Melville wrote: ↑22 Dec 2025 17:29 pm
Interesting opinions here.
Most wrong.
Most run something similar to this:
"The Cardinals and Bloom have no intention of fielding a winning team in 2026" - wrong.
"The Cardinals and Bloom intend to tank in 2026 and probably 2027" - wrong.
"The Cardinals and Bloom are amassing a high volume of low to mid-level prospect arms and are playing a numbers game - hoping a few make it while the majority wash out" - wrong.
"The Cardinals are just slashing payroll because DeWitt is old and cheap" - wrong.
"The Cardinals and Bloom want to build a self-renewing talent and developmental model, so they don't need to rely on FA's" - wrong.
Here is the CORRECT analysis:
Bloom intends to field a team that can play better than .500 ball in 2026, while building for greater subsequent success - which requires giving an open pathway to young guys already on hand to improve in 2026, buying time next season for a couple of high ceiling prospects currently in the minors to advance, acquire solid short term pieces to fill in where the depth was thin last season, bet on a few pieces who can be flipped in July, and also stock the system with starting pitching arms (some of whom will play in STL but more of whom will be traded before ever reaching MLB because that is the most valuable commodity in baseball) - and once satisfied with having achieved these objective, the team will return payroll to previous levels which will include the acquisition of higher priced veterans as needed via trade of FA.
Obviously, a bit more complex than most understand or desire, but it is precisely what he is attempting to achieve on every single point.
And every move he makes must be viewed in consideration of all these objectives rather than just one, since each will be a step toward one or more of these goals - and failing to apply this thought process will inevitably lead to the move in question at any given time not being accurately understood.
Easy.
Obvious.
Correct.
Very solid post with lots of good points.
But.....you just COULDN’T resist typing those last three words could you??
Here’s a deal I’m offering:
Post your opinions
And
Let us respond in kind WITHOUT your narcissistic self promotion.
I for one will be happy to engage if you quit with the pompous self promotion.
Do we have a deal??????
Don’t respond if you don’t like it. Nobody will miss you.
EASY
OBVIOUS
CORRECT
OP, I think you are hopeful. Most fans are in the off season.
Melville wrote: ↑22 Dec 2025 17:29 pm
Interesting opinions here.
Most wrong.
Most run something similar to this:
"The Cardinals and Bloom have no intention of fielding a winning team in 2026" - wrong.
"The Cardinals and Bloom intend to tank in 2026 and probably 2027" - wrong.
"The Cardinals and Bloom are amassing a high volume of low to mid-level prospect arms and are playing a numbers game - hoping a few make it while the majority wash out" - wrong.
"The Cardinals are just slashing payroll because DeWitt is old and cheap" - wrong.
"The Cardinals and Bloom want to build a self-renewing talent and developmental model, so they don't need to rely on FA's" - wrong.
Here is the CORRECT analysis:
Bloom intends to field a team that can play better than .500 ball in 2026, while building for greater subsequent success - which requires giving an open pathway to young guys already on hand to improve in 2026, buying time next season for a couple of high ceiling prospects currently in the minors to advance, acquire solid short term pieces to fill in where the depth was thin last season, bet on a few pieces who can be flipped in July, and also stock the system with starting pitching arms (some of whom will play in STL but more of whom will be traded before ever reaching MLB because that is the most valuable commodity in baseball) - and once satisfied with having achieved these objective, the team will return payroll to previous levels which will include the acquisition of higher priced veterans as needed via trade of FA.
Obviously, a bit more complex than most understand or desire, but it is precisely what he is attempting to achieve on every single point.
And every move he makes must be viewed in consideration of all these objectives rather than just one, since each will be a step toward one or more of these goals - and failing to apply this thought process will inevitably lead to the move in question at any given time not being accurately understood.
Easy.
Obvious.
Correct.
Very solid post with lots of good points.
But.....you just COULDN’T resist typing those last three words could you??
Here’s a deal I’m offering:
Post your opinions
And
Let us respond in kind WITHOUT your narcissistic self promotion.
I for one will be happy to engage if you quit with the pompous self promotion.
Do we have a deal??????
Don’t respond if you don’t like it. Nobody will miss you.
EASY
OBVIOUS
CORRECT
OP, I think you are hopeful. Most fans are in the off season.
Melville wrote: ↑22 Dec 2025 17:29 pm
Interesting opinions here.
Most wrong.
Most run something similar to this:
"The Cardinals and Bloom have no intention of fielding a winning team in 2026" - wrong.
"The Cardinals and Bloom intend to tank in 2026 and probably 2027" - wrong.
"The Cardinals and Bloom are amassing a high volume of low to mid-level prospect arms and are playing a numbers game - hoping a few make it while the majority wash out" - wrong.
"The Cardinals are just slashing payroll because DeWitt is old and cheap" - wrong.
"The Cardinals and Bloom want to build a self-renewing talent and developmental model, so they don't need to rely on FA's" - wrong.
Here is the CORRECT analysis:
Bloom intends to field a team that can play better than .500 ball in 2026, while building for greater subsequent success - which requires giving an open pathway to young guys already on hand to improve in 2026, buying time next season for a couple of high ceiling prospects currently in the minors to advance, acquire solid short term pieces to fill in where the depth was thin last season, bet on a few pieces who can be flipped in July, and also stock the system with starting pitching arms (some of whom will play in STL but more of whom will be traded before ever reaching MLB because that is the most valuable commodity in baseball) - and once satisfied with having achieved these objective, the team will return payroll to previous levels which will include the acquisition of higher priced veterans as needed via trade of FA.
Obviously, a bit more complex than most understand or desire, but it is precisely what he is attempting to achieve on every single point.
And every move he makes must be viewed in consideration of all these objectives rather than just one, since each will be a step toward one or more of these goals - and failing to apply this thought process will inevitably lead to the move in question at any given time not being accurately understood.
Easy.
Obvious.
Correct.
Very solid post with lots of good points.
But.....you just COULDN’T resist typing those last three words could you??
Here’s a deal I’m offering:
Post your opinions
And
Let us respond in kind WITHOUT your narcissistic self promotion.
I for one will be happy to engage if you quit with the pompous self promotion.
Do we have a deal??????
Don’t respond if you don’t like it. Nobody will miss you.
EASY
OBVIOUS
CORRECT
OP, I think you are hopeful. Most fans are in the off season.
Ouch!
Hey look a Sock Account
mel likes to hear herself talk
Yeah....I think we all figured that out.
Most are here to engage in dialogue or discussion.
MEL likes giving us a lecture or Soliloquy.
Shakespeare would be proud!
hugeCardfan wrote: ↑22 Dec 2025 17:38 pm
Don't always agree with you Melville but I tend to agree here. Lot of "fans" hoisting themselves on their petards here...unnecesarily.... I think our pitching will be more hopeful this year than last despite losing Sonny. The part I like the best is how much we will be able to build on '26 for '27 and beyond.
hugeCardfan wrote: ↑22 Dec 2025 17:38 pm
Don't always agree with you Melville but I tend to agree here. Lot of "fans" hoisting themselves on their petards here...unnecesarily.... I think our pitching will be more hopeful this year than last despite losing Sonny. The part I like the best is how much we will be able to build on '26 for '27 and beyond.
How can our pitching be better without Mikolas??
Imagine someone being worse.
You would have to go back to Wainwright in 2023 to find a Cardinal pitcher worse than Miles.
But that had something else in common as well.
The contract played.
Toxic Twins.
That is something else Bloom is trying to purge.
