mattmitchl44 wrote: ↑21 Nov 2025 09:12 am
rockondlouie wrote: ↑21 Nov 2025 08:48 am
Completely wrong premise by matt.
C. Bloom already has repaired Mo's broken minor league player development system and continues to add quality people to the system.
Nothing done at the big league level can disrupt that...........THE MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM IS NOW PRIMED to send quality players to the Cardinals!
He can now focus on dealing away veterans like NADO, S. Gray, Donny and maybe even WillyC for prospects or YOUNG MAJOR LEAGUE players with years of control............while STILL FIELDING A COMPETITVE, BUT PERHAPS NOT A PLAYOFF TEAM.
If he's able to save some payroll money dealing away those veterans contracts, then BDWJR (LIKELY) will allow him to re-invest that savings into the 2026 roster adding major league players via trades and smart, low cost free agency.
The 2026 payroll will likely settle somewhere in the $115-130M range...................NOT $200M.
If the Cardinals win 90 games or lose 90 games in 2026 how on earth does this setback the re-build?
AGAIN
THIS DOES NOTHING to disrupt the minor league system or halt the minors from funneling players to the Cardinals in this re-build!
How some can't see this is baffling.
I don't consider obtaining young players with 4 or 5 years of team control to be materially different from ML ready prospects. So we can agree that either is fine for a rebuild.
However, since the teams that are going to be interested in Gray, Arenado, Donovan, etc. should be teams in "win now" mode, they should be much less likely to want to give up young ML players that they are counting on to help them "win now" this year rather than their ML ready prospects.
So even if that's what you want, you may only be able to get what you need (ML ready prospects).
I have to differ with you on that matt.
Acquiring quality, young major league players w/a year or two of MLB experience -vs- acquiring quality MLB ready prospects does indeed have a difference.
Obviously that difference is the quality MLB players have PROVEN to be quality MLB players while those quality MLB ready prospects haven't thus there's n element of risk. Sure the prospects could pay off, unfortunately the bulk of the time they don't.
But as you stated, we can agree either approach works for the rebuild but for a player like B. Donovan I prefer the return to be that young major league starter who's still got years of control but has proven to be a MLB caliber starter.
A win now team can afford to deal that young starter since they have to have at least two, if not three veteran starters above him and won't be counting on the young starter to win it all.
For the rest of the players Bloom trades, your prospect approach will work just fine.
