The Cardinals have been among the most disappointing teams in the league this season. Despite coming into the season as the shoo-in favorite for the NL Central crown, St. Louis sports just a 34-48 record and is in fifth place in the NL Central, 9.5 games out of a playoff spot. That rough first half to the 2023 campaign led president of baseball operations John Mozeliak to admit that “some changes” were on the horizon for the Cardinals late last month, even as he pushed back against the idea of the club entering a full rebuild.
The Athletic’s Katie Woo expanded upon those comments today, suggesting that the Cardinals are likely to make most of their position player group available in trade talks as they look to retool the team, though she highlights Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Lars Nootbaar, and Jordan Walker as players who aren’t expected to be moved. Woo places the most emphasis on first baseman Paul Goldschmidt as a player who’s off-limits in trade as the deadline approaches.
The 35-year-old first baseman has posted another solid season for the Cardinals on the heels of his 2022 MVP campaign, slashing .289/.379/.498 in 359 plate appearances this season. A free agent after the 2024 campaign, speculation has swirled that the club might consider offers on Goldschmidt ahead of the trade deadline this year. Woo pushes back strongly against those rumors, arguing that a two-year extension this offseason is the “most likely scenario” regarding Goldschmidt. Such a deal would figure to take the veteran slugger through the end of his age-38 season in a Cardinals uniform.
More from around the National League…
- The Pirates welcomed outfielder Bryan Reynolds back from the injured list today, per a club announcement. Pittsburgh’s star was on the shelf with a low back strain for just slightly over the minimum 10 days required, but the club struggled while Reynolds was away. Since Reynolds last appeared in a game on June 19, the club has gone 5-6 including key losses to division rivals in Chicago and Milwaukee. Reynolds, who’s slashing .279/.350/.473 in 294 plate appearances this season, will look to spark his club as they head into the All Star break with tough matchups against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. In recent days, outfielder Josh Palacios has filled in for Reynolds in the outfield alongside Henry Davis and Jack Suwinski.
- Phillies managed Rob Thomson tells reporters, including Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation, that top prospect Andrew Painter is set to face live hitters on Tuesday for the first time since he was shut down during Spring Training with a UCL sprain. In even more encouraging news, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com adds that Painter is not only expected to pitch competitively at some point this summer, but could make his big league debut sometime this season. That’s surely a relief for Phillies fans, given Painter appeared poised to slot into the club’s Opening Day rotation prior to his injury during the spring as baseball’s consensus top pitching prospect.
- Padres reliever Robert Suarez is making progress in his return to a big league mound, beginning a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League as noted by Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Suarez has been on the 60-day IL all season dealing with an elbow injury, but was a key piece of the San Diego bullpen last season with a 2.27 ERA in 47 2/3 innings of work. Sanders adds that Suarez is expected back sometime after the All Star break. Upon his return, Suarez figures to bolster a bullpen that ranks bottom ten in the majors with a 4.26 FIP.
Stupid
“…the Cardinals are likely to make most of their position player group available in trade talks as they look to retool the team, though she highlights Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Lars Nootbaar, and Jordan Walker as players who aren’t expected to be moved. Woo places the most emphasis on first baseman Paul Goldschmidt as a player who’s off-limits in trade as the deadline approaches.”
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So the bad position players are available.
Contreras is the worst player on the 40 man roster. But he is untouchable.
Contreras is a different situation. Historically he’s been a good hitter, but he’s a bat-first catcher who is no longer hitting, and is owed a lot of money the next four seasons and is only in the first year of his contract. They recognize he’s the one guy who they can’t move, so might as well say they’re not going to trade him. They have to hope that he rediscovers his bat in the second half or next year; otherwise, he’s unmovable.
You don’t really need to explain it. I know all of that. It’s just been a long, miserable season and I’m venting.
Miserable season!!!
THANK YOU MO & CO !!
Interesting that she doesn’t list Edman on the list of untouchables. With his speed and versatility he is someone they should want to keep. That said, he also may fetch the best return of what is supposedly available on the roster
Mo hates guys like Tommy. He makes all the free agent signings look bad.
Imagine thinking you know a lot about baseball and thinking a team who just gave a guy 5 years and 85 million was going to released in the first year. Some fans have zero idea about reality.
He should be the first player moved.
