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brock118 wrote: ↑25 Jan 2026 13:39 pm

imyourhuckleberry wrote: ↑25 Jan 2026 13:32 pm I don't have an issue with any of that and those players seem like they would be exactly what the Cardinals are looking for (re: short term, reasonably priced).

The only question is are the Cardinals what they are looking for? They are likely looking for a team in better position to win and won't sign until they're reasonably sure that offer isn't out there.

Agreed, with so many teams looking for pitching that actually have a chance at the playoffs, I don't see why they would want to sign with us. Plus we are looking to slash payroll drastically and I'm not sure we would go to what it takes to sign these guys. I would be surprised if we sign anyone for more than $6-8 million.

I agree... however if they pitch well they will get dealt to a contender for the stretch run

CCard wrote: ↑25 Jan 2026 16:09 pm

Cardly wrote: ↑25 Jan 2026 13:27 pm I get the youth movement.

With that, the innings are many and the proven arms are few.

Thoughts:
Sign Quintana - trade at deadline
Sign Montgomery - don’t trade this season but he will be ready to pitch mid season and could cover innings later in the season.
Sign Andrew Chafin - trade at the deadline.

Trade Romero NOW - get a decent prospect
Add a legit righty bat who can hit lefties.

Quintana....Maybe, but his sell by date is probably come and gone.
Montgomery...No
Chafin...Purely as a reliever he might be okay. WHIP not bad but he is 35

Trade Romero? Why? A good lefty reliever. Why trade him at all? In fact, extend him.
Adding a righty bat could help but if they aren't going to go get good pitching it's a waste.

Agree with "Why Trade Romero"? Bloom got very little in return for Gray, WC and Nado. He save $66.5M and cleared roster spots for more Memphis kids. He won't do the same for Donnie, Noot and JoJo. None of them are costing us all that much. He still needs to sell tickets and field a somewhat interesting team to watch. He is at a point in the rebuild that he needs to make a splash with whatever the return is on trading those three.

I also agree with signing an aging veteran SP. Scherzer would sell tickets. Bloom is obviously trying to repair the damage Mo did to the team's relationship with the fans (tough job). Reference the signing of all seven of our arb-eligible players and his deep dive into the international pool. Mo was a PR nightmare.

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑25 Jan 2026 16:01 pm

KeeptheRamsinSTL wrote: ↑25 Jan 2026 14:58 pm

Cardly wrote: ↑25 Jan 2026 13:27 pm I get the youth movement.

With that, the innings are many and the proven arms are few.

Thoughts:
Sign Quintana - trade at deadline
Sign Montgomery - don’t trade this season but he will be ready to pitch mid season and could cover innings later in the season.
Sign Andrew Chafin - trade at the deadline.

Trade Romero NOW - get a decent prospect
Add a legit righty bat who can hit lefties.

What about Max Scherzer? He is very near the end of his career but he grew up a Cardinals fan. This would give him a chance to play for his hometown team. He would bring good PR to the Cardinals/DeWitts. His signing would encourage fans to return. Scherzer would a good veteran to help this young staff. Busch Stadium is a friendly park for pitchers.

I understand that Scherzer most likely wants to go to a contender but he remains unsigned. Bloom could offer him a deal and let him know that if the Cardinals are not in contention at the trade deadline that he would try to trade him to a contender that Scherzer would be interested in.

Scherzer becomes more interesting each passing week.

From a marketing and mentoring perspective, an argument can be made for Scherzer or Verlander.
Unlikely either would want to play for STL, for a variety of reasons (the manager perhaps being the primary one).

100% I'd sign "Q", then deal him mid season.

Mo should've never let him go, yet another of his many screw up moves in his finals years.

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:16 am 100% I'd sign "Q", then deal him mid season.

Mo should've never let him go, yet another of his many screw up moves in his finals years.

Is this a competitive move or a place holder move.

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:19 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:16 am 100% I'd sign "Q", then deal him mid season.

Mo should've never let him go, yet another of his many screw up moves in his finals years.

Is this a competitive move or a place holder move.

Competitive for the 1st half/trade piece in the 2nd

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:33 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:19 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:16 am 100% I'd sign "Q", then deal him mid season.

Mo should've never let him go, yet another of his many screw up moves in his finals years.

Is this a competitive move or a place holder move.

Competitive for the 1st half/trade piece in the 2nd

Would a player of Q’s status accept a signing then trade contract.

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:35 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:33 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:19 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:16 am 100% I'd sign "Q", then deal him mid season.

Mo should've never let him go, yet another of his many screw up moves in his finals years.

Is this a competitive move or a place holder move.

Competitive for the 1st half/trade piece in the 2nd

Would a player of Q’s status accept a signing then trade contract.

Sure

Probably what he'd be looking for knowing he'd be going to a playoff contender at the deadline.

