This has been a solid but injury-shortened season for Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna, who ranks among the game’s best pending free-agent position players. Although Ozuna could have a chance to shop his services around the majors in a few months, the soon-to-be 29-year-old would like to remain with the Cardinals, Mark Saxon of The Athletic writes (subscription required).
“I hope to stay here,” Ozuna told Saxon. “Let’s see how the season goes and how much I can help the team, but my preference is to stay here. I like the team, the city of St. Louis, everything. Maybe at the end of the season, we can get something done. Let’s see how the team finishes.”
The Cardinals, however, aren’t prepared to discuss an extension yet. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak told Saxon it’s “good to hear” Ozuna wants to remain a Redbird, but he added, “We will focus on this in the offseason.”
If the two sides don’t reach an agreement before the market opens, the Cardinals are likely to slap a qualifying offer on Ozuna as he potentially prepares to depart. That would be a pricey move on the team’s part (the QO was worth $17.9MM last offseason), but Ozuna is on the way to justifying the investment with another respectable showing.
Now in his second year with the Cardinals, the former Marlin has slashed .252/.329/.505 (115 wRC+) with 1.6 fWAR over 346 plate appearances in 2019. Ozuna missed just over a month this summer with multiple finger fractures, but he has still piled up 21 home runs. His prodigious power has helped make him a favorite of Statcast, which places Ozuna anywhere from the league’s 79th to 98th percentile in expected batting average, expected weighted on-base average, expected slugging percentage, average exit velocity and hard-hit rate.
Aside from J.D. Martinez, primarily a designated hitter, Ozuna may be the premier corner outfield-capable player with the potential to become a free agent. Martinez definitely isn’t a lock to opt out of the remaining three years and $62.5MM left on his contract with Boston, though. Conversely, Ozuna’s very likely to face competition from fellow pending free-agent corner outfielders Nicholas Castellanos and Yasiel Puig – two just-traded players who won’t be eligible for qualifying offers – and maybe Kole Calhoun if the Angels decline his $14MM option.
For their part, the Cardinals don’t appear to have any outfielders as appealing as Ozuna right now. That could influence the club to try to bring Ozuna back, though St. Louis is likely mindful that its recent big-money contracts for veteran position players haven’t paid off to this point. The Cardinals have issues a combined $311.5MM in guarantees to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, catcher Yadier Molina, third baseman Matt Carpenter and outfielder Dexter Fowler dating back to December 2016. All four of those players have experienced marked declines in production since receiving their deals, which helps explain why the Cardinals aren’t in possession of a National League playoff spot at the moment.
How much do you want?
They have nobody that appears ready to fill his spot. Martinez has defensive issues, O’Neill strikes out around 35% of the time and Carlson doesn’t appear to be ready yet. If they have 13 Mil per year to spend on Carpenter they surely have enough to keep their best outfield option around.
You only prefer to stay when you know your market is not good but 4/48 is enough
I’m not sure that’s going to be enough…..
He will be getting 20 million plus per year. 3 years 60 million should work, but he will want 4 or 5 year deal
What else is he going to say?
He could say nothing and become a free agent….
He basically did. This isn’t convincing at all. A whole bunch of “let’s see” and “maybe” in there.
Cardinals don’t have a chance
I’ve heard whispers that it’s very likely that the Cardinals don’t bring Ozuna back and issue the QO.
The concern for the player is that after your previous 2 seasons being a tad injury riddled. That you’ll have a QO attached and teams will be gun shy to sign a guy who’s a one great and one good season where he’s been injured. The rest of his season’s I’d call average to below average at best.
He’s saying he wants to stay and the Cardinals do have the money off the books when Molina retires after 2020. I mean I think the Cardinals are good either way. with him accepting or declining the option. IMO he takes it and have him one more season and he’s at least as good as he was this season or better or he walks and they’ll put someone in his place in house that won’t meet his production and the offense continues to sputter while drawing 3 million a season.
“If it’s whispered, we hear it.”
