Viva El Birdos - All PostsA St. Louis Cardinals Fan Communityhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50051/veb-fav.png2024-03-18T09:00:00-04:00http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/rss/current/2024-03-18T09:00:00-04:002024-03-18T09:00:00-04:00Cardinals with pivotal 2024 seasons
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<figcaption>Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Pivotal season in this case is not necessarily a clear concept</p> <p id="4eqRmA">Last year, I started something that I I’ll continue, which is that there were certain players on the major league squad who entered the season with what I would call a pivotal season. This is a bit of a nebulous concept admittedly. In the life of a major league baseball player, every season is pivotal. Teams will discard you if you stop performing.</p>
<p id="wYpGvf">But some seasons are more important than others. Nolan Gorman, for instance, has a case for 2024 being a pivotal season. But he will not be on this list. That’s because it’s not actually pivotal for him individually, to his place on the team, or how we might view him. This is not the season that will make or break his chances at being a star. He’s 24 and has already established himself. Maybe things will be clearer when I name who is having pivotal seasons.</p>
<p id="0NULFc"><strong>Nolan Arenado</strong></p>
<p id="C96bhb">It is a very big deal how good Nolan Arenado is in 2024 for multiple reasons. For starters, it’s important that he rebound for the 2024 squad. But also, he still has four years left on his deal. He’s 33. There’s still the possibility that he can age well. That possibility gets slimmer if his 2024 doesn’t improve upon his 2023. 2023 can either be a blip in a Hall of Fame career or it can be the start of his decline phase. It is extraordinarily likely that if Arenado has a similar or worse season to 2023, that we can’t expect better than that in the future. He might have the most pivotal season for both 2024 and the future of this franchise.</p>
<p id="Bv5aip"><strong>Jordan Walker</strong></p>
<p id="wDcsdY">Walker would not normally be on this list, except that he’s on this list entirely for defense reasons. The way I see it, if he doesn’t massively improve upon last year, the Cardinals should make plans to move him to another position or make him a DH full-time. And to be clear, when I say massively improve, he can still be well below average defensively. That’s how bad of a defender he was last year. I need to see significant improvement.</p>
<p id="lXy8PJ">In 2023, Walker was -18 outs above average per 1,200 innings. That’s unplayable. He can’t have a season close to that this year defensively. Whether he improves to close to average or even -10 OAA, that’s what he needs to do. -10 is not good, but it is playable and still leaves hope that he will continue improving. The bar is not high for him, but it is pivotal he reaches that bar.</p>
<p id="1sviDz"><strong>Ivan Herrera</strong></p>
<p id="8ssvCT">Herrera is another player I hesitate to put on this list, except I think there are extenuating circumstances. There is a wide spectrum of how the Cardinals can view Herrera depending on how he plays in 2024. He can be viewed as backup-only. He can be viewed as someone who should play as much as Willson Contreras. Or he can be viewed as the stopgap, because the Cardinals are very deep at catcher in their minor league system. As opposed to Masyn Winn, who I do not have on this list, because he will be viewed as the future SS no matter how he plays, I think Herrera’s 2024 play does matter to the Cardinals’ future catcher plans.</p>
<p id="VCYeyD"><strong>Kyle Gibson/Lance Lynn</strong></p>
<p id="XQbICX">In most cases when I put up a pivotal season, I am reading the tea leaves, but I don’t actually know. In both Gibson and Lynn’s case, it is literally pivotal because how they pitch in 2024 will dictate if they are Cardinals in 2025. And in Lynn’s case moreso than Gibson’s I would argue, he has a wider variety of outcomes, so he would probably make this list for 2024 alone. If Gibson is a 2 WAR starter, we kind of expect that. If Lynn is a 2 WAR starter (or better), he increases the Cardinals’ expected win total.</p>
<p id="NN7JPI"><strong>Zack Thompson</strong></p>
<p id="m07jC6">Largely seen as the sixth starter, Thompson could very easily put himself in a position to replace one of Gibson or Lynn (which I do expect). But he has to earn it. If he doesn’t have a good 2024, he is probably relegated to the bullpen for as long as the Cardinals have him on their team (and probably for good, but you never know). Unlike Matthew Liberatore, I imagine Thompson’s age would preclude him from getting another starting opportunity if he can’t prove he can start this season. </p>
<p id="McM6W7"><strong>Alec Burleson</strong></p>
<p id="ouqjx3">Some of this might not be in his control, but this is as make-or-break season as you can get. He’s 25, so he’s officially not young next season (in baseball years of course). He also needs to see a marked improvement in the outfield, which he completely understands from interviews I have seen (and one in person I saw!). And he needs his on-field results to reflect both his xwOBA and his DRC+. He might make the team out of spring training with Edman hurt: he has four times as many walks as strikeouts with a .364 average. (4:1)</p>
<p id="CmsbMn"><strong>Giovanny Gallegos/Keynan Middleton</strong></p>
<p id="FXaSnq">I could name just about every reliever and put them on this list, so I will get a bit more literal to narrow it down. Both Gallegos and Middleton have options for next year. They will accepted or rejected entirely based on how they pitch in 2024. Also in both cases, they have the potential to be the second best reliever on the team. And because they are relievers, they may also be someone we never want to see in the late innings. Can’t get much more pivotal than that.</p>
<p id="wh9mVw"><strong>Ryan Fernandez</strong></p>
