How many players away

[Jatalk]

Are the Cardinals from having a playoff team? Would a hitting outfielder, power hitting third baseman and a true #1 starter be enough?

So many are supporting the rebuild as am I, but what exactly do we need to go from rebuild to rebuilt?

[OldRed]

Are the Cardinals from having a playoff team? Would a hitting outfielder, power hitting third baseman and a true #1 starter be enough?

So many are supporting the rebuild as am I, but what exactly do we need to go from rebuild to rebuilt?

I've said pretty much this. One real "Ace" and one true slugger. But, that cost $$ the Cardinals don't want to spend.

[Cardinals4Life]

Are the Cardinals from having a playoff team? Would a hitting outfielder, power hitting third baseman and a true #1 starter be enough?

So many are supporting the rebuild as am I, but what exactly do we need to go from rebuild to rebuilt?

Yes, that would have put them in contention, especially before they traded Contreras and Donny.

[rockondlouie]

-MOTO hitter (OF'er or 3rd baseman)

-TOTR starter

-Another starter w/a sub 3.50 ERA

-2/3 OF'ers who can actually hit

-Quality Closer

New manager (okay not a plyer but still...............)

[Melville]

Are the Cardinals from having a playoff team? Would a hitting outfielder, power hitting third baseman and a true #1 starter be enough?

So many are supporting the rebuild as am I, but what exactly do we need to go from rebuild to rebuilt?

Two players and one manager away.

[sikeston bulldog2]

-MOTO hitter (OF'er or 3rd baseman)

-TOTR starter

-Another starter w/a sub 3.50 ERA

-2/3 OF'ers who can actually hit

-Quality Closer

New manager (okay not a plyer but still...............)

That’s really a long list- 2/3 of an outfield is 2, two starters, that’s 4, closer, that’s 5 new players. I think they are headed in that direction but not all in one off season.

They have enough arms to luck into a closer. So no trade or signing needed. The outfield bat is a 50/50 event- from n house or outside.

One starter I see, the sub 3.50 guy. The Top starter is a year or so away.

[45s]

2?

No

[dugoutrex]

5 or 6

[shebashab]

They have no idea. They have to put these unproven guys on the field to find out what kind of holes show up. I don't think we are close to being a playoff team. And we wont compete with the Dodgers until we go through a year long lock out... which will be coming in '27

[rage-STL]

We’ll have a lot more answers to these questions by the All Star break and even more so by the end of 2026. Did Walker come alive? Can Gorman be counted on to produce? Is Herrera the Catcher or has he found a home at DH? Will VSII take the CF job and run with it? Which pitchers will rise up and lock down a spot in the starting rotation? Do we have a viable closer somewhere on the 40 man roster?

Sit back, relax and watch it all unfold. Go Cards!

[earp]

Los Angeles Dodgers
VS


2026 St. Louis Cardinals – Projected Opening Day Roster


CATCHERS (2)
Pedro Pagés
Yohel Pozo


INFIELDERS (5)
Alec Burleson – 1B
Nolan Gorman – 3B
Masyn Winn – SS
JJ Wetherholt – 2B
César Prieto – INF (utility)
Wetherholt is one of the headliners of the youth movement

OUTFIELDERS (4)
Lars Nootbaar – LF
Jordan Walker – RF
Victor Scott II – CF
Nathan Church – OF depth

DESIGNATED HITTER (1)
Ivan Herrera

STARTING ROTATION (5)
Matthew Liberatore
Dustin May
Andre Pallante
Tink Hence
Hunter Dobbins


BULLPEN (9)
JoJo Romero
Ryne Stanek
Matt Svanson
Matt Pushard
Leonardo Bernal (swing role / depth)
Bryan Torres


A FAR PIECE!

[Jeff Goldblum]

Just to make the playoffs probably 3 or 4.

[mattmitchl44]

How far are they from really competing again:

(1) the development of Wetherholt (or someone else) into a cost-controlled All-Star level player
(2) the development of Doyle (or someone else) into a cost-controlled front-of-rotation SP
(3) continued, modest development by Winn, Burleson, Scott and Herrera
(4) emergence of a mid-rotation SP from Liberatore, Dobbins, Fitts, Mathews, McGreevy, etc. (others fill in back of rotation)
(5) addition of a FA front-of-rotation SP and a FA All-star level position player
(6) bonus - getting Gorman, Walker, or both back on track to be in at least solid, average ML regulars.

Then you have Jo. Baez, R. Rodriguez, Clarke, coming down the pipeline to continue feeding the ML roster.

[rockondlouie]

-MOTO hitter (OF'er or 3rd baseman)

-TOTR starter

-Another starter w/a sub 3.50 ERA

-2/3 OF'ers who can actually hit

-Quality Closer

New manager (okay not a plyer but still...............)

That’s really a long list- 2/3 of an outfield is 2, two starters, that’s 4, closer, that’s 5 new players. I think they are headed in that direction but not all in one off season.

They have enough arms to luck into a closer. So no trade or signing needed. The outfield bat is a 50/50 event- from n house or outside.

One starter I see, the sub 3.50 guy. The Top starter is a year or so away.

Yep and that's what's needed (IMO) to be a serious contender.

BUT

Some of those could already be in the organization and close to St. Louis!

-L. Doyle, for instance, has TOTR potential and even if he falls short of being that staff ACE, he definitely has a shot at being that sub 3.50 ERA #2.

Might we see him at the end of this season?

I think we could also see an uptick in Libby this season, possibly to the 3.50 ERA level.

-There's also some hope we have at least one of those OF'ers too.

-My quality closer has been to convert T. Hence to the closers role, something I've been screaming for them to do now for going on three seasons! The kid has an upper 90's heater and a D. Williams like change-up.

-And of course the new Manager has to be better than the stiff Mo put in the dugout.

[sp25]

Just 2: Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson

[Carp4Cy]

Are the Cardinals from having a playoff team? Would a hitting outfielder, power hitting third baseman and a true #1 starter be enough?

So many are supporting the rebuild as am I, but what exactly do we need to go from rebuild to rebuilt?

I've said pretty much this. One real "Ace" and one true slugger. But, that cost $$ the Cardinals don't want to spend.

We've certainly saved $$ and have enourmous dry powder for 2027. We "could" afford anyone.