Hunter Dobbins--This was a lousy trade.

[Bully4you]

This guy is 26 years old and has two ACL surgeries.
He has a Tommy John as well.
Check out how he tore the same ACL for a second time.
He can't run anymore.
His knees are shot.
I mean he didn't do anything out of the ordinary and tore it again.
Ridiculous how Bloom couldn't get better for Contreras than this.
He also had St. Louis send money.
What a fleecing by Boston.
https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/19 ... red-sox%2F

[AnExParrot]

Clear evidence that willful ignorance leads to stupidity.

[Jobu's Rum]

I was checking the Red Sox reddit, they are not happy losing him, he was doing something right. Also Fajardo may be the centerpiece from what ive seen. Not sure what you were expecting for a 34 year old first baseman who hits 20-23 HRs a year, also the $$ attached brought down his value

[mattmitchl44]

I was checking the Red Sox reddit, they are not happy losing him, he was doing something right. Also Fajardo may be the centerpiece from what ive seen. Not sure what you were expecting for a 34 year old first baseman who hits 20-23 HRs a year, also the $$ attached brought down his value

And a NTC.

[RichieRichSTL]

I was checking the Red Sox reddit, they are not happy losing him, he was doing something right. Also Fajardo may be the centerpiece from what ive seen. Not sure what you were expecting for a 34 year old first baseman who hits 20-23 HRs a year, also the $$ attached brought down his value

When you saw what we were able to get Goldschmidt and Arenado for, the idea you were going to get a haul of top prospects fir Contreras was laughable.

[TXCardsFanX]

I was checking the Red Sox reddit, they are not happy losing him, he was doing something right. Also Fajardo may be the centerpiece from what ive seen. Not sure what you were expecting for a 34 year old first baseman who hits 20-23 HRs a year, also the $$ attached brought down his value

I'm happy with the trade. Although Contreras has been a great Cardinal, he is useless in 2026 as we are not geared up to win.

It's interesting that folks are looking at Fajardo to be the centerpiece. He's was just the 23rd ranked prospect in the Red Sox org. Good numbers, but he just hit 1A last year.

[woofy25]

I was checking the Red Sox reddit, they are not happy losing him, he was doing something right. Also Fajardo may be the centerpiece from what ive seen. Not sure what you were expecting for a 34 year old first baseman who hits 20-23 HRs a year, also the $$ attached brought down his value

I'm happy with the trade. Although Contreras has been a great Cardinal, he is useless in 2026 as we are not geared up to win.

It's interesting that folks are looking at Fajardo to be the centerpiece. He's was just the 23rd ranked prospect in the Red Sox org. Good numbers, but he just hit 1A last year.

Fajardo clearly has the highest upside. That’s why people are most interested in him

[DyadicEffect]

Yhoiker Fajardo pitched well this year and is only 19 years old. He had a 2.25 ERA and a 2.47 FIP in 72.0 IP, with a 28.8% K% and 9.4% BB%. His fastball already tops out at 98 mph as well, and on Boston sites hes rated as one of their top 10 prospects.

Dobbins is definitely marred by several injuries but he has good stuff and solid control. If healthy he should be an improvement for the back of the rotation. Last but not least Aita is probably just depth in the minors but he has excellent control and phenomenal spin rates on his slider. He might at least be a serviceable reliever for us down the line.

The Red Sox ate most of Contreras’ contract as well, so all in all, this is about what I expected out of the deal. Rebuilds suck, but Mozeliak ruined this roster and it has to be totally restocked and rebuilt if we want to compete for a prolonged period of time.

[Jatalk]

I didn’t expect a “haul” for WC. But a guy that might slot in at 4 or 5 in the rotation and a couple of distant prospects and give them $8 million? This was a salary dump and not a good deal.

[BleedingBleu]

I just don’t care.

The 2026 Club will be terrible, likely worse than the 2023 & 2025 iterations. The trade of Contreras was never a move to win now. It was always a salary dump with an eye towards the future.

They know what’s happening with attendance and the RSN. So, rather than risk putting together a good product, they’d rather accumulate scratch-off tickets, hoping they hit on one or two.

