Dustin May

[Talkin' Baseball]

Good signing. Probably need a veteran reliever or 2. I am guessing they are done signing SPs unless they think they are getting a deal.

1. Liberatore
2. May
3. McGreevy
4. Fitts
5. Leahy/Pallante

They then have a bunch of guys at Memphis, Mathews, Henderson, Mautz, etc that can be the next man up.

Any reliever they bring in should be capable of multiple innings/spot starts. That rotation is at HIGH risk of not being able to pile up innings. The bullpen could be toast by July if they don’t properly prepare for that.

I like the May signing and the high reward/low risk behind it, I’d just like to see them add another guy that could pile on some innings

Totally agree with this. Need mid inning relievers who can go 2+ innings. I wouldn't mind seeing this team us openers to get through the first 3 batters before deploying the starter in the hopes of getting another inning out of them.

They will get more pitching. My point in the post and some others have pointed it out, May and Fitts have more upside than Mikolas and Fedde. The risk is they cannot cover innings. They do need a veteran middle innings reliever that can pitch 60-80 innings. They will also likely add more via trade at the AAA level that is part of the next man up group. Unlike in 2025 when all the pitching depth was at AA in Springfield, all those guys will now be in Memphis. We also have our old friend Zack Thompson around who if he can return from injury, had good ML stuff.

Spot on.

[CCard]

Ugh! His stats are worse than Miles Mikolas except he has a little more strikeout potential. Tell me the Cards can't do better than this. This is embarrassing.

[rightthinker4]

Seems like a good signing for both May and Cardinals.

[Cardinals4Life]

Good signing. Probably need a veteran reliever or 2. I am guessing they are done signing SPs unless they think they are getting a deal.

1. Liberatore
2. May
3. McGreevy
4. Fitts
5. Leahy/Pallante

They then have a bunch of guys at Memphis, Mathews, Henderson, Mautz, etc that can be the next man up.

Any reliever they bring in should be capable of multiple innings/spot starts. That rotation is at HIGH risk of not being able to pile up innings. The bullpen could be toast by July if they don’t properly prepare for that.

I like the May signing and the high reward/low risk behind it, I’d just like to see them add another guy that could pile on some innings

Totally agree with this. Need mid inning relievers who can go 2+ innings. I wouldn't mind seeing this team us openers to get through the first 3 batters before deploying the starter in the hopes of getting another inning out of them.

They will get more pitching. My point in the post and some others have pointed it out, May and Fitts have more upside than Mikolas and Fedde. The risk is they cannot cover innings. They do need a veteran middle innings reliever that can pitch 60-80 innings. They will also likely add more via trade at the AAA level that is part of the next man up group. Unlike in 2025 when all the pitching depth was at AA in Springfield, all those guys will now be in Memphis. We also have our old friend Zack Thompson around who if he can return from injury, had good ML stuff.

They actually have that in Leahy. A guy who could come in and actually throw multiple innings effectively. It’s one of the reasons why I hope they will add another starter, either through trade or FA. Maybe Leahy will be fine starting but he had found a very solid niche in our bullpen. He could give you some effective late innings or could come in and give you effective multiple innings when needed.

Agree. Would like to see them keep Leahy in the pen. He carved out a very nice niche last year. Let's not jerk him around now like we did with Thompson and Liberatore and Hicks.

[greyhawk]

$10 million for a 28 yr old with mlb experience and good stuff when healthy --- he gets $5 million more if he meets agreed upon thresholds. Cards have a $20 million option for an extra year if he does the unthinkable. In my business i wouldn't sign anyone to this contract but in MLB its a no brainer to me. Potential outstanding upside with very little risk with where the cards are currently financially positioned.

[Cusecards]

Ugh! His stats are worse than Miles Mikolas except he has a little more strikeout potential. Tell me the Cards can't do better than this. This is embarrassing.

Have you ever actually seen May pitch when healthy???
“Embarrassing”????
Seriously?????

[ICCFIM2]

$10 million for a 28 yr old with mlb experience and good stuff when healthy --- he gets $5 million more if he meets agreed upon thresholds. Cards have a $20 million option for an extra year if he does the unthinkable. In my business i wouldn't sign anyone to this contract but in MLB its a no brainer to me. Potential outstanding upside with very little risk with where the cards are currently financially positioned.

Everyone on here should think of the May contract as a positive. First, if he fails, it is a 1 year contract and it costs the team $10M. If he succeeds, it shows the team is serious about trying to contend in 2027 because they effectively committed $35M, towards doing so. If they didn't think they had a chance in 2027, I doubt they commit $20M to an option.

A lot of people on this board wanted him as the primary target. At the time, I thought they could get him for $7-10M. I also wanted the option year and thought it would be $15-20M. Prices are going up because it hit the ceiling on all of those plus another $5M of incentives. Its a big bet by the Cards on the upside in the short term with no long term consequences. But, I don't see them doing this unless they are serious about 2027.

[Cusecards]

$10 million for a 28 yr old with mlb experience and good stuff when healthy --- he gets $5 million more if he meets agreed upon thresholds. Cards have a $20 million option for an extra year if he does the unthinkable. In my business i wouldn't sign anyone to this contract but in MLB its a no brainer to me. Potential outstanding upside with very little risk with where the cards are currently financially positioned.

