A sampling of hot topics from baseball writer Derrick Goold's weekly live chat with Cardinals fans.
QUESTION: Did 'Mo' approach Holliday with an alternative offer and he said no? Or did that conversation not happen?
GOOLD: It did not happen. The injury scuttled that plan, those planned conversations. Holliday went to Mozeliak this past week and wanted clarity on his future. Mozeliak gave it to him. A farewell weekend was planned.
Follow-up:Â The fact that Matt Holliday was taken out by an inside pitch that broke his hand is the reason we bailed on him? That sounds pretty lame, especially a guy with his track record. Is that to say that if he had not been hurt, we would have gone after him on a reduced deal?
GOOLD: Exactly. My stance/reporting on this has not changed through all of these chats. Waaaaay back in spring it became apparent that the Cardinals did not plan on exercising his option, and both sides wanted to have a conversation about folding it into an extension of some type that would give the Cardinals a reduced rate in the coming year and Holliday a chance to retire as a Cardinal.
The injury happened. The conversation didn't happen. It's a brutal business.
QUESTION: Do you expect Matheny's use of his bench (or not using his bench) to be addressed in the offseason? It seems like once again we weren't really playing with 25 guys.
GOOLD:Â Actually, it was better this year than in previous years. We saw more parts of the roster use than before, and in some cases that was identified as a reason for the Cardinals inconsistent play -- inconsistent lineups and inconsistent roles and inconsistent positions. It's been discussed internally how to simplify the roster. The Cardinals wanted versatility, wanted players who could play multiple positions and spell others and that led to players who weren't starters, but played a lot.
QUESTION: Any chance we trade for a good defensive SS and move Diaz to 2B? I guess I'm asking, could Diaz play 2B?
GOOLD: Diaz could play 2B. It's more likely that Wong plays 2B, and if Diaz does any moving in the near future or future it's to 3B, if that bat still plays like it did this season. Then it would be one of the younger shortstops that the Cardinals are grooming coming up, like a Allen Cordoba or in the distant future Delvin Perez.
COMMENT: Matheny's more strident critics say Wong should've started all year -- that Wong just got off to a rotten start but was just fine after April. But in fact, his slash line was in worse in late July than mid-May. His benching made perfect sense at the time -- especially with Gyorko's HR explosion over the final 70-plus games.
GOOLD: Gyorko's play cannot be dismissed as a reason Wong sat. Absolutely. Too often I get questions and emails that believe there was a spot for both of them on the team, and then also insist that Matt Adams should start, and eventually it gets to a point where Carpenter and Peralta were sitting. Really? Sitting Carpenter? There are four spots and while during a season five can fit into four and all be everyday players, it's impossible to do on any given day. Gyorko deserves credit for winning at-bats.
QUESTION: Can the Cardinals make significant moves this year and next (when the A list is incredible)? Possible that they won't do much this offseason in hopes of landing something bigger next?
GOOLD: That would be one approach. Cardinals haven't had much luck when it comes to bidding wars for players. Losing out this past winter -- twice. One way to avoid that is to do the trade route, and not have it be for one year like it was with Heyward on the hopes of locking the player in. Different lessons coming from the past two winters, and they meet in the middle of making a move. Keep in mind, too, that the Cardinals have restocked their farm system and are in better position to take a look there for trade chips as well.
Follow-up: Is the goal going to be to keep getting younger, i.e. Gurriel, or established veteran signing/trade, i.e. CarGo, Sale, et al? Either way, it looks like it will require a lot of capital to make the needed changes. I'm skeptical that a big splash is coming. Wouldn't it make sense to keep getting younger while still competing at a high level? Signing sluggers from the Blue Jays doesn't seem to be the way to go after letting Holliday walk.
GOOLD: This much is clear: the Cardinals intend to pursue a significant change. But that was true last year and it didn't happen for them. Change is necessary. But not guaranteed. This winter the Cardinals have the potential moves to make that would fit both the significant and creative definitions we've heard before. If anything, they're positioned better to make a move this winter than they were last year when they had two top choices and then downshifted from there. The top-end free agents aren't out there, so the trade market tends to offer more variety, more opportunity for change.
QUESTION: What one move would the Cardinals make for next year that you would be shocked by?