Now, there’s the question about MLB in general. The financial model is clearly broken. There are far too many heavyweights, and the system appears to only award them. Their finances allow them to not just dominate the various talent markets (Free Agent, International, coaches, scouting, development, tech), but inflate them to unstable levels for smaller market teams.

Smaller market teams who couldn’t compete for the Alex Rodriguez’s, Shohei Ohtani’s, Juan Soto’s, Gerrit Cole’s, etc are now unable to simply compete for the services of a Tommy Edman or Luke Weaver because they’re completely out priced to levels of great financial risk and long term stability.

I imagine the Cardinals’ connection with Manfred means they’re fully expecting a Lockout. So, pair that with the plummeting attendance and issues with the RSN and I wonder if they are capable of recovering to the levels witnessed pre-COVID.

Finally, there’s still that lingering rumor, that was started by the late-great Mike Shannon, about the Cardinals as a franchise being up for sale. Obviously, some time has passed. However, dumping salary, tanking, Labor disputes + lockout, and diminishing attendance has not change this narrative. If anything, it’s only reinforced it.

So, what are we actually looking at in the future? Will they be able to restore the franchise back into its lofty perch, or are they going to flounder like the Reds & Pirates? Are they the Green Bay Packers of MLB or the Eastern Kansas City Royals?

Without knowing what comes of the likely inevitable MLB Lockout, I’m not optimistic. I think this tailspin may not have a recovery we all hope for; which at this point is the low expectation threshold of the Tampa Rays & Oakland A’s. It’s probably closer to the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, or Pittsburgh Pirates.

[Swuhgen]

I just don’t care.

The 2026 Club will be terrible, likely worse than the 2023 & 2025 iterations. The trade of Contreras was never a move to win now. It was always a salary dump with an eye towards the future.

They know what’s happening with attendance and the RSN. So, rather than risk putting together a good product, they’d rather accumulate scratch-off tickets, hoping they hit on one or two.

Now, there’s the question about MLB in general. The financial model is clearly broken. There are far too many heavyweights, and the system appears to only award them. Their finances allow them to not just dominate the various talent markets (Free Agent, International, coaches, scouting, development, tech), but inflate them to unstable levels for smaller market teams.

Smaller market teams who couldn’t compete for the Alex Rodriguez’s, Shohei Ohtani’s, Juan Soto’s, Gerrit Cole’s, etc are now unable to simply compete for the services of a Tommy Edman or Luke Weaver because they’re completely out priced to levels of great financial risk and long term stability.

I imagine the Cardinals’ connection with Manfred means they’re fully expecting a Lockout. So, pair that with the plummeting attendance and issues with the RSN and I wonder if they are capable of recovering to the levels witnessed pre-COVID.

Finally, there’s still that lingering rumor, that was started by the late-great Mike Shannon, about the Cardinals as a franchise being up for sale. Obviously, some time has passed. However, dumping salary, tanking, Labor disputes + lockout, and diminishing attendance has not change this narrative. If anything, it’s only reinforced it.

So, what are we actually looking at in the future? Will they be able to restore the franchise back into its lofty perch, or are they going to flounder like the Reds & Pirates? Are they the Green Bay Packers of MLB or the Eastern Kansas City Royals?

Without knowing what comes of the likely inevitable MLB Lockout, I’m not optimistic. I think this tailspin may not have a recovery we all hope for; which at this point is the low expectation threshold of the Tampa Rays & Oakland A’s. It’s probably closer to the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, or Pittsburgh Pirates.

Good grief. Take a breath.
It’s the beginning of a rebuild. You have zero patience.
All the sudden we are the Pirates?

Chill.

[Web7]

I’m sure Pirate fans have been chilling for 10 years

[ScotchMIrish]

It will be a few years but Fajardo could be very good if he stays healthy. Dobbins is pitch to contact.

I think it's a very good deal for a 34 year old player who was signed to play catcher but can no longer catch. I wonder how long before he gets hit by a pitch on the elbow pad and calls out his teammates for not wanting to retaliate.

