Winter meetings FAQs: Derrick Goold, Rick Hummel answer your questions in weekly chats

Q: How do you prioritize the Cardinals' needs going into the off-season, and, although it's early, do you see any potential targets to fill those needs?

Derrick Goold: Adding a bat that changes the look/length of the lineup for sure (leadoff hitter? middle hitter? either would do that), and gives them a guarantee alongside Goldschmidt and Arenado, so that whatever O'Neill, Nootbaar, Carlson, and Walker provide is lagniappe, a boost over a reliable 3. The lack of that depth of offense has become a chronic part of their October exits.

Catcher. Looking at an addition to the mix of catchers and a backstop that gives the Cardinals some certainty there. For the first time since 1999 they can really have a competition there for the opening day start.

And then somewhere down the list, down, down, down the list, is pitching depth.

Q: Barnhart, Vazquez, Kirk or Murphy? Who do you think the Cards are most likely to pursue as their catcher?

DG: It's not a question of who do I "think" they are most "likely" pursue. It's who I can report and confirm that they are at least considering at this moment. And based on the reporting we've put in the paper and I can share here in the chat, I've been able to at least connect the Cardinals to all of those catchers in some way other than Kirk. I've heard plenty of speculation about him, sure. But I've not been able to connect the Cardinals with him because reporting has not revealed whether he's a real possibility for Toronto to move. But reporting in the Post-Dispatch and elsewhere has made it clear the other catchers are at least being discussed by the Cardinals.

Two, Vazquez and Murphy, stand out as strong fits, per sources who are not affiliated with the Cardinals but interested in the catcher market.

They're still exploring all of these avenues because the ask is going to shift with the interest the teams get. There aren't many options at catcher, and many of them have been detailed. The Cardinals have explored trades with Oakland and Toronto, and the A's, by all accounts, are going to what to add control, more years of it, and upside, more players with it. Toronto is looking for an outfielder, left-handed hitter, and that may come to them via free agency, so then it comes a clear prospect haul for them, not add to the MLB roster by trading from it. The Cardinals are open to that kind of deal, but aren't real keen on, say, trading Nootbaar, given his rise in performance and role for them. 

The free agent market continues to be a place they can go to find options. As detailed in the Post-Dispatch, they have had conversations with the rep for Christian Vazquez, and the fits are clear when it comes to his defensive ability, his success in October, his contact swing, and his fondness and connection to Yadier Molina.

Contreras is interested in the Cardinals, according to NBC Sports Chicago, and he has talked about what Molina means to him. He spoke with Jose Quintana during the season about the Cardinals clubhouse and whether he'd be a fit. Quintana gave him a strong review and told us about advocating for the Cardinals with Contreras. The Cardinals see him as a clear upgrade offensively, but continue to discuss how vital defense is to what they ask their pitchers to do.

Other free agents the Cardinals have explored with some level of interest beyond just making a phone call are Omar Narvaez and Mike Zunino.

They are lining up their options and their secondary options.

Q: Hi Derrick, The "vibes" seem to suggest that Gorman no longer really has a place on the team and will likely be traded in the next year or two. Is that your sense of the vibes?

DG: I don't get those same "vibes." He plays multiple positions. The Cardinals do not have any clue what their roster will look like for opening day 2023. They have some hopes. They have some designs. They don't know if they will all work. Gorman could be a DH, too. And a left-handed hitting DH with 30-homer power -- goodness, what team did I just watch win a pennant with a similar player in left field. If Gorman is the Cardinals' Schwarber (not saying he's going to hit 46 homers, so tread lightly there), then doesn't that make sense? 

Q: Derrick, when teams see what the Cardinals were willing to offer for Soto do you think that generates significant interest to reach out on those players or a similar type deal? (II.E. Trout)

DG: No more so than usual. What does have everyone's attention in the industry is the Cardinals' willingness to take on Soto's contract for 2023. That has agents aware of the budget the Cardinals may have going into the offseason.

Q: In seeking a big bat to make a true triple threat, do you see DH or SS as the best areas to explore?

DG: Outfield. Add outfield. The Cardinals have lagged behind the league when it comes to having a bona fide bopper out in the outfield with the exception of 2021 for Tyler O'Neill. Outfield is usually the land of middle-order hitters in the corners and thunder at the plate. The Cardinals need that. They have not had back-to-back strong, productive above-average power seasons from an outfielder since Matt Holliday. If the DH helps that change, so be it. But that seems like an area of improvement for the Cardinals to explore.

Q: Are the Cardinals going to add a bat this off-season? If they do where do you think it comes from: Catcher, Infield, Outfield?

DG: They are definitely going to look to add a catcher. That is obvious and confirmed. They are going to explore that free-agent market and they are going to at least engage one team (Oakland) in trade talks. They want to know if that deal would be possible, and what the cost will be.

They will also look for another bat to add to change the depth/length/look of the lineup. That could be a leadoff hitter, for example. It could be a DH. That will develop over time here in the next month, and the GM Meetings will give the Cardinals and us a real sense of the possibilities.