GOOLD: The Cardinals should think about stocking one of these positions: First, second, or third — in the batting order.
The Cardinals have enough moving parts to find a spot for Carpenter to play, to find a place for Grichuk to play, to move guys around so that if they find a CF or 3B or a 1B (unlikely) that can hit 1, 2, or 3 then they can make the addition that alters the lineup. The Cardinals are better if they take the three guys they have remaining now from their likely top four hitters, add an OBP/OPS option, and consider have four guys who get on base and can hit 20 homers at the front of the order. Nice look there. Regardless of the glove they wear.
QUESTION: Phillies may look to trade Odubel Herrera. Have you heard his name as a trade option for the Cards? Could fill the CF / leadoff role quite nicely.
GOOLD: Have not heard his name. But that market and their targets is going to gain greater clarity and more names, legit names will emerge. It will be one of the short-list things to watch as GM meetings approach.
QUESTION: Edwin Encarnacion (photo above) is a fit for the Cardinals at 1B. What say you?
GOOLD: I imagine his name will come up a lot. At this point, I've not heard of any interest that would tie the Cardinals to him. What say I? I say they look to other options first. That appears to be the direction they're scanning first.
QUESTION: Is Aroldis Chapman a realistic target this offseason?
GOOLD: Not likely. Mozeliak has not been one to pursue a closer via free agency. He also has Oh already under contract, and his past approach has been to throw depth at the bullpen. Duke, Broxton, Rosenthal, Siegrist, et. al., all coming back. He has other targets and getting into the auction for Chapman is something that they've avoided in the past.
COMMENT: Would like to see trade for Inciarte or Eaton to improve defense and speed.
GOOLD: Eaton has more appeal. Though we're thinking in the same direction, and the Cardinals are going to be looking at a lot of different options for this same position. Price tag is going to change because of control.
QUESTION: Will the Cardinals try to extend Carlos Martinez this offseason?
GOOLD: That is the plan. Both sides agreed that they would revisit talks once the season was over. Could be something they finalize during spring training. Like Wong. Wainwright. Molina. Carpenter. All spring extensions. The interest is legit on both sides.
QUESTION:Â Any thoughts on a 6-man rotation for next year. Cards will have several guys with innings limits (Reyes, Lynn) in the rotation next year.
GOOLD: That has not been discussed. Michael Wacha would be a factor in that. You could see some sort of pseudo-six-man rotation, but keep in mind that's going to subtract from the bench or bullpen -- unless the upcoming CBA expands rosters and allows for "healthy scratches." That is something both sides have discussed.
Follow-up:Â Do you believe that Lance Lynn (photo above) is still in the picture for next year? Barring any trades/acquisitions, how do you see the starting five?
GOOLD: Yes, Lynn is in the picture. Wainwright, Leake, Martinez, Reyes, and Lynn are set. Beyond that there are questions.
Follow-up: What about Waino? Opinion on whether the old Adam Wainwright emerges again?
GOOLD: Good bet he will in 2017. Has a good feel for what went awry, what to fix. Saw a bit of that Sunday.
QUESTION: Would the Cardinals start 2017 with Wacha in Memphis? Or is that a waste of his talents/salary?
GOOLD: He has options remaining. And if that's the best place for him to get right, to carve out a role, to reclaim his place in the rotation, then it's entirely possible. We've seen higher paid players go to Class AAA to redefine/reboot. I wonder if he has value has that rarity .... a 100-inning reliever. Is that even possible in this game with this team and this coaching staff and this bullpen? It would help.
QUESTION: Is Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the Cuban prospect in whom the Cards are interested, an MLB-ready player?
GOOLD: I've heard varying answers to this, but the scouts I've talked with believe he would be soon -- but not right away. Would start in the minors, as we've seen other players from Cuban at the same level.
Follow-up: If the Cards land Gurriel, is Wong gone? Is it realistic to think they can sign him even though he wants to play with his brother who is in Houston.
GOOLD: Nope. Wong will be here. And Houston is one of the chief challengers for Gurriel.
