Mozeliak: "Some Changes" Coming For Cardinals, But Not A Rebuild

[jagtrader]

Flaherty is likely looking at a prove-it deal for one year. The money will be high if he makes it through October healthy. Someone will gamble.

[Fan_In_NY]

But why? Flaherty can be traded now and re-signed in the winter for the same deal (unless you're going back to my original comment about trying to save a little money).

Yeah, that's why. It won't be the same deal that he'll get on the open market and they'll have 1/3 slots filled going into the offseason.

I don't love the idea or even like Flaherty but if he gives them a deal at the last minute because he's emotional about leaving the nest or whatever I guess you explore it.

I just don't see any reason Flaherty is accepting anything less than market value now. Unless he feels his arm is going to go any minute, this is a player who (correctly) fought against the assignment of baseball salaries for pre-arb guys, a guy who is very pro-union and taking a discount would hurt the union. He can be a little emotional looking back at a significant time of his life, how he grew as a person, the players and situations he experienced in STL, and still not push for full market value in a deal. He's waited his entire career to have the salary hammer - and hes like a handful of healthy starts from getting there. I have no belief that he is taking anything less than full market.

I don't see it either, I would bet money that talks don't go anywhere if there even are talks and he winds up getting traded.

That being said, there is no market yet. There won't be for several months and a lot can happen between now and then. He's put together 20 starts with a 97 ERA+. Not sure there's a big bag at the end of this either way and if the Cardinals guaranteed him money right now, today, that might be tempting considering the last four years of his career.

I can see him getting somewhat between the $25M/2 Years of the Heaney, Manaea, Striping, Quintana group, the $40/3 Years of Tyler Anderson, Zach Eflin, and on the high end the $70/4 Years of Taijuan Walker and Jameson Tailon. All of that list had some injury history, about half their seasons of the last 4 below 100 ERA+ - but some of those hit free agencies on a high, others on a low. Flaherty would be younger than most of those comparable pitchers. And I don't think Flaherty is going to take much less than the Eflin/Taillon group before seeing what the market brings.

[Magneto2.0]

Mark Feinsand says the Giants are interested in Dejong. And multiple teams are calling about Edman and Donovan

[Joe Shlabotnik]

I really hope they keep Donovan.

[Magneto2.0]

I love Donovan too but in order to get a young controllable arm that’s better than a back end starter, we’re probably going to have to either give up Donovan or Gorman

[TGantz]

I can live with losing Donovan for a SP as long as we still have Edman.

The only untouchables in my mind are Arenado, Walker, and Gorman.

[phins]

I don’t have anyone as untouchable. Id love to see roster construction that makes sense and accentuates the pieces rather than lowering the impact of everyone but Goldy/Arenado because they have to be played out of position.

There’s a real opportunity cost to the way the Cardinals hsve their roster imbalanced.

[Lesson]

I love Donovan too but in order to get a young controllable arm that’s better than a back end starter, we’re probably going to have to either give up Donovan or Gorman

Donovan probably brings back a higher caliber SP, but Edman could return a SP as well.

[jagtrader]

They won’t trade Donovan. He’s two years from arbitration and more valuable to the team than anything they’d get in return.

Edman is the guy to trade. Not sure they have the stomach to do that, either.

[MrCrowesGarden]

Might have to click to expand.