Perhaps the biggest offseason question facing the Cardinals was resolved over the weekend when Nolan Arenado informed the team he would bypass his chance to test the free agent market. He’ll play out the final five years and $144MM on his deal with St. Louis, staying with the Cards through 2027.
The star third baseman would almost certainly have found a stronger financial offer if he hit the open market. He’s likely to be an NL MVP finalist after arguably the best season of his career, a .293/.358/.533 showing paired with his typical elite defense. Even heading into his age-32 campaign, he had a strong case for a six-year deal that bested the $28.8MM average annual value remaining on his contract.
Arenado has maintained on a few occasions that he’s happy in St. Louis, however. He reiterated that sentiment in speaking with Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch about his decision over the weekend. “For me, to get traded to St. Louis was a very complicated deal and it wasn’t easy to get here,” Arenado told Goold. “There was a lot of time and effort put into it. It meant a lot to me they went that far beyond for me. I really appreciate their effort they took to get me here and I want to hold up my end of the bargain. Everything has been, for me since I’ve been here, better than I thought it would be.”
St. Louis made the postseason in each of Arenado’s first two seasons with the club, including an NL Central-winning team this year. Colorado reached the playoffs twice during his eight years on the roster, both times as a Wild Card entrant. Arenado spoke publicly about how meaningful he found it to be part of a division-winning roster in the immediate aftermath of St. Louis clinching the Central, and Goold writes he expressed that again during a sit-down with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak last week.
While the Cardinals have had plenty of regular season success over the last two years, they’ve gone 0-3 in the postseason and been dispatched from the playoffs quickly (first in the 2021 Wild Card game, then in the newly-implemented Wild Card series). Mozeliak and his staff will look to bolster the roster again this winter in hopes of positioning the team for a deeper postseason run. The Cards’ front office head told reporters last week that ownership had signed off on a payroll increase and highlighted catcher as an area the team would look to address over the coming months.
They’ll also work with manager Oliver Marmol about building a coaching staff that saw a trio of notable departures. Neither hitting coach Jeff Albert nor pitching coach Mike Maddux are returning in 2023, and bench coach Skip Schumaker departed to become the Marlins manager. That leaves St. Louis to fill three key voids, and they could look to a marquee name for one of those spots.
John Denton of MLB.com reported last week that Matt Holliday is expected to garner some consideration for the hitting coach vacancy. Holliday played for St. Louis from 2009-16, a tenure which included four trips to the All-Star game and four appearances on MVP balloting. He raked at a .293/.380/.494 clip over his eight seasons with the club.
Holliday last appeared in the big leagues in 2018 and currently coaches at Oklahoma State, where his brother Josh Holliday is the head baseball coach. Reports last offseason suggested Matt Holliday would have some interest in the St. Louis managerial vacancy that eventually went to Marmol. Whether he’d be willing to assume a spot on Marmol’s staff is unclear, but the 42-year-old left open the possibility in an appearance on Hot Take Central on 590 The Fan in St. Louis this morning (Twitter link with audio). Asked about the chance to replace either Schumaker or Albert as bench coach or hitting coach, Holliday noted he’s not yet heard from Mozeliak but indicated he was open to having a conversation.
“I haven’t spoken with Mo yet,” Holliday said. “I think there’s a chance that I will have a conversation about what that might look like. I’m not going to say ’no,’ but I’m not going to say ’yes’ either. I think I probably will, at some point, have a conversation with Mo and Oli about what that could look like — being part of the organization in some capacity. I’m not quite sure, I don’t have an answer just yet for you.” That’s hardly a firm declaration Holliday will rejoin the St. Louis franchise, but it raises the possibility of the seven-time All-Star being in touch with key Cards decision-makers this winter.
Holliday?!!!? Holy geez I never knew he was ever in the consideration for Cardinals Skip. Haven’t seen an ex player of his caliber manage in a loooonnngggg time.
Being a MLB manager is a grind. Not many players who made tens of millions want to sign up for that. There are a couple former star and superstar-level players who managed in 2022. Mattingly, for one. Dusty Baker was an excellent player. Phil Nevin isn’t Holliday level, but made close to $40 million during his career. Someone like Baker didn’t make the big money during his playing career. I wonder if his career started 30 years later if he ever would have taken up managing? Probably not.
You’re correct though in that All-Star players like Hollliday usually don’t want to sign up for the pain. Jason Giambi was one who seemed to have an interest, but never seemed to go anywhere. At the time I dismissed it since he had no managing experience, but we now know that’s not necessarily a roadblock.
