The Cardinals moved into fourth place

[champaignchris]

I’m not saying Yadier Molina doesn’t belong in the Hall. 
 

I am saying that Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Thurmon Munson, Bill Freehan and Jorge Posada all belong in the Hall more. 

[Tryptamine]

I don't know that I've ever seen this and perhaps it's a one season statistical anomaly, but Jordan Walker is putting up a .287/.350/.439 line at the moment good for a 120 wRC+ and yet the defensive value is so terrible he's still at a -.4 fWAR through 180 PA, so roughly on pace for -1.2 fWAR over a 162 game span. That puts him right around as valuable as Trey Mancini on a game per game basis based solely on fWAR.

[sneakypower]

scouting services love to hand wave away stuff like that, "uh he can probably play RF if needed" as if positional familiarity & first steps are very easy to add

a fantastic hitter like Nick Castellanos averages 1.6 WAR/150G for lack of other value to his game; maybe Cards think he's Ryan Braun in time which would make up for his deficiencies, but that's still a super high bar to clear

[Transmogrified Tiger]

5 minutes ago, sneakypower said:

scouting services love to hand wave away stuff like that, "uh he can probably play RF if needed" as if positional familiarity & first steps are very easy to add

"He's got the arm for it"

Walker's body type really exaggerates the lack of instincts/footwork too, since he only played OF as a pro starting about a year ago.  I assume they'll basically keep him at DH and maybe see if he can fake it in the OF in targeted cases until Goldschmidt is gone, at which point his real future home opens up.  Of course, you can probably say that about Gorman too(and defense is a big reason the Cardinals are so bad this year), so they may have some decisions to make if both hit well enough.

[sneakypower]

47 minutes ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

you can probably say that about Gorman too

something kinda funny i noticed

[Tryptamine]

Half a season into his new contract, the Cardinals are looking to trade Contreras. I don't know that I've ever seen a franchise treat a newly signed player worse. They've repeatedly thrown him under the bus. Why would any free agent want to sign with them, assuming comparable money, after this?

[jersey cubs fan]

1 hour ago, Tryptamine said:

Half a season into his new contract, the Cardinals are looking to trade Contreras. I don't know that I've ever seen a franchise treat a newly signed player worse. They've repeatedly thrown him under the bus. Why would any free agent want to sign with them, assuming comparable money, after this?

Some free agents, and especially those the cardinals specialize in, are white 

[stitchface]

3 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

Some free agents, and especially those the cardinals specialize in, are white 

worst treatment I've seen since Dexter Fowler!