we have the money. We just got a new $2 billion cable contract. Baseball village is making money hand over fist. Cardinals expected to have $200 million in revenue this year alone. The availability of the money is not the issue. Lots more teams have money now. That’s also the real issue when it comes to money.

Again, why would Manny sign here long term if he can get the same or more money elsewhere in a bigger market? Especially with Matheny as the manager.
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You don't have to keep all of the pitchers, and you're right that you can't. However, there aren't a lot of "ifs" regarding the offense. It's not about asking them to be better than they've ever been, but to be close to their historical averages.

Matt Carpenter is about 30% better than a league average hitter. That's who he is and has always been. Marcel Ozuna is a better than average hitter. He won't have another year like last year, but if he's 10-20% better than league average, that helps tremendously. If DeJong is 25% better than league average, and he has been at every stop in his career, including MLB, and Molina is a league average hitter (which is damned good for a catcher), which he has always been, there aren't a lot of easy outs on this team.

Pham
Carpenter
Ozuna
Martinez
DeJong
O'Neill/Bader/Fowler
Gyorko/Wong/Garcia
Molina
Pitcher

Good luck with that lineup.
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JFC...They aren't dealing for Machado
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Of course Matheny puts the worst hitting regular starter in baseball leading off.

I know Fowler will not be the worst player at the end of the year but if your goal is to get him back on track, why expose him at leadoff? Carp finally got out of his funk when he was moved down to the #7 spot.
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For the same reason you send him out there against Lance Lynn. If you're gonna get someone right, send them out there against a rummy.

Jason Hammel suuu*******s. Fowler can't hit quality pitching, but that really has no impact on how he'll do against Hammel.

So send him out there with some protection behind him (with the expectation that most of the team will be getting good ABs against Hammel anyway and can pick him up if he fails) and try to jump-start him.

If they can find any way at all to get his trade value somewhere in the "we'll take a 26 yr old in short season ball if you'll take 2/3 of his contract" range, it's a worthwhile endeavor.

Still pisses me off they didn't move him in the offseason when they probably could've dumped him without assuming his contract. He hit enough last year to make him semi-valuable. They wouldn't have gotten any quality prospects back, but they could've unloaded his deal on a team looking for some OBP and occasional thump.

He has to be moved. There are way too many people in this organization that are far better than him for him to still be around next season.
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Even without knowing Pham was going to have a great year last year, I don’t know why they signed him to begin with. Banking on Grichuk and Piscotty going into the year, plus so many outfielders so close to ready. It was a typical Mo desperation move.
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l thought he has a no trade clause? What makes you think they can trade him without his consent?
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2nd and 3rd 2 outs...Fowler whiffs
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Cubs getting shelled 7-0 in the 4th. :-)
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Looked like shit the whole AB. Swung with 1 strike and maybe getting pitched around at a pitch in the dirt.

The theory to get him going is backfiring. Everyone at The top of the lineup is hitting the ball hard or getting a hit. He’s just failing to get on.
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I think its limited but I also dont think it matters.

You think he wants to end his career as a 5th OFer and lefthanded pinch hitter? You tell him he can waive his NTC or rot on the bench in a city that isnt fond of him to begin with.
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Needs dropped in the order and sit a lot of games.
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that path also has its dangers. He’s well liked in the locker room. You don’t want your good players feeling your mistreating him. If we have good options like the way O’Neil is playing, they can’t it won’t bitch.

You can cut him lose in the off season. But mid season just sitting him on the bench is not really optimal.
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batting literally the worst hitter in the majors leadoff is insane.
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Jesus Tits he's awful. Unreal.

Dude, its Jason Hammel. There are literally hundreds of minor leaguers that can make solid contact off this slop.
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