His speed and value as a defender are the exact reasons you move him. He’s never been great with the bat and defense and speed decline first as you age. Tommy isn’t getting younger.
Monty is the best they have to offer but he’s a rental. They might get a top 100 pitching prospect if a contender really needs a starter.
I don’t think you comprehended a word of what this article said lol. The POSITION players are available. Not the starters. Monty is not on the table at this point, the only reason they would sell starters is if they went into fill tear down
Remember this when Monty is traded at the deadline. MO should be fired if he isn’t traded for prospects. Do you seriously think the Cardinals are going to the playoffs?
The article only MENTIONED the position p[ayers. The rental starters, Montgomery and Flaherty, are the MOST likely to be traded and by no means indicate a teardown for next season and beyond!
This is about the worst take I’ve seen on what this team should do all season. Nice work.
ONeill isn’t bad he’s just been hurt.
One of Edman or Donovan could be moved. Both good players.
DeJong is available for I imagine not much more than salary relief.
Carlson could be available.
The Cardinals have loads of talented position players. What they don’t have is pitching which is the whole point of a trade.
Loads of “talented” position players? Seems to me you drank the entire jug of Cardinal koolaid.
I don’t think anything about the current Cardinals organization is 1/2 as good as they want us to believe. They’re horrible talent evaluators, absolutely horrible. They routinely give or chase away players they should have kept, then pay the guys who should’ve never been here in the first place. They hire dodos to manage, chase away guys who think for themselves. I think Mo is the real cancer sucking the life out of the team with horrible decisions, one after the other. That’s just my 2 cents not worth 1.
But, but, I thought all those fancy “analytics” were going to show everyone in baseball the new-age way of making wise decisions throughout the entire organization, and on the field ??
You’re exaggerating a few bad cases and one bad year while ignoring all of the good ones. They’ve also made plenty of good trades and free agent signings that have gotten the Cardinals into the playoffs for four straight years and 15 consecutive years with a winning record (until this year). Overall, the front office has done a very good job.
The front office is similar to that of the Yankees. They have a model that is generally effective at achieving a positive result, but it’s clear that others are doing it better. The game is passing both organizations by in terms of achieving the ultimate prize.
Of course they have talented position players! The offense (and most of the defense) hasn’t been the problem this season aside from some cases of inconsistency. They have so many deserving starters (aside from Contreras who is still their best option at catcher) even with O’Neill out that Carlson and Gorman have to platoon even though neither one really deserves it.
While it’s somewhat disappointing that only Goldy, Arenado, and Walker (since he came back up) are really mashing the ball, the rest of them are hitting at least league average, play good defense and hit close to league average, or both.
There are 30 teams, and the Cardinals have won the World Series twice since 2006, including once under Mozeliak and Girsch. The Yankees last won in 2009 and won an incredible 4 out 5 years from 1996-2000. For both teams, that’s well above the average frequency
Meanwhile, the playoffs are largely a crapshoot. Both the Cardinals and the Yankees are doing the right thing by building consistent playoff teams. Luck just hasn’t been on either team’s side in the last decade or so.
Like I said, that’s just my 2 cents NOT WORTH 1 (cent). Most of you guys already know it all, so why care about and try to correct what a random nobody like me has to say?
DeJong is hitting around league average with a very good glove at SS. He’s worth a couple of decent prospects now.
And apparently the entire pitching staff is on the table with only a couple of them with appeal to a contender. No mention is made of Gorman who could bring back some solid prospects. Edman is marketable as long as STL isn’t over valuing him.
In my opinion they SHOULD be listening on Goldschmidt. He’d fetch quite a haul, of course, but let’s be realistic – this team is going nowhere in the foreseeable future until they overhaul their pitching staff. I don’t think they’d be in this bind were it not for their pitching…….and Marmol has to share some of the blame.
I’m still amazed how the new pitching coach is being given a complete pass by everyone for the pitching woes. Many pitchers are performing below their career norms. That points to bad coaching.
The pitch clock is a game changer as well.
Goldschmidt had a NTC. It doesn’t matter if they want to listen or not. He has to want to go somewhere.
I really think he’d happily go to a few contenders. He’s 35.
Maybe he would and maybe he wouldn’t. He’s given no indication of wanting to leave and until he does we should default to the NTC and its ramifications.
