最新杏吧原创

If you hadn鈥檛 heard, often-quiet Nolan Arenado made an Instagram post that got some people talking.

A collection of photos from his offseason posted recently included a song with an interesting title: Kendrick Lamar鈥檚 鈥渄odger blue.鈥�

Could be something. Could be nothing. One thing鈥檚 certain:

If this had happened a year ago, there would be mass chaos in Cardinal nation. Now? Not so much.

Maybe that speaks to fans鈥� acceptance of what could become Arenado鈥檚 fate with the Cardinals as the team entertains the idea of trading the eight-time All-Star third baseman.

It probably also has plenty to do with Cardinal nation embracing the organization鈥檚 decision to get back to prioritizing player development, even if it means taking a (hopefully temporary) step back from prioritizing annual postseason competition. It鈥檚 not like the previous approach was working so well, and the Cardinals are finally saying some of the things their fans have said for years: Something鈥檚 broken. Time to fix it.

Focusing on the future more than the immediate present means some familiar faces are going to go, and it鈥檚 been wondered often since the season ended if one will become Arenado.

But I also think some of the muted reaction to Arenado鈥檚 possible social media flirting with the Dodgers, who showed trade interest in him before the 2023 deadline, has to do with, well, Arenado.

He came here from Colorado in 2021 expecting to win big. It didn鈥檛 happen. If his true desire is to go somewhere else to chase it instead of helping the Cardinals get back to doing it here, it鈥檚 best for the future to move him now. And the future, for now, should be the primary concern.

Arenado reversing what has become a seasons-long offensive decline may be a tough ask if he鈥檚 stuck with a team he would rather not play for anymore. His contract is hefty for both his offense-related concerns and his age, but he鈥檚 still a brand name and elite defender. A bounce-back is not out of the cards with him.

For a powerful team with deep postseason expectations that misses out on the Juan Soto chase, Arenado would be a fine consolation prize. The team that gets both Soto and Arenado? That would help close the gap with the best.

Around here, the focus remains local. If Arenado is indeed traded away this offseason, how will his Cardinals era be remembered? Maybe it鈥檚 better to wonder if it will be remembered much at all. Blame for that goes both ways.

The Cardinals didn鈥檛 give Arenado as much of a championship shot as they should have, especially when he and Paul Goldschmidt shared MVP-like seasons together, with Arenado finishing third and Goldschmidt winning the National League award in 2022.

What drives me crazy about the Cardinals now claiming they got too interested in investing in the major league product while the development side of the organization fell into disarray is the lack of investment made into that 2022 team. It was the Cardinals鈥� best shot to go big, especially after Albert Pujols popped, and the aggressiveness to improve the team on the fly was mild, at best.

But the Cardinals were let down by Arenado, too. It鈥檚 OK to admit that, even if unpopular.

After sharing a superb offensive season with Goldschmidt in 2022, it was more than fair to expect Arenado to lead the offense as he entered his age-32 season while Goldschmidt pushed deeper into age鈥檚 danger zone. Arenado over the last two seasons averaged .269 with a .320 on-base percentage and a .426 slugging percentage. For context, his great 2022 slash line read: .293/.358/.533. His .719 on-base plus slugging percentage in 2024 was his lowest since he debuted as a 22-year-old Rockies rookie. That 2024 season marked his second consecutive one without 30 home runs. It was the first time that鈥檚 happened since his first and second years in the majors.

When the Cardinals leaned on youth at times in 2023, Arenado called for more veteran presence in the clubhouse. When the Cardinals stocked up with veterans for 2024, Arenado produced just league-average offense and missed earning All-Star honors for the first time since 2014.

I blame the Cardinals more than Arenado for his playing in fewer postseason games (three) with the Cardinals than he did with the Rockies (five), but it鈥檚 worth mentioning that Arenado as a Cardinal went one-for-12 in his sparse playoff at-bats, with more strikeouts (two) than extra-base hits (zero) and RBIs (also zero). The Cardinals lost one of those games by three runs and two of them by two runs. An Arenado homer or two, of which there were none, could have gone a long way. Maybe we are having a different conversation today if he hits one, or two.