<p id="De5zdQ">Again, I have to take the literal route here, because aside from Ryan Helsley, you can name every reliever’s 2024 as pivotal. In Fernandez’s case, his future as a Cardinal is entirely attached to how he pitches every day. And to be fair, he might not make the team, so his spring training his also pivotal. But he could get dropped and stop being a Cardinal at any point in the season, so his 2024 is just a bit more pivotal than every other reliever.</p>
<p id="wBlmxB"><strong>Honorable Mentions</strong></p>
<p id="EKgMKA">Paul Goldschmidt has a good case to be here, but ultimately I think his future beyond 2024 as a St. Louis Cardinal might have more to do with outside factors than his play. Maybe he doesn’t have a particularly good season and the Cardinals still want to bring back. Maybe he has a good season and the Cardinals like their internal options more than paying him. Maybe he has a fantastic season, but the Cardinals aren’t interested in giving him three years. This is not a case where if he plays well, he gets signed or if he doesn’t, he won’t. It feels too out of his control to say this this is a pivotal season.</p>
<p id="1IMbZf">I already kind of mentioned it, but why Winn isn’t on this list is as simple as “the Cardinals future plans with him won’t change based on his play.” I actually don’t think Winn’s 2024 play is as important to the 2024 team as most people probably do - his Depth Charts projection is 1.8, which is right at that perfect spot for me where I can’t really see him meaningfully beating that, but also just low enough that him/his replacement shouldn’t be much worse than that. Weirdly, for a guy who is variable as Winn, I see shortstop in 2024 specifically as one without a lot of upside or downside.</p>
<p id="wKyvnr">Carlson is probably a controversial omission - if such an article as this could even produce controversy - but I’m not sure 2024 matters to how the team views Carlson. Think about it. Aside from injury, what’s his route to getting a starting spot? He’s flanked by Lars Nootbaar and Walker, so those positions are out. Edman has taken over CF, and that’s partially because Winn has arrived at SS. I can’t see Carlson taking over for them. And to make matters worse, Victor Scott is coming soon. Walker takes over 1B, Carlson slides into RF is the only outcome I think? Even then, that requires Goldy to not come back and Gorman or Brendan Donovan might slide over to 1B even if Goldy doesn’t.</p>
<p id="TpIloO">And every reliever on the team not named Helsley is an honorable mention.</p>
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https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2024/3/18/24104499/cardinals-with-pivotal-2024-seasonsstlcardsfan42024-03-17T18:00:00-04:002024-03-17T18:00:00-04:00Spring Training Game Recap: The Cardinals feature a regular season line-up against the Astros
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<img alt="MLB: Spring Training-New York Mets at St. Louis Cardinals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JpXK_s-7D2fDbzaojo_WWKUo3hA=/0x0:4012x2675/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73215596/usa_today_22658392.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Liberatore takes the mound</p> <p id="ph9Llu"><strong>Pre-Game</strong></p>
<p id="rwo1JB">· Injuries are mounting up a bit. Middleton joins Edman, Gray and Nootbar among the wounded. Today is the next step in Gray’s progression back, with an up-down bullpen session plotted out for him.</p>
<p id="fhqxm1">· Along the same lines, Cardinals confirm the obvious. Miles Mikolas will be Opening Day starter in place of Sonny Gray. </p>
<p id="atQhVy">· The last spring game in Florida is one week from today. The season draws nigh.</p>
<p id="XRFFZp">· This is the time of spring where non-roster players get more playing time, as many players on the 40 man roster have been re-assigned to minor league camp and thus aren’t eligible to play in major league games any more. While last week, games had Act I (regulars) and then Act II (AAAA and AAA players), we now have Act II that is non-roster invites and AA or A players. I’m sure those guys are super-excited. </p>
<p id="FJ85XO">· Act I of this game has the look of a lineup Card’s fans might see on any given day during the regular season, with the possible exception of Crawford at SS and perhaps Carpenter at DH. Liberatore is on the bump to start, with Framber Valdez taking the mound for the Astros. </p>
<p id="A86PKl">· On the Liberatore front, at 24 years old, he seems to be in that common place of many 24 year-old prospect pitchers, where consistency – pitch-to-pitch, inning-to-inning, game-to-game escapes them. He had sharp stuff last time out but made a couple of bad pitches. Looking to see if can bring same stuff 2 games in a row. I remember watching Jamie Moyer struggle with the Cardinals as a 28 year-old lefty. His career turned out all right…</p>
<p id="WvzjqK"><strong>The Game</strong></p>
<p id="EsMylk">Top1 – Liberatore starts with backwards K on Dubon, then K’s Alvarez. Seems to be using the whole set of pitch options in inning 1. 2-bagger for Bregman. Diaz singles in Bregman. Whopping 82 EV was well placed. Abreau 2-run homerun. 3-0 Astros, all with 2 outs. Marrero in for Liberatore, with Libby at 31 pitches. I noted lots of fouled off pitches, not so many whiffs. Curveball command seemed flighty. Julks doubles off Marrero. Passed ball off Contreras glove. Backwards K Hensley. Cards pitchers strike out the side!</p>
<p id="VolIYu">Bot1 – Carlson K’s to lead off. Goldy with well struck single. Gorman K’s. Arrenado K’s. </p>
<p id="1Jf5QL">Top2 – Liberatore re-enters. Whitcom pops to second. Kessinger backwards K. Dubon doubles. Boy, that straight fastball down the middle doesn’t fool anyone, does it? Alvarez grounds to second to end the inning. Libby at 40 pitches.</p>
<p id="vK3zrA">Bot2 - Contreras leads off single on a change. That may have been a double regular season, but why push it in spring? Catchers probably have heavy legs this time of Spring Training. HBP on Crawford. Valdez struggling with his change-up command, too. In a shocking development, Carpenter takes Valdez to 3-2 count, and then walks. Sac Fly by Walker cuts the lead. Good baserunning all around to end up first-and-third. Sac Fly by Burleson takes advantage of that good baserunning to cut further into the lead. Some say sequencing is just random luck. I tend to think sequencing is the residue of good fundamentals. Carlson doubles in Carpenter from first. Tie game. Boy, he is sure a good RH hitter. Martinez in for Valdez. Goldy grounds out to end inning. Now tied 3-3. Well done inning where a single and double produces 3 runs with sound baserunning.</p>