No, the Cardinals will be expecting to contend again next year once they do overhaul the pitching staff in the offseason, and they need Goldschmidt to do that. They’re retooling, NOT rebuilding! Anything you can get for Goldschmidt is not going to help the 2024 team win anymore than Goldschmidt himself will. That’s why they’re keeping him!
It’s not a retool if you’re not willing to give up anything. The Cardinals aren’t going to magically get competitive next year. It’ll take trading pieces like Goldschmidt to acquire pieces for next year. Goldy is 35. Realistically he only has 2-4 seasons left. This year is a lost season for him. Trading him makes all the sense in the world for a team wanting to compete next year. Holding on to veterans will make the Cardinals less likely to improve at all.
That’s why the rental starters and some other position players are available.
As for Goldy, he’s still a superstar playing almost as well as he always has. Even if his production slips another notch next year, nothing you could get for Goldschmidt will help the 2024 Cardinals anymore than Goldschmidt himself will. Trading him will only make the 2024 team worse than they’d be by keeping him! That’s the difference!
You won’t improve much with rental players as your only trade chips. Goldy has 2 years of control and 1 of those years is already a lost cause. He’s a grade trade chip. I think it’s completely foolish not to trade him if you think this season is a lost cause.
*great not grade
Nootbaar is a low avg hitter with even less pop than Donovan and he is limited to the outfield. The fascination with him is astounding.
Nootbaar
baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/lars-nootbaar…
Donovan
baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/brendan-donov…
Yeah, Donovan has more power. Whatever.
Some buffoon was insistent that Contreras would be traded this season and wanted me to “come see” him when I realized how wrong I was that it wasn’t going to happen.
No, If this report is correct Lars Nootbaar is unavailable but the much better Donovan is and also Wilson Contreras is unavailable.
Since when is Donovan much better than Nootbaar? Donovan may be hitting a little better so far this season and has better versatility, but Nootbaar plays significantly better defense. (Don’t forget Donovan only won that Gold Glove due to Edman and Varsho having their votes unfaily split. He’s actually a little below average defensively.)
I’d say they’re pretty close in overall value.
July 3, 2023
Nootbaar is a low avg hitter with even less pop than Donovan and he is limited to the outfield. But he takes a lot of walks. Cool. The fascination with him is astounding.
Donovan has 14 career home runs in 782 PAs.. Nootbaar had 14 in 347 PAs last year.
Yeah he had more hrs that doesn’t mean he had more pop. His swing is much more designed for hitting homeruns than is Donovan’s and his is plateauing and as of now Donovan’ is developing. Nootbars can still develop for sure but the fascination is weird is all I’m saying. Some people seem to view him as a future star.
That just means Donovan has developed a similar level of power as Nootbaar, not surpassing him. His SLG was only .004 points higher this season, and he’s actually a year older than Nootbaar.
Meanwhile, Nootbaar’s .261 batting average this year does not make him a low average hitter in today’s game, and his .367 OPB was excellent. Even with his middling power, that was still good for a 115 OPS+. Throw in his good defense, and he’s been a quality starting outfielder in his first two full seasons who could develop further.
Nootbaar probably is overrated and unlikely to ever be an All-Star, but he’s also currently one of the best outfielders the Cardinals have.
They signed Contreras to block Kizner and Herrera….
Now they are holding on to goldy when he’s clearly regressed at 35? Age 36 is usualky a players last great season… so let’s hold on to him and block all the young players you got…
Arozarena, garcia… definition of insanity?
Knizner and Herrera deserved to be blocked. Even in this down year, Contreras is still a better option than either of them
Goldschmidt has only BARELY regressed. He’s still easily the best hitter on the team who also plays good defense. He’d be on the All-Star team if the Mets didn’t need Alonso to represent them, and he could still make it as an injury replacement. Even if he slips another notch, no young 1B the Cards could acquire would come even close to outplaying him next year.