Arenado won an absurd 10 Gold Glove Awards in a row. He and Ichiro Suzuki are the only players who won 10 in their first 10 seasons. Arenado and Mike Schmidt are the only third basemen with 10 Gold Gloves, at least three home run titles and at least four top-five MVP finishes. Those numbers strongly suggest Arenado will one day be a Hall of Famer. But if he鈥檚 traded away this offseason, isn鈥檛 it hard to imagine him cracking the Cardinals Hall of Fame? Goldschmidt at least has an MVP to show for his time here, along with a National League Championship appearance (2019).

If trade talk surrounding a player with legitimate Cooperstown potential happens and a passionate fan base doesn鈥檛 react with outrage, that鈥檚 a pretty good tell things didn鈥檛 go according to the plan. Arenado once spoke of wanting to be a lifelong Cardinal. The Cardinals once spoke of prioritizing making every postseason and never losing their draft-and-development way. Tunes can change. Blame can be shared. Should be, usually.

If the Dodgers (or some other team) want to take on Arenado鈥檚 hefty salary and put him on a super team more capable of making him a contributing piece instead of a key cog, that sounds like the start of a good deal for all parties. The start of a good deal is how things get done at Winter Meetings. If Arenado is determined to help the Cardinals rebound and rebuild, I have to think we would know about it by now. Especially in an Instagram world.

Ben Frederickson

BenFred: What I'm thankful for in sports this year, starting with Brady Cook's example

• Ben Frederickson

Ben Frederickson

BenFred: Here鈥檚 hoping Blues short-timer Bannister gets shot at NHL rebound

• Ben Frederickson

Ben Frederickson

BenFred: Jayson Tatum team has competition in WNBA quest. But 最新杏吧原创 has strengths.

• Ben Frederickson

In a little more than one year, the tone from Cardinals followers surrounding young phenom Jordan Walker seemingly changed from wonderment when he splashed onto the scene in spring training in 2023 to that of empathy after his sharp rise abruptly stopped. What once was awe quickly became 鈥渁w.鈥�

However, when the Cardinals take the field at the start of the 2025 season in Busch Stadium, Walker will still be just 22 years old.

Sure, he may not have the same luster of a prospect breaking into the majors for the first time. The nature of a debut is that it only happens once. It cannot be re-created.

Of course, ardent Cardinals fans don鈥檛 have to think back too far to remember corner outfielders with big potential who made good on some of their promise in other organizations. and come to mind rather quickly.

So it can鈥檛 solely be about how things start.

If there鈥檚 reason for optimism to take away from the way Walker finished this past season, it鈥檚 not a swing change or an altered batting stance. That optimism comes from change that started between Walker鈥檚 ears.

His success hinges at least as much on his mental approach as it does on the way he swings the bat. Walker acknowledged as much late in September.

After returning from Triple-A Memphis, the 6-foot-6 Georgia native expressed an increased focus on being selective at the plate and making better swing decisions.

鈥淎pproach is a big thing,鈥� Walker said during the final homestand of the season. 鈥淣o matter how good your swing is, you have to have an approach. These guys, these pitchers are too good to not have an approach. Sometimes my approach doesn鈥檛 always work out for me. I鈥檝e been trying to have more of a simpler approach, you know, look one spot. It doesn鈥檛 really matter the pitch. If he throws it there, I need to be able to drive it.鈥�

Walker鈥檚 struggles this year, including a slash line of .155/.239/.259 in his first 67 plate appearances before being demoted to Triple-A, make it easier to forget that he seemed poised to establish a foothold as an offensive building block in the middle of the Cardinals lineup a year earlier.

As a rookie in 2023 despite playing 29 games at Triple-A Memphis in the middle of the season, Walker smacked 16 home runs and registered a .276 batting average to go along with a .342 on-base percentage and a .445 slugging percentage, tallying 51 RBIs.

By making the opening day roster that season, Walker became the first player born in 2002 to make his major league debut. His 16 home runs were the third-most in franchise history by a player in his age-21 season, behind Albert Pujols in 2001 and Joe Medwick in 1933. Walker also became the only player in the majors that season with three hitting streaks of 12 games or more.