[earp]

Dobbins’ the righty tore his right ACL last July. This was the second right ACL tear Dobbins has endured, plus he has a Tommy John surgery on his checkered health history.

Cards new ACE
fit right in!

[earp]

I just don’t care.

The 2026 Club will be terrible, likely worse than the 2023 & 2025 iterations. The trade of Contreras was never a move to win now. It was always a salary dump with an eye towards the future.

They know what’s happening with attendance and the RSN. So, rather than risk putting together a good product, they’d rather accumulate scratch-off tickets, hoping they hit on one or two.

Now, there’s the question about MLB in general. The financial model is clearly broken. There are far too many heavyweights, and the system appears to only award them. Their finances allow them to not just dominate the various talent markets (Free Agent, International, coaches, scouting, development, tech), but inflate them to unstable levels for smaller market teams.

Smaller market teams who couldn’t compete for the Alex Rodriguez’s, Shohei Ohtani’s, Juan Soto’s, Gerrit Cole’s, etc are now unable to simply compete for the services of a Tommy Edman or Luke Weaver because they’re completely out priced to levels of great financial risk and long term stability.

I imagine the Cardinals’ connection with Manfred means they’re fully expecting a Lockout. So, pair that with the plummeting attendance and issues with the RSN and I wonder if they are capable of recovering to the levels witnessed pre-COVID.

Finally, there’s still that lingering rumor, that was started by the late-great Mike Shannon, about the Cardinals as a franchise being up for sale. Obviously, some time has passed. However, dumping salary, tanking, Labor disputes + lockout, and diminishing attendance has not change this narrative. If anything, it’s only reinforced it.

So, what are we actually looking at in the future? Will they be able to restore the franchise back into its lofty perch, or are they going to flounder like the Reds & Pirates? Are they the Green Bay Packers of MLB or the Eastern Kansas City Royals?

Without knowing what comes of the likely inevitable MLB Lockout, I’m not optimistic. I think this tailspin may not have a recovery we all hope for; which at this point is the low expectation threshold of the Tampa Rays & Oakland A’s. It’s probably closer to the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, or Pittsburgh Pirates.

Think you nailed it !

[mattmitchl44]

I just don’t care.

The 2026 Club will be terrible, likely worse than the 2023 & 2025 iterations. The trade of Contreras was never a move to win now. It was always a salary dump with an eye towards the future.

They know what’s happening with attendance and the RSN. So, rather than risk putting together a good product, they’d rather accumulate scratch-off tickets, hoping they hit on one or two.

Now, there’s the question about MLB in general. The financial model is clearly broken. There are far too many heavyweights, and the system appears to only award them. Their finances allow them to not just dominate the various talent markets (Free Agent, International, coaches, scouting, development, tech), but inflate them to unstable levels for smaller market teams.

Smaller market teams who couldn’t compete for the Alex Rodriguez’s, Shohei Ohtani’s, Juan Soto’s, Gerrit Cole’s, etc are now unable to simply compete for the services of a Tommy Edman or Luke Weaver because they’re completely out priced to levels of great financial risk and long term stability.

I imagine the Cardinals’ connection with Manfred means they’re fully expecting a Lockout. So, pair that with the plummeting attendance and issues with the RSN and I wonder if they are capable of recovering to the levels witnessed pre-COVID.

Finally, there’s still that lingering rumor, that was started by the late-great Mike Shannon, about the Cardinals as a franchise being up for sale. Obviously, some time has passed. However, dumping salary, tanking, Labor disputes + lockout, and diminishing attendance has not change this narrative. If anything, it’s only reinforced it.

So, what are we actually looking at in the future? Will they be able to restore the franchise back into its lofty perch, or are they going to flounder like the Reds & Pirates? Are they the Green Bay Packers of MLB or the Eastern Kansas City Royals?

Without knowing what comes of the likely inevitable MLB Lockout, I’m not optimistic. I think this tailspin may not have a recovery we all hope for; which at this point is the low expectation threshold of the Tampa Rays & Oakland A’s. It’s probably closer to the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, or Pittsburgh Piratles.

Or the Brewers, Mariners, Guardians, and Rays.