ERA (with an even worse 7.99 FIP) and averaged fewer than five innings per appearance. Since Padres chairman Ron Fowler revealed May 10 that Weaver’s on a short leash, the ex-Angel has given up 15 earned runs in 9 2/3 frames.
Vince has been extremely disappointing. Hope he can turn it around, although I am afraid that his performance last season could be his ceiling.
I was listenting to the phillies radio station one day, they were saying Vince has good stuff but he’s gonna be one of those pitchers who will break your hearts, maybe they should put him in the bullpen
The Cardinals just won’t let go the purse strings for quality talent. This guy was unproven so don’t blame them there but they’ve had other opportunities for some quality starters, relievers and power hitters the last few yrs but failed time and again to acquire them. So now they are mired in mediocrity playing poor d, poor base running, no real power, shaky starters
Amen Satkins!!!! Always putting possible star signings in the press to make it look like their trying to improve, but also insuring themselves the bridesmaid position. Even if the DeWitt’s won’t demand more out of Moz, it certainly looks like the partial owners would demand more star acquisitions through trade or FA. Wong has a mouthing problem, Carpenter is playing out of position, which is affecting his hitting. Gyokow (sp) is good but not an everyday player, but he is a bulldog. He should stay as a utility player and be comfortable. Move Piscoty to first. Carpenter to 3rd, Pham to LF, Sierra CF, and Grichuk to RF. And tell Wong to quit whining and play!!!
Gyroko is a top 5 third basemen in baseball, Wong has a mouth problem? Where? And carpenter playing first is hurting his hitting how?
It sounds like you are following false narratives to justify the team to spend irresponsibly.
JFactor….. I may be a little harsh on Wong. I’ve met with him and interviewed him several times for the radio. He is a nice young man! Even though he has said, play me or trade me when he was frustrated and a couple of other quotes that can be misconstrued toward the team. Gyroko is a good player and a good 3rd baseman. I do believe he might be a Cardinal representative on the All-Star team. But do you consider him better than a past 3rd base All-Star / Carpenter? Ask Carpenter, if learning to be a professional expert instead of a journey man first baseman, has somewhat curbed his focus on his hitting. “He” himself will tell you it has split his concentration early in the season. And No, I don’t want the Cardinals to spend irresponsibly. However, there are star acquisitions they need to make to improve this team. Cecil was a hunch they paid big money for even after an off season. Is that responsible? Just Flower’s presence in the dugout bringing in a loose/fun atmosphere is worth his contract. Now…tell me, if Sierra was the lead/off hitter with good hitting and speed, Fowler batting 2nd, Wong 3rd, Carpenter 4th, Piscoty 5th, Molina 6th, Diaz 7th, and Grichuk/Pham 8th …. Gyroko would play at all of the infield/corner outfield positions to rest other infielders/outfielders on a daily basis, ……..wouldn’t that make sense? Not a cent spent !!!
Top 5 3B in baseball? Don’t make me laugh.
Maybe his stats are near the top at the beginning of this young season, but Arenado, Bryant,. Machado, Donaldson, Beltre….he doesn’t come close to any of those guys and that’s just off the top of my head without having to compare stats.
Yes, young season. And he had a good year last year with good defense at third.
Combining both years, he is just behind Machado in wRC and ahead of Lamb and Longoria.
He’s behind Donaldson, Bryant, turner and Beltre.
It’s a good thing they didn’t extend Pujols, right?
And the two other silver medals in free agency that we know about are Price and Heyward.
Both of which looks like the Cards made the right moves.
Spending for spending sake isn’t smart. Spending on the right players is.
Hard to complain about the money they have spent and where
Heyward? Really? Dude was a card for a season.
It looks like the braves made the right decision trading him to the cards
Exactly!!!
The idea that people are complaining about the cards not over spending for players they target is a silly thing to complain about. They have an amount they’ll go to for a player, and that’s that. They have a disciplined approach.
The Cards made the right moves? The players chose not to sign there.
Amen on the Good Lord stepping in on the Pujols, Price deals…..And Heyward choosing another team and not the highest bid!!
“Spending on the right players” – Like when they tried to spend more money than the Cubs on Heyward but he chose the Cubs anyways?
Opt outs have a high value on contracts.
If Heyward’s offer from the Cards was 8/190, and he signed for 8/184 with two opt outs, the 184 is more valuable.
Looks like Weaver its done! guy cant throw harder than 85mph, i always remember his good old days in Anaheim’
Weaver use to be one of the best in the league from 2010-2014. Now he is just washed up. It’s time to hang them up.
Now I don’t know anything but basics about this guy, but provided he’s a starter, maybe a bullpen move plus increased weight training would help?
While I’m disappointed in VV’s production this year, it’s refreshing to hear his comments about his performance. He realizes his commitment and concentration aren’t there and he is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team. VV needs to trust his stuff and keep his pitch down. Maybe a change at catcher would do some good, too! We need someone who can consistently call a great game back there!
I really hated the Weaver signing in the first place; why should a rebuilding team sign a guy who can’t break 85? (One of his fastballs the other night was clocked at 79).
But, hearing him own his performance in a post game interview, and hearing Green choke up while talking about that performance, gave me pause.
Yeah, Weaver is cooked. It’s sad to watch the end of a career. But this is also the end of his livelihood. He’s about to lose the only job he’s ever had and he’s in his early 30s. That’s tough for anybody.
