How to fix the Slug problem?

[brock118]

29th in slug will not cut it. I feel this is the fast way back to a contending offense. Having a CF SS and Catcher with no power will not help. I can see why they want to move Hererra back to C to open DH for a power bat. So I ask. If they do with the same roster as last year and can only add a 3B because Arenado and Gorman are traded and DH to improve slug what would be the answer? Slug only. Trade or FA. Who’s your target?

1B Contreras
2B Wetherholt
SS Winn
C Hererra
LF Donovan
RF Burleson
CF Scott/Church
3B ?
DH ?

I always heard salt would fix the slug problem .

[renostl]

I really wish Baker would have panned out as a bench bat with slug. Ugh.

The key is 100 plus games with Herrera at Catcher
Improvement from Walker and Scott (can the be any worse. No!)
Donovan replacing Arenado is an upgrade.
Burly in Left is an upgrade over Noot
And Gorman as a DH fulltime
Whetherholt adjusting quickly to the bigs.

Theres 6 or 7 ways we will improve. We won’t be im the top 10 but maybe the top 15-20.

Oh and bring in the walls!

Donovan isn't who would replace NA since BD was already in the lineup. Both could be dealt too.
Similar with Burleson who was in 139 games. Gorman would need to double his HR output. He received
402 PA's.
JJ might be NA's replacement or BD's, he will bring more speed, he ideally out SLG's NA's .377 and his 12 HR.
Can he double those? Help is needed. Can't have a zero in RF who put up VS2 numbers and the top
HR total can't be 20.
The topic is solid and has been important for this station-to-station team.
SLG and speed both need a boost. Coming all from within would be overly optimistic, IMO.
As bad as that is they'll need 2 or 3 SP's.
That's a big list for 1 off season, possibly a good hot stove show to watch.
They'll need a couple good trades.

I do agree that VS2 and JW can't be worse.

[Quincy Varnish]

29th in slug will not cut it. I feel this is the fast way back to a contending offense. Having a CF SS and Catcher with no power will not help. I can see why they want to move Hererra back to C to open DH for a power bat. So I ask. If they do with the same roster as last year and can only add a 3B because Arenado and Gorman are traded and DH to improve slug what would be the answer? Slug only. Trade or FA. Who’s your target?

1B Contreras
2B Wetherholt
SS Winn
C Hererra
LF Donovan
RF Burleson
CF Scott/Church
3B ?
DH ?

You just sign Bregman to play third, Kyle Tucker to play right, and move Big Burly to DH, silly.

I am talking realistic options. They aren’t adding $60m to payroll although I agree with you. Let’s say they have Arenado Gorman and $20m to make it happen? Some mid tier power bats. A DH can be reasonable or the other option is if one of their Catcher prospects has legit power and Hererra goes to DH.

Murakami and Ozuna?

Those aren’t realistic either. Don’t expect any major free agent signings.

[Youboughtit]

29th in slug will not cut it. I feel this is the fast way back to a contending offense. Having a CF SS and Catcher with no power will not help. I can see why they want to move Hererra back to C to open DH for a power bat. So I ask. If they do with the same roster as last year and can only add a 3B because Arenado and Gorman are traded and DH to improve slug what would be the answer? Slug only. Trade or FA. Who’s your target?

1B Contreras
2B Wetherholt
SS Winn
C Hererra
LF Donovan
RF Burleson
CF Scott/Church
3B ?
DH ?

You just sign Bregman to play third, Kyle Tucker to play right, and move Big Burly to DH, silly.

I am talking realistic options. They aren’t adding $60m to payroll although I agree with you. Let’s say they have Arenado Gorman and $20m to make it happen? Some mid tier power bats. A DH can be reasonable or the other option is if one of their Catcher prospects has legit power and Hererra goes to DH.

Murakami and Ozuna?

Those aren’t realistic either. Don’t expect any major free agent signings.

I meant one or the other and likely at the cost of equal
Loss of payroll with Nootbar Arenado Gorman or Gray

[sikeston bulldog2]

Salt. Use salt to fix a slug problem.

[Melville]

I really wish Baker would have panned out as a bench bat with slug. Ugh.

The key is 100 plus games with Herrera at Catcher
Improvement from Walker and Scott (can the be any worse. No!)
Donovan replacing Arenado is an upgrade.
Burly in Left is an upgrade over Noot
And Gorman as a DH fulltime
Whetherholt adjusting quickly to the bigs.

Theres 6 or 7 ways we will improve. We won’t be im the top 10 but maybe the top 15-20.

Oh and bring in the walls!