@Lanidrac You’re not trying to replace Goldy. No one is denying he is good. The fact is he’s 35. His window is closing. Barring a miracle this is a lost season. The Cards only have him under control for 1 more year. If you’re only trading rentals, you’re not getting anything valuable for next year, and essentially you’re going into 2024 with the same sub-par team. Conversely you can trade Goldy with one year of control and get a pretty solid return. It doesn’t have to be a 1B. You can find a solid 1B in free agency. Not necessarily one as good as Goldy, but the Cards needed rotation help and a whole lot more. Goldy is your best chance to improve for 2024. I get he’s a fan favorite, but he’s not getting any younger and he’s a free agent in 2 years anyway. Now is the perfect time to trade him. Instead the Cardinals will rock with the same old team next year and let the Reds, Cubs and Pirates pass them by.
Not the bad ones, just the less valuable ones. Edman, Carlson, and DeJong could still be starters for most teams, O’Neill as well once he’s healthy again, Donovan is a good utility, super-sub, and Burleson and Yepez still have potential. I’d also include Gorman in the list of aren’t expected to be traded.
Carlson and DeJong are not starters on any playoff contender. Yepez is at best a pinch hitter. Come now, man.
DeJong certainly is, as he’s hitting around league average and plays a very good defensive shortstop.
Although some playoff teams may prefer to upgrade, Carlson could still be a starter on most teams, as he hits at least close to league average and plays a very good defensive center field.
I said Yepez has potential, not that he’s all that good right now. In a couple of years, he may very well develop into a starter caliber bat despite his below average defense. The same is also true for Burleson.
Name the team that will win their division and would be better with Paul DeJong as their everyday shortstop.
The Dodgers are running Miguel Rojas and his -0.1 WAR out there every day. He currently has a 56 wRC+, 44% below average. DeJong would be a huge upgrade for them.
I’m hard pressed to think they’d trade Nolan Gorman as well.
So Contreras is off limits and Goldy is getting an extension? Mo is a screw up in every way. Goldy has been GREAT, but he should be traded to a winner. Contreras should be released.
Mo should not be allowed to make the needed changes. He broke it. Someone else needs to fix it.
Eat over $75M by releasing Contreras? Yeah, that’s sensible.
So just keep playing him, performance be damned? Plenty of teams have been forced to eat large amounts of money after handing out bad contracts. DeWitt has made plenty of money. If he doesn’t like eating bad contracts all the time, he should invest in a new PoBO.
Nobody is taking on that contract in a trade. He has negative value on the field. So yes, release him. Pay him to go away and stop making the rest of the team worse. Cost be damned.
Its the first year of his deal. He has hit well in the past so yes you keep playing him, its not costing you anything this year. Contreras is also not the reason the Cards have struggled this season. Cost be damned is a terrible motto to run a baseball team.
DonOsbourne2 hours ago
So just keep playing him, performance be damned?
===========================
Of course. This isn’t even a question. You don’t sign someone for five years, who was an AS last year, and then cut him because he is in a slump. SMH
Maybe Chris Davis should still be playing 1st for the O’s. Maybe Aaron Hicks should still be getting AB’s in NY.
That’s not even the whole story. He’s an awful defensive catcher. He never should have been given the contract in the first place. The whole thing was a mistake from the beginning. It’s not going to get better with age. Admit it now or admit it later.
I hate losing. You guys are apparently more patient people than me. I think the argument that you just have to hope he gets better is a platitude from wealthy owners who wouldn’t apply the same standard to their other businesses.
@Don, sure, but this is half a season. Players regularly have bad years. Good players. Great players! This can also happen on new teams in the first year of a contract. If you’ve given up on this year, then it won’t hurt to give him time. Could even benefit.
LordD
If I remember right, you are a Yankees’ fan. Did you follow the story your guy, Michael Kay, dropped about Contreras? Apparently he was benched earlier in the season because he was calling for pitches the guy on the mound didn’t even have in his arsenal. Does that seem reasonable to you? The story is running in Sports Illustrated. That’s not a slump. That’s a lazy, unprofessional, ridiculousness. That won’t get better with age. There is no upside with this guy. Ask any Cubs fan on this site.
He’s hitting .333/.442/.569 with a 180 wRC+ the last month. His batted ball peripherals were great the first couple months he just wasn’t having any kind of luck. There’s nothing to suggest that he isn’t the player he’s always been.
They want Goldschmidt to go into the HOF as a Cardinal. That and we intend on competing next year.
Goldschmidt is the best player on the team. Personally I think Walker needs to play 1b but trading Goldschmidt instantly makes the team worse.