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:40 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:35 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:33 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:19 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:16 am 100% I'd sign "Q", then deal him mid season.

Mo should've never let him go, yet another of his many screw up moves in his finals years.

Is this a competitive move or a place holder move.

Competitive for the 1st half/trade piece in the 2nd

Would a player of Q’s status accept a signing then trade contract.

Sure

Probably what he'd be looking for knowing he'd be going to a playoff contender at the deadline.

That crossed ny mind. Why not just sign with a contender from the get go. Save himself the move and stress of what team next.

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:43 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:40 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:35 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:33 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:19 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:16 am 100% I'd sign "Q", then deal him mid season.

Mo should've never let him go, yet another of his many screw up moves in his finals years.

Is this a competitive move or a place holder move.

Competitive for the 1st half/trade piece in the 2nd

Would a player of Q’s status accept a signing then trade contract.

Sure

Probably what he'd be looking for knowing he'd be going to a playoff contender at the deadline.

That crossed ny mind. Why not just sign with a contender from the get go. Save himself the move and stress of what team next.

At this stage of his career he's a one-year deal player, playoff contenders heading into STing likely have their five man SR.

But injuries will make his attractive mid season if he's throwing well.

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:33 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:19 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:16 am 100% I'd sign "Q", then deal him mid season.

Mo should've never let him go, yet another of his many screw up moves in his finals years.

Is this a competitive move or a place holder move.

Competitive for the 1st half/trade piece in the 2nd

I'm okay with that, but I don't think he would bring much back as a mid-season rental. What did we trade for him the first time? Oviedo??

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 09:55 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:33 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:19 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:16 am 100% I'd sign "Q", then deal him mid season.

Mo should've never let him go, yet another of his many screw up moves in his finals years.

Is this a competitive move or a place holder move.

Competitive for the 1st half/trade piece in the 2nd

I'm okay with that, but I don't think he would bring much back as a mid-season rental. What did we trade for him the first time? Oviedo??

And Oviedo just pulled Jhostnyxon Garcia for the Pirates from the Red Sox. Would you be ok with a return like that?

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 10:01 am

Cardinals4Life wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 09:55 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:33 am

sikeston bulldog2 wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:19 am

rockondlouie wrote: ↑26 Jan 2026 08:16 am 100% I'd sign "Q", then deal him mid season.

Mo should've never let him go, yet another of his many screw up moves in his finals years.

Is this a competitive move or a place holder move.

Competitive for the 1st half/trade piece in the 2nd

I'm okay with that, but I don't think he would bring much back as a mid-season rental. What did we trade for him the first time? Oviedo??

And Oviedo just pulled Jhostnyxon Garcia for the Pirates from the Red Sox. Would you be ok with a return like that?

Fair enough. But at the time Oviedo was not much of a prospect. He has made a decent career for himself.

Quintana could cover innings and be dealt at the deadline.
Montgomery could need time before being fully ready. So, he could pitch more in the second half. If given a pillow deal for 2027 as well, he could be dealt in the off season, barring not player strike, or dealt at the 2027 deadline.

Dealing Romero now brings a prospect immediately.

Signing Andre Chafin helps the bullpen and allows them to trade him at the deadline for a prospect.

This sort of thinking gives the very young and not yet developed pitching staff more time to adjust to the big leagues. This is a must in my opinion.

Bader did great with the Phillies. Zero reason to over pay for his success last season.

There are other solid options the Cards could hope to sign as righty bats.

imyourhuckleberry wrote: ↑25 Jan 2026 13:32 pm I don't have an issue with any of that and those players seem like they would be exactly what the Cardinals are looking for (re: short term, reasonably priced).

The only question is are the Cardinals what they are looking for? They are likely looking for a team in better position to win and won't sign until they're reasonably sure that offer isn't out there.

i dont think the cardinals have an issue paying a little on 1 year contracts- but i agree with you that it may not be what those players want. not just because they want to pitch for a contender but i imagine signing to a team with the teams idea to be to trade them midseason to another team so that they have to move twice in a year probably isnt the ideal scenario for them if they have families.

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑25 Jan 2026 14:01 pm

brock118 wrote: ↑25 Jan 2026 13:39 pm

imyourhuckleberry wrote: ↑25 Jan 2026 13:32 pm I don't have an issue with any of that and those players seem like they would be exactly what the Cardinals are looking for (re: short term, reasonably priced).

The only question is are the Cardinals what they are looking for? They are likely looking for a team in better position to win and won't sign until they're reasonably sure that offer isn't out there.

Agreed, with so many teams looking for pitching that actually have a chance at the playoffs, I don't see why they would want to sign with us. Plus we are looking to slash payroll drastically and I'm not sure we would go to what it takes to sign these guys. I would be surprised if we sign anyone for more than $6-8 million.

The players listed are probably looking at contracts for half the amounts you cite.

Quintana $6 million