For Walker, who was drafted out of high school in 2020, his first season in the majors came after two seasons of professional baseball (there were no minor league games in 2020) and not having played a game at the Triple-A level.

This season, after Walker played 84 more games in the minors, he showed signs of progress in the final month back with the major league club. In his final 25 games (24 starts) this year, he slashed .253/.286/.494 with five home runs.

Asked during that stretch if he felt like he made his most growth in regard to approach, Walker replied, 鈥淚 might say so. I think that鈥檚 a good way to put it, just my approach has been a little bit more consistent lately.鈥�

The combination of his previous struggles and input from those around him seemed to hasten Walker鈥檚 progress.

鈥淭alking to teammates and also just self-evaluation,鈥� Walker said of the process that helped him refine his approach. 鈥淟ooking at my at-bats. What鈥檚 getting me out? How are they getting me out? What鈥檚 the best plan to go against it?

鈥淭hat鈥檚 just really what it has been, also just talking to teammates and getting an outside view. Whether it鈥檚 Masyn (Winn) or (Thomas Saggese) or (Mike Antico) from the minors, (Nolan) Gorman. Just talking to them and seeing what they see. Getting an opinion from others.鈥�

During a nine-game stretch in the middle of September, Walker hit three home runs against three different teams 鈥� the Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians.

The homers themselves weren鈥檛 as critical in the eyes of Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol as the way Walker鈥檚 at-bats unfolded. The statistics don鈥檛 carry over to the next season, but how Walker got there has redeeming value.

Walker鈥檚 ability to lay off really well-executed pitches has become as important as his ability to punish mistakes. Often, those two things are connected. One sets table for the other.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not there yet, but he is taking steps in that direction,鈥� Marmol said late in the season.

鈥淭he homers are awesome, but him spitting on a 1-2 slider and being able to hold that position a little earlier or you can just tell he鈥檚 recognizing it a little earlier than usual 鈥� that鈥檚 also important,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 going to be a process.鈥�

That鈥檚 also where new hitting coach Brant Brown could play a big part in Walker鈥檚 progress. Brown鈥檚 philosophy seemingly leans heavily on the mental aspects such as having a plan at the plate, hitters knowing their individual strengths and being calculated about swing decisions.

Brown鈥檚 ability to reach the Cardinals鈥� young hitters, such as Walker, factored substantially into his hiring.

鈥淭hat was very important, someone that can relate to younger players and speak their language,鈥� Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. 鈥淣o. 2, we also wanted somebody that had a larger breadth, if you will, in what they teach or how they teach.

鈥淚n other words, some players want as much information as possible. They鈥檙e trying to digest that, and it works for them. Other players want a very simplistic strategy to take to the plate and in their game. Really, we were looking for a hitting coach that could do both and also do something in the middle if necessary.鈥�

最新杏吧原创 Cardinals

While Cardinals overhaul minor leagues, where do other NL Central farm systems rank?

• Daniel Guerrero

最新杏吧原创 Cardinals

'Efficiency' is the overall goal this offseason for Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott II

• Daniel Guerrero

最新杏吧原创 Cardinals

While rivals shop, Cardinals trade past expectations for future considerations. But why now?

• Derrick Goold

Bring your Cardinals questions and comments to Monday鈥檚 11 a.m. live chat.

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

As the Cardinals head into the 2025 season focusing on improving their prospects pipeline, the timing of their organizational pivot comes as some of their National League Central rivals have had their respective farm system fall in rankings this year.

The Cardinals, whose farm system rank by Baseball America fell from No. 20 in the preseason to No. 21 in the publication鈥檚 midseason update, like their division rivals have multiple top 100 prospects in their system. Following shortstop Masyn Winn鈥檚 graduation from prospect status in 2024, the Cardinals鈥� top 100 group going into 2025 is headlined by shortstop JJ Wetherholt, the seventh pick in this year鈥檚 draft. Right-hander Tink Hence and left-hander Quinn Mathews, a 2024 breakout who led the minors in strikeouts with 202 across four levels, join Wetherholt as a top prospect across baseball.