<p id="90l1Bo">Top3 – Fermin in for Crawford. That HBP nicked him up? Line out to left, then a 5-3 gets two quick outs. Following the script from innings 1 and 2, Liberatore loses the 2 out batter, with 103.5 EV single by Abreu (on curveball than hung). Grounder to third finishes the inning. Arrenado’s arm seems to be rounding into form. Quick inning. Libby at 47 pitches. </p>
<p id="tsXTTf">Bot3 – Gorman K’s again. Tough lefty matchup, I guess. Pop single by Arrenado. Contreras K’s. Valdez still struggling with command of his change. Fermin walks on 4 non-competitive pitches. See, even good pitchers do that. Fermin is pretty intimidating, too. Carp backwards K. That is 6 K’s by Valdez. Still 3-3. </p>
<p id="EjUUVV">Top 4 – Hensley backward K. Whitcomb tattoos a change at 103+ EV to Carlson. Kessinger backwards K (again). Liberatore finishes at 62 pitches with 5 K’s. One bad pitch so far. Story of his life, huh? Boy, if he learns to finish, he could be berry, berry good. </p>
<p id="igniGA">Bot4 – Walker out 6-3. 111+ EV. But that -5 launch angle…. Burleson out 6-3. Carlson home run to center. As with all homers to center, it was well struck at 104. Goldy K’s. Cards up 4-3 now. </p>
<p id="yeEfRA">Top5 - Helsley in. First pitch HR by Dubon. Game tied. Helsley FB still not tip-top, but my recollection is that it takes him a bit. Anyway, it is slider/curve day for Helsley again, although he does touch 100 there, albeit with no command. Walk to Alvarez. Burleson sliding catch in left. Wild pitch. Diaz walks. Abreau walks (his Avg EV stays near 110 today). Almost none of the pitches are competitive. Hells at 24 pitches to get 1 out. Ouch. Julks K. Hells trying to guide his FB now. When is the last time we saw 94 MPH FB from him? Hensley swinging 3-0 lines out to Carlson. Now tied, 4-4. </p>
<p id="Mm0gQv">Bot 5 – Valdez back out at 74 pitches. Gorman singles to right that Hensley whiffs on. He probably still thinking about his 3-0 swing with bases juiced last half inning. Gorman steals second. Arrenado K’s Valdez out 82 pitches. Strotman in. Fermin pops out. </p>
<p id="u0zPC5">Top 6 – Gallegos in. Act II well under way. Changes too numerous to list. Whitcom singles on 91 MPH FB, turning it around at 109 MPH EV. Kessinger K’s yet again, swinging this time. Whitcomb steals second. Not GG’s strength, holding runners on. Dubon grounds out to Fermin, now at third. That ball was hit walking speed. Alverez pops out to end inning. Overall good inning. GG looked better than last time I saw, with sharper slider. That is his bread-and-butter. Should we be concerned about FB velo sitting 91-ish? I mean, how long can we say it is still early? It’s early until it’s late. We will see. </p>
<p id="EOXkpG">Bot6 – Carp walks, again. Walker flies out. Burleson walks. Can I write that Baker is running for Carpenter? I guess if we broadly interpret “running”. Neither of those guys is going to win any camp foot races. Carlson lines out (from left side). Good swing, good contact. Wrong placement. Goldy backwards K. Tied 4-4. </p>
<p id="2AOZdT">Top 7 – Pallante in. I’ve struggled to understand people’s fascination with him. I just have a hard time looking past a bottom 10% K-BB% over several seasons, I guess. Too myopic, I suppose. Naturally, the inning starts E-6 (throwing error by a player I do not know). Quick triple on a hanging curve by Hamilton gives Astros the lead. Pallante scrambles to recover, striking out the next 3, stranding Hamilton on 3<sup>rd</sup>. Astros up 5-4. </p>
<p id="hWMVVP">Bot 7 – Scott in for ‘Stros. 3 guys I don’t know ground out. </p>
<p id="vQWiKW">Top 8 – Pallante remains in. F9. Sacco smashed 106 MPH EV for a double, on a down the middle FB. 5-3 advances runner to third, where a Passed Ball is now in order. Instead, Pallante spikes a slider for a wild pitch (Raposo is the catcher). Pallante finishes with K. Astros now up 6-4.</p>
<p id="RlPVCg">Bot 8 – A different Contreras is in. Not William. Fermin walks. Baker homers to tie game. Koperniak K’s, then Young taps back to pitcher. And then inning falls apart on Contreras. Single, Walk, Walk, new pitcher, Grand Slam. AA Cards now up 10-6. </p>
<p id="Gt5P0h">Top 9 – Romero in to close things out. K, then pop out for a quick start A single interrupts a clean inning, followed by a ground out to close the game out. Cards win! 10-4. </p>
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<p id="t7j4oL"><strong>Post-Game (Random Musings)</strong></p>
<p id="T0hpLO">· X-rays on Crawford negative, meaning it’s positive. No broken bones. He is day-to-day (I added that )</p>
<p id="i3pdxO">· I think I got really spoiled with 20+ years of Matheny and Molina behind the plate. Seems like a lot more pitches end up at the backstop now. Some WP, some PB, but seemingly lots more of both. Some of this is a feature of the new catcher, but I think some of this is we just got plain spoiled by two GG catchers who stopped everything, even things they should not have. </p>
<p id="0UnWZd">· I’m noting that national scribes are beginning to handicap the upcoming final roster decisions. For my money, I thought it was a mistake to have Jordan Walker starting last season in St. Louis when he clearly wasn’t major league ready and have little interest in the Cardinals repeating the same thing this year with Victor Scott. I lean on letting the kid establish himself as any everyday player at AAA.</p>
<p id="JMGyAe">· The whole “Aquaman on the John Deere mower” between innings kills me. It got me to thinking. What does Fredbird do for Spring Training? He isn’t in Jupiter.</p>
<p id="8vv34o">· Here in Jupiter, on Donald Ross Blvd. there is a drawbridge leading to Juno Beach that goes up and down every 30 minutes so rich folks can get their yachts and sailboats put out to sea. The other night, some dude managed to miss the red lights and multiple crossing arms to hit the drawn bridge. Seriously? In fairness, I think he was trying to beat the last arm dropping. If he had, it would’ve taken an Evil Knievel trick to end up in Juno Beach (and not the lagoon). </p>
