2017 NL CENTRAL DISCUSSION

[Clayton]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the Cards are exactly what they have shown. A mediocre team full of average players. They will finish in 3rd place and I blame the front office for putting this meh on the field.

Cards pitching is so blech...Lynn is your stud says it all. CMart can't get out of his own way, Leake is a solid 5. Wacha is a shoulder away from being done, Waino is past history, and Lynn is gone this offseason for another useless draft pick/prospect from the F.O.

The Cards need a middle of the order bat in the worst way. That would transform their lineup. Just think, DFlower is your cleanup hitter! DFlower...sometimes Jedd freaking gyorko!!!

Next year better see Reyes, Weaver and/or Flaherty pitching. Use the vast number of pitching and OF prospects on the big squad or as trade pieces. Quit hoarding them for a rainy day...the rainy season has come and gone. Bring up the proper talent (Montgomery, not Mayers!)

Im not going to go that far. They lost their best pitching prospect to a Tommy John surgery and I still like CMart and Wacha moving forward. Gyorko has also been good (too good) so in a way I agree with you but I also like Gyorko in the lineup. I just dont think he'll produce like he has moving forward but there are a few players that could end up getting better, too.

We need to see Weaver pitching for the rest of this season and Reyes and Flaherty into next season. Lynn is the type of guy that would be good to bring back because he always seems to be really solid at the start and a nonfactor by the end of the season and that sounds good to me. I kinda hope he isn't gone or else they were really stupid for not getting rid of him at the trade deadline.

I get the frustration with the bats but thats also the only reason they had the win streak in the first place. That and Rosenthal. The power has been there and the offense has been there recently. Just look at the scores of the games. Right now the Cardinals are 8th in MLB in OPS, 8TH in AVG and 5th in OBP, 14th in Total Based and 20th in Home Runs. Its not great but its also not the reason why they aren't going to win a World Series. Their pitching and defense right now is not good.

The elephant in the room is Molina. He is the top regression candidate as far as I can tell and the Cardinals have a guy that needs to be put into a rotation and Molina needs to let that happen.

I was under the assumption that the Cardinals will be a big spender next free agency. They almost have to be. They probably need to pick up 2 guys in the bullpen almost guaranteed. From there, Lynn or a starting pitcher. Once you get those 3 guys, they wont probably be in the running for the top few hitters so...Im not sure what the plan is.

 

[JohnU]

I'm going to say its not good enough anymore barring some collapse from the other teams. Lynn usually struggles late season, Wainwright just might be done in general which would be a shame, Leake had a good run there for a bit but he has been struggling. Rosenthal is probably going to get the news that he needs TJ surgery today or something almost as bad and the bullpen is so very bad without him.

After recent play, l will clearly pull back on my assertion and agree with you.

I don't see the Cubs as anything but a done-in-five playoff team so there's that, I suppose, if it comes down to pitching and defense.

Milwaukee might sneak in there after all.

Geez, are the Dodgers living outside Pythagoras or what?

 

[packerzrule]

After recent play, l will clearly pull back on my assertion and agree with you.

I don't see the Cubs as anything but a done-in-five playoff team so there's that, I suppose, if it comes down to pitching and defense.

Milwaukee might sneak in there after all.

Geez, are the Dodgers living outside Pythagoras or what?

 

[JohnU]

Yeah,, it was delusionary.

 

[navamind]

Schwarber's hitting .257/.353/.545 (131 wRC+) since the ASB. For reference, he had a 132 wRC+ his rookie year.

 

[JohnU]

How bad it's gotten for Reds fans. The starting pitcher goes past 3 innings and doesn't allow 6 runs. We're all thinking, 'YEAH WE TURNED A CORNER WITH THAT GUY!"

 

[scoutyjones2]

Im not going to go that far. They lost their best pitching prospect to a Tommy John surgery and I still like CMart and Wacha moving forward. Gyorko has also been good (too good) so in a way I agree with you but I also like Gyorko in the lineup. I just dont think he'll produce like he has moving forward but there are a few players that could end up getting better, too.

We need to see Weaver pitching for the rest of this season and Reyes and Flaherty into next season. Lynn is the type of guy that would be good to bring back because he always seems to be really solid at the start and a nonfactor by the end of the season and that sounds good to me. I kinda hope he isn't gone or else they were really stupid for not getting rid of him at the trade deadline.

