Why FANS come to the park

[CorneliusWolfe]

As the all-knowing Melville (lol) has pointed out several times, a few of the right moves at the right positions can make this team winners sooner than later and make it fun again. We aren’t talking about a 100 loss team starting point here. I don’t always agree with him but certainly do on that point. You act like we’re a startup expansion team.

They are NOT a talented roster right now - in particular after they move Gray, Donovan, Arenado, and probably Contraras as they should.

Subtract those four from last year's roster and you are right at 20 fWAR, basically a 68 win roster.

Yes, they will hopefully have multiple players develop and get better - but how much better and how soon remains to be seen. Let take 2026, see who gets better, see what holes need to be filled, and then talk about filling them, maybe, after the 2026 season. Or maybe it takes until after the 2027 - and likely the arrival of both Wetherholt and Doyle - before a clear picture emerges and they start ramping up spending a lot to "win now."

They don't just need to spend money, they need to spend money smartly. And the first step in spending money smartly is figure out what are the priorities to spend it on, and then to spend it when it can do you the most good.

Those guys weren’t exactly propping up the team. Arenado was bad, Gray had a mid 4 ERA, Contreras was hurt half the year and Donovan, while solid was not spectacular. Still had a .500 ish team.

Keep Donovan or land a good return with someone who can help THIS year at some point at least, replace Gray with another quality starter, keep Contreras, and Arenado…well, who knows what the hell to do with him? Find a sucker or take the solid defense and try to convince him to slap hit for average as to not be a black hole in the lineup.

Most importantly fix the (drat) outfield for once by acquiring a good RH hitter that can still play defense (trade, overpay in free agency, don’t care) and buy another starter in addition to Gray’s replacement.

That would make a competitive team. If things are going well add at the deadline instead of cost cutting.

That's the problem. As a fan, you "don't care" what it takes, just do something!

You just want them to try to "be competitive," whatever that means.

That's what they have been doing for years now - continuing to throw good money after bad to try to patch the ML roster, but without having the foundation of young, cost controlled talent to actually make it work.

Again, add some cheap FAs on short 1-2 yrs. contracts to maybe make them a better version of mediocre - maybe win just short of 80 games instead of 60 or 70. But this isn't getting better than that.

Don’t care as in…don’t care about BDWs money, don’t care about the “next big thing” hype, don’t care about quantity over quality, don’t care about some other second division team’s strategy that’s never even netted a single championship, don’t care about the magical day Wetherholt and Doyle arrives to save our franchise, don’t care about a foundation of young cost controlled talent that we didn’t even always have in previous championship years, don’t care about big spenders, don’t care about the next CBA and don’t care about excuses to avoid doing anything and everything to win.

[CorneliusWolfe]

I'm more interested in the success of the name on the front of the jersey than the names on the back.

How is the team named on the front of the jersey going to succeed when all the names on the back of the jersey are not highly skilled and productive?

They need to be highly skilled and productive. They don't need to be the "icons" fans have been accustomed to for 10+ years when they are in the much less productive twilights of their careers - which is the sentimentality the OP is arguing in favor of.

You don’t get a roster full of highly skilled players, which I acknowledge don’t need to be iconic, with a 1-point plan of solely building through the draft.

The strategy can change year to year. If you draft and develop poorly, you have to overpay in free agency. Draft and develop well and ownership can enjoy some cheap years. The sentimental fans will come to the park either way.

No reason to suck for years. Be dynamic, creative, and not cheap, and every year and you can field a good team. Greatness is not going to be consistent, even for the big spenders.

Well it’s a great thing the cardinals plan of action isn’t to build solely through the draft isn’t it?

Sure hope not but not seeing anything to the contrary so far. That said, it is premature to assume because the Bloom era has just begun.

But that also hasn’t stopped you from arguing a rebuild has to be long and excruciating when you don’t know [shirt] either.

