Mathews

[Ozziesfan41]

If they don't do it during the year, the Cardinals have to make a decision about putting Mathews on the 40 man roster this winter to protect him in the Rule 5 draft. If you had to decide today, would you protect him? Do you think another team would claim him?

Someone would 100% claim him and put him in the bullpen. You definitely don’t give up on him

[Melville]

A long way away.
Now 16 BB's issued in 15.2 innings this year.
After 74 in 99 innings a year ago.
I warned last offseason that he should be traded as part of a package before his stock fell even further.
Those who were foolishly expecting to see him in STL this year and contributing are going to be very disappointed.

He had very, very little trade value even then mel, nothing more than some other teams equally disappointing prospect.

I've moved on from him just as I have from Hence & Roby, they're nothing but lotto tickets now.

Almost all teams are reluctant to trade prospects at peak value - for understandable reasons.
However, I believe most organizations would do as I have long recommended by heavily weighing risk factors.
Genuinely no intention of patting myself on the back, but Hence and Mathews are examples of pitchers I long ago recommended as trade pieces when their values were obviously inflated.
The same applies at the MLB level, when I advised trading the likes of Carpenter, Martinez, DeJong, Nootbaar, and O'Neill after weirdly suspicious break out periods (which were mirages) or very clear physical risk factors.
The organization would be in far better shape today if Super Slo Mo actually possessed the guts and intelligence to do as I advised.
I am very interested to observe Bloom in this area as well.

[DewittDaman11]

I think we do have AAA depth still, with Hansen and Rajcic, as well as Rincon, to go with Mautz and Dobbins. Mathews was just possibly the best option, but even without him there is pretty decent starter depth. Not great, probably, but not (bleep), either.

[Melville]

A long way away.
Now 16 BB's issued in 15.2 innings this year.
After 74 in 99 innings a year ago.
I warned last offseason that he should be traded as part of a package before his stock fell even further.
Those who were foolishly expecting to see him in STL this year and contributing are going to be very disappointed.

He had very, very little trade value even then mel, nothing more than some other teams equally disappointing prospect.

I've moved on from him just as I have from Hence & Roby, they're nothing but lotto tickets now.

Almost all teams are reluctant to trade prospects at peak value - for understandable reasons.
However, I believe most organizations would do better, as I have long recommended, by heavily weighing risk factors.
Genuinely no intention of patting myself on the back, but Hence and Mathews are examples of pitchers I long ago recommended as trade pieces when their values were obviously inflated.
The same applies at the MLB level, when I advised trading the likes of Carpenter, Martinez, DeJong, Nootbaar, and O'Neill after weirdly suspicious break out periods (which were mirages) or very clear physical risk factors.
The organization would be in far better shape today if Super Slo Mo actually possessed the guts and intelligence to do as I advised.
I am very interested to observe Bloom in this area as well.

Edited for clarity.

[renostl]

A long way away.
Now 16 BB's issued in 15.2 innings this year.
After 74 in 99 innings a year ago.
I warned last offseason that he should be traded as part of a package before his stock fell even further.
Those who were foolishly expecting to see him in STL this year and contributing are going to be very disappointed.

He had very, very little trade value even then mel, nothing more than some other teams equally disappointing prospect.

I've moved on from him just as I have from Hence & Roby, they're nothing but lotto tickets now.

Almost all teams are reluctant to trade prospects at peak value - for understandable reasons.
However, I believe most organizations would do as I have long recommended by heavily weighing risk factors.
Genuinely no intention of patting myself on the back, but Hence and Mathews are examples of pitchers I long ago recommended as trade pieces when their values were obviously inflated.
The same applies at the MLB level, when I advised trading the likes of Carpenter, Martinez, DeJong, Nootbaar, and O'Neill after weirdly suspicious break out periods (which were mirages) or very clear physical risk factors.
The organization would be in far better shape today if Super Slo Mo actually possessed the guts and intelligence to do as I advised.
I am very interested to observe Bloom in this area as well.

Actually doing nothing more than observing what the Cardinals have done
over the past few. Not what they should have done etc.