<p id="s6d5Pu">· Florida is way more “woke” than I would have imagined. Tons of electric cars and charging stations. Paper straws, not plastic. Super bike and pedestrian friendly. They even have a few homeless (unhoused?) sprinkled here and there. The population is certainly diverse, so they score DEI points, too. Can’t exactly put my finger on it, but it seemed ironic as I drove past Trump National Golf Course on my way to the stadium. </p>
<p id="E5y4uD">· As I watched today against Valdez, I got to thinking that this team should be very productive against LH pitching. LH pitching will probably add 100 points to the outfield OPS of Carlson, Edman, and Walker. Cards also have a few LH batters that stand in well against LH pitchers.</p>
https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2024/3/17/24104241/spring-training-game-recap-the-cardinals-feature-a-regular-season-line-up-against-the-astrosORSTLcardsfan2024-03-17T09:36:20-04:002024-03-17T09:36:20-04:00Sunday Open Thread
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<p id="CcoN8C">The Cardinals play 2 today!</p>
<p id="lN4F6G">Spring Breakout game: 9:15 AM</p>
<p id="3hrzoK">Cardinals vs Astros: 12:05 PM</p>
<p id="CbrRZE">Have a great Sunday!</p>
https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2024/3/17/24103802/sunday-open-threadBlake Newberry2024-03-16T09:00:00-04:002024-03-16T09:00:00-04:00VEB Podcast: 2024 Top 20 Prospect List
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<p>The site’s minor league experts break down the site’s top 20 prospect list.</p> <p id="ImkYsr">Good morning, Viva El Birdos!</p>
<p id="5ECgO2">The VEB writers were back this week to take prospects! The VEB Top 20 Prospect list came to a conclusion on Thursday, with Travis Honey-MAN taking the final spot. Our minor league experts joined (not a minor league expect) yours truly to run down the list. </p>
<p id="dRZuQE">We provide a little breakdown of many of the prospects, do a little prospect grouping, and tell you what we would have done differently had the list been entirely in our hands.</p>
<p id="FRjxiK">The general consensus among the writers is that the collection of prospects the Caridnals have this year runs deeper than last year. There are players even down in the last teens and off the list entirely who should reach the majors in some kind of role for some length of time. At the top, they have talent that has the chance to make a major long-term impact.</p>
<p id="vR5wQY">As always, you can listen or watch right here on the site. Or take it to go through YouTube or your favorite podcasting outlet. If you haven’t already, please like or subscribe to us through your preferred delivery method. Or all of them! That helps us build an audience and drive more traffic to the site.</p>
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<h3 id="bKbkKI"><strong>Audio Podcast</strong></h3>
<div id="F5aYny"><div style="max-width: 765px;"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 102px; position: relative;"><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/vivaelbirdos/embed/episodes/S3-E5-2024-Top-20-Prospect-List-e2h4pr8" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div></div>
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<h3 id="p4PKNv"><strong>Video Podcast</strong></h3>
<div id="SWKvxP"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hpyu6laQ72w?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
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<p id="jdTkrH">Next up for the podcast will be a season preview episode! We’ll be back right before the start of the season with our final roster evaluation and our thoughts and predictions for the season. Stay tuned!</p>
https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2024/3/16/24102170/veb-podcast-2024-top-20-prospect-listJ. P. Hill2024-03-15T09:00:00-04:002024-03-15T09:00:00-04:00How will the Cardinals finish in 2024?
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<img alt="St. Louis Cardinals v Minnesota Twins" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DDhFGuOKiHgGqtCcWGASV7VdgA4=/0x0:5325x3550/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73209294/2082320542.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="MFhrlz">Opening Day is two weeks away!</p>
<p id="W0neP5">The Cardinals will open up against the Dodgers on March 28, hopefully with Sonny Gray on the mound to kick off the series. </p>
<p id="icf08s">In recent articles, I’ve talked about what I think of the Cardinals roster heading into the season. This is not a great roster, but it should be better than it was last year.</p>
<p id="YHo1dq">The NL Central is going to be an interesting division. Not because there are powerhouses or World Series contenders in the division, but it should be a tight battle.</p>
<p id="nkRKpG">March, though, is the season for optimism. Fans have reason to be excited for the start of the season and should hope that 2024 will be better than 2023. </p>
<p id="GkWUyb">This won’t be an audit of the Cardinals roster, but I would like to briefly discuss how I think the Cardinals will fare in 2024. So let’s discuss!</p>
<h2 id="oWmTJ2"><strong>How will the Cardinals finish in 2024?</strong></h2>
<p id="3H4akY">The Cardinals had a busy offseason following a 71-91, last-place finish in the NL Central. They signed Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson to bolster the rotation, and added two relievers, Andrew Kittredge and Keynan Middleton. They also added a lot of depth with Riley O’Brien, Nick Robertson, and Ryan Fernandez.</p>
<p id="1rmRHY">On the offensive side, not a whole lot of work needed to be done. They already had a strong young core in place, but they brought back Matt Carpenter and even added Brandon Crawford to back up Masyn Winn.</p>
<p id="Y8GkSM">What do I think that will equate to? Have the Cardinals improved?</p>
<p id="1iv2F0">While this wasn’t a complete overhaul, I do think they are considerably better. They aren’t a powerhouse and I don’t see this team winning even 90 games. But this team will be better than 2023.</p>