That’s a lie you have never seen me post a rebuild has to be long and excruciating that’s your version of what a rebuild is. You’re prematurely assuming a lot in order to make your arguments

That’s rich coming from the king of putting words in others people’s mouths. Remember when anyone argues about acquiring talent and you constantly state we just want more Dylan Carlson’s and Nolan Gorman’s?

And if you DO want the team to do everything they can to rebuild sooner and get back to winning, then why are you butting in mine and MattMitch/BDW IV’s argument anyway?

[mattmitchl44]

As the all-knowing Melville (lol) has pointed out several times, a few of the right moves at the right positions can make this team winners sooner than later and make it fun again. We aren’t talking about a 100 loss team starting point here. I don’t always agree with him but certainly do on that point. You act like we’re a startup expansion team.

They are NOT a talented roster right now - in particular after they move Gray, Donovan, Arenado, and probably Contraras as they should.

Subtract those four from last year's roster and you are right at 20 fWAR, basically a 68 win roster.

Yes, they will hopefully have multiple players develop and get better - but how much better and how soon remains to be seen. Let take 2026, see who gets better, see what holes need to be filled, and then talk about filling them, maybe, after the 2026 season. Or maybe it takes until after the 2027 - and likely the arrival of both Wetherholt and Doyle - before a clear picture emerges and they start ramping up spending a lot to "win now."

They don't just need to spend money, they need to spend money smartly. And the first step in spending money smartly is figure out what are the priorities to spend it on, and then to spend it when it can do you the most good.

Those guys weren’t exactly propping up the team. Arenado was bad, Gray had a mid 4 ERA, Contreras was hurt half the year and Donovan, while solid was not spectacular. Still had a .500 ish team.

Keep Donovan or land a good return with someone who can help THIS year at some point at least, replace Gray with another quality starter, keep Contreras, and Arenado…well, who knows what the hell to do with him? Find a sucker or take the solid defense and try to convince him to slap hit for average as to not be a black hole in the lineup.

Most importantly fix the (drat) outfield for once by acquiring a good RH hitter that can still play defense (trade, overpay in free agency, don’t care) and buy another starter in addition to Gray’s replacement.

That would make a competitive team. If things are going well add at the deadline instead of cost cutting.

That's the problem. As a fan, you "don't care" what it takes, just do something!

You just want them to try to "be competitive," whatever that means.

That's what they have been doing for years now - continuing to throw good money after bad to try to patch the ML roster, but without having the foundation of young, cost controlled talent to actually make it work.

Again, add some cheap FAs on short 1-2 yrs. contracts to maybe make them a better version of mediocre - maybe win just short of 80 games instead of 60 or 70. But this isn't getting better than that.

Don’t care as in…don’t care about BDWs money, don’t care about the “next big thing” hype, don’t care about quantity over quality, don’t care about some other second division team’s strategy that’s never even netted a single championship, don’t care about the magical day Wetherholt and Doyle arrives to save our franchise, don’t care about a foundation of young cost controlled talent that we didn’t even always have in previous championship years, don’t care about big spenders, don’t care about the next CBA and don’t care about excuses to avoid doing anything and everything to win.

There are only two ways that this team could add multiple real "difference makers" with which you could even remotely think about "being competitive" in 2026.

1) Find another "rebuilding" team that is willing to trade a star or superstar level player for a TON of prospects - and the Cardinals would have to include Wetherholt and/or Doyle to get that done. That is exactly counter to collecting and retaining the prospects they need to build a core of young talent over the next 2, 3, 4 years.

or

2) Commit a LOT of money to FAs - who are going to be older, veteran players - to whom you are going to have to give long term, high AAV contracts. Those 30+ yr. olds might be really good right now, and for another 1, 2 years, but like with most guys signed to those contracts, they will eventually turn bad and you'll be stuck with them. But in this case, they would be quite likely to turn bad just about the time the Cardinals new core of young talent is getting good. And then they will be stuck still being mediocre.

