May deal terms officially announced

[Ronnie Dobbs]

The money in baseball astounds me. $12.5 million for a pitcher with chronic health issues.

Yes. With that said, I am sure you can now see why the Cardinals want to get to a point where they can depend on relatively cheap production from players that they draft and develop on their own, rather than having to rely on free agents. Who wants to consistantly spend that kind of money for players with chronic health issues or just aren't very good?

[Banner29]

The money in baseball astounds me. $12.5 million for a pitcher with chronic health issues.

Yes. With that said, I am sure you can now see why the Cardinals want to get to a point where they can depend on relatively cheap production from players that they draft and develop on their own, rather than having to rely on free agents. Who wants to consistantly spend that kind of money for players with chronic health issues or just aren't very good?

As long as they have a healthy balance I’m fine with it. Relying on player development is great but as teams like Cleveland, Tampa bay and Milwaukee have clearly demonstrated it only gets you so far. The Cardinals can’t be like the dodgers where they can just hand over blank checks or be able to have billions in deferred money but they have to be able to strike when the time is right. If they need an ace, don’t have a young ace waiting, and are looking at an ace on the free agent market they should do everything in their power to get him. Or trade valuable prospects to get one. even if it stings alittle

That’s not asking them to stock the rotation with 5 aces it’s just asking them to give themselves a chance and make that extra push when needed. Something they have always avoided which has lead to this mess

[Ronnie Dobbs]

As long as they have a healthy balance I’m fine with it. Relying on player development is great but as teams like Cleveland, Tampa bay and Milwaukee have clearly demonstrated it only gets you so far. The Cardinals can’t be like the dodgers where they can just hand over blank checks or be able to have billions in deferred money but they have to be able to strike when the time is right. If they need an ace, don’t have a young ace waiting, and are looking at an ace on the free agent market they should do everything in their power to get him. Or trade valuable prospects to get one. even if it stings alittle

That’s not asking them to stock the rotation with 5 aces it’s just asking them to give themselves a chance and make that extra push when needed. Something they have always avoided which has lead to this mess

Yes, and I wholeheartedly agree with you.

The Cardinals claim that they are going to do all this rebuilding of their system so that they can go back to what they always did well and build a healthy development system on par with those teams, but then also support that with a top ten/top third payroll that allows them to do exactly that. And I am hoping with Bloom in the field they do get more aggressive in terms of shelling out some more money than they might be comfortable with to land a guy that they really want.

But if they use this as an excuse to just save money, then fans should do everything they can to show their anger.

[ScotchMIrish]

The money in baseball astounds me. $12.5 million for a pitcher with chronic health issues.

Yes. With that said, I am sure you can now see why the Cardinals want to get to a point where they can depend on relatively cheap production from players that they draft and develop on their own, rather than having to rely on free agents. Who wants to consistantly spend that kind of money for players with chronic health issues or just aren't very good?

True.

[ScotchMIrish]

Thx strummer

I could get burned by this but I think May could be a huge surprise in 2026 as long a she stays healthy.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... du01.shtml

Looking at his numbers I'd say walks are a little high consider the strikeout numbers. Pitched 6 innings 11 times in 23 starts in 2025. Ceiling probably a #3 starter but the big if obviously is staying healthy.

Yet another year further from his injuries and hopefully that control is sharper!

I'd say given his pedigree if he were to stay healthy and reach his full potential, then he's got low #2 stuff and his floor should be that #3.

If Tink Hence can stay healthy and reach his full potential he's an ace. I understand why we signed him but the money is crazy. Attendance is down and they are raising ticket prices.

[mattmitchl44]

The money in baseball astounds me. $12.5 million for a pitcher with chronic health issues.

Yes. With that said, I am sure you can now see why the Cardinals want to get to a point where they can depend on relatively cheap production from players that they draft and develop on their own, rather than having to rely on free agents. Who wants to consistantly spend that kind of money for players with chronic health issues or just aren't very good?

As long as they have a healthy balance I’m fine with it. Relying on player development is great but as teams like Cleveland, Tampa bay and Milwaukee have clearly demonstrated it only gets you so far. The Cardinals can’t be like the dodgers where they can just hand over blank checks or be able to have billions in deferred money but they have to be able to strike when the time is right. If they need an ace, don’t have a young ace waiting, and are looking at an ace on the free agent market they should do everything in their power to get him. Or trade valuable prospects to get one. even if it stings alittle

That’s not asking them to stock the rotation with 5 aces it’s just asking them to give themselves a chance and make that extra push when needed. Something they have always avoided which has lead to this mess

Relying on player development is essential if you are a team with a payroll budget the size of the Cardinals or less.

Regarding Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Milwaukee, there is a contingent on CT that insists the playoffs are always a crapshoot so the Cardinals should just aim to make the playoffs with 8X win teams and hope for the best and shouldn't make developing more talented rosters a priority. Yet, when Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Milwaukee combine to make the playoffs 19 times in the last decade, those same people would say that their prospect-oriented approach is an abject failure just because they haven't won what they otherwise describe as a crapshoot.

[ScotchMIrish]

The new face of the franchise has been signed. Cardinals 2026 marketing slogan: Come and see your Cardinals players be "dust in May"!

May has 6.059 years of service time and will be 28 in 2026.
He has never delivered more than $10.1M in value in any season so far.
So this is the Cardinals paying May $12.5M to be what he's never been before.

If he is successful for the 1st time, he will decline his option and leave as a free agent.
If he fails for the 7th consecutive time, they wasted $12.5M on a pitcher who has managed to throw more than 56 IP only once.

Fits with the Gorman/Walker theme of hoping for a dramatic turnaround.

Yeah, this is a major c*** shoot. We shall see soon enough.

The money in baseball astounds me. $12.5 million for a pitcher with chronic health issues.

Despite spending most of his career throwing fewer than 130 innings per season, Blake Snell got an AAV north of 36 mil for 5 years. That's why Dustin May gets 12.5 mil.

It still astounds me. The owners wonder why blue collar people no longer attend as many games as they used to. Tickets are sky high to pay these salaries.

I don’t know why it astounds you. All things are at all time highs. Once you pay the essentials not much left as you noted. This doesn’t affect the owners like it does the blue collar.

It's a strange business model. Team signs poor tv contract. Team signs mediocre players to big contracts. Team loses. Attendance drops Team raises prices.

It's as if Ford Motor Company raises the price of an Edsel because nobody is buying them.

[rockondlouie]

Thx strummer

I could get burned by this but I think May could be a huge surprise in 2026 as long a she stays healthy.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... du01.shtml

Looking at his numbers I'd say walks are a little high consider the strikeout numbers. Pitched 6 innings 11 times in 23 starts in 2025. Ceiling probably a #3 starter but the big if obviously is staying healthy.

Yet another year further from his injuries and hopefully that control is sharper!

I'd say given his pedigree if he were to stay healthy and reach his full potential, then he's got low #2 stuff and his floor should be that #3.

If Tink Hence can stay healthy and reach his full potential he's an ace. I understand why we signed him but the money is crazy. Attendance is down and they are raising ticket prices.

Hence needs to be converted to closer, something I've been posting about for over two years.