Should that be the goal here? The Big Red Machine was dismantled without any concern over who was going in to the Hall or what they’d be wearing. The FO has to do what is necessary to improve the team. They’ve been incredibly loyal to their veterans, but I don’t see that paying off in the post season.
Bad example. That dismantling did not improve the team, but rather led to some embarrassing seasons.
DonO – You don’t trade MVP’s.
@TravisKelce
Did you get from a fortune cookie? What good does an MVP do for a last place team?
That’s always been my argument against allowing the MVP to be elected from a team that didn’t make the playoffs. What value did he actually provide?
A fortune cookie? That’s cute Donny. Go ahead and tell me the last MVP that was traded the year after he won the award. You can’t get full value for a guy like Paul if you trade him now so you may as well go ahead and keep him and extend him, like the article says.
But for you, go ahead and continue to read your fortune cookie fortunes like the genius that you think you are.
Even more foolish to trade Goldschmidt at all.
DonOsbourne;
If Mo didn’t realize that he had to clip on his bow tie in the morning, he’d put his shirt on backwards.
Goldy should 100% be traded. He’s not young. Cards could get a solid return.
And Walker is a ready made replacement at 1B. It makes too much sense. That’s why they won’t do it. They like losing.
That’s what gets me. They extend him and it’s just keeping Walker in a bad situation.
He is so freaking awful in the outfield.
Walker can DH. Have you seen Gorman lately? He’s looking like a big league 2b. Walker should be the DH moving forward if not for Arenado and Donovan being banged up he might already be the DH.
Mo’s Cardinals wouldn’t be Mo’s Cardinals if they weren’t playing
2-4 guys out of position each game.
Does Rotisserie League stop the owner from playing some hitters at a different positions each game?
Walker has never played first base.
He used to play 3b. Most guys can handle the transition from 3b to 1b. If it wasn’t for Goldschmidt being an excellent defender he probably would have had some opportunities by now.
Yes. The Cards organization is rightfully praised, but this is bone-headed stubbornness. It’s time for a quick retool. They can compete as soon as next year, but not without getting younger.
Von;
This Cardinals organization has nothing to do with the one Branch Rickey set up that was used as a basis for 75 years.
George Kissell was a top assistant to Rickey. He wrote a book on how to play Cardinals baseball. Manager Mike Shilt had a copy and kept it in his office to refer to every now and then. Shilt had been in the organization for decades. Of course he was fired a few years ago.
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Jeff Luhnow was a engineering major and advocate of statistics. He was hired by Cardinals owner William DeWitt Jr. in 2003 to set up an analytics department as DeWitt was impressed with the so-called Moneyball revolution. In turn, Luhnow learned the Cardinals way of both playing and administering baseball that was in place. His department was especially good at running the drafts that built the Cardinals WS winning team in 2011.
After the 2011 season Luhnow was hired by the Astros to rebuild and run their organization. He took 2 young assistants from the Cardinals with him – Mike Elias and Sig Mejdal (both now running the Orioles). Over the years – especially under Mo’s influence – the Cardinals slowly got away from Branch Rickey’s style and philosophes. The analytic work done by Luhnow, Elias, and Mejdal was modified.
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Shilt was the last link to Cardinals baseball. I’m fond of saying the Cardinals went high-tech and are now playing in Houston. What they do is truly Cardinals baseball – from strong fundaments to knowing which young players to be patient with and which to cut bait on.
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This Cardinals organization is the NL’s answer to the Yankees. They keep throwing money at older players and give them long contract extensions. Then they have to play them while their youngsters hit a wall. They always look good on paper each year. The difference is that the Yankees radially outspend the Cardinals.
That’s funny. Pop Warner was a Kissell disciple for 17 years to Shildt’s 4. Which one is still in the organization?
Stubby Clapp played under Kissell for 7 years, again longer then Shildt knew Kissell.
McGee spent over a decade in the organization with Kissell.
Kissell’s influence is still more than alive and well in the Cardinals organization.
I’d build around the under 30 group and get starting pitching for the over 30 group. They’ll have to eat Contreras’ salary. Trade a few spare parts outfielders for some relief pitchers.
Herrera looks ready to take over catching duty.
Amen.
Nobody is eating Conteras’ salary that’s silly.