They aren't in a position to get "difference makers" for 2026 otherwise.

Trading Donovan for someone like Pages from LA isn't going to make a significant net difference for 2026, they pretty much cancel out. The pie in the sky dream of trading for Tatis isn't going to happen because there is about a zero percent chance of him waiving his NTC to come to St. Louis.

There is no getting to being really "competitive" in 2026, or probably even 2027, from where they are right now. That's just their unfortunate reality.

[ScotchMIrish]

I've attended my last MLB game. Can't stand the watered down version of baseball with the DH. I also didn't like the configuration of the new ballpark. I loved the second deck of Busch II. Great view and affordable. In the current ballpark that second deck is luxury suites.

Now having alienated long time fans like me they are getting revenue sharing. Apparently the DH isn't that popular and there aren't enough millionaires to keep the finances out of the red.

lol - baseball has never been better

You need to find 15,000 people who agree with you and bring them to the ballpark 81 times a year.

That would be easier than finding 15,000 people who haven’t gotten over a rule change from five years ago.

lol no kidding. I was against the DH but started liking it. All the strategy involved of the pitcher batting would have been removed any way it used to be should I pinch hit for the pitcher in the 7th or let him go another inning now pitchers don’t go but 5 innings maybe 6 also with the offense as bad as it is now in baseball adding the pitcher batting would only make it worse. And I for one liked seeing pujols play in 2022 and finish his career in St. Louis and get to 700 home runs wouldn’t have happened if there was no DH because they wouldn’t have benched Goldy so he could play and I much preferred watching Herrera DH last season as opposed to watching him catch or sit on the bench and the pitcher hit. I’m all for the DH now

You enjoyed watching Pallante post an ERA over 8 in August while being left in to throw his assigned 90 pitches 6 times during the month? I'd be asking for a refund if I watched that. Without the DH he would be pinch hit for.

[CorneliusWolfe]

As the all-knowing Melville (lol) has pointed out several times, a few of the right moves at the right positions can make this team winners sooner than later and make it fun again. We aren’t talking about a 100 loss team starting point here. I don’t always agree with him but certainly do on that point. You act like we’re a startup expansion team.

They are NOT a talented roster right now - in particular after they move Gray, Donovan, Arenado, and probably Contraras as they should.

Subtract those four from last year's roster and you are right at 20 fWAR, basically a 68 win roster.

Yes, they will hopefully have multiple players develop and get better - but how much better and how soon remains to be seen. Let take 2026, see who gets better, see what holes need to be filled, and then talk about filling them, maybe, after the 2026 season. Or maybe it takes until after the 2027 - and likely the arrival of both Wetherholt and Doyle - before a clear picture emerges and they start ramping up spending a lot to "win now."

They don't just need to spend money, they need to spend money smartly. And the first step in spending money smartly is figure out what are the priorities to spend it on, and then to spend it when it can do you the most good.

Those guys weren’t exactly propping up the team. Arenado was bad, Gray had a mid 4 ERA, Contreras was hurt half the year and Donovan, while solid was not spectacular. Still had a .500 ish team.

Keep Donovan or land a good return with someone who can help THIS year at some point at least, replace Gray with another quality starter, keep Contreras, and Arenado…well, who knows what the hell to do with him? Find a sucker or take the solid defense and try to convince him to slap hit for average as to not be a black hole in the lineup.

Most importantly fix the (drat) outfield for once by acquiring a good RH hitter that can still play defense (trade, overpay in free agency, don’t care) and buy another starter in addition to Gray’s replacement.

That would make a competitive team. If things are going well add at the deadline instead of cost cutting.

That's the problem. As a fan, you "don't care" what it takes, just do something!

You just want them to try to "be competitive," whatever that means.

That's what they have been doing for years now - continuing to throw good money after bad to try to patch the ML roster, but without having the foundation of young, cost controlled talent to actually make it work.