Everyone on here should think of the May contract as a positive. First, if he fails, it is a 1 year contract and it costs the team $10M. If he succeeds, it shows the team is serious about trying to contend in 2027 because they effectively committed $35M, towards doing so. If they didn't think they had a chance in 2027, I doubt they commit $20M to an option.

A lot of people on this board wanted him as the primary target. At the time, I thought they could get him for $7-10M. I also wanted the option year and thought it would be $15-20M. Prices are going up because it hit the ceiling on all of those plus another $5M of incentives. Its a big bet by the Cards on the upside in the short term with no long term consequences. But, I don't see them doing this unless they are serious about 2027.

Spot on... thanks!
Most agree with you except for a select few who I guess were expecting Bloom to swing trades for Skenes and/or Skubal?????

[Web7]

You conveniently left out the part where if he pitched well at the end of last year, you could sign into an extension….thats what we expect from you …

That's true. I did leave out the part where he pitches well through the end of the year and the Cardinals sign a huge injury risk to a huge extension, since that is what it would take to get him agree to one.

Still an incredibly stupid idea.

Once again you lie … I never said sign him to a huge deal …. If he would’ve came in here and pitched well last year this team probably makes the playoffs…..if we would have traded for him last year he likely signs for a few years…..like usual you are clueless

[brock118]

$10 million for a 28 yr old with mlb experience and good stuff when healthy --- he gets $5 million more if he meets agreed upon thresholds. Cards have a $20 million option for an extra year if he does the unthinkable. In my business i wouldn't sign anyone to this contract but in MLB its a no brainer to me. Potential outstanding upside with very little risk with where the cards are currently financially positioned.

I don't think these are the numbers, this is just what one poster thought they would be. I haven't seen anything anywhere saying what the money was. If someone has that please provide a link.

[ScotchMIrish]

$10 million for a 28 yr old with mlb experience and good stuff when healthy --- he gets $5 million more if he meets agreed upon thresholds. Cards have a $20 million option for an extra year if he does the unthinkable. In my business i wouldn't sign anyone to this contract but in MLB its a no brainer to me. Potential outstanding upside with very little risk with where the cards are currently financially positioned.

I agree. His numbers last year were not great but he did average 6 innings per start and he does have some previous form that is promising.

[pitchingandefense]

$10 million for a 28 yr old with mlb experience and good stuff when healthy --- he gets $5 million more if he meets agreed upon thresholds. Cards have a $20 million option for an extra year if he does the unthinkable. In my business i wouldn't sign anyone to this contract but in MLB its a no brainer to me. Potential outstanding upside with very little risk with where the cards are currently financially positioned.

Everyone on here should think of the May contract as a positive. First, if he fails, it is a 1 year contract and it costs the team $10M. If he succeeds, it shows the team is serious about trying to contend in 2027 because they effectively committed $35M, towards doing so. If they didn't think they had a chance in 2027, I doubt they commit $20M to an option.

A lot of people on this board wanted him as the primary target. At the time, I thought they could get him for $7-10M. I also wanted the option year and thought it would be $15-20M. Prices are going up because it hit the ceiling on all of those plus another $5M of incentives. Its a big bet by the Cards on the upside in the short term with no long term consequences. But, I don't see them doing this unless they are serious about 2027.

Great points about May and what it means for the team long term. There is absolutely no reason why they can’t open their competitive window in 2027, and this is an easy way to see if May can be a part of it.

FWIW, Fangraphs projections have him down for a 4.30 FIP in 136 IP next season. Lefties really mashed him this year, so he needs an adjustment to his approach against them. He was also dinged for 21 homers in 132 innings. Moving to Busch should help with that. He’s another big, hard-throwing pitcher younger than 30 added to the organization.

[Melville]

$10 million for a 28 yr old with mlb experience and good stuff when healthy --- he gets $5 million more if he meets agreed upon thresholds. Cards have a $20 million option for an extra year if he does the unthinkable. In my business i wouldn't sign anyone to this contract but in MLB its a no brainer to me. Potential outstanding upside with very little risk with where the cards are currently financially positioned.

I don't think these are the numbers, this is just what one poster thought they would be. I haven't seen anything anywhere saying what the money was. If someone has that please provide a link.

You are correct.

[RichieRichSTL]

They have to have a remotely competitive team. People know it wont be winning baseball, but nobody wants to pay to see a White Sox, Colorado level disaster, either.

It’s not exactly like that.

They simply need arms. And they wanna find guys with high up sides that they could trade at the deadline.

No, they didn’t sign Dustin May because they’re trying to win 80 games and increase their attendance…

Yes and no. I think they want to sign enough arms to not be a total sh*tshow, but like you said, they want to strategically sign as well that they can flip at the deadline.

[woofy25]

Dustin May is one of the arms a few of us here have previously stated that Bloom should sign.
Appears Bloom is doing precisely as I advised: add short erm talent to give the team a chance to compete for a W/C in 2026 while adding quality high ceiling prospect talent for the long haul.
Bloom has done that on the pitching side of the equation.
Now time for him to do as I advise on the position player side of the roster.

Or, or Dustin May has been one of THE names most linked to the Cardinals over the past month.

[woofy25]

I wanted him at last years trade deadline….0f course the usual simpleton’s on here ridiculed me for it

So you wanted the Cardinals, in a going nowhere season, to give up players for him at the deadline? Interesting.

Yeah, what sense would it have made last season?