Herrera will never start 100 games in a season at catcher in MLB.
No pitching staff would allow it.

[rockondlouie]

Not my preferred lineup, just what I THINK we might see:


1B Contreras
2B Wetherholt
SS Winn
3B Gorman
C Hererra (blah, then likely Crooks)
LF Burleson
RF Noot (when healthy)
CF Scott
DH Hererra (at least 50% of the time when not catching, perhaps FT once Bloom see's him throw)

*NADO and Donny traded (if Donny is still here, then he's at 3B w/Gorman sharing DH duties w/Hererra)

BTW

Gorman at DH in 2025:

88 PA
6 HR
.247 .330 .519 .849

DH is his best spot!

[Mort Gage]

Yes, too much slug in the lineup.

Sprint Speed (ft/sec)
24.8 Pozo - bye
25.1 Baker - bye
25.5 Arenado - on the trade block
25.5 Burleson - on the trade block
25.6 Pages - excused; he's a catcher
25.9 Gorman - on the trade block

This crystallizes part of the problem. With lead footed runners who generate little power it's tough to produce runs. Backup catchers are excepted.

[Alex Reyes Cy Young]

They’ve needed a real DH or OF for a while now. Hopefully they can get additional production from some of the players listed in this post but IMO if they hope to really make a run at the division they will need that bat which imo the easiest way is to ID a DH.

[scoutyjones2]

29th in slug will not cut it. I feel this is the fast way back to a contending offense. Having a CF SS and Catcher with no power will not help. I can see why they want to move Hererra back to C to open DH for a power bat. So I ask. If they do with the same roster as last year and can only add a 3B because Arenado and Gorman are traded and DH to improve slug what would be the answer? Slug only. Trade or FA. Who’s your target?

1B Contreras
2B Wetherholt
SS Winn
C Hererra
LF Donovan
RF Burleson
CF Scott/Church
3B ?
DH ?

I always heard salt would fix the slug problem .

Saucer of beer too

[scoutyjones2]

I have great angst if Ivan is catching next year

[sikeston bulldog2]

29th in slug will not cut it. I feel this is the fast way back to a contending offense. Having a CF SS and Catcher with no power will not help. I can see why they want to move Hererra back to C to open DH for a power bat. So I ask. If they do with the same roster as last year and can only add a 3B because Arenado and Gorman are traded and DH to improve slug what would be the answer? Slug only. Trade or FA. Who’s your target?

1B Contreras
2B Wetherholt
SS Winn
C Hererra
LF Donovan
RF Burleson
CF Scott/Church
3B ?
DH ?

I always heard salt would fix the slug problem .

Saucer of beer too

Yes. My research shows slugs are attractive to beer, and drown in it in shallow sauce pans.

[Melville]

How to fix the slug problem?
Ummm...play the sluggers.
Next question please.

Who did they not play last year that will move them from #29 to top 10?

The question was forward looking.
I have previously provided the correct formula for next season.
Wetherholt at 2b hitting leadoff.
Donovan hitting 2nd, playing LF.
Contreras/Burleson/Herrera/Gorman handling 4,5 6 with plenty of PA's between them at DH/1B/RF/3B - leaving one available off the bench daily.
Add a quality RH hitting outfielder to the mix via FA or trade (Pages would make an excellent target if the Dodgers sign Tucker).
Winn, Scott, catcher platoon rounds out the lineup.
100 guarantee the team finishes much higher in SLG %.
Easy.
Obvious.
Correct.

[Dicktar2023]

The key is 100 plus games with Herrera at Catcher

[cardstatman]

I believe the Cardinals are 43-38 with Herrera as the starting catcher over his career.

When he's not the starting catcher, the Cards are 186-213 over the past 3 years.

Is he really that bad as an offensively oriented catcher? His value is maximized by playing catcher rather than just being a DH.

Step out of the Cards talk echo chamber which "knows" for a fact that he's not a viable catcher.

He stopped catching in 2025 due to injuries. He couldn't catch but he could still DH.

[Melville]

I believe the Cardinals are 43-38 with Herrera as the starting catcher over his career.

When he's not the starting catcher, the Cards are 186-213 over the past 3 years.

Is he really that bad as an offensively oriented catcher? His value is maximized by playing catcher rather than just being a DH.

Step out of the Cards talk echo chamber which "knows" for a fact that he's not a viable catcher.

He stopped catching in 2025 due to injuries. He couldn't catch but he could still DH.

Factually, he was demoted behind Pages in both 2024 and 2025, at the insistence of the pitching staff and coaches.