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New York Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How the Blues' offseason could turn into a nightmare, if these 5 things happen
ST. LOUIS — On Thursday, The Athletic wrote about the perfect offseason for the St. Louis Blues. Now it's time for what a nightmare offseason would look like. Reading the reaction to the first article, there wasn't a lot of agreement among subscribers on signing Florida Panthers' free-agent forward Sam Bennett. In fact, knowing Bennett's projected cost ($10 million AAV?) and age (28), some of you strongly suggested that it would be a nightmare. And you're probably right, but it was just meant to be some summer speculation about the perfect offseason. Advertisement So what would a nightmarish couple of months look like for the Blues? Well, it could just be the reverse of what fans hope will go perfectly. For example, if you want the team to re-sign Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg a year before their contracts expire, then not re-signing them would be an unwanted outcome. I'll try and dig a little deeper than that. In the end, we can all agree — if you're the Blues, you don't want any of the items on this list to unfold this way. Thanks to their second-half run to the playoffs, the Blues have the No. 19 pick in the first round. If they choose to make that selection, they should come away with a good player from Corey Pronman's list of the top 125 prospects. But if forwards Cole Reschny (Victoria), Braeden Cootes (Seattle) and Jack Nesbitt (Windsor) are off the board, and defensemen Cameron Reid (Kitchener) and Logan Hensler (Wisconsin) are gone too, is there another player the amateur scouting staff likes in that spot, or would the team trade down? There's nothing wrong with the Blues moving back and acquiring, say, a third-round pick in return. They've had four first-round picks in the past two years, so there's a lot of top-end talent in the system. But with last year's first-round pick (Adam Jiricek) off to an injury-riddled start to his career, it could become a situation where the club looks back in a few years and sees that it missed out on some quality players. Forget about Bennett for a moment. What if the Blues not only can't make a big splash for a center, but can't find any centers in free agency who fit their need and price range? And what if GM Doug Armstrong also has trouble in the trade market? With the Dallas Stars signing pending UFA Matt Duchene on Thursday, and the Edmonton Oilers possibly having a deal for Trent Frederic, a few of the names are already coming off the board. There are others, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs' John Tavares and the Vancouver Canucks' Pius Suter, but what if they're re-signed by their current clubs, too? Advertisement As far as the trade market for a center, that looks bleak, as well. There weren't many to begin with on The Athletic's offseason trade board, so unless Armstrong is able to pluck away a player who isn't widely known to be available, then the Blues could have a tough time filling their hole. In May, I responded to a mailbag question about Blues goalie Joel Hofer getting an offer sheet this summer, and said, in my opinion, I don't think it's too much of a concern. That's not to say it can't happen, but I wouldn't be worried about the Blues matching, or even having to overpay him. Hofer, 24, will be a restricted free agent if he's still unsigned by the Blues on July 1. Granted that's 12 days away, and he doesn't have a contract. But the reason I don't think an offer sheet will come to fruition is because a team would have to give him a contract with a $4.6 million cap hit in order for the Blues to consider not matching. If it's between $2.3-$4.6 million, the compensation is just a second-round pick for the Blues, and they would match that. But as we saw with Armstrong signing Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to dual offer sheets last season, and prying them away from the Edmonton Oilers, anything can happen. And if it did somehow happen to the Blues with Hofer, it would send them searching for a new partner for Jordan Binnington and a netminder for the future. In the final months of the regular season and in the playoffs, Blues coach Jim Montgomery could've flipped a coin when deciding whether to put either Mathieu Joseph or Alexandre Texier. Neither was overly impressive, nor did it appear that Montgomery trusted them. Joseph has one season ($2.95 million AAV) remaining on the contract that the Blues inherited when they acquired him from the Ottawa Senators in a trade last summer. With the NHL buyout window opening 48 hours after the Stanley Cup Final, The Athletic has put together a list of potential candidates that includes Joseph. It would save the Blues $2.2 million on their cap in 2025-26 and cost them $1.1 million against it in 2026-27. Advertisement Meanwhile, Texier has one more season ($2.1 million AAV) left on the deal that he signed when the Blues got him from the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has some skill and doesn't make much money, so he doesn't seem like a buyout candidate. It's not that Armstrong can't keep one of them around, but keeping both is a different story, and Joseph seems the most likely to go. Give credit to the Blues' defensive personnel, who clamped down after Montgomery took over and made the team much improved overall five-on-five. But that said, there wouldn't be too much excitement if training camp begins and Justin Faulk and Nick Leddy are both back, and Armstrong has re-signed Ryan Suter. There are a lot of players on the blue line who can skate and move the puck, but they're just not hard to play against. You can have Colton Parayko, Cam Fowler and Broberg, but if so, you have to accent them with players who are a bit more intimidating. Tyler Tucker is certainly that, and he helps, but whether it's boxing out five-on-five or on the penalty kill, there has to be more of a presence back there. Armstrong has long known that the Blues need to move on from one or more of those defensemen, but hasn't been able to because of the full no-trade clauses that he included in their contracts. But this summer, some of those full NTCs turn into modified NTCs, which will give the team some flexibility to move them. It'll be interesting to see if the GM follows through. (Top photo of Joel Hofer: Jeff Curry / Imagn Images)