Yeah after not trading surplus outfielders it’s likely he’ll get the QO. If they don’t make the playoffs this year then it’s time to rip it down.
Yeah lets rip down an organization that has had 1 losing record since 2000. Just because you have a surplus doesn’t mean it is good. No trade value for them. Wheeler and 11 starts from him is not worth Bader and 2 top 30 prospects.
I am a Cards fan, and I say this with love, but Ozuna needs to move on. This trade hasn’t been nearly as effective as the Cards wished for it to be. Sure, he’s put up some pretty decent numbers, but that’s not enough to win a championship, especially in the situation they are currently in. He hasn’t been in his Marlins, All-Star form at all in Saint Louie. Idk, maybe I’m just being pessimistic. I’ve been pretty disappointed in how the Cardinals’ front office has handled things, it sucks.
Ozuna can’t win a championship by himself. Not getting much from Fowler, Yadi, Carpenter, Bader, J. Martinez, O’Neill, Hudson, Ponce, Wacha…the Cards are the definition of mediocrity. I wouldn’t mind having Ozuna back at a reasonable price but it won’t fix what ails this team.
What’s up with the bad extension’s with Carpenter & Goldy. ?
lol how is the Goldy extraction bad ?
Besides the fact that he’s putting up the worst year of his career?
You need to quit commenting if you think Goldy was a bad signing the guy mashed last month and I should hit close to 40 HR by the end of the season.
There was no reason to extend Carpenter. He had an option at the end of the season which could be picked up or declined. Someone needs to be fired for that for sure.
He’ll be back. 4/72. 4th being an option.
would rather have puig than ozuna
If you can get the player with no bs I agree.
With Mozeliak in control, anything is stupidly possible.
QO him. And then sit. See if he takes it. If he does or doesn’t take it, move to address pitching. Wacha probably gone, possibly Wainwright. Grab a SP. No need to give Ozuna a long term deal.
I’ll bet you anything they re-sign Wainwright. You know this clown operation wants him and Molina to retire together. They don’t care if it means 5 straight seasons of mediocrity. To them it means more ways to celebrate massive player regression, and the sheeple will flock to Busch for every ridiculous giveaway to honor them. Then they can go into the Cardinal HOF together, because neither is going into the baseball HOF.
I would bet you actual money that Molina goes.
If so, he belongs in the wing with Harold Baines.
You are just stupid.
I can’t take that bet. I’m sure Wainwright will be brought back (hence, possibly). That move should still not deter St Louis from getting a SP.
The more I look at the Cards roster the more I am convinced a soft rebuild needs to happen.
For 2 million, waino has been a very good number 4 or 5 starter. Hes no longer an ace but isnt paid as an ace either
I agree to sign him to a incentive contract he is great to have on the bench just look how the youngsters flock to him.
There is another thing to think about. Ozuna and Molina shares the same agent. Ozuna change his agent before the season starts and it is not Boras anymore.
WHO IS YOUR CLEANUP HITTER THEN?
I guess ALL CAPS makes your point more valid? Who is their cleanup hitter? Who gives a damn who their cleanup hitter is? They don’t even have a legit leadoff or #2 hitter right now. The hell with the clean up hitter. The one they’ve had for 2 years has been Ozuna. His 25HR and 75 RBI avg. these 2 years has been stellar. I don’t even know why I respond to you. I think I’ll stop until I see you actually wake up from your slumber. The team’s winning edge walked out the door the days Pujols and Luhnow left the building. Eddie Bauer Mozeliak has made one bad move after another, but at least he’s surrounded himself with Bambi Girsch and two puppet managers to insulate himself. BYE!
YES IT DOES. So you want to extrapolate the problem by then not having a 1, 2, or 4, hitter? Using a little logic. I will not stop pointing out your stupidity. I am not the one who needs to wake up and think before they type anything.