The Cardinals are eating that contract whether or not they keep Contreras on the team. It’s now a sunk cost. Marmol burned him for the Cardinals. He’s not been the same player since that clown show.
It was always a sunk cost, but that’s beside the point. The fact of the matter is even if they do trade him and absorb the salary they’re still not going to get anything of value in return because he’s not performing so they may as well allow him to hang around and try figuring things out.
Dear MLB Trade Rumors; nice dive into “click bait” status. NFW do the Cardinals trade Goldschmidt. And you know this..Do better with your baseball journalism.
It’s a site called trade rumors. It’s July. What exactly are you looking for here?????
Most of them are in trade talks, except 5/9ths of them. Someone should explain that 4/9ths isn’t most. Also, I guess they should have been willing to give up Carlson in a trade for Soto now huh?
Anyone who thinks Carlson was the reason St. Louis didn’t trade for Soto is kidding themselves. The Cardinals had $400 million reasons not to trade for Soto when pitching and catching was what they really needed. I know, Soto is one of twenty or so generational players currently in the league. The truth is the only generational player is on the Angels. The rest is hype.
There is character and there are characters. Much as I hate to admit it, the Cardinals know the former and the Padres have too many of the latter.
It’s funny how everyone forget Goldschmidt struggled his first year in Saint Louis as well. Not to the extent of Contreras, but he also wasn’t thrown under the bus by his new club. I think and manager change next year and we see an improved Contreras, but unfortunately I don’t believe they will Marmol. Goldschmidt should absolutely be traded if anyone has interest. He’ll he 36 after the season. Just look at Wainwrights decline as reason to dump him to get whatever you can, before you can’t. I one should be off limits, they need to do a complete rebuild, including getting top 5 first round picks in ‘24 and ‘25. They have been in the position to draft the Uber elite in the draft in a long time. look at the last decade of World Series winners, those players are what you need to build the next decade of success.
They cannot “dump him”. He has a no trade clause.
The only way Goldschmidt is being traded is to a legit World Series contender. He doesn’t have a championship. I’m sure he’d love to have one.
Why do I have the feeling that Painter will wind up with TJS?
Lance?
I agree with you. He’s being handled with such kid gloves so far. At some point he’s gotta pitch max effort, and that will tell the tale. They’re trying to hide him from Tommy and hope everything goes away.
Dr Tommy bursts into the front office. “Where’s Andrew Painter?!!! He’s next on my list!”
FO collectively – “Who?”
had that same feeling and would rather have him get and miss the season then this crap
Foolish for Cards not to trade Goldschmidt to Angels.
They don’t have the final say in the matter. He has a no trade clause.
I think Herrera is catching most days next year. That would mean Gorman would need to be at 2nd cause they will not eat Contreras contract and will DH him most of the time. Winn will likely be SS next season, so Edman, Donovon, Gorman, Carlson, O’neil. Stuck with Mikolas and Matz, but the rest of the pitchers should be available to anyone willing to cross their fingers with a change of scenery candidate. Monty has pitched well and Flaherty has a high ceiling but hasn’t pitched like it in several years but both are pure rentals so are not worth much till the very end of the trade season. Both should be highly motivated to pitch outstanding till the deadline because if they can catch on with a contender and throw up a bunch of zero’s to end the season the payday next year could add some zero’s as well. Rough season to be a Cards fan and the returns on all of these players may only get them some lottery ticket type talent back in return. Makes me wonder what next years draft looks like and what Flores would do with a top five pick in ’24. Yikes that is just hard to type out without cringing. Not because Flores is bad, but because the Cards are even in the conversation with that group.
Yeah, it really would be silly to trade Goldschmidt since the Cardinals expect to contend again next season. Nothing you could get for him would help the 2024 team win anymore than Goldschmidt himself would.
I’m truly asking this question- why did STL not retain Shildt? As a Padres fan, I’ll say that Suarez’s return to our bullpen can’t come soon enough.
Waiting for Painter is like watching paint dry.. I wonder if the Phils front office is hoping he’s okay, or are just buying time. Whichever, I just hope they are doing what’s best for the young man..
On another front, I keep hearing how Bryce Harper is struggling because he isn’t hitting home runs.. Hummmm, hitting almost .300.. I wish the rest of the team struggles like that.. The man is flat out clutch!