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Cardinals mailbag: Trade deadline, roster construction and playing decisions
After a woeful two weeks, the St. Louis Cardinals thrust themselves back on track with a three-game sweep over the Chicago White Sox. Still, plenty of questions remain for the club ahead of a pivotal seven-game homestand against two division foes. The Cardinals (40-35) will head back to Busch Stadium for a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds before taking on the Chicago Cubs for the first time this year for four games. Advertisement How will the club's upcoming stretch impact impending decisions about the trade deadline, roster construction and playing time? You asked; we did our best to answer. Let's get to it in our latest subscriber mailbag. Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length. EXTRA INNINGS NOOT-BOMB! 💣 — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 20, 2025 The Cardinals have an awkward roster. Three catchers, about a million DHs and, somehow, not one (enticing) right-handed-hitting outfielder at any level after Jordan Walker. There is also the big second-base logjam with Thomas Saggese already squeezed out by Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman, with JJ Wetherholt right on his heels, torching his way through Double A. Is this just a result of the reset (retool? rebuild?) season, where we're seeing everything being thrown at the wall to find out what sticks? Is the front office concerned with this as the trade deadline approaches? Does it want to wait until the offseason so it can have a better grasp on the talent it has on hand before trading away some of its depth? — Evan O. You nailed it. The roster construction is questionable at best, but to the team's credit, it has been able to outdo expectations. You bring up a strong point about the plethora of middle infielders, and you're also correct that some of this logjam is a byproduct of the team's reset plan. The organization can't make decisions on which players to keep if it doesn't have a full understanding of what each player is (and finding out was the primary objective of this season). The front office isn't overly concerned about this, mainly because it won't be John Mozeliak's problem. Chaim Bloom will inherit the roster come November — and the assortment of challenging decisions that will come with it. It's improbable a major trade involving any of the young players or top prospects will occur at the deadline. The Cardinals wanted a full season of player performance — not half of one — before making any long-term decisions. That shouldn't change regardless of how the team performs over the next month. Advertisement That's not to say the Cardinals won't be active at the deadline, and we'll get to that later. But for those of you hoping to see some of the middle infield or catching surplus traded away this July, shift your focus to the offseason. If St. Louis decides to go that route, it will likely be a Bloom decision. The season has gone better than expected, but the team has hit a rough patch in June. If the team is sitting around .500 going into the trade deadline, do you have a feel as to whether it will buy or sell? I understand the reasoning for both, but it'd be a great opportunity to move someone like Miles Mikolas or Erick Fedde to make space for Michael McGreevy and give him a full runway for the rest of the season. — Brent M. Will the Cardinals be buyers at the deadline or will they stick to the mantra of seeing young kids play? Any chance they sell for some pitching? — Michael N. It's still too early to tell if the Cardinals will buy or sell. We'll have a better indication of where things stand ahead of the All-Star break, but that is still four weeks away, and a lot can change in the standings between now and then. One thing we do know: Regardless of whether the team buys or sells, the priority will remain the future. If the Cardinals add at the deadline, they will do so incrementally. If they sell, it will likely involve players on expiring deals. The Cardinals indeed could shop Fedde, who is in the final season of his $7.5 million contract, to make room for McGreevy in the rotation, but only if they feel comfortable with their pitching depth. Trading Mikolas would be much more difficult, as he's owed more ($17.5 million this year) and has a full no-trade clause. Steven Matz could also be a trade candidate, but St. Louis would have to find a viable solution to backfill his spot in the bullpen, especially if it's contending. There is also a chance the Cardinals become sellers but make themselves more competitive in the process. How is that possible, you ask? The 2024 Detroit Tigers serve as an ideal blueprint. The Tigers traded four players in the last deadline — Jack Flaherty, Mark Canha, Andrew Chafin and Carson Kelly — but elected to keep eventual American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Those decisions opened the door for an abundance of young talent, which propelled Detroit to a playoff berth. That's a path the Cardinals would gladly take this year. Who's making the final call on trades, or even the organizational philosophy to buy or sell, and to what degree: Mozeliak or Bloom? — Gregory D. How much, if any, will Bloom influence the trade deadline decisions this year? — Robert T. From a baseball operations standpoint, it's Mozeliak running the show at the deadline. He remains in charge of the major-league decisions for the rest of the season while Bloom oversees the first year of a