Those trades using prospects and such as throw ins or added pieces. The Cardinals
haven't participated in trades where they are buyers or even a baseball trade. They
been in the sellers position. Hence, Mathews won't have many of GM's pursing them.
the Cardinals need to be buyers for them to be moved, jmo.

I'd like to see them use some current roster for improving the BP/SP this season and beyond.
The current and near future is bleak. If adding minor leaguers assists in the pursuit great.

[Talkin' Baseball]

I'm curious to know what you guys think- do you think the Cardinals should look to trade Mathews? His velocity remains good, his strikeout rates are good, but he is not progressing well. He walks too many. He has had various ailments. What is the path forward? Keep him and try to work through it, or try to get what return you can from him?

[Cranny]

I'm curious to know what you guys think- do you think the Cardinals should look to trade Mathews? His velocity remains good, his strikeout rates are good, but he is not progressing well. He walks too many. He has had various ailments. What is the path forward? Keep him and try to work through it, or try to get what return you can from him?

Keep him.

[11WSChamps]

First up may be Zimmerman.

Who?

Bruce Zimmerman. 31 year old lefty at Memphis, signed as a FA in the off season to provide some fill in experience for the younger guys. Has been the ace of the staff, with an ERA of 3.15.

Laugh all you want, 11, but he’s pitching well, and has some major league experience. I took your question as being sincere. My bad.

I am looking for honesty.

Where's all this depth people were talking about?

Hes just another guy off the street discarded by other teams. That's his history.

[rockondlouie]

A long way away.
Now 16 BB's issued in 15.2 innings this year.
After 74 in 99 innings a year ago.
I warned last offseason that he should be traded as part of a package before his stock fell even further.
Those who were foolishly expecting to see him in STL this year and contributing are going to be very disappointed.

He had very, very little trade value even then mel, nothing more than some other teams equally disappointing prospect.

I've moved on from him just as I have from Hence & Roby, they're nothing but lotto tickets now.

Almost all teams are reluctant to trade prospects at peak value - for understandable reasons.
However, I believe most organizations would do as I have long recommended by heavily weighing risk factors.
Genuinely no intention of patting myself on the back, but Hence and Mathews are examples of pitchers I long ago recommended as trade pieces when their values were obviously inflated.
The same applies at the MLB level, when I advised trading the likes of Carpenter, Martinez, DeJong, Nootbaar, and O'Neill after weirdly suspicious break out periods (which were mirages) or very clear physical risk factors.
The organization would be in far better shape today if Super Slo Mo actually possessed the guts and intelligence to do as I advised.
I am very interested to observe Bloom in this area as well.

I long ago recommended they convert T. Hence to a RP.

His upper 90's fastball and sick change-up reminded me of D. Williams.

Slo Mo, of course couldn't see it, but thankfully it only took C. Bloom a few days in the POBO chair to make the conversion.

Will he pan out as a RP?

Who knows

But it was plain to see three years ago he'd never hold up as a starting pitcher.

Bloom has already shown he'll trade a player that "year early" that the great B. Rickey always advocated for when he dealt away
B. Donovan.

I think he'll do the same w/your favorite Noot and possibly even A. Burleson.

[Cranny]

First up may be Zimmerman.

Who?

Bruce Zimmerman. 31 year old lefty at Memphis, signed as a FA in the off season to provide some fill in experience for the younger guys. Has been the ace of the staff, with an ERA of 3.15.

Laugh all you want, 11, but he’s pitching well, and has some major league experience. I took your question as being sincere. My bad.

I am looking for honesty.

Where's all this depth people were talking about?

Hes just another guy off the street discarded by other teams. That's his history.

How many times have the Cards had a former Minor League Pitcher of the Year in the system. Ace potential if he can return to form. Keep him.

[sikeston bulldog2]

First up may be Zimmerman.

Who?

Bruce Zimmerman. 31 year old lefty at Memphis, signed as a FA in the off season to provide some fill in experience for the younger guys. Has been the ace of the staff, with an ERA of 3.15.

Laugh all you want, 11, but he’s pitching well, and has some major league experience. I took your question as being sincere. My bad.

I am looking for honesty.

Where's all this depth people were talking about?

Hes just another guy off the street discarded by other teams. That's his history.