No you stupid azz. You fix the problem. And the problem is those hitters aren’t on this team as of now. Go ahead and sign your precious 50 IQ, Ozuna. It still doesn’t fix the problems that this lineup really has No leadoff and No 2 hole hitter. Goldschmidt, in his baseball aging years, will gravitate down the lineup. But go ahead, sign Ozuna. Put him out there in the field with Fowler for 2 more years. Maybe they can put a beer keg at 2nd base too?
Again you are stupid. If you don’t sign Ozuna you have no protection for Goldy. Keeping Ozuna allows 1 less problem to solve in offseason.
For 2 million, waino has been a very good number 4 or 5 starter. Hes no longer an ace but isnt paid as an ace either
As of today, they owe wainwright $6M. Where are these “great” prospect pitchers they could be using at $500,000? Any of them could possibly be .500 with a 4.50 ERA
Their top two options Gomber and Reyes have been hurt essentially all year and Ponce has been ineffective and wild in his time up. Those are the three guys they expected to contribute if a starter struggled. Looks like Helsley may be the next guy to get a shot for some starts.
Woodford would probably be the next guy up as a starter after that if they bypass Genesis Cabrera (which they should in my opinion), but he’s not on the 40 man, so probably Cabrera.
And waino has been worth 6 mil for a number 4 starter and you cant go by wins and losses when you have a team that cant score runs. We dont even have a number 5 starter so how do you replace him.
I’d rather he not stay.
I would guess that the Cardinals probably won’t extend him, they will wait to see if A) he accepts the qualifying offer or B) just how far the qualifying offer will drive his price down.
He’s worth keeping around if the price tag is reasonable.
What would be waino’s QO? Over $10mil so no way they give a QO to him. He loves STL and I see him going out with Yadi on a retirement tour.
I was talking about Ozuna
The QO is the same for every player. Last year it was $17.9M.
Ozuna and Molina shares the same agent. Molina probably want Ozuna back for next year.
Mozeliak better do the right thing and bring Ozuna back. They don’t have any OFs better than him. Bader has taken a step back and O’Neil is injury prone because he’s too muscular. If anything Mozeliak needs to bite the bullet and correct his mistakes by getting rid of a few players like Carpenter Jose Martinez and Cecil. I don’t care if they have to DFA them and eat that money. They can afford to do it because of that billion dollar tv contract and the fact that their revenue stream is top ten in baseball. I should include Fowler too, because they can replace him and Martinez with Lane Thomas and Arozerena.
The right thing would be fire Mozeliak, hire a new GM/President, fire Schildt, and hire a good manager. Let Ozuna walk and do a slow rebuild. Don’t add more money to the payroll right now. The worst thing any team can do is chase bad contracts with more bad contracts. This team can’t win a title as it is assembled.. Let Molina play out his last inflated year at $20M. Nobody is taking that contract of Carpenter off your hands. Let J.Martinez walk. Trade C. Martinez for a couple prospects if you can. Trade Wong for a prospect. Bring up Arozerena and Carlson next year and have them start getting at bats. Let them struggle if they must, but it will be good experience for them. After 2 more seasons, you will have Carpenter and Fowler off the books. Start adding pieces now, and by 2022, they should be ready to go, and by that time, hopefully Gorman is ready.
Again, just stupid. 1 losing record since 2000. You act like this team is garbage. They are right on the cusp of being in the playoffs and have had hurt or underperforming players all year. A few healthy players and a player starts hitting and you are in the hunt.
TD, you keep marking down there for an 83-88 win team each year. Bully for you to love a team that has no commitment to actually winning a title. Yeah, let’s compete, then play golf. You are the typical Cardinal fan that Dewitt and Mozeliak love. I just read all your posts here. Keep calling me stupid. Maybe you can jump in a foursome with Wainwright, Carpenter and Molina on October 1st down at St. Simons Island? You truly are the lead sheeple of this flock.
