Hunter Dobbins--This was a lousy trade.

[WaltsSuccessor]

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.

Are you remembering that correctly? Pretty sure he was calming his teammates down to NOT retaliate or charge the field.

[11WSChamps]

Fajardo is the get just like Clarke was.

Problem being they are years away and this "rebuild" is going to take a lot longer than the well wishers are talking about.

I've seen some posters talking about competing in a year maybe two.

Delusional.

[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.

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

Chill.

I’m suppose to be more patient after 4 years? Or take a breath because I don’t care about watching the Cardinals?

You’re a little dramatic for me sharing highly possible scenarios. Sorry it doesn’t sparkle with you.

[MrPostman01]

Yoikers! People don't do their research. I hope the kid makes it. Could be like when we gave up throwaways like Alcantara and Gallen only in reverse.

[RamFan08NY]

Yoikers! People don't do their research. I hope the kid makes it. Could be like when we gave up throwaways like Alcantara and Gallen only in reverse.

Thats a great point. Weve got post after post from fans criticizing prospects they know NOTHING about.

[ecleme22]

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.

Do you know the definition of salary dump?

[mattmitchl44]

Fajardo is the get just like Clarke was.

Problem being they are years away and this "rebuild" is going to take a lot longer than the well wishers are talking about.

I've seen some posters talking about competing in a year maybe two.

Delusional.

Getting some prospects who are further away, if they work out, is how they will keep success going in the early 2030s.

[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

And a NTC.

Yep that too, 3-4 solid moves by Chaim all before the new year. Mediocre Moe would have just signed an aging, over the hill reliever by now and called it an offseason

[82birds]

Fajardo is the get just like Clarke was.

agree.

anybody....a question:

will we have Dobbins for only the last half of 2026?

isn't the recovery period for ACL surgery a whole 12 months?

[scoutyjones2]

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.

The rose colored, hopeful bias towards Bloom, in full evidence by those spinning this as some solid trade.

It's nothing.

You remove the only competent RH bat and team leader, who earns his paycheck for a player more injury prone than Noot, and some teen and $8 million.

Yes!

In Bloom we excuse

[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 Piratles.

Or the Brewers, Mariners, Guardians, and Rays.

I understand what your trying to suggest, seeing as Milwaukee is a comparable market and Bloom has pulled from Cleveland, Seattle, and was with Tampa during the start of their ascent, but how many World Series have those teams collectively won?

Also, one of those teams aren’t like the other. The Mariners have gone out and actually signed major free agents like Adrian Beltre, Robinson Canoe, Robbie Ray, Luis Castillo, Nelson Cruz, and have attracted star players out of Japan.

[82birds]

Fajardo is the get just like Clarke was.

agree.

anybody....a question:

will we have Dobbins for only the last half of 2026?

isn't the recovery period for ACL surgery a whole 12 months?

perhaps it isn't.
per this article by John Denton, he is already throwing off a flat surface (video tool
https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/news/card ... -contreras

[ecleme22]

Fajardo is the get just like Clarke was.

Problem being they are years away and this "rebuild" is going to take a lot longer than the well wishers are talking about.

I've seen some posters talking about competing in a year maybe two.

Delusional.

Getting some prospects who are further away, if they work out, is how they will keep success going in the early 2030s.

Right. Also, not every young pitcher is on the Liberatore timeline.

And, bloom can always trade these players…

[ecleme22]

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.

The rose colored, hopeful bias towards Bloom, in full evidence by those spinning this as some solid trade.

It's nothing.

You remove the only competent RH bat and team leader, who earns his paycheck for a player more injury prone than Noot, and some teen and $8 million.

Yes!

In Bloom we excuse

Scouty in 2024: “Winn will never win a GG.”

You’re a contrarian hack…

[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.

Are you remembering that correctly? Pretty sure he was calming his teammates down to NOT retaliate or charge the field.

Cardinals’ Willson Contreras hints his pitchers aren’t protecting him from being hit by pitches

https://www.mlb.com/brewers/video/andre ... leb-durbin

https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/video/wil ... leb-durbin

In his comments he says in broken English he sometimes does things to "fire up" his teammates. Then he says he wasn't trying to trip Durbin but also says Durbin was running inside the line so it was okay to trip him. The base is inside the line. Everybody runs inside the line on a ground ball.

He can take his act to Boston.

[scoutyjones2]

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.

The rose colored, hopeful bias towards Bloom, in full evidence by those spinning this as some solid trade.

It's nothing.

You remove the only competent RH bat and team leader, who earns his paycheck for a player more injury prone than Noot, and some teen and $8 million.

Yes!

In Bloom we excuse

Scouty in 2024: “Winn will never win a GG.”

You’re a contrarian hack…

I also stated that Nado would never win another'...


No oes 100 %. Crazy...

It's an opinion. Imagine that....

Now speak to my post if possible.