Again, add some cheap FAs on short 1-2 yrs. contracts to maybe make them a better version of mediocre - maybe win just short of 80 games instead of 60 or 70. But this isn't getting better than that.

Don’t care as in…don’t care about BDWs money, don’t care about the “next big thing” hype, don’t care about quantity over quality, don’t care about some other second division team’s strategy that’s never even netted a single championship, don’t care about the magical day Wetherholt and Doyle arrives to save our franchise, don’t care about a foundation of young cost controlled talent that we didn’t even always have in previous championship years, don’t care about big spenders, don’t care about the next CBA and don’t care about excuses to avoid doing anything and everything to win.

There are only two ways that this team could add multiple real "difference makers" with which you could even remotely think about "being competitive" in 2026.

1) Find another "rebuilding" team that is willing to trade a star or superstar level player for a TON of prospects - and the Cardinals would have to include Wetherholt and/or Doyle to get that done. That is exactly counter to collecting and retaining the prospects they need to build a core of young talent over the next 2, 3, 4 years.

or

2) Commit a LOT of money to FAs - who are going to be older, veteran players - to whom you are going to have to give long term, high AAV contracts. Those 30+ yr. olds might be really good right now, and for another 1, 2 years, but like with most guys signed to those contracts, they will eventually turn bad and you'll be stuck with them. But in this case, they would be quite likely to turn bad just about the time the Cardinals new core of young talent is getting good. And then they will be stuck still being mediocre.

They aren't in a position to get "difference makers" for 2026 otherwise.

Trading Donovan for someone like Pages from LA isn't going to make a significant net difference for 2026, they pretty much cancel out. The pie in the sky dream of trading for Tatis isn't going to happen because there is about a zero percent chance of him waiving his NTC to come to St. Louis.

There is no getting to being really "competitive" in 2026, or probably even 2027, from where they are right now. That's just their unfortunate reality.

Chaim Bloom, is that you? It must be since you know all available options and have shared the insider info that there are only two.

I guess that’s that then. Let’s all lay down in the fetal position together.

[ScotchMIrish]

I've attended my last MLB game. Can't stand the watered down version of baseball with the DH. I also didn't like the configuration of the new ballpark. I loved the second deck of Busch II. Great view and affordable. In the current ballpark that second deck is luxury suites.

Now having alienated long time fans like me they are getting revenue sharing. Apparently the DH isn't that popular and there aren't enough millionaires to keep the finances out of the red.

lol - baseball has never been better

You need to find 15,000 people who agree with you and bring them to the ballpark 81 times a year.

That would be easier than finding 15,000 people who haven’t gotten over a rule change from five years ago.

I'm not upset at the rule change 5 years ago. I don't care for what the rule change has done to the game today.

People like more offense? Really? You enjoy watching a struggling pitcher being left in the game to get shelled because he never is pinch it for? Pallante posting an ERA of 8 for August while throwing 90 pitches in 6 starts for the month was enjoyable to watch?

[desertrat23]

I've attended my last MLB game. Can't stand the watered down version of baseball with the DH. I also didn't like the configuration of the new ballpark. I loved the second deck of Busch II. Great view and affordable. In the current ballpark that second deck is luxury suites.

Now having alienated long time fans like me they are getting revenue sharing. Apparently the DH isn't that popular and there aren't enough millionaires to keep the finances out of the red.

lol - baseball has never been better

You need to find 15,000 people who agree with you and bring them to the ballpark 81 times a year.

That would be easier than finding 15,000 people who haven’t gotten over a rule change from five years ago.

I'm not upset at the rule change 5 years ago. I don't care for what the rule change has done to the game today.

People like more offense? Really? You enjoy watching a struggling pitcher being left in the game to get shelled because he never is pinch it for? Pallante posting an ERA of 8 for August while throwing 90 pitches in 6 starts for the month was enjoyable to watch?