How many times have the Cards had a former Minor League Pitcher of the Year in the system. Ace potential if he can return to form. Keep him.

That’s a valid thought. The issue is performance. Returning to form as you say. How many do that?

[pitchingandefense]

I am surprised sometimes in reading posts on this board by posters who seem to have watched a lot of baseball over a lot of years giving up on guys so quickly.

You absolutely can't write this guy off yet. The stuff is way too good. Hundreds of talented pitchers through the years have taken a little longer to harness the control necessary for the big leagues and then gone on to have successful careers.

Even this year's top pitcher so far, Soriano of the Angels, had a BB/9 of 5.1 in the minors. At the major league level that has dropped to 4.0, and now in his age 27 season he is finding his groove while posting his lowest walk rate yet of 3.1.

Mathews as a pro has pitched 258 innings and has a k/9 of 11.9. His BB/9 is 4.8. 2025 featured a drop in velocity, clearly dealing with injury, and a drop in performance. Now his velo seems to be back and he has 23 strikeouts in 15.2 innings. The super high walk rate is very common for a pitcher rebounding from injury.

Even if he becomes Andrew Miller, another lefty who struggled with command as a starter and then found success as a reliever, he would be a very valuable asset to the organization.

I'll stand by my prediction that by the end of this season he is one of the top three starters in the MLB rotation. I think he'll find his control and his dominant stuff will play up well. Everyone was frustrated when Liberatore struggled in '22 and '23. Now he's developed into a solid major league starter after some patience was used. Of course he can completely flame out, but he could als put it together. Patience is what we need with Mathews right now.

[11WSChamps]

First up may be Zimmerman.

Who?

Bruce Zimmerman. 31 year old lefty at Memphis, signed as a FA in the off season to provide some fill in experience for the younger guys. Has been the ace of the staff, with an ERA of 3.15.

Laugh all you want, 11, but he’s pitching well, and has some major league experience. I took your question as being sincere. My bad.

I am looking for honesty.

Where's all this depth people were talking about?

Hes just another guy off the street discarded by other teams. That's his history.

How many times have the Cards had a former Minor League Pitcher of the Year in the system. Ace potential if he can return to form. Keep him.

This organizations road for the last decade has been paved with hope and pray, hope and pray.

[Cusecards]

If they don't do it during the year, the Cardinals have to make a decision about putting Mathews on the 40 man roster this winter to protect him in the Rule 5 draft. If you had to decide today, would you protect him? Do you think another team would claim him?

Based on your timeline he is certainly safe for this season.
Then....as you stated....he’d have to be added to the 40 man.
Unless his upside/ceiling changes I can’t believe he won’t be protected?
Always a few on the 40 man that can be cut loose.

[dugoutrex]

First up may be Zimmerman.

Who?

Bruce Zimmerman. 31 year old lefty at Memphis, signed as a FA in the off season to provide some fill in experience for the younger guys. Has been the ace of the staff, with an ERA of 3.15.

Laugh all you want, 11, but he’s pitching well, and has some major league experience. I took your question as being sincere. My bad.

I am looking for honesty.

Where's all this depth people were talking about?

Hes just another guy off the street discarded by other teams. That's his history.

How many times have the Cards had a former Minor League Pitcher of the Year in the system. Ace potential if he can return to form. Keep him.

This organizations road for the last decade has been paved with hope and pray, hope and pray.

thoughts and prayers - sounds like 30% of the population!

[11WSChamps]

First up may be Zimmerman.

Who?

Bruce Zimmerman. 31 year old lefty at Memphis, signed as a FA in the off season to provide some fill in experience for the younger guys. Has been the ace of the staff, with an ERA of 3.15.

Laugh all you want, 11, but he’s pitching well, and has some major league experience. I took your question as being sincere. My bad.

I am looking for honesty.

Where's all this depth people were talking about?

Hes just another guy off the street discarded by other teams. That's his history.

How many times have the Cards had a former Minor League Pitcher of the Year in the system. Ace potential if he can return to form. Keep him.

This organizations road for the last decade has been paved with hope and pray, hope and pray.

thoughts and prayers - sounds like 30% of the population!

And you're in that precious one percent.