multiyear renovation plan in the minor leagues. Inner rumblings within the organization say Bloom will be available for feedback should any of Mozeliak's potential trades impact players not on expiring contracts, but it remains to be seen just how active he will be permitted to be in the decision-making process. Advertisement As to what degree, that's not up to Bloom or Mozeliak. That's strictly an ownership call, and there is no telling what chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. will do, especially if the Cardinals look to be contenders at the end of July. The team has prepared for a recession period due to a predicted decline in ticket sales and the restructuring of its television deal. It has also pledged a substantial relocation of funds to the minor leagues as part of a long-needed overhaul of the player development system. That's why payroll was cut drastically before the season and why the organization attempted to offload heavy contracts such as Nolan Arenado's. It's highly unlikely ownership will switch course halfway through the year. That means whatever trades the Cardinals do make this year won't register much on the Richter scale. If they buy, expect moves to improve immediate roster needs, but not anything that will impact 2026 and beyond. If they sell, expect players on expiring deals to be the ones who are shopped. It seems to me we're at a point where trading the (impending) free-agent pitchers is coming closer to reality. It seems the odds of any of them coming back are minimal. That's a huge chunk of a pitching staff to replenish. Do you foresee the team really being able to replace them in the offseason? — Brian S. Which prospects are setting themselves apart to be considered top prospects for the organization? — John H. You are right that it's improbable the Cardinals bring back Mikolas, Fedde or Matz. I think the club can replenish these vacancies, but it would do so internally. McGreevy is basically a lock for a spot in the rotation next year. Quinn Mathews is back with Triple-A Memphis after missing six weeks on the injured list, and the organization remains quite high on him. Tink Hence was also recently activated off the IL and transferred to Double-A Springfield, and though there are some concerns over his sustainability as a starting pitcher, the Cardinals will continue to give him ample opportunity to build up. St. Louis took a significant hit when 2022 first-round pick Cooper Hjerpe underwent Tommy John surgery in April, but that makes the club's experiments with Andre Pallante and Matthew Liberatore that much more important. If either pitcher can prove his ability in the rotation this year, that's one less spot the organization has to worry about filling. One pitching prospect who has really excited the organization is Tekoah Roby. The 23-year-old (who came to St. Louis from the Texas Rangers as one of the returns for Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton in 2023) has exceptional stuff, as evidenced by his 66 strikeouts over 57 1/3 innings this year. Roby made 10 starts for Springfield before being promoted to Memphis at the beginning of June. He'll need to continue racking up innings — injuries have shortened his last two seasons, and he has not logged more than 60 innings in a season since 2022. But he remains a tantalizing prospect and is an early contender to break into the rotation in 2026. Tekoah Roby was nearly untouchable tonight: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 11 K — Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 17, 2025 There's all the talk of the runway for players like Walker and Gorman, but does that same idea also apply to Lars Nootbaar? He has struggled recently, and I'm honestly not sure if I trust his record, especially considering his inability to stay healthy. — Dan H. If Walker and Gorman were priority No. 1 this season, consider Nootbaar priority 1A. Nootbaar was always under the runway umbrella, though the concern from the organization was more health-related than performance. To your point about his injury track record: In four seasons in the big leagues, Nootbaar played no more than 117 games and spent significant time on the IL in each of his last three seasons. Nootbaar has done a nice job staying on the field this year, and it's been a top priority for him. He knows the organization will be evaluating his performance this year before deciding what his role will be in the future. That's why manager Oli Marmol has continued to play Nootbaar despite arguably the worst slump of the 27-year-old's career. Similar to Walker and Gorman, the Cardinals need to know if Nootbaar can overcome and make adjustments at the major-league level, and the only way to find that out is by playing him every day. Advertisement To what extent are we going to be inundated with Arenado trade rumors in the coming months? — Keith H. Probably not to the extent of last offseason (which I'm still recovering from), but expect Arenado's name to still pop up in rumors as we inch closer to July. However, the likelihood of Arenado being traded is not high. As we learned over the winter, Arenado's full no-trade clause has greatly slimmed potential landing spots. His performance also hasn't increased his value. In fact, his .686 OPS would likely serve as a deterrent for a contending team, and that's to say nothing of the money still owed on his contract. Still, you can never say never in a situation like this. But an Arenado trade, if it ever does occur, seems much more probable this winter than this summer. (Photo of Michael McGreevy: Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images)
Associated Press
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Cardinals host the Reds to open 3-game series