The Cardinals鈥� four full-season minor league clubs combined to produce a .251 batting average, while its pitching core at those levels maintained a 3.97 ERA and a 9.8% walk rate. 最新杏吧原创 led in each of those three statistical categories when compared to its divisional counterparts at each level but was last in home runs (411) and stolen bases (576).

With a developmental overhaul on the horizon for the Cardinals, here鈥檚 a look at where their NL Central division rivals鈥� farm systems stand:

Chicago Cubs

Baseball America midseason ranking: 11

Top prospects: RHP Cade Horton, 3B Matt Shaw, OF Owen Caissie, SS Jefferson Rojas, C Moises Ballesteros

Overview: With six top 100 prospects on Baseball America鈥檚 ranking, the Cubs went into the offseason with the highest-rated farm system in the NL Central despite falling from the No. 4 spot to start the year. The Cubs鈥� crop of top 100 prospects is headed by Shaw, a 23-year-old drafted in 2023 who reached Class AAA in August. Along with Shaw, the position players who landed in the midseason top 100 included Caissie, Rojas, Ballesteros, and 22-year-old outfielder Kevin Alcantara, who debuted in the majors in 2024.

This past minor league season, the Cubs鈥� four full-season affiliates combined for 5,034 strikeouts, the most by an NL Central club鈥檚 four full-season affiliates. Though its 24.3% strikeout rate was second-best among its divisional counterparts under the same criteria, its 11.4% walk rate was the highest. That Cubs鈥� minor league pitching core that played for one of their full-season affiliates this year was highlighted by right-hander Brandon Birdsell. Birdsell, 24, led the Cubs鈥� farm system in strikeouts (134) and innings (135 2/3) while pitching in Class AA and Class AAA. Position players at the Cubs鈥� top four affiliates combined to bat .240 and hit 478 home runs, enough for second and third-best by an NL Central system, respectively.

Milwaukee Brewers

Baseball America Midseason Ranking: 15

Top prospects: C Jeferson Quero, RHP Jacob Misiorowski, SS Jesus Made, SS Cooper Pratt, 1B/3B Tyler Black

Overview: Milwaukee entered the season with a farm system ranked No. 2 by Baseball America but had its standing fall as top prospects Jackson Chourio, third in this year鈥檚 National League Rookie of the Year voting, and Joey Ortiz graduate off prospect lists with their arrival in the majors. Quero, Misiorowski, Made, and Pratt each checked in as top 100 prospects at midseason with Quero ranking as high as No. 47. Quero, a 22-year-old who was awarded the Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove at the catcher position last year, had his season cut to one game in Class AAA because he tore his right shoulder labrum while diving to first base in his first game of the year.

While the Brewers鈥� four full-season affiliates combined for the fewest home runs (357) compared to their divisional counterparts, those four clubs combined for a .241 batting average 鈥� which was second-best 鈥� and led in stolen bases, with 783. Milwaukee鈥檚 pitching staff at those four minor league levels combined for a 24.7% strikeout rate to lead the NL Central farms and a 4.00 ERA that ranked second behind the Cardinals鈥� minor league staffs across Class Low-A, High-A, AA, and AAA.

Cincinnati Reds

Baseball America midseason ranking: 17

Top prospects: RHP Rhett Lowder, RHP Chase Burns, RHP Chase Petty, C Alfredo Duno, 3B/1B Cam Collier

Overview: The Reds鈥� four full-season affiliates combined to rank last among NL Central farms in ERA (4.44), strikeouts (4,794), strikeout rate (23.2%), batting average (.230), and runs scored (2,352). They had the second-worst walk rate (11%) by a pitching unit. The down year, which caused a slide from the No. 11-ranked spot, came as some top prospects such as Duno, switch-hitting shortstop Edwin Arroyo and right-hander Ty Floyd, the 38th pick in the 2023 MLB draft, dealt with injuries.

