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Buffa: Cardinals leave Warm-up armed, but not deadly

Will they truly break the bank for Bryce Harper or Manny Machado next winter? Here's the better question: will they win a bidding war with another team?
Sep 30, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (50) looks on from the dugout during the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

When St. Louis Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. spoke to the media on Monday, it sounded like a speech that could have been written years ago.

"We believe in our club."

We are "strong and improved."

"We can contend for the World Series."

"All we have to do is get in."

What fans wanted to hear was more simple: "Those other teams don't have a chance, because we acquired players that put us HEAD and SHOULDERS above the Cubs and Brewers."

Allow me to preface this story with a reminder to the St. Louis baseball people: the Cardinals gross over three million in attendance every year, make tons of revenue from Ballpark Village, but their payroll barely hangs inside the top ten in the Major Leagues, despite having one of the highest grossing attendances in the game.

According to Baseball Prospectus, here is a list of the Cardinals payroll the past three seasons:

2015: Start of Season-$122 million, End of Season-$132 million (12th in league)

2016: Start of Season-$145 million, End of Season-$178 million (8th in league)

2017: Start of Season-$148 million, End of Season-$182 million (10th)

2018: ????

While the payroll hasn't decreased annually, it surely hasn't risen enough. Why are the Cardinals telling us they will be so bold, and manage to start the season at around the same mark the past two years? Where is the bold stroke in their moves? If they are bringing in more revenue each year, the payroll should go up. With the television revenue starting to roll in, the Cards should be up near the 180 mark before the season? Get comfy with that luxury tax limit, or be honest.

What does all of that tell you? The Cardinals were not bold this offseason. They promised to be bold, but that didn't happen. Losing out on Giancarlo Stanton due to a player preference is fine, but don't slow down after a single big move.

The Cardinals acquired Marcell Ozuna, who is an upgrade over Stephen Piscotty, but their rotation is shaky and the bullpen is downright troubling.

The players acquired in the last few years — Dexter Fowler, Mike Leake, Brett Cecil — are fine side-pieces, but nowhere near stars or difference makers. Fowler's projected WAR for 2018 is 2.0. Kolten Wong did that in a year that left fans unsatisfied.

In 2018, the Cards will hope Ozuna repeats 2017 and not 2016. They will hope Matt Carpenter improves his baserunning. They will hope Wong and Fowler can stay healthy. There's a prayer for Yadier Molina — who announced he has three years left on Monday — and his knees stay intact again. They hope Paul DeJong doesn't regress like Aledmys Diaz and Tommy Pham's bat keeps up with his mouth.

They will hope Adam Wainwright can find a piece of 2014 Waino, or pre-Achilles injury Waino. They will hope Michael Wacha's shoulder doesn't fall apart and Luke Weaver is ready. Can Carlos Martinez become a true ace? Who is Miles Mikolas and what can he do? More than a few of the Cardinals didn't even know Mikolas' name this past weekend. "The Japan guy" is how one Cardinal mentioned him.

Hey Japan guy, what can you do? Sounds like a group of substitute teachers looking after Harvard's finest.

The Cardinals sounded like a team with a huge chip on their shoulder. Crowds weren't as crazy as previous years. Certain fans stayed home due to the team's back-to-back playoff absence. Like it or not, they wanted more, and due to their loyal attendance numbers, it's more than fair to demand more.

The Cubs have been to the postseason the past two years, winning the World Series once and coming just short the following year in the NLCS. This past winter, the Cubs lost players but made additions to their roster that still makes it equal to or greater than the Cardinals.

The Cardinals don't have a Kris Bryant or Anthony Rizzo.

When John Mozeliak announced Luke Gregerson was his closer on Saturday, many smothered their disgust as it was recorded and tweeted. This ranks among the "are you serious, bro" moves by the team. Gregerson is a setup man at best, a guy with only one season of 30 saves or more.

The bigger question is who pairs with Gregerson in the late game stages. Tyler Lyons can work, but where? John Brebbia? Cecil? Sam Tuivailala?

I love Jose Martinez, but where is he going to play? I like Jack Flaherty, but he won't start over Wainwright and tenure, but also due to Mike Matheny loving #50 so much that the man's arm would need to fall off before he was pulled from a close game.

The Cards passed on Addison Reed reportedly due to an innings-load worry, yet Matt Bowman will more than likely lead the team in appearances again — or until his arm falls off.

Does this mean I want them to hand Eric Hosmer seven years or make a ridiculous offer to Greg Holland? Not at all.

But the fact still remains: this team is armed, but far from deadly. They are a hopeful 90-win team in a league that is getting more aggressive and competitive.

If something happens to Martinez, the rotation is a bombshell. If a bullpen arm goes down, the young birds will flood it. There is no proven shutdown reliever in the bullpen. That's a problem.

The Cards entered 2017 with Trevor Rosenthal and Seung-hwan Oh. They don't have those kinds of weapons right now.

Here's what everyone wants to know: what is the plan here? Are the Cardinals quietly hoping for another Memphis breakout? Are they genuine in their claims of wanting to contend for the World Series and not just a playoff invitation? Their lack of bullpen completion sends the wrong message.

I long for the days where the Cardinals were mad-hat aggressive, a time when they were bold. Here's the thing: even if I didn't like the signing, such as Hosmer or Jake Arrieta, it would show the team was being aggressive and outright bold. Love or hate it, they would be taking their shot. Now, a fan can sit here and hope there's a trade deadline deal in the works, but is that a smart way to operate a team? Hope to be around at the deadline?

The Cardinals told the world in early August they were chasing the Cubs. They announced a bold offseason in October. If Ozuna, Mikolas, and Gregerson are bold, I think the front office has a different definition of bold than fans do.

Sure, the hot stove has been rather cold the past month, but there were players out there for the Cardinals to sign and they chose not to. It leaves people in a state of confusion.

If the Cardinals are trying to be bold, why does their opening day payroll hang around $150 million? This year's team is leaning on hope rather than assured contention, and that's not fair to the fans who pay cold hard cash for a winner.

Will they truly break the bank for Bryce Harper or Manny Machado next winter? Here's the better question: will they win a bidding war with another team?

When will the Cardinals keep their promise and be bold? I'll wait for the answer. Brewing a pot of coffee may be required.

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