Over 71 million people attended baseball games in 2025, the third-straight year with an increase. The number of people who were "alienated" by the DH and don't go to games anymore because of it probably numbers in the hundreds. It's about as relevant as not going to games because they don't wear flannel uniforms anymore.

YES, people like more offense, especially younger people. They're trying to create a new generation of fans here. And Andre Pallante would still be a tomato can, DH or no DH.

[ScotchMIrish]

I've attended my last MLB game. Can't stand the watered down version of baseball with the DH. I also didn't like the configuration of the new ballpark. I loved the second deck of Busch II. Great view and affordable. In the current ballpark that second deck is luxury suites.

Now having alienated long time fans like me they are getting revenue sharing. Apparently the DH isn't that popular and there aren't enough millionaires to keep the finances out of the red.

lol - baseball has never been better

You need to find 15,000 people who agree with you and bring them to the ballpark 81 times a year.

That would be easier than finding 15,000 people who haven’t gotten over a rule change from five years ago.

I'm not upset at the rule change 5 years ago. I don't care for what the rule change has done to the game today.

People like more offense? Really? You enjoy watching a struggling pitcher being left in the game to get shelled because he never is pinch it for? Pallante posting an ERA of 8 for August while throwing 90 pitches in 6 starts for the month was enjoyable to watch?

Over 71 million people attended baseball games in 2025, the third-straight year with an increase. The number of people who were "alienated" by the DH and don't go to games anymore because of it probably numbers in the hundreds. It's about as relevant as not going to games because they don't wear flannel uniforms anymore.

YES, people like more offense, especially younger people. They're trying to create a new generation of fans here. And Andre Pallante would still be a tomato can, DH or no DH.

Lower than most seasons this century.

[desertrat23]

I've attended my last MLB game. Can't stand the watered down version of baseball with the DH. I also didn't like the configuration of the new ballpark. I loved the second deck of Busch II. Great view and affordable. In the current ballpark that second deck is luxury suites.

Now having alienated long time fans like me they are getting revenue sharing. Apparently the DH isn't that popular and there aren't enough millionaires to keep the finances out of the red.

lol - baseball has never been better

You need to find 15,000 people who agree with you and bring them to the ballpark 81 times a year.

That would be easier than finding 15,000 people who haven’t gotten over a rule change from five years ago.

I'm not upset at the rule change 5 years ago. I don't care for what the rule change has done to the game today.

People like more offense? Really? You enjoy watching a struggling pitcher being left in the game to get shelled because he never is pinch it for? Pallante posting an ERA of 8 for August while throwing 90 pitches in 6 starts for the month was enjoyable to watch?

Over 71 million people attended baseball games in 2025, the third-straight year with an increase. The number of people who were "alienated" by the DH and don't go to games anymore because of it probably numbers in the hundreds. It's about as relevant as not going to games because they don't wear flannel uniforms anymore.

YES, people like more offense, especially younger people. They're trying to create a new generation of fans here. And Andre Pallante would still be a tomato can, DH or no DH.

Lower than most seasons this century.

It wouldn’t matter if it was the lowest in 100 years. No one under the age of 60 stopped going to a baseball game because of the DH.

[mattmitchl44]

As the all-knowing Melville (lol) has pointed out several times, a few of the right moves at the right positions can make this team winners sooner than later and make it fun again. We aren’t talking about a 100 loss team starting point here. I don’t always agree with him but certainly do on that point. You act like we’re a startup expansion team.

They are NOT a talented roster right now - in particular after they move Gray, Donovan, Arenado, and probably Contraras as they should.

Subtract those four from last year's roster and you are right at 20 fWAR, basically a 68 win roster.

Yes, they will hopefully have multiple players develop and get better - but how much better and how soon remains to be seen. Let take 2026, see who gets better, see what holes need to be filled, and then talk about filling them, maybe, after the 2026 season. Or maybe it takes until after the 2027 - and likely the arrival of both Wetherholt and Doyle - before a clear picture emerges and they start ramping up spending a lot to "win now."

