Should rebuilding teams just take a Hiatus from playing MLB games? Kinda like pre-expansion teams who only run MILB?

[Carp4Cy]

I'm not saying I'm for it, but this is almost the unspoken argument that several here have made. Do we really want this?

Expansion teams start up their minors before launching their MLB team - Colorado ran 2 MILB teams in 1992 and drafted in 1992 before the expansion draft and Free Agency gave them a MLB team in 1993.

What about the Cardinals - if aren't going to compete until 202X - and we decide that veterans just get in the way of prospects by blocking them - then we just trade all our veterans?

But then we also make the argument that we shouldn't promote prospects and start their clock and "waste" their service time because we have nothing to play for? If that's true, then why play the games at the MLB level if we are really that committed to a holding pattern? And that argument does have merit at some level, at least in a vacuum. Maybe we trade Donny because he's "worth more to a 2026 contender than he is to us" and his clock keeps ticking (thank you very much from another MLB franchise for being so generous). And in 2-3 years when and IF we are "ready", by then Winn will be in the same place as Donny is today - so if we aren't winning 95+ games that year, do we trade Winn for Prospects as well so we don't lose him to FA? And then just keep continuing the cycle? And we did the same thing with Helsley, and Maton. And now maybe even JoJo. Should we also Trade Libby for someone younger next year so we don't waste him? I get why, but at some point do we turn a corner?

I get not signing a 38 yo star to an expensive contract if we "aren't" going to compete, but some of us have extended this logic to those a decade younger - who have plenty of career runway after the "non-compete" years expire, just not at minimum wage prices. And those players may be available now and not available later, but still in their primes playing for our competition.
Its like we think we can just suddenly turn the competition switch back on in an instant when some trigger event happens (though no one can say exactly what that trigger is). And if so - why even bother having an MLB team until then?

But if you think that there is value in playing the MLB games and players who are ready developing at that level - then I think you need to commit to fielding the best team you can with what we have in the franchise and with who we can reasonably and smartly bring in without giving up top prospects- a balanced approach. Which means players like JJW and Doyle and others should play and get experience as Soon as they are ready, so we actually can improve the MLB roster enough to take the future steps of "filling in around them" with FA stars. And it also probably means extending the producers we have already promoted to the majors when appropriate. And finally I think it means bringing in the best manager we can to develop both the young prospects and the mid career players who have years of runway left and need to improve.

[11WSChamps]

I'm all for putting the best team possible on the field but its apparent ownership isn't and hasn't been.

Once Wetherholt is here he stays here. None of this back and forth to Memphis [nonsense] like has happened to so many others who fell by the wayside. I say that because if the powers that be deem him to be ready then you trust that process and the player stays here and learns.

In Doyle's case the concensus seems to be he has a ML fastball but needs to develop a complement of pitches. When that happens and he's brought up he stays.

There would be no more to be gained by mentally playing with these top draft picks.

You bring them up they play period.

[ramfandan]

I'm all for putting the best team possible on the field but its apparent ownership isn't and hasn't been.

Once Wetherholt is here he stays here. None of this back and forth to Memphis [nonsense] like has happened to so many others who fell by the wayside. I say that because if the powers that be deem him to be ready then you trust that process and the player stays here and learns.

In Doyle's case the concensus seems to be he has a ML fastball but needs to develop a complement of pitches. When that happens and he's brought up he stays.

There would be no more to be gained by mentally playing with these top draft picks.

You bring them up they play period.

Exactly .. If JJ makes the team out of spring training, you play him and stick with him thru thick and thin regardless of any struggles.
Plus, I sure hope that if any rookies do struggle that some posters will refrain from there ' oh look , another example of 'rushing' the kid to the big leagues.. he wasn't ready ...blah blah blah
Here is a great example in our own division just two years ago .. the Brewers brought up Jackson Chourio , age 20 . Chourio struggled mightily thru the month of May . He was batting . 210 . Due to the struggles of this talented offensive youngster, he was getting 'down' on himself .
The Brewers had his locker next to veteran Willy Adames who would keep encouraging the kid and let him know that things will get better for him . Hang in there . Manager Pat Murphy and P Willy Peralta also took Chourio under their wing.
Starting in June, things started to click for Chourio and he took off so much so that he finished the year batting .275 (hit well over .300 from June til the end ). In addition , he hit 21 HR & 22 SB one of youngest to accomplish that feat. He did so well that he was voted 3rd in Rookie of the Year honors.
All of that despite hitting .210 first couple months. Don't know if JJ may have similar early struggles (hope not ) but if he does hope Cardinal fans who are quick to criticize will give the kid a chance.
No doubt if JJ hit .210 for a couple months, the naysayers would be all over Bloom and his cohorts for promoting JJ right out of the gate. Be patient folks !

[bretto12]

You want them to bring JJ up and stick with him no matter what he does, but many are ready to burn Gorman and Walker. Both are still under 25 and can become contributing players.

[cardstatman]

28.7 runs below average after 1581 PA Gorman
33.2 runs below average after 1541 PA Burleson
43.0 runs below average after 1039 PA Walker

104.9 runs below average after 4161 PA Total

It really is time to move on...

Trade Gorman: No room for him with Wetherholt coming.
Trade Burleson: He's actually got a bit of value after his career best season (where he achieved averageness).
Send Walker to AAA and make him earn his way back.

[juan good eye]

[mattmitchl44]

I get not signing a 38 yo star to an expensive contract if we "aren't" going to compete, but some of us have extended this logic to those a decade younger - who have plenty of career runway after the "non-compete" years expire, just not at minimum wage prices. And those players may be available now and not available later, but still in their primes playing for our competition.

Way easier said than done. Many teams today have to be better at finding "value" in FAs, so fewer "gems" are going to fall through the cracks for a team like the Cardinals to swoop in and pick up. There are few "steals" when it comes to FA signings these days. You get about 1 fWAR/$8-10 million spent.

You may have thought someone like Santander was a steal for Toronto last year. Age 30 and signed for five years at only $14.3 million AAV. Then, of course, he gets hurt and turns in a -0.9 fWAR season. But the Blue Jays are now stuck with their commitment to him.

If you are going to sign FA guys in their prime (28, 29, 30) to reasonable deals (both in terms of AAV and length), 90+% of the time you are only going to get them on those deals if:

(1) they have a track record of not being particularly good (so they are unlikely to help a team lacking in top end talent like the Cardinals be anything better than mediocre)

or

(2) they come with huge red flags because of health concerns

If you want to sign a "lottery pick" or two like a Walker Buehler in hopes you can get him back to being at least a mid-rotation starter who you can flip at the trade deadline for prospects, have at it I suppose. But it really isn't about trying to be significantly better in 2026.

[scoutyjones2]

+1,000