<p id="SZVrrF">I recently said that the Cardinals should be considered favorites to win the division because the rest of the NL Central is so mediocre. After a closer look, I’m not sure that’s the case. The Cubs and Reds both look competitive on paper, and they won’t be easy to get past. The Reds pitching staff looks really good and they have young stars ready to make an impact. The Cubs, of course, re-signed Cody Bellinger and also added Shota Imanaga and Hector Neris.</p>
<p id="KC2Ws7">The Cardinals have a roster that can compete with them, but the division is far from a lock. When I look closely at every team in the Central, I actually think it’s the Reds who are the best team on paper. </p>
<p id="jqaGM5">The Cardinals best path to the playoffs might be as a Wild Card team, winning roughly 84 or 85 games. Once in the playoffs, their chances seem slim. Unless something unexpected happens, they simply don’t have enough compete with the Dodgers, Braves, and Phillies. We’ll have to see how the season plays out!</p>
https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2024/3/15/24101109/how-will-the-cardinals-finish-in-2024Curtbishop982024-03-14T09:00:00-04:002024-03-14T09:00:00-04:00Travis Honeyman is your #20 prospect
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<img alt="COLLEGE BASEBALL: APR 14 Duke at Boston College" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/33EA8IWERBfmcIN3VTAsmt55tj4=/0x0:3574x2383/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73206379/1251831092.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Plus my top 20 </p> <p id="VzuWKe">We have made it to the end. With the last vote of the top 20, Travis Honeyman sneaks onto the list somewhat narrowly over Zach Showalter. The closest analogue to Showalter on last year’s list was Alec Willis (who was 20th), but Showalter is a better prospect than he was. So I think this is a deeper system than last year easily. That completes the top 20 at: </p>
<ol>
<li id="VCVSUG">Masyn Winn</li>
<li id="i7N8h1">Tink Hence</li>
<li id="U4v5OX">Victor Scott II</li>
<li id="gEc5gC">Tekoah Roby</li>
<li id="sBC8kR">Thomas Saggese</li>
<li id="wKQcv9">Gordon Graceffo</li>
<li id="ExcNDH">Cooper Hjerpe</li>
<li id="pt558v">Chase Davis</li>
<li id="9HGRmv">Michael McGreevy</li>
<li id="FnNv9a">Sem Robberse</li>
<li id="8qfRZU">Won-Bin Cho</li>
<li id="ID3c2o">Max Rajcic</li>
<li id="zagUDW">Leonardo Bernal</li>
<li id="bPB0UK">Ian Bedell</li>
<li id="5iPwPh">Adam Kloffenstein</li>
<li id="URkL8P">Jimmy Crooks III</li>
<li id="f0YYpA">Pedro Pages</li>
<li id="1WVFc5">Matt Svanson</li>
<li id="uF8DlB">Brycen Mautz</li>
<li id="HtBu0U">Travis Honeyman</li>
</ol>
<p id="NcvifR">This isn’t how it works, but if you were to take the percentages in order, Showalter would be the 21st prospect, which feels like a safe bet. Drew Rom and Cesar Prieto being the next two prospects, both at 11%, less like a safe bet. The high minors/lacks upside prospects tend to have a certain amount of support that can sometimes stay in 2nd or 3rd place on these votes. And then it’s Ryan Fernandez and Joshua Baez at 24 and 25. Baez, for instance feels like a guy that might jump Rom or Prieto. And after that, well it’s anybody’s guess how the vote would have went: nobody else got more than 12 votes.</p>
<p id="ghl6Xv">As with last year, I’ll share my list and explain my differences.</p>
<p id="4c2sMT"><strong>1-2. Masyn Winn, Tekoah Roby</strong></p>
<p id="6Aiks9">Okay last year, I agreed with the voters on the first four picks. On pick #2, I already have a different pick. I think I have pretty sound logic. I think Hence and Roby have about the same upside, the same workload concerns in different ways (Roby is injury-related, Hence about holding up to longer stints), and are on similar paths for next season. But Roby has shown more that he can handle a starter’s workload than Hence has - he averaged 4.7 innings per start in 2022, and pitched more than 5 innings in 5 games. By comparison, Hence averaged 4.1 innings per start last season and never lasted past 5 innings. Roby also seemingly adjusted to AA better than Hence did and has a very good argument to start the season in AAA, which I wouldn’t say about Hence.</p>
<p id="uIfLbt"><strong>3-4-5. Tink Hence, Thomas Saggesse, Victor Scott II</strong></p>
<p id="MPNyMz">First off, Hence and Roby are so close and way too similar as prospects for me to put anyone between them. Secondly, I suppose I should explain Saggesse over Scott. In the least scout-based analysis I could provide, Sagesse just hits and hits and hits at every level. Prior to reaching AAA, his professional low wRC+ was 127. I look at his minor league history and I get reminded of guys who come to the big leagues, and just instantly slot as really good hitters: Brendan Donovan, Matt Carpenter, Allen Craig all have a very similar looking minor league careers. With the exception of small samples when adjusting to a level, they never are even average, they are just absolutely mashing the ball the whole time. And uh, Saggesse is a couple years younger than my terrible comps: he’ll be 22 this year.</p>
<p id="XPOPIO">There is a good drop-off after Scott in case you think I’m too down on him. Like for the record, I had Scott as my 17th best prospect last year and he had the 5th most votes on the vote for the 20th prospect by the readers. I’ve been on Scott. I just like the four guys ahead of him THAT much.</p>
<p id="FVm2Cx"><strong>6-7-8. Gordon Graceffo, Cooper Hjerpe, Chase Davis</strong></p>
<p id="sRd2cb">I actually agree with this order. Hjerpe has tremendous upside, I just think it’s pretty likely he’s going to be a reliever. I do think the run environment makes Graceffo’s 2023 look worse than it was and I can’t justify too large of a drop from being a top 100 prospect, because I just don’t think that much changed. Chase is at the bottom of this group, because of his 2023 performance.</p>
<p id="tQ7Ual"><strong>9-10-11. Sem Robberse, Max Rajcic, Michael McGreevy</strong></p>