Okay “Stupid”. 7 seasons 90 wins or more and 3 seasons over 100 wins. So actually that is 10 total seasons with 90 wins or more… Yet I am marking that 83-88. “stupid” I am not the “stupid” person rambling on about how the Cardinals are bring back Waino so him and Molina retire together and go to cards HOF together, so they can make money off them. This is why you are “stupid” you say things like that.. A number 5 starter with .500 record, 4.50 era andwill pitch 170-200 innings sign me up for that.. See the problem is you are just another “stupid”, delusional, entitled fanboy. You can’t accept the reality that teams can’t make the playoffs every year or go to the world series every year. You pay no attention to the fact that they have the 2nd most wins in the last 20 years. How is that not a commitment to win? You constantly play armchair GM that thinks there opinions are fact. I am glad Mo and Dewitt love me. I am glad that the team I love is competitive every year. I am glad I am not stupid and think that if my team doesn’t go to the world series every year everyone should be fired. Lastly if they want to invite me, I would love to go, it would give me a great opportunity to explain to them how “STUPID” you are.
Your Cards don’t have the team to get over the hump to beat Atlanta or LA, even the Cubs right now. Soft rebuild and build around Dylan Carlson, reload for 2021. It would be quick. Right now they are meddling that 85’ish win mark that won’t get the job done. They got away with it in 2006 and 2011 thanks to the best hitter of his time (Pujols) and the best clutch pitcher post-Schilling (Carpenter).
I firmly agree this team doesn’t stand to beat those 2 teams. I just disagree with the notion of blowing the team up as a solution. That makes no sense. Why create a huge hole in losing Ozuna as well? Who are you replacing him with? That isn’t directed at you, just a few other posters. You can’t build around Carlson right now. In theory he has the tools, but so did Rasmus and so did Reyes. Just because you have the most wins, doesn’t mean you are the best team. It is about how you get there in that last month. Make the playoffs and anyone’s game..
This team is garbage lbvs
Losing Ozuna is not going to create this huge hole. Your development in the system has been one of the better systems in baseball. Ozuna does not make the Cardinals go. He leaves, you lose little. There are guys in Memphis right now who can step in. That gives you 2020 to see if they can hack it.
Meanwhile you make a decision on OFs you want to have beyond 2020. See if someone wants Wong. Perhaps package a deal involving blocked minor leaguers to get a SP coming back. See if there’d be a taker for Carpenter. Then the Cards would have some cash to play with while the Cubs get older and potentially lose key players.
Who in Memphis can step in? Who do we have down there who is a power hitter? Why would you trade your best defender and the guy leading your team in BA right now? What blocked minor league players are you referring to? There is nobody ready for pitching woodford isn’t doing that well and Gomber is hurt. For hitting you have Arozarena who isn’t really a power hitter and you have Garcia who has some pop, but can’t get on base. You realize to trade Carp you would have to eat a large portion of the contract, it is impossible to trade someone with no trade value. Cubs aren’t really losing anyone next year that has any value besides Hamels, Zorbist (not really a big loss), and Duensing. While they might get older, so do the Cards…
That team could lose 100 games. No one in town would stand for that. Don’t give up on this year. The players they have can play better and they will.
CF-Dex
RF-Jose
1B-PG
LF-Ozuna
SS-DeJong
3B-Carp
2B-KW
C-Wieters
When you get a lead Martinez glove comes out. Bullpen GG, AM & Carlos
Top 4 starters you know and roll the dice on the fifth. You still have Yadi, TO and Edman to platoon, PH etc. The defense is above avg and some depth in the BP. Good grief folks get grip. As inconsistent as the Cubs have been and the Brewers seemed to be hungover from last year there’s still time to grab a division title here.
That team is good for 3rd place. We have established that based on 2019. The Cardinals need to get over the hump. By cutting loose a couple contracts this offseason, re-setting in 2020 they can take 2021 while the Cubs have to hit a mini-reset themselves. So long as Cincy has the Votto contract, Pittsburgh penny-pinches and Milwaukee lacks starting pitching, Cardinals would be poised to take the NL Central. Cardinals could take two steps forward and dominate that division.