Arroyo, 21, played in the Arizona Fall League on the same team as Cardinals prospects, while Floyd, 23, missed the entire 2024 season. Duno, 18, was limited to 32 games in Class Low-A. Lowder, who was drafted in 2023 and debuted in 2024, headlines the Reds鈥� system with Burns and Petty behind him. Of the trio, Burns is the newest to the system. Burns, 21, was selected by the Reds with the second pick in this year鈥檚 draft after dazzling in college at Wake Forest, for which he had a 10-1 record, 2.70 ERA, and 191 strikeouts in 100 innings. He鈥檚 yet to make his professional debut.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Baseball America midseason ranking: 27

Top prospects: RHP Bubba Chandler, SS Konnor Griffin, RHP Thomas Harrington, RHP Braxton Ashcraft, 2B Termarr Johnson

Overview: Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 12 farm system in baseball to begin the year, the Pirates had top prospects graduate off those lists including 2024 National League Rookie of the Year award winner Paul Skenes, and 23-year-old righty Jared Jones. Pittsburgh鈥檚 farm system contains more pitching that is nearing the majors. Chandler, 22, and Harrington, 23, both reached Class AAA and both totaled more than 110 innings in 2024. Chandler led the Pirates鈥� system in strikeouts (148 in 119鈪� innings). He was one of two Pirates prospects to total 130 or more strikeouts in 2024. Deeper in the system, Carlson Reed, a 21-year-old right-hander, totaled 130 strikeouts and posted a 1.99 ERA in 108鈪� innings between Class Low-A and High-A.

While the pitching staffs at Pittsburgh鈥檚 four full-season affiliates combined to rank third in strikeouts (4,943) and fourth in ERA (4.31) compared to their divisional counterparts, Pirates position player prospects at those levels led in homers (525) and runs scored (2,598) but were last in strikeouts (5,368). Konnor Griffin, the ninth pick who was viewed by some as the top prep prospect heading into this year鈥檚 draft, will head into next season as the Pirates鈥� top-ranked position player prospect. Griffin, 18, did not play in the minors after the draft.

LA keeps Edman

Former Cardinal Tommy Edman and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a $74 million, five-year contract that includes a team option for 2030 and $25 million deferred over 10 years. The agreement supersedes a $16.5 million, two-year contract he agreed to with the Cardinals last winter under which he had been scheduled to be paid $9.5 million in 2025.

The Dodgers got the utility player on July 29 as part of a three-team trade that included the Chicago White Sox, with the Cards ending up with pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham 鈥� the latter of whom no longer is with the club.

Edman hit .237 this year with six homers and 20 RBIs in 37 games then was MVP of the NL Championship Series, hitting .407 with 11 RBIs. He batted .320 with two homers and 13 RBIs during the postseason as the Dodgers won the World Series. (Associated Press)

最新杏吧原创 Cardinals

'Efficiency' is the overall goal this offseason for Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott II

• Daniel Guerrero

最新杏吧原创 Cardinals

As Braves鈥� Chris Sale claims NL Cy Young, Cardinals鈥� Ryan Helsley earns votes down ballot

• Daniel Guerrero

最新杏吧原创 Cardinals

Cardinals' roster moves protect two of club's top pitching prospects, two breakout talents

• Daniel Guerrero

While breaking down how his offseason has begun to take shape following his first test of the majors, Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott II simplified the emphasis of his work, and what it could bring in 2025.

鈥淚 guess overall, the general consensus of what this offseason is for me is efficiency,鈥� Scott said in a recent phone interview. 鈥淓fficiency equals consistency equals fun. Those three things are what I鈥檓 looking at.鈥�

As the 23-year-old explained, his preparation over this offseason is targeting 鈥渟mall refinements鈥� to his overall game. His emphasis on 鈥渆fficiency鈥� can come down to an adjustment as minuscule as working on the direction he spins a baseball when impacting it or with how he steadies his eyes on a particular target.

They鈥檙e minor tweaks Scott thinks can add up to a larger outcome. Why?

鈥淏ecause the mass of Victor 鈥� I鈥檓 speaking in third person 鈥� but the mass of Victor is very good, but how can we make him that much better? Those are the little things that we鈥檙e looking at, that we鈥檙e working on,鈥� he said.