I guess I forgot about the “career earnings” aspect with Holliday. You are definitely right Rob. Maybe when he hits 60 is more likely.
Your point is well-taken, but there certainly are a number of managers in the last several decades who had HoF or HoF-esque players besides those you mentioned. Ryne Sandberg came to my mind first, and if we can stay in the 2000’s, add Paul Molitor, Kirk Gibson, and Alan Trammell to the list. And besides those guys, who didn’t manage all that long (or particularly well, perhaps), managerial legends like Joe Torre and Lou Piniella also fit the bill, as well as probably the best player of all of these guys- the stalwart Frank Robinson,
As for Holliday, since he currently coaches with his brother at Oklahoma State, he certainly is willing to go through “the grind” of traveling and teaching at the college level (I’m assuming that, as a coach, he travels with the team, and doesn’t just hang out in Stillwater and come to practices!). The question would then seem to become- is he doing it to be close to family, in which case he probably wouldn’t make a change. Is he doing it for the love of coaching and to try to pass on his knowledge? If so, what better platform can he have than the majors, with a franchise that loves him? I’m sure the truth involves both of these reasons and more, and as such, who knows? But it would seem that a major league coaching paycheck probably is NOT likely to be a major concern lol.
Eric T, Solid post. I think a lot of ex players want to pass on their knowledge but they aren’t all “manager” prospects which doesn’t mean squat either way. A lot of these guys could get in with “consulting” gigs and eventually they’ll be BEGGED to be managers haha.
Matt Holliday would be a great hitting coach. He has coached up both of his sons to be great prospects including Jackson who was the number 1 overall pick in this years draft. He did what nobody else could do in helping Matt Carpenter find his swing. He has routinely been contacted by MLB players for hitting help. He has said he wants to manage and would be open to being a hitting coach, but he wanted to wait until his sons have finished high school. So… maybe he would accept the bench coach role. He is a smart baseball man.
@eric t great post man, and to piggyback off it, i really think matt is doing this because he is a bb lifer and wants to be part of the game until he passes. it’s a vibe i get from hearing every friday on the fast lane (the 2pm to 6pm show on espn radio in stl) i also believe he would of been coaching in mlb/milb sooner if it wasn’t for his kids, i remember hearing during one of his weekly interviews he wanted to coach his boy in college to spend/make up for lot time. which i can relate my dad is a retired union carpenter and stayed on for a few extra years just so me and him could work together
Thx, and I agree. TBH, I didn’t even think about Matt’s desire to keep close tabs on Jackson’s burgeoning career. All things told, it seems to me like there are more things in his life calling him than the Cards’ hitting coach opening.
I may be a dreamer, but wouldn’t Albert and Yadi as hitting and pitching coaches respectively be mind-blowingly awesome? I’m sure it’d be healthy for each to take time off, but what a staggering amount of baseball IQ could be inserted in the dugout if that were to happen? Maybe occasionally sneak one of them out in a key situation with a Bobby Valentine fake mustache…
mo would be an excellent future manger if he decides to be one, no offense to al i’m not sure if he could be a great hitting coach because what made al a hof’er is something you can’t teach, the man just had special abilities and that’s just something you can’t teach. with that said where al would excel would be a mentor and getting kids tur the highs and lows of being a pro player
Based on everything I heard this past season, he was GREAT with the young players, and as long as he could overcome the Ted Williams type of phenomenon of holding others to his personal standard, I think he’d be great. The man knows hitting, and I really believe could communicate the subtleties that few on the planet have even considered.
McGwire did a great job as a hitting coach, so again, there is precedent for this. Except Pujols hit for average, and at least in theory would be able to provide more insight into the approach that could bring out the best in any hitter regardless of where he falls on the power/average spectrum…
Another great hitter who was a hitting coach? Rod Carew!
Eric T, SOLID POST! You obviously know yourself some ball.
@eric t great points and i didn’t even consider them, tbh i glossed over the fact that al is a great communicator. i was more concerned about making my point with out looking at all the facts so thanks for pointing that out. what i should of said can al take his knowledge of hitting and being a pro and translate it to something the kids can understand. also when something is so natural to you sometimes that can be hard to teach and pass on.