They don't just need to spend money, they need to spend money smartly. And the first step in spending money smartly is figure out what are the priorities to spend it on, and then to spend it when it can do you the most good.

Those guys weren’t exactly propping up the team. Arenado was bad, Gray had a mid 4 ERA, Contreras was hurt half the year and Donovan, while solid was not spectacular. Still had a .500 ish team.

Keep Donovan or land a good return with someone who can help THIS year at some point at least, replace Gray with another quality starter, keep Contreras, and Arenado…well, who knows what the hell to do with him? Find a sucker or take the solid defense and try to convince him to slap hit for average as to not be a black hole in the lineup.

Most importantly fix the (drat) outfield for once by acquiring a good RH hitter that can still play defense (trade, overpay in free agency, don’t care) and buy another starter in addition to Gray’s replacement.

That would make a competitive team. If things are going well add at the deadline instead of cost cutting.

That's the problem. As a fan, you "don't care" what it takes, just do something!

You just want them to try to "be competitive," whatever that means.

That's what they have been doing for years now - continuing to throw good money after bad to try to patch the ML roster, but without having the foundation of young, cost controlled talent to actually make it work.

Again, add some cheap FAs on short 1-2 yrs. contracts to maybe make them a better version of mediocre - maybe win just short of 80 games instead of 60 or 70. But this isn't getting better than that.

Don’t care as in…don’t care about BDWs money, don’t care about the “next big thing” hype, don’t care about quantity over quality, don’t care about some other second division team’s strategy that’s never even netted a single championship, don’t care about the magical day Wetherholt and Doyle arrives to save our franchise, don’t care about a foundation of young cost controlled talent that we didn’t even always have in previous championship years, don’t care about big spenders, don’t care about the next CBA and don’t care about excuses to avoid doing anything and everything to win.

There are only two ways that this team could add multiple real "difference makers" with which you could even remotely think about "being competitive" in 2026.

1) Find another "rebuilding" team that is willing to trade a star or superstar level player for a TON of prospects - and the Cardinals would have to include Wetherholt and/or Doyle to get that done. That is exactly counter to collecting and retaining the prospects they need to build a core of young talent over the next 2, 3, 4 years.

or

2) Commit a LOT of money to FAs - who are going to be older, veteran players - to whom you are going to have to give long term, high AAV contracts. Those 30+ yr. olds might be really good right now, and for another 1, 2 years, but like with most guys signed to those contracts, they will eventually turn bad and you'll be stuck with them. But in this case, they would be quite likely to turn bad just about the time the Cardinals new core of young talent is getting good. And then they will be stuck still being mediocre.

They aren't in a position to get "difference makers" for 2026 otherwise.

Trading Donovan for someone like Pages from LA isn't going to make a significant net difference for 2026, they pretty much cancel out. The pie in the sky dream of trading for Tatis isn't going to happen because there is about a zero percent chance of him waiving his NTC to come to St. Louis.

There is no getting to being really "competitive" in 2026, or probably even 2027, from where they are right now. That's just their unfortunate reality.

Chaim Bloom, is that you? It must be since you know all available options and have shared the insider info that there are only two.

I guess that’s that then. Let’s all lay down in the fetal position together.

That's just reality.

You can't just manifest star or superstar level players for the roster by closing your eyes and wishing extra hard.

[CorneliusWolfe]

As the all-knowing Melville (lol) has pointed out several times, a few of the right moves at the right positions can make this team winners sooner than later and make it fun again. We aren’t talking about a 100 loss team starting point here. I don’t always agree with him but certainly do on that point. You act like we’re a startup expansion team.

They are NOT a talented roster right now - in particular after they move Gray, Donovan, Arenado, and probably Contraras as they should.