Based on 2019? Last time I checked that season is not in books yet. let’s play out the 162 and assess. 4-6 in their last ten while the Cubbies 7-3. Who’s to say there’s not a role reversal coming up? Say Flaherty has his Madbum moment down the stretch? They get hot and the unthinkable happens? This is baseball sometimes the unthinkable happens! Who of you put money on the Giants going into 2010-12-14? If they make a run do we say tear it down because they won ugly?
5 years 100 million should get Ozuna to commit
and that would set them back 5 more years.
No it won’t
I don’t get the hate for Ozuna! No traded for him knowing he had the injury and Ozuna tried to play threw it! This years injury could have happened to anyone! It has not been a terrific trade but then again if we just let him walk we have lost everything that we traded for him! I personally think he is gonna have some great years in the next few years! JMO
I don’t think anyone hates him, but nobody wants to see him get $20M/year. He’s incredibly INCONSISTENT. Since 2014, here are his OPS numbers. 772, 691, 773, 924, 758, 829. Career OPS of .785 and career OPS+ of 114. That is NOT a $20M player.
If it takes 20 million a year over 3 years, Sign me up, Guy drives in runs, and this is desperately needed for the cards. Yet .755, .861, .876, .782, .905, .834 get you 32 million a year… Looks like his number fall in line.
“guy drives in runs”. In what league? The Dominican Slow Pitch League in the off season?
No the guy that was leading the team in HR’s and RBI;s when he got hurt. The same guy who was leading mlb when he got hurt. The same guy who is only 30 RBI’s behind the nl leader despite having 137 less ab’s. The same guy who is 14 rbi’s out of the top 10 while having over 100 less ab’s than everyone but 2 guys in top 10.
He wont get 20 mil a year from anyone… He will get 4/50-60 though. Having said that, the Cards DO have a ton of bad contracts that are dragging them down and blocking younger guys from playing.. They really dont know what they have as far as future players because their prospects hop a plane back and forth from stl to memphis 3 times a week! No consistency means no production. Ozuna should be signed for 4 years by stl and that would be a decent statting core with him and goldy. It takes guys time to gel together. Having said that, they should run from carp, cecil, fowler and wacha. Fowler was the worst signing of any team in the last 10 years. Waino needs to hang it up and yadi should be allowed to play out his contract he has definitely earned that.
SPOTRAC has him projected at $19.6M. Now, that’s not gospel, but the barometer is there.
Worst signing in the last 10 years? what planet have you been on?
Pablo Sandoval: 5 yrs-95 million
Jeff Samardzija: 5yrs-90 million
Shin-Soo Choo : 7yrs-130 million
Elvis Andrus: 8yrs-120 million
Chris Davis: 7yrs-161 million
Jacoby Ellsbury: 7rs-153 million
Justin Upton: 6yrs -132750 million
Robinson Cano: 10yrs-240 million
Josh Hamilton: 5yrs-125 million
Yu Darvish: 6yrs-126 million
And whould ever forget Albert Pujols; 10yrs-240 million
And even forgetable names like Jason Werth, Prince Fielder, Jayson Heyward, Matt Kemp, Carl crawford, Johnny Cueto, Vernon Wells etc. I could go on and on probably coming up with enough players to fill up a couple rosters before getting to Fowlers contract.. So you are either a Fowler hater or just don’t keep up with rosters other than the Cardinals. so moving forward please do a little research before spouting out such fake information.
While I agree that the Cardinals have a ton of bad contracts that are dragging them down, I have never figured out the reasoning behind signing Carpenter 2 yrs at $18 million a season???? Also……If you were the owner of the Cardinals, wouldn’t you think Mozeliak has to take ownership of these poor contact that have the Cardinals hands tied behind their backs??? If the Cardinals have to go through a rebuild because of Mozeliak’s poor contracts and inability to make deadline impact trades, Why in the world do the Cardinals stay with Mozeliak???
