The Cardinals are doing lots of things - A Hunt and Peck

The World Series has concluded and the offseason is upon us. This means the Cardinals have some personnel decisions to make and are already off to a quick start in doing so. Here is what has happened so far...

Manager, coaches, front office:

• The Cardinals and Mike Matheny have agreed to an extension through 2020, ironically the same number as hindsight.
• The Cardinals hired long-time baseball man Bob Gebhard as a special assistant to GM John Mozeliak.
• Mike Shildt, manager of the Memphis Redbirds, has been promoted for a new coaching position called "quality control coach." Not much has been said on what the entails, exactly, but it is certainly intriguing.
• The team has also promoted Palm Beach manager Oliver Marmol to first base coach of the big league team.

Options, qualifying offers:

• The Cardinals will exercise Jaime Garcia’s $12 million option for the 2017 season, really a no-brainer for the club considering the cost and quality of pitching in the free agent market. Also TINSTAPP.
• The team has elected not to exercise Jordan Walden’s $5.25 million option, also another easy decision for the Cardinals. Unfortunately for Walden and the Cardinals, the right-hander acquired in the trade involving Shelby Miller along with Tyrell Jenkins for Jason Heyward and Walden has only pitched a little over ten innings for the team due to injury. Walden will receive a $250,000 buyout.
• In the middle of the year a move looked to be a simple one, but became more complicated after September. The Cardinals have elected not to extend Brandon Moss a qualifying offer. After a great start to the season, Moss appeared to be an ideal QO candidate, but after a terrible slump to end the season, the team decided to go another route.

More news will certainly begin to trickle in more in the upcoming days, particularly on arbitration eligible players such as Seth Maness and Trevor Rosenthal and players primed for contract extensions such as Carlos Martinez. It is an exciting and terrible time.

Cardinals Extend Mike Matheny Through 2020 | MLB Trade Rumors

Cardinals Will Not Make Qualifying Offer To Brandon Moss | MLB Trade Rumors

Cardinals To Exercise Jaime Garcia's Option | MLB Trade Rumors

Coaching And Front Office Notes: Rockies, Rangers, Cardinals | MLB Trade Rumors

what else is going on in baseball...

• Angels trade for Cameron Maybin from Tigers | angels.com
• It's time for you to vote for the best World Series Game 7 of all time | MLB.com
• Former high school football star Joc Pederson asked the Rams for a Tim Tebow-like tryout | MLB.com
• Cubs-Indians Game 7 was baseball at its best. | Sports on Earth
• The Postseason’s Quieter Pitching Revolution | FanGraphs Baseball
• The Game Plan: How the Indians Almost Won It All | FanGraphs Baseball
• Cleveland’s Path to the 2017 Playoffs | FanGraphs Baseball
• MLB’s offseason is officially here | SBNation.com

what the cardinals are up to...

• BenFred: What's a St. Louis sports fan to do? | Ben Frederickson | stltoday.com
• Matheny on board as Cards manager through 2020 | Cardinal Beat | stltoday.com
• Hochman: Matheny move is right — now it's your move, Mike | Benjamin Hochman | stltoday.com
• Garcia gives Cards flexibility for pitching depth, potential trade | Cardinal Beat | stltoday.com
• Gordo: Of course the Cardinals stayed the course | Jeff Gordon | stltoday.com
• The Cubs Are Having a Parade. In Other News: Cardinals Spend Another $12 Million On Jaime Garcia | 101Sports.com
• My 2016 Cardinal Blogger Awards Ballot | Cards Conclave

KNOW THINE ENEMY...

the nl central

• Cubs to have World Series parade on Friday | cubs.com
• Chicago set for Cubs' World Series parade | cubs.com
• Dexter Fowler to become free agent again | cubs.com
• Nothing will warm your heart more than senior Cubs fans celebrating a World Series title | MLB.com
• The Royals congratulated the Cubs on their World Series victory by buying them pizza | MLB.com
• Mike Montgomery Did More Than Aroldis Chapman | FanGraphs Baseball
• The Inning the Cubs Stole | FanGraphs Baseball
• The Cubs-Indians World Series Game 7 was a classic. Here are 15 reasons why. | SBNation.com
• Harry Caray calls the Cubs' final out of the World Series in this brilliant, new Budweiser commercial | SBNation.com
• The Chicago Cubs are the World Series Champs | ESPN
• Baseball's little miracles led Carl Edwards, Ben Zobrist, Rajai Davis to World Series | ESPN
• Chicago Cubs fans celebrate Game 7 victory but mourn those who missed out | ESPN
• So the Chicago Cubs won the World Series | Red Reporter

viva el stuff...

• FANPOSTS:
  My 2011 World Series Highlight Video | Viva El Birdos
  Final 4 Time! Cardinals Walk Up Song Tournament | Viva El Birdos
  St. Louis Cardinals Offseason Ideas | Viva El Birdos
  Would you like to play Cardinals GM in our simulation? | Viva El Birdos
  2016 Batting Numbers From A Different Perspective | Viva El Birdos
• VEB Podcast Episode 60: The one with Kyle McClellan | Viva El Birdos

other things...

• KD's masterpiece steals show in Warriors' rout of Westbrook, Thunder | Golden State Warriors Blog | ESPN
• Blues 2017 Winter Classic Jerseys Leak | St. Louis Game Time