<p id="AqCvhy">You guys placed Michael McGreevy 9th which I do feel is defensible and a pick I seriously considered. The reason Robberse is 9th though is because he’s at the same level as McGreevy and has more upside. That trumps the fact that McGreevy is closer to MLB ready. The problem is that McGreevy feels every bit as uncertain to translate to the MLB as Robberse does to get close to his potential. (I also think McGreevy’s style of pitching means the ABS had no effect on him, since it seemed to affect high strikes primarily) </p>
<p id="2kAfNx">I am perhaps putting too much faith in 4 starts, but Robberse’s last four starts in particular make me think he’s closer to MLB ready than it would at first seem. (34.5 K%, 12.6 BB%, 2.21 ERA, 3.67 FIP)</p>
<p id="YwrRET">Rajcic is admittedly more of a gut pick. I’m unreasonably confident in Rajcic, so even though the proximity/upside/most likely outcome scale I mentally use might favor McGreevy, Rajcic just feels like one of those guys who will outpitch what his scouting suggests by knowing how to pitch.</p>
<p id="ePeOFk"><strong>12-13. Leonardo Bernal, Won-Bin Cho</strong></p>
<p id="iAjAfP">They are remarkably similar prospects in my mind: same age, same level both last year and this upcoming season, both seemingly on the verge of landing on a top 100 if things go right. Bernal being a catcher and me suspecting Cho is going to land at corner outfield is the trump card. Even though Cho is definitely the better bet because of how catching prospects work, Bernal turning into the best he can be is more impactful than Cho. In my opinion. </p>
<p id="6yPHFA"><strong>14-15. Jimmy Crooks III, Adam Kloffenstein</strong></p>
<p id="jdfvGg">Sometimes, it’s as simple as age. Crooks and Kloffenstein are ahead of the next few players because of their age and the level they’re at. Namely, Crooks is 22 and will be in AA, while Kloffenstein is 23 and will be in AAA. Crooks has a big test for him at AA, but so far has had no issues hitting the competition. Kloffenstein meanwhile was <em>really good</em> in AA. He also throws a bunch of different pitches, so he is in a good position to figure out the most effective combinations of those pitches.</p>
<p id="K2HzEJ"><strong>16-17. Pedro Pages, Ian Bedell</strong></p>
<p id="PSrREV">Here’s a weird conundrum. Last year, I had Bedell has my 16th best prospect. And now I... dropped him a spot? I honestly think this is because the system improved that much. Once you got past 16, it was kind of hard to muster up excitement for prospects, which is how I took a leap and put Bedell 16th and Scott 17th, because there was nobody else to pick. My next two picks after that were relievers, neither of which have aged well (Kyle Leahy and Guillmero Zuniga), but a reliever who WOULD pitch in the majors was better to me than the rest of the options.</p>
<p id="9VB6BB">Anyway, the reason they aren’t higher is age. Pages will be playing in AAA at the age of 25. That’s not exactly old for the level, and neither was 24 in AA, but it’s also not going to gain you any points. Bedell has no control over it, but he was 23 in High A and will be 24 in AA. These are the bare minimum ages for these levels unless you absolutely dominate. Pages is higher simply because he’s both closer and seems way more likely have an MLB floor, due to his defense.</p>
<p id="MOyrus"><strong>18-19-20. Travis Honeyman, Brycen Mautz, Ryan Fernandez</strong></p>
<p id="HIaoZH">Three very different prospects finish out the top 20. Honeyman was tricky because I honestly feel that if he had played in the latter half of 2023, he would be higher on the list. And yet the fact that he didn’t play is why he’s not higher than this. Blame Ryan Holgate for this, or if you want a pitcher example, Griffin Roberts, two players who were supposed to rise fast, but had the very small issue of being terrible immediately. </p>
<p id="3pToLD">Mautz is another player who sank on my list despite not really deserving to, at least in my opinion, it’s just a stronger system, or at least stronger in the back half of the top 20 certainly. Mautz performed exactly as he would need to, if he wanted to neither rise or fall as a prospect. Lastly, I have to include Ryan Fernandez for the fact that, assuming he makes the team, he will contribute immediately. So he’s ahead of the flashier relief prospects.</p>
<p id="kY4BMy"><strong>Why not him?</strong></p>
<p id="qRJvA4">I didn’t really notice it as I was making the list, but everyone on my top 20 stands a good chance of contributing at the MLB level. I’m not saying they’ll be good. Every pitcher on this list seems to have a reasonable floor of either decent reliever or 5th starter in the majors. You can’t say the same about the hitters, but also hitters are more of a sure thing than pitchers (while still not being sure things). Bernal is the only one who seems to have a high “bust” potential, but even he seems like he will at least be a backup catcher.</p>
<p id="2Lvfx7">So the people who are not included are mostly players where I’m not seeing it as likely that they will be MLB contributors. Zack Showalter, Jonathan Mejia, Joshua Baez, Reiner Lopez, Alec Willis - they are just way too far away and too many years away for me. The most likely outcome is they do not make the majors. I don’t think you can say that about anybody in my top 20.</p>
<p id="yTa6fY">By that standard, Drew Rom should probably be on this list, although I like every pitcher’s chances (except Fernandez) of being more than a spot starter than I do for Rom. You could also say Cesar Prieto should be on the list. And maybe he should. But the not very good defense/complete lack of patience don’t leave me with a lot of hope for him.</p>
<p id="xnDU6d">There are the old for their level guys where I just don’t think their stats are good enough to make up for the fact that they are older than most of the guys they are facing: William Sullivan, Pete Hansen, and definitely Quinn Matthews, who also carries the fact of not compiling any stats yet. And I got pretty burned by the relievers last year, so sorry to Matt Svanson, Edwin Nunez, and Andre Granillo but the guy guaranteed to make the majors if he stays a Cardinal is my only reliever for a reason.</p>
https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2024/3/14/24100387/travis-honeyman-is-your-20-prospectstlcardsfan42024-03-13T09:00:00-04:002024-03-13T09:00:00-04:00Birdos in (Very) Brief: What Did I Miss?