I think you offer him the QO and go from there. If he accepts, great. That buys you another season to see what you have with Carlson, Arozarena, O’niell, Bader, etc. If you panic and sign him for a five year deal, you could end up with a situation like Fowler…which was a factor in the Pham trade…etc. Of course, your manager has to actually play the younger options instead of starting utility infielders in the outfield…so…maybe you just sign the guy (Ozuna) that he will play every day over the utility infielders…
Totally agree unclemike. The provlem with Mo is he has never snapped out of the times when we could win the division with mediocore prospects. Grant it, we dis get the absolute most out of those said prospects time and time again. But the central is now too good and you arent going to eek in like we dis in 06. Having said that, DeWitt is to blame also, his $ his rules.. Dont think for a second he is giving the FO a blank check no matter how many fans Grace Busch Stadium. Carpenter was a terrible signing! I know he led the National League in home runs last year but he did most of that damage in a 2 month span… If you look at his season as a whole last year it was pretty awful offensively to go along with his subpar defense. He is clearly declining and he can’t hit a slider to save his life
If you actually paid attention to the Cardinals, Carp can’t catch up to heaters right now, he is hitting off-speed pitching. He didn’t lead the National League in Home Runs last year, Nolan Arenado did. You want the prospects to play and no bad contracts, guess what, you don’t have a number 4 hitter then. Guy was smashing the ball and leading the league in RBI’s before he got hurt and you just want to walk away. WHY would you not attempt to keep him? I am not saying sign a 6 year deal, but 3 or 4 years and he is 28 right now, so the perfect amount of time.
Let’s just play the whole AAA roster in the majors.
Offense is the problem with this team.
Last night for example. Flaherty pitches a hell of a game and they scored 1. Jack alone should have 10 to 12 wins.
Fowler has rebounded this season but still not to his norms. Carp and Bader has been terrible.
I like JMart and honestly his defense is fine(only 2 errors). He definitely improved that aspect. But still is better for fitted for a DH.
Errors are just plain ridiculous to measure a player’s defensive ability. I’ve watched every game of the Cardinals, and Martinez is too slow and takes bad routes to even get to balls 90% of other RF would get to. Official scoring is subjective. I’ve seen at least a half a dozen errors Kolten Wong should have been charged, but the scorer just won’t do it. I would be one pissed off pitcher for the Cardinals watching these runs charged to me. And Jose Martinez isn’t even a fit as DH because he has little power for that spot. If you are going to DH, you better be hitting with some power. Not to mention his hit tool has regressed too. Once again, a move Mo should have made this off season or even at the deadline was try to move Jose for a reliever.
I find it amusing that for the last 5 or so years baseball analytics has deemed RBI a rather meaningless stat. I’ve also read from numerous media and fans it’s not something of importance. However, it seems to be the utmost of importance to Cards fans when arguing for Ozuna’s importance to this team? Funny how that works.
Funny how you were the first person to say RBI to negate Ozuna, I just said guy drives in runs.
Huh? “I just said the guy drives in runs.” What the hell do you think RBI is an acronym for? Do us all a favor. Quit coming on here and calling people “stupid” and “dumb” when you just made a comment like that. And in reference to your complete and utter ridiculous comments you keep making about Ozuna and him needing to be here to protect Goldschmidt. He’s not the only guy in baseball that can bat 4th and protect another player. In fact, did you notice how Goldschmidt got hot when Ozuna was on the IL? How about that one, Einstein?