I get the frustration with the bats but thats also the only reason they had the win streak in the first place. That and Rosenthal. The power has been there and the offense has been there recently. Just look at the scores of the games. Right now the Cardinals are 8th in MLB in OPS, 8TH in AVG and 5th in OBP, 14th in Total Based and 20th in Home Runs. Its not great but its also not the reason why they aren't going to win a World Series. Their pitching and defense right now is not good.

The elephant in the room is Molina. He is the top regression candidate as far as I can tell and the Cardinals have a guy that needs to be put into a rotation and Molina needs to let that happen.

I was under the assumption that the Cardinals will be a big spender next free agency. They almost have to be. They probably need to pick up 2 guys in the bullpen almost guaranteed. From there, Lynn or a starting pitcher. Once you get those 3 guys, they wont probably be in the running for the top few hitters so...Im not sure what the plan is.

That's why they are meh...one part starts clicking (pitching for most of the year) but the bats are blech. The bats start clicking...the pitching turns to turds. Nothing on their team is all star quality. No threat in the lineup. No top 10 CY Young pitching talent...and nothing coming up from their prospect pool

They need a signing of a middle of the order bat and that would transform the lineup. The pitching can be filled from within...let Lance go. He gets himself in too many pitches per inning and is just getting by to win. That's not gonna last for more than 2 years and the Cards have Reyes, Weaver, Flaherty waiting.

 

[navamind]

Josh Bell's looked really good in the 2nd half. I think he'll be good next year. He's shown plenty of power this year to go along with a good eye.

 

[BrockForBroglio]

When Gyorko went down yesterday, I was hoping to get a peek at Patrick Wisdom. 16 homers, 15 doubles, K's a bit but so does DeJong and about everyone else on the Cardinal roster.

 

[scoutyjones2]

When Gyorko went down yesterday, I was hoping to get a peek at Patrick Wisdom. 16 homers, 15 doubles, K's a bit but so does DeJong and about everyone else on the Cardinal roster.

Wisdom is another Grichuk...lots and lots of K's for the sporadic power.

 

[LambeauLegs]

Chicago Cubs lose game, Jake Arrieta in series opener against Pirates

Just sucks the Brewers couldnt pull it off today after making it a tie game after being down 4 - 0

 

[JohnU]

Reds shutting down Castillo after Wednesday, probably will shut down Romano and give Mahle 2 more starts and shut him down too. This ain't your granddaddy's baseball league any more.

 

[BrockForBroglio]

Comedy gold in 3 days....Patriots get their asses kicked Thursday, and now this cluster fuck from the Cubs....I am loving it.

 

[navamind]

Nelson out for the year. Just bring the DH to the NL already.

 

[packerzrule]

Nelson out for the year. Just bring the DH to the NL already.

GOD hates the Milwaukee Brewers

 

[navamind]

Jesse Winker's gonna be good

 

[JohnU]

GOD hates the Milwaukee Brewers

I can't speak for God on this one, but I'd be real happy to see a post-season series in Brat-Beer city.

 

[JohnU]

Jesse Winker's gonna be good

Reds fans are pretty excited but also realistic. Winker doesn't have the wheels to play anywhere but corner outfield, and as a lefty, that pretty well covers his weaknesses. But his OBP is going to be pretty good and he has surprising power, though I think a 20 HR season playing 81 in Cincy is realistic.

Right now, he's leading off but I don't know if he will win that job or not since the Reds insist on telling us that Hamilton will work on his hitting again this off-season and ... never will that happen. BH spends too much time crashing into walls.

 

[packerzrule]

I can't speak for God on this one, but I'd be real happy to see a post-season series in Brat-Beer city.

me too brother, me too

 

[steelparrot]

Josh Bell's looked really good in the 2nd half. I think he'll be good next year. He's shown plenty of power this year to go along with a good eye.

Our 5 first full year starters (Bell, Frazier, Tailon, Kuhl and Williams) have given some hope for the future.

But our outfield has gone to hell, Marte and Polanco have gone from great extentions to shit and McCutchen is about to get traded/ walk and finish his decline elsewhere.

Oh i almost forgot about Kang, thats a real good story there.