I miss having an elite player in their prime

[vegascardsfan5890]

Watching guys like Ohtani and Judge go out there and dominate essentially every game makes me miss having essentially the best player in baseball for 10 years. Makes you really go back and appreciate what you had but also realize that it may not be coming back anytime soon

[ramfandan]

Watching guys like Ohtani and Judge go out there and dominate essentially every game makes me miss having essentially the best player in baseball for 10 years. Makes you really go back and appreciate what you had but also realize that it may not be coming back anytime soon

And if by some stroke of luck , the Cardinals get a star elite player , he most likely is gone after his 6th year with the team .
Free Agency will bring that Cardinal huge offers by the big market teams that he won't turn down . SO no more enjoying a guy for the 10 years you mentioned. It's 1 to 6 years and then adios !

[swatski]

Oli would hit him in the 5th spot protecting Nado.

[Jatalk]

Watching guys like Ohtani and Judge go out there and dominate essentially every game makes me miss having essentially the best player in baseball for 10 years. Makes you really go back and appreciate what you had but also realize that it may not be coming back anytime soon

Agree with you. Couple of points:

The truly elite are rare and with current salary structure in baseball chances of playing for Cards is not likely, unless rises through organizational ranks.

In some ways management has tried to provide us with such players with Arenado and Goldy. But obviously they were and are disappointments.

[scoutyjones2]

Watching guys like Ohtani and Judge go out there and dominate essentially every game makes me miss having essentially the best player in baseball for 10 years. Makes you really go back and appreciate what you had but also realize that it may not be coming back anytime soon

And if by some stroke of luck , the Cardinals get a star elite player , he most likely is gone after his 6th year with the team .
Free Agency will bring that Cardinal huge offers by the big market teams that he won't turn down . SO no more enjoying a guy for the 10 years you mentioned. It's 1 to 6 years and then adios !

I doubt the Cards let a generational talent walk, if ever to have another

[RamFan08NY]

Oli would hit him in the 5th spot protecting Nado.

If they had Ohtani I'd rather him bat 5th than leadoff. Oli would get crucified if he batted, arguably the 2nd best power hitter in the game at leadoff. Ohtani has 23 hrs but only 38 rbi.
The Dodgers are leaving g a lot of runs on the table.

[Basil Shabazz]

How many generational type talents have stayed with the team who drafted them over the past 10-15 years after they become eligible for free agency? Trout and Judge come to mind.

Truth is, that there are very few players I'd consider generational. Soto, Harper, Ohtani, Betts, are a few that come to mind from a talent and production perspective. But, they have changed teams.

José Ramírez gets left out the conversation way too often probably as well. He may have been the best value player in baseball over the past 10 years!

[Alex Reyes Cy Young]

0.8 bWAR and 0.3 bWAR Nado and Willy C is killing this team. That much money between them both and they can only get ~1 WAR combined through 1/3 of the season is pathetic.

[RamFan08NY]

How many generational type talents have stayed with the team who drafted them over the past 10-15 years after they become eligible for free agency? Trout and Judge come to mind.

Truth is, that there are very few players I'd consider generational. Soto, Harper, Ohtani, Betts, are a few that come to mind from a talent and production perspective. But, they have changed teams.

José Ramírez gets left out the conversation way too often probably as well. He may have been the best value player in baseball over the past 10 years!

Great points.it becomes an auction, and the highest bidder typically comes down to 2-3 teams.

[2ninr]

Watching guys like Ohtani and Judge go out there and dominate essentially every game makes me miss having essentially the best player in baseball for 10 years. Makes you really go back and appreciate what you had but also realize that it may not be coming back anytime soon

I had watched George Brett A LOT. He was great. When AP showed up, he was better. I knew I was watching greatness that I may never see again. (Cardinal player) I only missed a few of his at bats when he was here either listening or watching. It was worth it. The man NEVER wasted an at bat.

[BrockFloodMaris]

How many generational type talents have stayed with the team who drafted them over the past 10-15 years after they become eligible for free agency? Trout and Judge come to mind.

Truth is, that there are very few players I'd consider generational. Soto, Harper, Ohtani, Betts, are a few that come to mind from a talent and production perspective. But, they have changed teams.

José Ramírez gets left out the conversation way too often probably as well. He may have been the best value player in baseball over the past 10 years!

Chris Sale, maybe Scherzer

[Futuregm2]

Watching guys like Ohtani and Judge go out there and dominate essentially every game makes me miss having essentially the best player in baseball for 10 years. Makes you really go back and appreciate what you had but also realize that it may not be coming back anytime soon

And if by some stroke of luck , the Cardinals get a star elite player , he most likely is gone after his 6th year with the team .
Free Agency will bring that Cardinal huge offers by the big market teams that he won't turn down . SO no more enjoying a guy for the 10 years you mentioned. It's 1 to 6 years and then adios !

Disagree, we would sign him to an extension at some point early in his career a la Pujols a la what the Royals did with Witt Jr.

[Futuregm2]

How many generational type talents have stayed with the team who drafted them over the past 10-15 years after they become eligible for free agency? Trout and Judge come to mind.

Truth is, that there are very few players I'd consider generational. Soto, Harper, Ohtani, Betts, are a few that come to mind from a talent and production perspective. But, they have changed teams.

José Ramírez gets left out the conversation way too often probably as well. He may have been the best value player in baseball over the past 10 years!

They didn’t all draft them, but staying with teams they made their MLB debut with

Witt Jr.
Julio Rodriguez
Fernando Tatis Jr.
Yordan Alvarez
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Ronald Acuna Jr.
Rafael Devers
Jose Ramirez

I’m sure if I put some more research into it I could find more. But there have been some. Maybe they aren’t all generational talent types, but they are all stars and all signed extensions with their teams.

EDIT: Should have read the eligible for FA part, but the key is to get them locked up early on through their first years of being eligible for FA like we did with Pujols.

[STL Cardinal Fan 24]

I remember doing the math to see if Albert would come up one more time with the game on the line when it was close.

It seemed like he would always come through.

[Melville]

One, it is "his prime", not 'their prime".
We don't need DEI nonsense in a baseball thread.
Two, the Cardinals can easily afford any free agent in the game.
Ownership does not want to buy an elite player, believing it is not necessary provided there are enough fans remaining to fall for the organization's propaganda masquerading as marketing.
Three, that being irrefutably true, the answer is rather obvious.
The team must get more aggressive in signing long term extensions with players who are very early in their careers.
Sure, that strategy would inevitably produce some "misses", but it is also the only way to secure "wins".
Could not be more clear.
Keep reading.
Keep learning.

[rockondlouie]

It is odd watching this Cardinals team that lacks a star player.

At least Donny should be a slam dunk to start at 2nd base in the ASG if he can maintain this pace thru the voting.

Although he'll probably get screwed by the ballot stuffers.