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

[JCShutout]

Get 3 starters. The kids will still get innings. Injuries happen. (Also, bullpen) Heck, matz is already in the rotation. Injuries happen.

And next year whichever kid(s) is/are pitching best can start transitioning to starter to eventually replace mikolas/matz.

Don’t overthink this Mo. get 3 starters.

[Radbird]

Bloom has an impressive portfolio. I hope his voice is heard.

From his wiki

Bloom is also known for his prowess in developing starting pitchers. He wrote the "Rays Way" player development handbook in 2008; and during his tenure with the Rays sportswriter Tom Verducci opined that "no franchise understands better how to identify, develop and maintain quality pitchers."

[cardsfantx]

Updated words from Mo. I like how he hedges on the spending:

John Mozeliak On Cardinals’ Offseason Spending, Molina, Bloom

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak spoke with members of the media (including John Denton of MLB.com) on Monday at the GM meetings to discuss the offseason ahead. He addressed the team’s budget for 2024 and touched on how he plans to revamp the starting rotation. The executive also fielded questions about a coaching role for Yadier Molina, as well as rumors concerning a potential front office job for former Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/ ... bloom.html

Yep; here we go again…

In August, Mozeliak said he planned to bring in three new starters this offseason. He essentially repeated that sentiment on Monday, although he specified that he’s looking for two full-time starters, plus “someone that can maybe split roles.” The Cardinals already have veterans Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz penciled into the rotation for 2024. They also have several talented young arms waiting in the wings, including former first-round picks Zack Thompson and Matthew Liberatore, trade deadline acquisition Drew Rom, and top prospects Gordon Graceffo and Michael McGreevy. None of those pitchers is quite ready to be trusted with an Opening Day job on the starting staff, but Mozeliak is hoping that at least a few of them will pitch “meaningful” big league innings in 2024.

There is rarely such thing as too much pitching depth, but still, if the Cardinals were to add three bona fide starters this winter, they could end up with a logjam in the rotation. That would mean limited opportunities for their young arms, and the Cardinals aren’t going to mortgage the future of the rotation for short-term gains in 2024.

[CardsofSTL]

So you CAN have too much pitching?

If you have five good starters and a youngster comes on strong, trade a fool. Easy.

[Spider John]

Updated words from Mo. I like how he hedges on the spending:

John Mozeliak On Cardinals’ Offseason Spending, Molina, Bloom

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak spoke with members of the media (including John Denton of MLB.com) on Monday at the GM meetings to discuss the offseason ahead. He addressed the team’s budget for 2024 and touched on how he plans to revamp the starting rotation. The executive also fielded questions about a coaching role for Yadier Molina, as well as rumors concerning a potential front office job for former Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/ ... bloom.html

Yep; here we go again…

In August, Mozeliak said he planned to bring in three new starters this offseason. He essentially repeated that sentiment on Monday, although he specified that he’s looking for two full-time starters, plus “someone that can maybe split roles.” The Cardinals already have veterans Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz penciled into the rotation for 2024. They also have several talented young arms waiting in the wings, including former first-round picks Zack Thompson and Matthew Liberatore, trade deadline acquisition Drew Rom, and top prospects Gordon Graceffo and Michael McGreevy. None of those pitchers is quite ready to be trusted with an Opening Day job on the starting staff, but Mozeliak is hoping that at least a few of them will pitch “meaningful” big league innings in 2024.

There is rarely such thing as too much pitching depth, but still, if the Cardinals were to add three bona fide starters this winter, they could end up with a logjam in the rotation. That would mean limited opportunities for their young arms, and the Cardinals aren’t going to mortgage the future of the rotation for short-term gains in 2024.

Boy, they just can't help themselves.

[haltz]

If there is a pitcher available — free agent or trade — the Cardinals would like to have a conversation. They do have their preferences, and they have a competitive amount to spend — the strategy will be in how they carve up that payroll pie and who wants a slice.

Two of the pitchers the Cardinals plan to pursue, Phillies ace Aaron Nola and Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, would take a considerable nine-figure cut of that available spending and influence how the Cardinals shop for other starters. Sonny Gray, a veteran right-hander on whom the Cardinals plan to make a bid, would fit into a variety of their scenarios. A one-year offer to a bounce-back candidate has an appeal if the Cardinals get two surefire starters.

“You can flex all you want, but you only control what you can control,” Mozeliak said. “I do think we understand what we’re trying to get this offseason. We know we need innings. We know we need to revamp our starting pitching. You listen around the league, and everybody is trying to do that. It’s going to be a very competitive marketplace, and hopefully we are able to come out of this on the right side.

“It is a little bit of a volume game on our end,” he added. “We know we need more than just one.”

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/profess ... faf7b.html

[haltz]

Could be worse

[haltz]

[G. Keenan]

Could be worse

The new Moneyball is going to be a team full of skinny no-power slap-hitting sac bunt speedsters who don't strike out and rarely get injured because there's no muscles to strain. Just put it in play and then make havoc on the basepaths with help from the pitch clock.

[Magneto2.0]