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<img alt="MLB: MAR 11 Spring Training - Nationals at Cardinals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DslmYPX6G6VKZVJFTlUFiGFb0JU=/0x0:3114x2076/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73203511/2068303814.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I’m back.</p> <p id="DEw1t6">Hi, Viva El Birdos!</p>
<p id="mXYy6D">I’m back. Not that I ever really left.</p>
<p id="DaDK5c">If you’ve read a few of my previous posts, you’ll know that I had to finish my dissertation this winter/spring. I’ve spent the last month or so type type typing away on it. I submitted it Monday afternoon, to my great relief. I’ll have to defend it sometime by the end of the month, depending on the schedules of my advisors. Then I’m sure I’ll have to make some changes to it. Type, type, typey some more. Then, maybe, this long journey to add another pointless title before my name will come to an end.</p>
<p id="ZW8Zry">Meanwhile, ‘round here (please sing that in your best Counting Crows voice) I’ve been doing open threads, the occasional podcast, and I think I dropped one Birdos in Brief one day when I was feeling a little spicy. I’ve barely kept up with the reading from my fellow writers. Twitter is an afterthought, and maybe it should stay that way. Since those two places are my primary source of information, I know roughly what’s been going on with the Cardinals but it’s going to take a little time to get back up to speed.</p>
<p id="uIQSGz">Because of that, I don’t have a ton to say today. I’ll dig back in. I’m curious to check out some Spring stats because, from a far distance, it sure looks like the Cardinals are <em>awful</em> right now. Should I be concerned or not? I can’t tell. So, I’ll dig into, as the kids say, the dets. (They don’t say that, do they?)</p>
<p id="3FSHbY"> I’ll have a significant article for you next Wednesday. That will probably be a retrospective on the “Master Plan” series I did early in the offseason. I know that was requested, and I’ll try to oblige.</p>
<p id="y0p37H">I can say already that certain things this offseason did not go as anticipated, including the budget and the trade market for starters. Arms simply didn’t get moved like many of us expected. It seems like the demands were exorbitantly high for starters. Plus, with Edman’s surgery and Donovan’s injury, the Cards might not have had the trade chips that we thought they would have back in October. Their decision to let Knizner walk meant Herrera was off the block. Their insistence on trading O’Neill made Carlson unavailable. Carlson’s injury likely meant he wasn’t going to be moved at full value anyway.</p>
<p id="amIUbZ">Regardless, I can see why the Cardinals went free agent shopping instead of trading. In light of that, I would still question some of the decisions they made. Remove Middleton’s contract and put that amount into Gibson’s deal and they would have had $17M. That would have easily bought year one of any other SP on the market you wanted. Remember, Gray is only making $10M this year. Rodriguez would have been a good choice at $18M this season; they could have adjusted that amount a little to stick to their unnecessarily low budget cap for the season.</p>
<p id="bahGtU">I still go back to Imanaga. He’s only making $9M this year. Pretty much everyone we’ve talked to on the podcast and elsewhere wonders why the Cardinals settled early on Gibson and Lynn instead of at trying to take a flier on Imanaga. Maybe he didn’t want to come to StL. But there’s no way money was the obstacle. (Maybe years? But come on, Cards.)</p>
<p id="gURi5S">I don’t want to empty the barn on that article here, so I’ll have more for you next week.</p>
<p id="HLVOXW">And on Saturday we’ll have another podcast episode. The VEB prospect list is nearing its end – I’m not sure how far Gabe intends to go with it – but regardless, we’ll be breaking it all down for you.</p>
<p id="K6M0X6">That’s it from me today! See you around the site. It’s good to be back.</p>
https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2024/3/13/24098444/birdos-in-very-brief-what-did-i-missJ. P. Hill2024-03-12T18:00:00-04:002024-03-12T18:00:00-04:00The anatomy of Lance Lynn being ejected from a Spring Training game - A Hunt and Peck
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<img alt="MLB: Spring Training-St. Louis Cardinals at Washington Nationals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rrZempmK7IWbNTbrvpN3coltLcI=/0x0:7281x4854/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73202475/usa_today_22727305.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Let’s try to break this down.</p> <p id="UT0a2M">Ah baseball; the smell of fresh earth, the comradery of a team, the spirit of competition, the sights and sounds of grown men hurling projectiles in each other’s vicinity while others try to hit those projectiles with sticks. It is a beautiful game, especially when it gives us moments like Lance Lynn getting thrown out of a Spring Training game. </p>
<p id="rtctQt">You might be asking yourself “Now how in tarnation did ol’ Lance get himself tossed from what is essentially a practice game?” Well I will tell you, friends, for tell you I must as I cannot show video of this event because — and I feel it is importantly to clarify here — this game was not televised. Not even a little bit. Because it was a Spring Training game. Doesn’t count for anything. Basically a scrimmage.</p>
<p id="NSMqi7"> So we must piece together what happened based on second-hand accounts and observations. Let’s start with Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lynn took issue with a call on pitch to Gallo.<br>Angel Hernandez ejected him a few pitches later.<br><br>It's. Spring. Training. <a href="https://t.co/B2XRoCzzHE">https://t.co/B2XRoCzzHE</a></p>— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) <a href="https://twitter.com/dgoold/status/1766255497466847518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a>
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<p id="HY1ila">Lynn was reportedly just 44 pitches into his outing when he was told to leave the field and never come back (I might have exaggerated that bit just a little, but you will see what I mean later). What prompted this ejection? Lynn gives his side of the story, per John Denton of <a href="http://MLB.com">MLB.com</a>:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STLCards?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#STLCards</a> RHP Lance Lynn on his ejection: "(Umpire Angel Hernandez) started chirping at the (Cards) dugout and I told him, 'They know it was a strike.' He told me, 'Let's go!' And I told him, 'I have five seconds on the pitch clock and I'll start whenever I feel like it.' ...</p>— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnDenton555/status/1766266978879324472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">More Lance Lynn on his third-inning ejection: "I threw the next pitch and I was like, 'There's a strike!' And then it was 'see you later.' ... I went and got another 20 pitches in the bullpen, so I'm in a good spot. I guess I got ejected out of play, too, technically."</p>— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnDenton555/status/1766266981869850700?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a>
