Former Cardinal closer Trevor Rosenthal signed with the Washington Nationals. Boston free agent pitcher and ex-Redbird Joe Kelly inked a 3-year, $25 million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Questions galore are being raised about the health of Cleveland Indian lefty reliever Andrew Miller. Yankee southpaw hurler Zach Britton, a prime candidate to assume the role of closer, along with his agent, may be pricing himself out of an opportunity to land in St. Louis with a request much too steep in years and cost to suit Cardinal management’s appetite. Ditto for Red Sox free agent relief ace Craig Kimbrel who is rumored to be seeking $100 million over 6 years.
So much for the high-end talent that was available to shore up the bullpen – the area of desperate need for the ‘Birds in 2019.
After trading for first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, one of the elite players in all of baseball, to provide the quintessential middle-of-the-order bat and superb defense, the front office turned its attention to shoring up the team’s sore spot – or so fans thought.
There’s a good chance, make that more likely a distinct possibility that the Cards will fix the ‘pen from within, basically saying “thanks, but no thanks” to the more qualified, proven and major league experienced talent available on the market.
Say goodbye to a pipe dream’s combination of any two of them and “hello” to a list that represents both youth and a ton of savings with regards to salary. Cardinal Nation, I give you Alex Reyes, Dakota Hudson, Daniel Ponce De Leon, John Brebbia, Giovanny Gallegos, Ryan Helsley, Austin Gomber and Jordan Hicks in no particular order, although Hicks would be handed the role of “game saver”.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Cardinal fans near and far, I present to you the club options to make up Bullpen 2019. Sound alarming? It should, unless the club goes out and lures outfielder Bryce Harper to the Gateway City by outbidding every one of his suitors for his services. By the way, chances of that happening are slim-to-none. I’ll opt for none.
It still doesn’t matter how deep the owner’s pockets are or how loyal the fan base has been and continues to be over the years, there is a reluctance to get uncomfortable when it comes to spending, a severe hesitation to go into uncharted territory, deep waters when warranted. No one is looking for the franchise to spend blindly, foolishly, rather pragmatically. No one is expecting the Cardinals to throw money or caution to the wind, but the BFIB (Best Fans in Baseball) are expecting a return on their hard earned investment of dollars and devotion.
Make sense of the cents they make with sound moves, sound acquisitions such as the Goldschmidt trade – but it CAN’T stop there if St. Louis wants to avert missing post-season play a fourth consecutive year.
Whether deals get done during the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, over Christmas, which would represent a fitting gift to starving supporters, or after the beginning of the New Year leading up to Spring Training, the Cardinals have to make substantial moves to upgrade the ‘pen in particular to remotely give themselves a chance to compete with the Cubs, Brewers, Pirates and surging Reds for the divisional crown.
Goldy was the start but he can’t be the end.
Unless Bill DeWitt Jr., John Mozeliak and Michael Girsch are determined to wait it out until the market takes a downward turn towards what they deem more reasonable negotiations, expenditures and feasible deals, we won’t be talking baseball, baseball in St. Lou.
Until otherwise evident, all signs point to the Cards plan to fix the ‘pen from within as the likely path. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