Yes, we agree. It may not be possible to pass along EVERYTHING he knows, but 75% of Albert’s knowledge and insight is way more than 90% of what most anyone else could offer. Combined with a good rapport with the clubhouse, a willingness to work with players, and an elite love of the game, and it seems like an experiment that would be more likely than not to succeed, IMO.
Turner Ward has been mentioned, and I do think he’d be a fine candidate, from what I’ve read…
unfortunately i don’t know much about ward, but i wish him the best, i hope he tries to use each player’s strengths to make them better hitters than try and make them hitters that there not. no i’ll will towards jeff but i don’t think he was the right man for the job and i feel he was one of the reasons schlidt lost his job, which imo was a mistake but mo wanted his yes man.
An appreciative player praising his team for what they have done for him. Makes for good reading. Should be more of it.
He did say some good things. Seemed sincere. I give him major props as well.
He’ll pout and throw a fit if they somehow miss the playoffs next year.
@trumbo i don’t know matt personally but he is sincere, if he’s faking it he’s done a good job on the radio the last few years
Brodie, I should have been more specific. I was referencing Arenado. In any case I have always liked Matt =]
@trumbo it’s also my bad most of the comments so far we’re about matt, but ever since nolan came here and waved his first opt out i had no doubt he was going to stay a card. love us or hate us every year for the last 20+ years the cards have played meaningful bb into september and nolan proved that he isn’t about the money but about getting the chance to play for a ring. playoffs are a crapshoot the best team doesn’t always win but your chances are better with a team that has a track record of always playing for oct.
Turner Ward and Goldy have history fron AZ look for him to be hitting coach Holliday as bench coach would definitely have Marmol looking over his shoulder.
Maybe Marmol needs that. It’d be the same if Molina was the bench coach or any of the Cardinals HOF’ers.
I think people were too quick to assume that Arenado would bolt for more money when he had the chance. Not everyone operates that way.
Where are all the clowns who have been guaranteeing that Arenado would opt out of his contract? Where are all the ones who said he would be playing third base for the Dodgers next year?
Typical moronic predictions based on nothing, by people who are absolutely uninformed.
Calm down Nostradamus. He thought he could have gotten more money he would have. The reality is though he will be 32 stating next season and the best offer he would probably get he already had. So he stayed. So the risk seems led to be greater that he opted out and got less. Camouflage it with loyalty statements, but he was truely never going to opt out he would have announced it earlier like last year.
LOL
You know that how?
Another dumb take. OF COURSE he could have gotten more money. I stopped reading your post after that since the second sentence was false.
If he could have, he would have. He couldn’t even get another penny from the Cardinals. You probably thought Harper and Machado were going to get $400mm contracts as well, how’d that work out for you?
Since you obviously haven’t been paying attention. There is a youth movement in baseball. All the money is being going to young players to buy out there arb years and keep them through their prime. No one want to heavily invest in players at ages 31/31 by giving them 5 or 6 year deals because they probably only have two good years left. Watch, Judge will probably sign somewhere in the 5 for $150mm range. Maybe someone will give him 6 for $170mm if he holds solid for the extra year.
Players from around the league have spent time in the offseason working with Holliday. He was the first person I thought of for hitting coach and could end up being one of the better ones in the league.
I’d like to see Waino, Yadi, and Pujols be part of the coaching/managerial staff. Holliday would be a welcome addition, too, in my opinion.
I wonder that with Matt’s son now playing pro ball that he wants to watch him develop as he works his way to the big leagues. At least for a few years he can travel to watch Jackson without being tied to a job during the season.
Part of the reason the Cardinals have gone 0-3 in the playoffs is Arenado’s abysmal performance in those three games.
Arenado doesn’t worry about getting a ring, which he never will in that town. Good on him to take his money and be happy with playing in a boring place for the worst fans in baseball.
Idiot post. From an idiot. With idiotic points.
Strike three and you’re muted.
Kris Bryant, is that you?
You are correct he won’t win a title over the course of his contract in St. Louis. But far from the worst fans in baseball. Second most delusional to the cubs yes, but worst no.
You kids got your schoolwork done for tomorrow?
@milff and how many times has your team won a ws or better yet played any meaningful bb past june. ok stl doesn’t have white sandy beaches or awesome nightlife but what we do have are loyal passionate fans that sell out on a tuesday night, how many teams can honestly say that. you can dog my city and my team all you want and that’s fine but it just shows how much of a troll you are coming to a cards thread and spewing nonsense
Holliday as hitting coach would be the first hitting coach I’d be excited for since McGwire.