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<p id="HiJGcL"></p>
<p id="Yrsfkj">Since it was a Spring Training game and Lynn needed to get his pitches in, he made his way to the bullpen to continue throwing. Hernandez was having none of it though and ejected Lynn again.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Well, now they're trying to kicking him out of the bullpen, too. <br><br>It's. Spring. Training. <br><br>This is ... theater. <a href="https://t.co/thypeDDfPt">https://t.co/thypeDDfPt</a></p>— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) <a href="https://twitter.com/dgoold/status/1766256421329351007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">To recap Lance Lynn’s Spring Training debut tonight with the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STLCards?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#STLCards</a>:<br><br>* — 4 ER and 3 BB in the 1st inning. Removed after 2/3 IP<br>* — Returns to game, strong 2nd inning<br>* — Ejected in the bottom of the 3rd for arguing balls & strikes<br>* — Kicked out of the bullpen mid-inning</p>— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnDenton555/status/1766261540913557610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a>
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<p id="dV5yJR">So Lynn was forced to make the long walk across the field to the clubhouse.</p>
<p id="9NFhIe">My mom has told me stories of something I would do when I was little. Apparently, when she asked me to do something I didn’t want to do, but also as a rule-follower I didn’t want to disobey my mother, I would do what she asked, but shuffle my feet and walk really slowly to do it. </p>
<p id="ERRd13">I am not saying Lance Lynn did this when he left the field for good, but I am not <em>not</em> saying that.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lynn went to the visitor’s bullpen in left field to finish throwing. He was told he couldn’t do that. So he walked across the field to the visitor locker room and took his sweet time. <br><br>Gave the fans a wave and got a standing O. <a href="https://t.co/r61Qw4gCJE">pic.twitter.com/r61Qw4gCJE</a></p>— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewcgolden/status/1766256993260523848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a>
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<p id="2IQjak">Goodnight, sweet prince.</p>
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<p lang="qme" dir="ltr"> <a href="https://t.co/DpAU2LZUXk">pic.twitter.com/DpAU2LZUXk</a></p>— DeVore (@misterdevore) <a href="https://twitter.com/misterdevore/status/1766263806202654746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a>
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<p id="tgPgA1">Lance understood that umpires need to get ready for the season too and observed that Hernandez is ready to go for 2024.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lance Lynn said he's just in spring training and umpire Angel Hernandez is in "midseason form."<br><br>More coming to <a href="https://twitter.com/stltoday?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stltoday</a>.</p>— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) <a href="https://twitter.com/dgoold/status/1766264246294253777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a>
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<h4 id="9qM3F9">what else is going on in baseball...</h4>
<div id="IIwYTz">
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dakota Jordan with the monster shot -- an estimated 462 feet -- which gives him four homers in his past five games.<br><br>Check out the full scouting report on the No. 27 Draft prospect: <a href="https://t.co/KHr0PeQ1Nz">https://t.co/KHr0PeQ1Nz</a><br><br>( : <a href="https://twitter.com/HailStateBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HailStateBB</a>)<a href="https://t.co/xG2PtQ0Lmb">pic.twitter.com/xG2PtQ0Lmb</a></p>— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1766609240204931325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a>
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<p id="dF28E9">Gerrit Cole Undergoing MRI On Right Elbow | Steve Adams | <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/yankees-rumors-gerrit-cole-mri-elbow-injury.html">MLB Trade Rumors</a></p>
<p id="hstRTy">In Defense of Command | Alex Chamberlain | <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/in-defense-of-command/">Fangraphs</a></p>
<p id="oeQvNt">J.D. Davis released, loses most of his $6.9 million salary after Giants exercise a loophole | Andrew Baggarly | <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F5334049%2F2024%2F03%2F11%2Fsf-giants-jd-davis-released-salary%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vivaelbirdos.com%2F2024%2F3%2F12%2F24098967%2Fif-you-get-ejected-from-a-spring-training-game-and-it-wasnt-televised-did-it-a-hunt-and-peck" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Athletic</a></p>
<p id="I96vQG">‘I assumed I was coming back’: Joey Votto ‘grateful’ for Blue Jays, chance to prove himself | Gordon Wittenmyer | <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2Freds%2F2024%2F03%2F10%2Fjoey-votto-assumed-i-was-coming-back-but-ready-for-new-life-with-jays%2F72920759007%2F%3Fgnt-cfr%3D1&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vivaelbirdos.com%2F2024%2F3%2F12%2F24098967%2Fif-you-get-ejected-from-a-spring-training-game-and-it-wasnt-televised-did-it-a-hunt-and-peck" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">USA Today</a></p>
<h4 id="ll1rIQ">what the cardinals are up to...</h4>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Matt Carpenter talking about working out with Jackson Holliday, Matt Holliday and Ethan Holliday on <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLBNetwork</a>:<br><br>“If you want to feel bad about where you are as a hitter, go hit with the Holliday family.”</p>— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/SamDykstraMiLB/status/1767168980978987083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2024</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STLCards?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#STLCards</a> RHP Sonny Gray, after straining his hamstring seven days ago and throwing 20 pitches off a mound today: “It’s been a good week.”<br><br>He said he should know after his next bullpen whether pitching on Opening Day is a realistic possibility. He’s encouraged by his progress.</p>— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnDenton555/status/1767241931883520229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2024</a>
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<h4 id="e0WBiD">KNOW THINE ENEMY...</h4>
<h5 id="WNjpWp">the nl central</h5>
<p id="shhOke">Frankie Montas will start Opening Day for the Reds, and that’s just fine | Wick Terrell | <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/2024/3/11/24097209/frankie-montas-cincinnati-reds-opening-day-starter-hunter-greene">Red Reporter</a></p>
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https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2024/3/12/24098967/if-you-get-ejected-from-a-spring-training-game-and-it-wasnt-televised-did-it-a-hunt-and-pecklil_scooter93