Well, I hope he saved 95% of his paychecks
If you were a young player with historic millions of dollars thrown at you by the Cardinals and White Sox which way would you go?? With a no personality, no foresight, no bartering skills, non supportive do nothing arrogant GM and an arrogant, less than knowledgeable, manager who plays only those chosen ones in out of position places, the kids first impression of the Cardinal organization was pretty bleak, to say the least. Plus, with the kid’s agent looking at MO’s track record as to his club improvement over the past 6 years. Nothing to show. The kid and his agent made the right decision! Unfortunately!
Mo money staying in DeWallet.
Weaver is helping the Padres towards the #1 pick.
But is that even useful? Unless there’s a no-doubt stud in the 2018 draft – a Harper or a Strasburg – and there isn’t – the draft is a total crapshoot. Here’s a funny story: The Padres had 6 picks in the first round of the 2007 draft. 5 of them never reached the majors and the one that did, Cory Luebke, had one good year and was done. In 2004 the Padres had the first overall pick. It was a weak draft pool – like 2018 is shaping up to be – but they picked Matt Bush. He got arrested in a bar fight before he ever played a game and later spent three years in prison after nearly killing a man drunk driving. The second pick in that draft was a college righty named Justin Verlander.
Here are some #1 overall draft picks from the last 15 years: Bryan Bullington, Delmon Young, Mark Appel, Tim Beckham, Luke Hochevar., Bush. This isn’t the NBA or NFL, where having the first overall pick usually means you are drafting a star player. In 2009 the Padres had the 3rd pick in the draft. They took Donavan Tate. The Angels picked Mike Trout 25th. Tanking for the #1 pick just isn’t any kind of useful strategy.
The #1 overall pick also comes with the slot money.. which is a lot more than say the #4 pick.
There’s a lot more to it than tanking for just a pick. There’s slot money, there’s shedding unnecessary expenditure (what use would an extra $30-40million on the payroll be, besides a few wins?). The team is bad and fans know the team is bad.
It’s like rebuilding a struggling company – cut the wasted spend, re-develop from the ground up (in this case, collecting youth and potential in volume) and trust your scouting and development programs to build them up.
Just because they have sucked at drafting talent previously, doesn’t mean the position they draft from (and the $ associated) is less important today. They won’t be in a better position by drafting lower with less $.
Wait. So let me get this straight. Are you saying that, had the Padres drafted 2nd in 2004 instead of 1st, they would have gotten Verlander instead of Bush?
The first pick means you have unchecked power to pick whoever you want and the most slot money. And for that, it is valuable. The last 20 #1 overall draft picks have a higher cumulative WAR than the last 20 of any number pick and the #2 pick is second in that regard.
That’s been AJ’s goal from the beginning !!!!!
That’s why Maurer is the closer.
AJ won’t be around to see pick make it to bigs so bad strategy
Thank you Nostradamus
Preller is in this for the long haul.
Man, padres are really playing for that #1 overall pick. There’s literally no reason whatsoever to keep weaver.
Seriously, cut weaver, give diaz a chance to start like perdomo last year, and just roll with it.
But why is the #1 overall pick really an aspiration? Bryce Harper isn’t in the 2018 draft. The Padres are unwatchable this year – the last two games were embarrassing to watch. And I’m not even paying to go to the games. At least put a reasonable product on the field. The last time the Padres had the first overall pick they blew it anyway. This isn’t tanking to grab LeBron James or JOel Embiid or some stud quarterback. Baseball is different.
Brice Turang who could potentially be the 1st overall pick in 2018 is a name to watch. latimes.com/sports/highschool/varsity-times/la-sp-…
Home grown-ish talent I am sure the padres have been scouting heavily as he is right in their backyard.
Also, 1st overall pick means you get 1st pick every round. Having the 1st pick every round vs. 3rd 4th 5th does add talent you want vs hoping talent falls to you in the draft during a specific round.
If you actually look back at previous #1 pick holders they netted great picks in the 1st 10 rounds getting guys they wanted.
Astros in 2014- had they not had the debacle aiken, fischer, reed, mengden, nix
Astros in 2013- 1st 10 rounds appel, kemp, Nottingham
Astros in 2012- 1st 10 rounds correa mccullers tucker ruiz
Pirates in 2011- cole, bell, dickerson, glasnow- they killed that draft
Nationals in 2010- harper, solis, cole, barrett.
Its easier to get guys you want if youre picking 1st every round.
That line of thinking, “put a reasonable product on the field even if you aren’t going to make the playoffs,” is exactly why the Padres have been mired in mediocrity since 1999. Get out of here with that nonsense.
Yup, you took the words right out of my mouth. This is what has to be done if the Padres want finally experience some significant change.
And as to them potentially blowing the first pick, this is a suffers ownership group and a different front office than the ones that went through with the Matt bush disaster. There’s not really any way they can do worse than Bush.
Nice to see Weaver finally able to own his poor performances. For so many years, he dealt with things like a spoiled brat, and barely seemed to be able to comprehend his downfall.
So which is it? Cards offered more and got turned downed, or they offered less and got turned down?
Cards’ offer was for more money but not that much more. Cubs’ offer included two opt outs. Opt outs carry some intrinsic value. How much that intrinsic value is is up to one’s own opinion. But in Heyward’s opinion, the one that matters, it was evidently worth more than the difference between the two contracts.
Velasquez needs to go to the pen