Subtract those four from last year's roster and you are right at 20 fWAR, basically a 68 win roster.

Yes, they will hopefully have multiple players develop and get better - but how much better and how soon remains to be seen. Let take 2026, see who gets better, see what holes need to be filled, and then talk about filling them, maybe, after the 2026 season. Or maybe it takes until after the 2027 - and likely the arrival of both Wetherholt and Doyle - before a clear picture emerges and they start ramping up spending a lot to "win now."

They don't just need to spend money, they need to spend money smartly. And the first step in spending money smartly is figure out what are the priorities to spend it on, and then to spend it when it can do you the most good.

Those guys weren’t exactly propping up the team. Arenado was bad, Gray had a mid 4 ERA, Contreras was hurt half the year and Donovan, while solid was not spectacular. Still had a .500 ish team.

Keep Donovan or land a good return with someone who can help THIS year at some point at least, replace Gray with another quality starter, keep Contreras, and Arenado…well, who knows what the hell to do with him? Find a sucker or take the solid defense and try to convince him to slap hit for average as to not be a black hole in the lineup.

Most importantly fix the (drat) outfield for once by acquiring a good RH hitter that can still play defense (trade, overpay in free agency, don’t care) and buy another starter in addition to Gray’s replacement.

That would make a competitive team. If things are going well add at the deadline instead of cost cutting.

That's the problem. As a fan, you "don't care" what it takes, just do something!

You just want them to try to "be competitive," whatever that means.

That's what they have been doing for years now - continuing to throw good money after bad to try to patch the ML roster, but without having the foundation of young, cost controlled talent to actually make it work.

Again, add some cheap FAs on short 1-2 yrs. contracts to maybe make them a better version of mediocre - maybe win just short of 80 games instead of 60 or 70. But this isn't getting better than that.

Don’t care as in…don’t care about BDWs money, don’t care about the “next big thing” hype, don’t care about quantity over quality, don’t care about some other second division team’s strategy that’s never even netted a single championship, don’t care about the magical day Wetherholt and Doyle arrives to save our franchise, don’t care about a foundation of young cost controlled talent that we didn’t even always have in previous championship years, don’t care about big spenders, don’t care about the next CBA and don’t care about excuses to avoid doing anything and everything to win.

There are only two ways that this team could add multiple real "difference makers" with which you could even remotely think about "being competitive" in 2026.

1) Find another "rebuilding" team that is willing to trade a star or superstar level player for a TON of prospects - and the Cardinals would have to include Wetherholt and/or Doyle to get that done. That is exactly counter to collecting and retaining the prospects they need to build a core of young talent over the next 2, 3, 4 years.

or

2) Commit a LOT of money to FAs - who are going to be older, veteran players - to whom you are going to have to give long term, high AAV contracts. Those 30+ yr. olds might be really good right now, and for another 1, 2 years, but like with most guys signed to those contracts, they will eventually turn bad and you'll be stuck with them. But in this case, they would be quite likely to turn bad just about the time the Cardinals new core of young talent is getting good. And then they will be stuck still being mediocre.

They aren't in a position to get "difference makers" for 2026 otherwise.

Trading Donovan for someone like Pages from LA isn't going to make a significant net difference for 2026, they pretty much cancel out. The pie in the sky dream of trading for Tatis isn't going to happen because there is about a zero percent chance of him waiving his NTC to come to St. Louis.

There is no getting to being really "competitive" in 2026, or probably even 2027, from where they are right now. That's just their unfortunate reality.

Chaim Bloom, is that you? It must be since you know all available options and have shared the insider info that there are only two.

I guess that’s that then. Let’s all lay down in the fetal position together.

That's just reality.

You can't just manifest star or superstar level players for the roster by closing your eyes and wishing extra hard.

Nor by acquiring a bunch of D level prospects.

[Charlie Smoke]

How did this Cleveland Steamer go 6 pages?