A quick riser during his first full minor-league season, in 2023, Scott opened this year as the Cardinals鈥� starting center fielder. The opportunity presented itself to Scott following a strong spring training performance and injuries to outfielders Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson. The rookie, coming off a breakout 2023 that included a .303 batting average, 94 stolen bases and a Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove award, batted .200 and produced a .272 on-base percentage in 134 games between the majors and the minors this year.

Scott began his first MLB season with a .085 average through 20 games and was optioned to Class AAA Memphis before the end of April. He batted .194 through his first 45 Class AAA games until a mechanical adjustment provided a midseason boost. With a leg kick added to his swing, Scott hit a .242 across his 58 games 鈥� 29 of which came in the majors 鈥� from June 21 to Sept. 8.

鈥淚 think it helps,鈥� Scott said about finding production with the in-season changes. 鈥溾�� Just being able to know that that big adjustment, because that鈥檚 a huge swing change, that it shows like, 鈥極K, this guy, he鈥檚 found out how to be athletic within his swing. Now he鈥檚 refining it.鈥欌��

To build off his in-season changes, Scott has worked with his hitting coach, Michael Butler, in Atlanta, as well as Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown, assistant coach Jon Jay, and Class High-A hitting coach Casey Chenoweth while at the Cardinals鈥� spring training facility in Jupiter, Florida. Brown and Jay, a former Cardinal and 2011 World Series winner, were added to the team鈥檚 coaching staff this offseason.

Through his work with various coaches, Scott is seeking to create more efficiency with the movement the new stride in his swing creates.

To reach that goal, he has committed to a four-day-a-week hitting plan that includes multiple routines that highlight intentionality in his work. Another is through targeting specific pitches, typically ones he struggled with this year, and locations depending on the handedness of opposing pitchers. Scott鈥檚 attention to certain pitches often includes visualizing them on a hitting tee and trying to 鈥渆xecute that, say, 12 times in a span of three reps.鈥�

The work is to better 鈥渋mpact the ball.鈥� A speedster who can make routine plays close, Scott鈥檚 time in the majors showed him how slim the chances are for grounders to turn into hits even with elite speed as a runner. Generating more hard contact, he explained, can come through improved bat speed 鈥� a focus of his last winter 鈥� or by being more 鈥渂arrel accurate.鈥� This winter, barrel accuracy is at the forefront.

鈥淚鈥檇 rather be barrel accurate than have a ton of bat speed,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just checks and balances, as we know. It鈥檚 the same as in life. That was just something in getting bat-to-ball, it gave me more adjustability to get to those pitches. And then also with the swing, momentum for smaller guys is something that you need, so under no stride, you take out that momentum aspect and you work off just hands. With an operation like that, it makes it a little difficult to be adjustable to hit the ball hard and not just on the ground.鈥�

As one of three outfielders to win a Minor League Gold Glove in 2023, Scott displayed his defensive potential in the majors with plays that robbed hitters of potential extra bases. Across 376 innings in the outfield 鈥� 362 of which were in center field 鈥� Scott finished plus-three in outs above average and plus-two in fielding run value, per Statcast.

He thinks his next step to continue his defensive development can come with his first step in the field. Through the use of cone drills, Scott is working to become more efficient with his jumps. He鈥檚 aiming to be 鈥渃leaner鈥� in his routes. Both, he noted, would pair with his top-end speed to elevate his defense, and overall game in 2025.

鈥淭op-end speed was not necessarily something that I struggled at, but it all gets pieced together when you start talking about first step and route running,鈥� Scott said. 鈥淎nd now you mix in top-end speed, it makes a pretty scary monster out there on defense. I鈥檒l definitely be glad to show everyone what that looks like during spring training and better yet, during the season as well.鈥�

最新杏吧原创 Cardinals

While rivals shop, Cardinals trade past expectations for future considerations. But why now?

• Derrick Goold

最新杏吧原创 Cardinals

Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford, last with Cardinals, announces his retirement

• Derrick Goold

最新杏吧原创 Cardinals

Goold's chat: If Cardinals trade closer Ryan Helsley, when's best time to maximize offer?

• Derrick Goold