How to fix the Slug problem?

[Dicktar2023]

IH is helpless behind the plate. He can't frame pitches, he's not a good game-caller, and he can't throw the ball to second base.

And he's not a "work in progress." He's caught over 700 innings. He is what he is: terrible. Maybe you can hide bad defense in a corner of the OF, but you can't hide it behind home plate. The catcher is the backbone of the team.

The whole conversation is stupid. I hope this nothing but a PR move to boost his value in preparation for trade. If not, God help us.

[Talkin' Baseball]

He may catch some this year, but maybe only enough for them to prove their point to him. I think they are humoring him.

[Dicktar2023]

He may catch some this year, but maybe only enough for them to prove their point to him. I think they are humoring him.

One would hope.

The short memories around here are a little bizarre.

[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.

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

Doesn’t matter. If they manage to trade Arenado and/or Gray, do not expect them to reinvest their former salaries in FA signings.

[Melville]

IH is helpless behind the plate. He can't frame pitches, he's not a good game-caller, and he can't throw the ball to second base.

And he's not a "work in progress." He's caught over 700 innings. He is what he is: terrible. Maybe you can hide bad defense in a corner of the OF, but you can't hide it behind home plate. The catcher is the backbone of the team.

The whole conversation is stupid. I hope this nothing but a PR move to boost his value in preparation for trade. If not, God help us.

Spot.
On.

[Cardinals4Life]

I know the answer to this.....

Get rid of Gorman, Pages, Burleson, Pozo, Walker, Nado.

[JuanAgosto]

Fix the power problem by signing a true power hitter. The current roster is devoid of anyone who scares opposing teams. Mo built a hapless roster of jags. Way to take a perennial playoff team and drive it off a cliff. What a putz.

[Youboughtit]

Fix the power problem by signing a true power hitter. The current roster is devoid of anyone who scares opposing teams. Mo built a hapless roster of jags. Way to take a perennial playoff team and drive it off a cliff. What a putz.

I agree. I was looking at is as those 2 openings maybe they could find 1 but hopefully 2 power bats. I don’t see anyone on the team with 25HR potential unless Gorman plays 160 games and you just let him strikeout 40% of the time. They need 1-2 30 plus HR bas to support the lack of power everywhere else

[LCA1951]

On MLB today, there was a discussion of left-handed power mainly as a result of Murakami being posted. Included in this discussion was Schwarber and other free agent left-handed power hitters. Part of the discussion focused on their negative strikeout rates including Murakami's. My impression was the hosts were justifying these bad stats as long as these guys hit homeruns. As a result, Nolan Gorman came to mind as one who fits this justification too. As long as he hit homers, would the hometown crowd be satisfied? Batting average is now almost a forgotten stat and the focus now rests with power. Not my idea of excitement.

[LCA1951]

On MLB today, there was a discussion of left-handed power mainly as a result of Murakami being posted. Included in this discussion was Schwarber and other free agent left-handed power hitters. Part of the discussion focused on their negative strikeout rates including Murakami's. My impression was the hosts were justifying these bad stats as long as these guys hit homeruns. As a result, Nolan Gorman came to mind as one who fits this justification too. As long as he hit homers, would the hometown crowd be satisfied? Batting average is now almost a forgotten stat and the focus now rests with power. Not my idea of excitement.

[ScotchMIrish]

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 ?

Corners and DH normally are where you have power but power with poor average and high strikeouts is not the solution unless it's 40 HR. Remember this team was 5 games over .500 at the break. We need pitching.

[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 ?

Corners and DH normally are where you have power but power with poor average and high strikeouts is not the solution unless it's 40 HR. Remember this team was 5 games over .500 at the break. We need pitching.

I agree. Corners need covering. Willy has first- who has third. That’s why I look at JJ at third and Donovan at second. If they keep him.

[ScotchMIrish]

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 ?

Corners and DH normally are where you have power but power with poor average and high strikeouts is not the solution unless it's 40 HR. Remember this team was 5 games over .500 at the break. We need pitching.

I agree. Corners need covering. Willy has first- who has third. That’s why I look at JJ at third and Donovan at second. If they keep him.

Trade Contreras for a 3B? Put Hererra/Burleson at 1B/DH. I don't think the drama surrounding Contreras is helping this team.

We need a Torre or Shannon who can learn to play 3B. Unfortunately those guys don't come along very often.

[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 ?

Corners and DH normally are where you have power but power with poor average and high strikeouts is not the solution unless it's 40 HR. Remember this team was 5 games over .500 at the break. We need pitching.

I agree. Corners need covering. Willy has first- who has third. That’s why I look at JJ at third and Donovan at second. If they keep him.

Trade Contreras for a 3B? Put Hererra/Burleson at 1B/DH. I don't think the drama surrounding Contreras is helping this team.

That’s an idea. But who. The pool is quite shallow. Drama do you mean his hit by pitch episodes.

[ScotchMIrish]

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 ?

Corners and DH normally are where you have power but power with poor average and high strikeouts is not the solution unless it's 40 HR. Remember this team was 5 games over .500 at the break. We need pitching.

I agree. Corners need covering. Willy has first- who has third. That’s why I look at JJ at third and Donovan at second. If they keep him.

Trade Contreras for a 3B? Put Hererra/Burleson at 1B/DH. I don't think the drama surrounding Contreras is helping this team.

That’s an idea. But who. The pool is quite shallow. Drama do you mean his hit by pitch episodes.

That plus tripping the opposing player at first base and then wanting to fight and if his teammates don't join in he calls them out for not wanting to fight. Not everybody wants to fight. Some just want to play baseball.

Trade him.

[Melville]

On MLB today, there was a discussion of left-handed power mainly as a result of Murakami being posted. Included in this discussion was Schwarber and other free agent left-handed power hitters. Part of the discussion focused on their negative strikeout rates including Murakami's. My impression was the hosts were justifying these bad stats as long as these guys hit homeruns. As a result, Nolan Gorman came to mind as one who fits this justification too. As long as he hit homers, would the hometown crowd be satisfied? Batting average is now almost a forgotten stat and the focus now rests with power. Not my idea of excitement.

Gorman's struggles in 2025, primarily caused by ineptitude on the part of Super Slo Mo and The Marmot - and stubborn stupidity on the part of N/A - were somewhat overblown.
If he would have produced merely 10 more hits (one in every 2.5 weeks) in his foolishly restricted 402 PA's, his BA would have been .234 and his OBP would have been .321 - and there would not have been much objection to either figure.
Does he strike out too much?
Yes.
Is he one of the most productive hitters on the team when allowed to play?
Yes.
Give him 600 PA's and he will hit 25 HR, drive in 80+ runs, and score 80 runs.
Which would make him a top 5 3B run-producer in MLB and the #1 LH hitting run producer at 3B.
That is not an endorsement.
It is simply reality.