PHOTO: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (front) poses with touring major leaguers (from left) Jon Jay, Clayton Kershaw, Miguel Cabrera and Brayan Pena in Havana, Cuba, last December. (Photo by Derrick Goold / Post-Dispatch)
QUESTION: Has STL become less attractive of a destination for players? Maybe it's the civil/racial unrest in the city. Maybe Matheny's clubhouse environs. Just throwing it out there.
GOOLD: You are free to do so. I've heard all types of theories. The one that holds true is that Heyward just saw the chance to win with the Cubs as better and, yes, more fun. History. Lackey saw a chance to play again with his buddies, Lester and Ross. And, yes, a fit in the clubhouse with Maddon that he wanted. (I also know a few players are not keen to play for Maddon because they don't feel they'd connect with that manager, and they are also players who have said they would like to play for Matheny with his tone, approach. Personalities are different, even in baseball.) The Cubs sold the Last Great Quest in Pro Sports story to all of the players, and it worked.
"They had the best story to sell," an executive with another team told me.
Hard to argue with that.
QUESTION: Do you anticipate any familiar names being non-tendered? Lyons, who's out of options? Maness, who's arb eligible?
GOOLD: Maness would be a possibility. There's not the obvious candidate. Real interesting decision ahead for the Cardinals and Trevor Rosenthal.
QUESTION: Does OF Harrison Bader arrive in '17? Do they keep a spot open for him?
GOOLD: It's going to have to take movement elsewhere for there to be a spot "open" for him. The Cardinals aren't going to reserve him a seat on the bench if that's what you mean. He could have an arrival similar to the ones that Shane Robinson and Jon Jay experienced -- earning their way up after an impressive spring becomes an impressive start to the season.
Jose Martinez is going to be an interesting decision for the Cardinals. They can keep control of him for 2017, and he did a lot of things well for them in the past month. But keeping him leaves another player exposed for the Rule 5. Some tough decisions ahead in that regard. I mention that because Bader isn't on the top of the depth chart and has to perform to get to the cusp of the majors.
PHOTO:Â Harrison Bader gets doused by a teammate after he homered for the Class AA Springfield Cardinals in the April 27 game at Hammons Field. Photo courtesy of Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
QUESTION: With home runs up 14 percent league-wide this year, how much confidence do you have that the Cardinals can carry their uptick in power into next season? Who bats cleanup next year?
GOOLD: 1. Not much. Will depend on roster composition, though they'll have more power than 2015 because Diaz, Carpenter, Piscotty, Grichuk, and Gyorko are fine bets for at least 20. That's solid.
2. Perhaps Piscotty. Likely Piscotty. But they need a new 1-2-3 hitter in there then.
QUESTION: You've interviewed them all: Mike Matheny, John Mozeliak, Bill DeWitt Jr. Who is the most competitive?
GOOLD: Interesting question. Matheny wears it on his sleeve more and can actually do something about it in the sense that he's involved in the wins/losses/clubhouse. But Mozeliak's fire is subtler, yet burns hotter. Of that trio, I'd likely go with Mozeliak.Â
QUESTION: How do Cardinal fans compare with other cities in regards to being down on their manager and GM? For instance, are the fans in San Francisco or Pittsburgh calling for the ouster of their managers and GM's?
GOOLD: That's hard for me to gauge because the chat and my inbox only fill up with Cardinals fans, and I realize that usually only the negative prompts someone to write these days. You're not going to write an email to the beat writer of the team if you're pleased with the team. And Twitter has become increasingly angry, too, especially over the past three years. Again, it's rare that someone is moved to write about something positive. Happiness is stored, Anger is spewed. That's how it goes.
That said, Cardinals fans are fervent and devoted and vocal. And that is what makes this beat rewarding because of the passion that the fans bring to every move that the team does, tries, or doesn't make. That's rare. They are like few teams in pro sports with the way they capture and define a city. So, no, there isn't the same chatter about, say, the Pirates' situation because the Steelers are playing and the Penguins are skating. The Cardinals are the combo of both of those teams in St. Louis and with their fan base. They're the Packers to Green Bay, the Red Sox to Boston, the Cowboys to Dallas, the ... you get the idea. And they are defined by October.
And here it is, and they're not playing.
The fondness for the team is reflected in these criticisms. It's why the chat works so well.
Derrick Goold spent more than four hours Monday moderating his weekly chat. Click here to read the complete chat transcript.Â
