So I read thru some of Goold's chat this morning.

Is he a little more high and mighty than usual? Is that a recent thing? Seemed to be pretty snippy about Fowler and someone else who I can't remember.

Also, they're gonna extend Goldschmidt. I would think.

He's been this way for a year or so. I stopped reading Strauss because he just became a raging dickhole in his chats and Goold is going down the same road.

Goold used to be a great source of some under the radar snippets in his chats if you'd read between the lines a bit. Now he mostly just chirps at people who dare question the mighty Mozeliak.

And of course they're going to extend Goldschmidt. If you can think of a stupid thing to do, that's what they'll do. They'll pay a 1b only, RH hitting, high-strikeout slugger who will be 32 when the extension starts $30 million/season through his age 37 season so they can block some combination of Gorman, Montero or Baker into the future.

I'm still dumbfounded that their 'splash' move was a friggen RH hitting 1b. What the **** is this organization doing?

Beat reporters are almost worthless these days. They dont "report" anything negative that would effect their access to players or the locker room.

After Matheny is gone its ohh yeah we knew all about his issues with players, he lost Molina, hadn't talked to Fowler in months, his way or the highway approach. Mo and Matheny fought all the time about bullpen usage etc. etc.

Even when they report things like Ozuna showed up at camp 25 lbs heavier or Carlos didn't follow the Cardinals off season workout routine its information fed to them from the front office.

He attacked Saxon pretty good after Saxon's reports in the Athletic that really blew things up. I think Matheny would've made it to the end of the season without those but when that hit the wire, it was all over but the crying.

Then a week after Saxons article, Matheny gets fired and Goold started letting the same stuff slip out.

It was an awful look from him and I haven't really trusted anything he's had to say since.

Just seemed like he took the company line more than he used to. Oh well.

I enjoy Bernie more, he may not be as connected but I still enjoy him.

I didn't care for his recent article when he seemed to insinuate the goal isn't the division but just staying in and getting a WC spot to say you made the playoffs.

I mean, the teams moves seem to say that though so what do I know.

That's not anything Bernie or Goold have 'insinuated'.

That's a direct !@#$ing quote from Bill DeWitt. He said in an interview with Goold that their goal is 90 wins.

My friend, that ain't winning you the NL Central.

You don't have to insinuate what the Cardinals goal is. You don't have to extrapolate it from the moves they make. Bill DeWitt has flat out given it to you.

He's won everything there is to win. He's done everything there is to do. Bill DeWitt has no realized that there's more profit in being competitive than there is in doing what it takes to make yourself a championship team. He knew full well that Harper would've pushed them towards the latter but the sunk costs of Fowler plus the cheap production of Martinez and O'Neill can get him to the former. All while making him a lot more money.

This is an easy team to dislike right now.

Exactly. Thats why the Athletic model may work long term.Its a threat to him and the whole beat writer BS model in baseball. Writers knew Mantle and most every other player in that era was taking speed to get up for games after a night of drinking. They knew about steroid use but said nothing.

Its basic human instinct. If its your job to inform your readers the truth about a team, the bad and good but your worried about your access being taken away, your not going to write the bad stuff that will get you kicked out.

I'm not saying that beat writers should become investigative journalists. Just tell us the big truths that are harming the team. Goold knew all this, He didn't print shit. Saxon didn't worry about being kicked out of the locker room. We found out important information as fans, Thats their basic job. The team is in a better place. Everyone "won" but Matheny, as it should have been.

Even worse was that he's outright antagonistic towards 'outsiders' at times. When the social media world was coming down hard on Saxon (again) for being racist after Saxon used Fowler's own phraseology (Fowler has referred to his 'swag' in the outfield), Goold threw out a little chirp about how people need to be more careful with their language.

Saxon had numerous conversations with Fowler and had a lighthearted, if not cordial relationship with him. He was using Fowler's own phrasing in a tongue in cheek way and when he got unfairly put on blast, Goold kicked a little dirt in his face while he was on the ground.

It was just a shitty thing to do.

I think after Hudsons 8 strikeouts in 5 innings yesterday the rotation is set for opening day
Mikolas
Flaherty
Wacha
Waino
Hudson

okay lets talk bullpen. They are going to carry 7 pitchers in the bullpen

Duh Locks:
Reyes
Hicks
Miller
Gant


That leaves 3.
No options to the minors
Schreve
Meyers

Add Brebbia theres your 7

Put on DL to start the season:
Martinez
Gregerson
Cecil

To the AAA rotation:
Gomber
Ponce de leon


I get the BP right?
Reyes
Hicks
Miller
Gant
Schreve
Meyers
Brebbia

Leone could be on there instead of Brebbia or even Mayers. I think Brebbia still has options.

Mayers has to be there or release him. Leon I thought was viewed as 6th or 7th starter in case of injury, They would put him in AAA to stretch him out. Brebbia has options but viewed as a reliever too.


Having Gomber and Leon ready to step in when Wacha and Waino flame out this season is essential. We all know that its is a "when" situation not "if" they flame out.

Love it.

Scott Boras getting fired for telling players to hold out and losing millions for his clients and now he just gets smashed by $100M in an extension.

You are thinking of Ponce de Leon the starter. I was talking about Dominic Leone the reliever. He has had a decent spring.

Ya I think its between him and Brebbia for the last spot in the bullpen.

Fangraphs just updated their data with pitch framing. Yadi gained ten wins to his WAR and is now the greatest defensive catcher ever by their metrics by a comfortable margin.

I think he just made the HOF