MLB Off-season 2025-'26 (Cardinals)

[heyzeus]

Hey man, have you heard of Buffa?

Before I went and re-read this thread I thought it was going to be that they hired Dan Buffa, the KSDK meathead which would be hilarious and depressing and not entirely implausible.

I was just gonna make a Buffa deez nutz joke but forgot. But that does remind me: Buffa deez nutz!

[Magneto2.0]

Trade some of our talented catchers with Donovan to get an ace and they're in the world series.

I don't think the Cardinals are nearly this close to being better than the Dodgers on paper. Sure, they could make the World Series, but by no means would they be the favorites.

But agreed that we shouldn't just accept a mediocre offseason while the Cardinals shuffle some deck chairs around on their rebuilding ship. Ownership either needs to commit to being a title contender again, or they'll continue to see the malaise among the fanbase.

I don't think a team on paper is gonna be close to the Dodgers any time soon. The Bluejays aren't close to the Dodgers on paper.

[MrCrowesGarden]

Miles Mikolas is officially not a Cardinal

[MrCrowesGarden]

From ESPN’s way too early 2026 power rankings, we are last in the Central (Pirates rated one ahead):

[Spider John]

Hey man, have you heard of Buffa?

That dude from New York, last name of Lo?

This will finally be the year the team breaks down and sign Max Scherzer, just 10 years too late.

[Mary1966]

From ESPN’s way too early 2026 power rankings, we are last in the Central (Pirates rated one ahead):

So Sonny Gray’s 201 strikeouts are going to get traded, when that is a category that primes wins and losses in this era? Who are they going to replace Gray in the rotation with? If they end up paying off a lot of his salary and all they get in return is a prospect, that doesn’t solve any problems with the rotation.

[Mary1966]

Burleson and Donovan named as finalists for utility Silver Slugger award.

https://www.mlb.com/news/silver-slugger-finalists-2025

[ghostrunner]

Bloom seemed quite a bit less invested in trading Gray, last I heard him talk about it. Basically said they had a spot he could fill, whereas Arenado was more like they’d only keep him if it meant the other option was releasing him.

[heyzeus]

On the one hand, it's pretty funny to do power rankings when hot stove hasn't even started yet.

On the other, can't disagree with that assessment. The 2026 Cardinals look to be plenty bad. Worse than the Pirates? On the one hand, they do have Skenes. On the other, their 2025 position player WAR leader was Spencer Horowitz at 1.7. That's unfathomably bad.

[CardsofSTL]

Winter meetings start December 7. Will be interesting if Bloom is active prior to that but I expect nothing major in the trade department until then.