Q: Is it feasible for the Cards to sign more than one big-ticket free agent this offseason? Or would that somehow go against the Cardinal way? Is SS a possibility? Is catcher the number one priority?

DG: Not sure if catcher is the "No. 1 priority." But it's a priority as an area of interest for addition. They want to see what's possible. They're not going to let that get in the way of other pursuits. They can multi-task. And they do have the payroll space for significant moves, according to people from outside and inside the organization. We'll see if/when Mozeliak speaks to the media how he articulates the payroll muscle they have. That will be a key answer and a revealing one for the offseason direction.

Q: Is there an early sense of the off-season trade market right now?

Rick Hummel: I would be astonished if the Cardinals weren't active in the trade market. The GM meetings may offer up some sort of barometer.

Q: Why wouldn't the Cardinals go after a top-tier shortstop? 

RH: The Cardinals may get into the shortstop market. But they also aren't against using Edman as their everyday shortstop if they could work out second base.

DG: The Cardinals are currently calling Tommy Edman their incumbent and their starter at shortstop. Paul DeJong is entering the final year of his contract. That said, they acknowledge that they do have the option of opening up any position in the middle of the field for an alternative/upgrade. That includes SS, 2B, and CF, and of course we all know and have discussed the opening at shortstop. They see Edman as a moveable piece, a defensive dynamo (which he earned this year and should be lauded for doing so because of how well he did at shortstop when there were questions), and valuable because he can move around to make room for a bat.

Q: Will the FO target any SP this off season? And if so who do you think they take a run at?

DG: That position has not come up much when the Cardinals discuss their focuses this winter. Are they playing coy? Possibly. They do want to add some strikeouts somewhere to the pitching staff. There is some interest in a reunion with Jose Quintana. 

What would put all that in motion is trading a starter? The Cardinals could do that. Jordan Montgomery is due for a raise via arbitration that the Cardinals must decide if that's the value of his production that they'll get in return for one season. If they see otherwise and see a better value on the market, they could make that trade, sign a starter, and then view themselves as having improved.

Q: Would you take a chance and go after Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers? Really good defender at a couple of positions, left-handed bat. If you could only get him to quit swing at breaking balls.

DG: One to watch. I will be honest: I am endlessly intrigued by what has happened with Cody Bellinger. He has all of the talent to be one of the best players in the game, and he plays center field. He's got a left-handed swing. That is gold when it comes to being a postseason contender. And yet he's had such difficult down lost years three in LA since winning the MVP. I've heard plenty of the different potential explanations, and it's possible he just does not get the bat back. But there still seems to be health and age there, and maybe it's a change of scenery that unlocks him.

The Cardinals are a fit. They know it. They'll make the call. They're expected to at least check out to see what level of interest Bellinger has him them. There are a few ties that could help them. First, Turner Ward was Bellinger's hitting coach when Bellinger won the rookie of the year award in the NL and took early flight in his career. Second, Matt Holliday and Bellinger share an agent -- though it's unclear if the tie is more than that. Third, Bellinger has had some teammates with close ties to the Cardinals, from Freese to Pujols in recent years, and there could be something said for the change of scenery promised. 

What I don't yet know is the Cardinals' stomach for a one-year deal. There is no such thing as a bad one-year deal, but for the Cardinals would that be delaying the need by a year without the guarantee of filling it in 2023. If Bellinger rebounds, that's smashing for the Cardinals' wishes in 2023, but it leaves them stuck for 2024 as he zooms off to a larger deal. If Bellinger struggles, his trend line continues at the current rate, then the Cardinals spent on 2023 and are no better off, except for having again delayed the same search for a bat till the next offseason. A deal that gives Bellinger a chance to bounce back is appealing for him. A deal that gives the team that invested money, time in that bounce back a chance to benefit from it for another year -- that makes a lot of sense, especially when you're talking about the dollars involved.

Q: I saw Nootbaar’s name mentioned in an article as a trade candidate in exchange for one of Toronto’s catchers. Can you speak towards how other teams view his value/potential? Is he receiving positive recognition in the league?

DG: Lars Nootbaar has made one of the most significant jumps of any player when it comes to outside perception. Had this talk with a few Toronto writers a couple of weeks ago. It's remarkable when you think of it. Halfway through the season, Nootbaar was struggling. He had been returned to the minors. He was stuck in that realm of an outfielder trying to show that he was not a Class AAAA outfielder, and his swing had betrayed him, Fast forward a little less than three months, and Nootbaar is making a bid for being the Cardinals' leadoff hitter, he's among the league leaders for the second half in walk-rate, when he does make contact he hits it hard, he hits all the right notes when it comes to OPS and OBP, and he has the athleticism that teams can see him in center field, not to mention the fact that he bats left-handed, which is in such demand these days. So, again, in the span of three months he went from searching for his swing in Triple-A to being coveted by other teams -- and being viewed by the Cardinals as their incumbent returning to the outfield.

And the production merits it.

Late in the season, I asked if anyone in the majors for the Cardinals had done more to raise the ceiling of their potential this past season than Nootbaar. I did not get a no.