Dude you need help. I literally said you were the person trying to use RBI’s to negate Ozuna. I know I said he drives in runs. If RBI’s are meaningless as you claim, how are you using them to negate someone since the are meaningless. I thought that was clear, I will make sure I am more thorough for you going forward. Also you told me to call you stupid. So I am, Stupid. I have asked you in CAPS, which you have pointed out, who is your cleanup hitter then? If Ozuna wants to be here and can be had at a reasonable price, why create another hole? Are you really this stupid? Yes, I want to protect a guy who is making 30 million a year. If you don’t protect him what is the point in getting him?. With the issues in the rotation and RF already, why create another hole? Do everyone a favor and think before you ramble this nonsense. You have literally dodged every question I have made and just brought up nonsense. How about the fact the rest of the team was heating up well. It is a lot easier to get produce when the guys in front of you are doing there jobs as well. Ozuna was producing when those guys weren’t. He was carrying this team. But keep on talking nonsense
Yes, I’m the one who needs “help” here. Who was protecting Goldschmidt all those years in Arizona? You make it sound like Ozuna is a world class hitter. I’ll tell you who was “protecting” Goldschmidt. Jake Lamb and David Peralta, which in essence, Goldschmidt in front of them made it easier for them. It’s the same reason Ryan Ludwick had his only good years here. He batted right behind Albert. I have dodged NONE of your questions. I explained everything to you, yet, these aren’t answers you want to hear. They could put DeJong in the cleanup spot if needed, because like I said to you earlier in a response, their glaring lineup needs right now are 1-2. They are DEAD last in BA/OBP in the NL from the leadoff spot. They aren’t much better in the 2 hole. There is no nonsense whatsoever in what I’m teaching you. This team, as it’s built now because of the massive stupid money given Fowler, Molina and Carpenter, needs to move on. They don’t need to give Ozuna another $15-20M a year deal to add to the issues. Now, this is officially my last response to you about this because you don’t know s–t about baseball, and more specifically, you are completely BLIND to this team’s problems. Just because they are in a s–t division and have a chance at a WC spot does not mean they are good. And, it especially does NOT mean they can win any title whatsoever. Like I said, you are the Dewitt/Mo love child. This is what they sell every year, “we want to be competitive”, and you buy it all, and you have your 3×3 piece of sod you graze on every single day. Respond again if you like, but you will hear crickets from here.
I am glad you won’t respond, this website would be better off if you didn’t return. Once again, your opinions are not fact. You have changed your argument to now reflect that we need a leadoff hitter. Not disagreeing with that. My point is creating another hole in the cleanup spot does not help this team. To sign someone to fill this you are paying a large sum of money, the Cardinals have NOBODY capable of filling the spot right now. Dejong hopefully gets right and is you 2 hole hitter. So again, by keeping Ozuna you can solve the problems in the rotation and rf and you know what you have in him. Not a pipe dream hoping someone else can fulfill this spot already on the team. You are teaching nothing to anyone. Everyone knows Carp and Fowlers contract sucks, but teams don’t dump 16 or 18 million contracts. Lamb was a 30hr 100 RBI guy who protected Goldy. Do you understand how protection works? I wish you parents did….
No small sample size here. The 2019 Cards are 20-10 when Ozuna does NOT play in a game. 38-45 when he does play. So if anyone thinks this team is missing it’s precious cleanup hitter, Ozuna, think again. In fact, Goldschmidt had his best month BY FAR in July with an OPS of 1.085. with Ozuna out.
Just a very misleading stat. The team was not producing in May and June. You are quantifying Ozuna by the “TEAMS” record? Brilliant. Again, players around him were hitting last month and you played a bunch of cellar dweller teams. But back to the point, who are you bringing in. Just answer the question.
This team is in need of a big bat or two. 3 if Ozuna leaves. I just dont see how minor leaguers that aren’t proven fixes anything.
Weren’t people saying Bader was a 20HR/ 20 Doubles and 20+ stolen base kind of guy? He sure had alot of hype.
When it comes to Bader he needed to go down and get his hitting back in track! I do think the guy will get it turned around and be our center fielder and hopefully we get some sort of consistency to our whole lineup! The last 3 or 4 years it’s like we have a different lineup everyday! I don’t understand how changing something everyday helps a team gel! Again JMO but it’s past time for a change in direction! We have been one of the most successful teams in the past but at the same time the The coarse we are going now might keep us at least competitive but it’s not going to keep us up with the Elite teams! Again this is JMO