Cincinnati Reds (39-36, fourth in the NL Central) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (40-35, third in the NL Central) St. Louis; Friday, 7:15 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Reds: Brady Singer (7-4, 4.34 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 60 strikeouts); Cardinals: Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.83 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 54 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cardinals -136, Reds +115; over/under is 9 runs BOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals start a three-game series at home against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. St. Louis is 22-14 in home games and 40-35 overall. Cardinals hitters have a collective .396 slugging percentage to rank seventh in the NL. Cincinnati is 39-36 overall and 19-19 in road games. The Reds have a 32-4 record in games when they out-hit their opponents. Friday's game is the fifth time these teams meet this season. The season series is tied 2-2. TOP PERFORMERS: Willson Contreras leads the Cardinals with 26 extra base hits (16 doubles and 10 home runs). Alec Burleson is 16 for 42 with three doubles, two home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games. Elly De La Cruz has 14 doubles and 16 home runs for the Reds. Tyler Stephenson is 12 for 42 with three doubles, a home run and nine RBIs over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Cardinals: 4-6, .250 batting average, 4.65 ERA, outscored opponents by three runs Reds: 7-3, .274 batting average, 5.08 ERA, outscored opponents by one run INJURIES: Cardinals: Zack Thompson: 60-Day IL (lat) Reds: Graham Ashcraft: 15-Day IL (groin), Rhett Lowder: 60-Day IL (forearm), Hunter Greene: 15-Day IL (groin), Austin Hays: 10-Day IL (foot), Carson Spiers: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tyler Callihan: 60-Day IL (forearm), Noelvi Marte: 10-Day IL (side), Jeimer Candelario: 10-Day IL (back), Brandon Williamson: 60-Day IL (elbow), Julian Aguiar: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals host the Reds to open 3-game series
Cincinnati Reds (39-36, fourth in the NL Central) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (40-35, third in the NL Central) St. Louis; Friday, 7:15 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Reds: Brady Singer (7-4, 4.34 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 60 strikeouts); Cardinals: Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.83 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 54 strikeouts) Advertisement BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cardinals -136, Reds +115; over/under is 9 runs BOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals start a three-game series at home against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. St. Louis is 22-14 in home games and 40-35 overall. Cardinals hitters have a collective .396 slugging percentage to rank seventh in the NL. Cincinnati is 39-36 overall and 19-19 in road games. The Reds have a 32-4 record in games when they out-hit their opponents. Friday's game is the fifth time these teams meet this season. The season series is tied 2-2. TOP PERFORMERS: Willson Contreras leads the Cardinals with 26 extra base hits (16 doubles and 10 home runs). Alec Burleson is 16 for 42 with three doubles, two home runs and six RBIs over the last 10 games. Advertisement Elly De La Cruz has 14 doubles and 16 home runs for the Reds. Tyler Stephenson is 12 for 42 with three doubles, a home run and nine RBIs over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Cardinals: 4-6, .250 batting average, 4.65 ERA, outscored opponents by three runs Reds: 7-3, .274 batting average, 5.08 ERA, outscored opponents by one run INJURIES: Cardinals: Zack Thompson: 60-Day IL (lat) Reds: Graham Ashcraft: 15-Day IL (groin), Rhett Lowder: 60-Day IL (forearm), Hunter Greene: 15-Day IL (groin), Austin Hays: 10-Day IL (foot), Carson Spiers: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tyler Callihan: 60-Day IL (forearm), Noelvi Marte: 10-Day IL (side), Jeimer Candelario: 10-Day IL (back), Brandon Williamson: 60-Day IL (elbow), Julian Aguiar: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals Turn Heads With Nolan Arenado Announcement During White Sox Game
Cardinals Turn Heads With Nolan Arenado Announcement During White Sox Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The St. Louis Cardinals entered Thursday with a 39-35 record, trailing the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central by six games and sitting just 0.5 games back of a Wild Card spot. Advertisement As a team, the Cardinals are exhibiting an old-school approach on offense; they are tied for sixth in MLB in runs per game and rank third in batting average at .257, yet they rank 24th in home runs with only 68 on the year, suggesting a small-ball strategy. The organization's lack of offensive power can be attributed in part to losing 2022 MVP Paul Goldschmidt to the New York Yankees during the offseason, combined with the decision not to sign any impactful free agents. After a mediocre 83-79 finish last year and no roster improvements, trade rumors surrounding Nolan Arenado began circulating, but ultimately nothing materialized. St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28)Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Arenado's journey with the Cardinals began when he was traded from the Colorado Rockies prior to the 2021 season. Over the course of his 13-year career, he has established himself as an elite third baseman, earning eight All-Star selections, ten consecutive Gold Gloves, and five Silver Slugger awards. Advertisement During today's game against the Chicago White Sox, Arenado accomplished a significant career milestone by hitting his 350th career home run—a moment the team announced with a post on X. "A milestone for Nado!" the Cardinals exclaimed. "Nolan Arenado joins the 350 home run club!" Fans have been reacting to this big news. "Congratulations to him," said one "Excellent job Nado!" exclaimed another. "TOTALLY AWESOME, Arenado!!!! Congratulations!!!" one added. "Arenado. Career 350 HR. Congrats," said another. "Congratulations," added one. In the 2025 season, Arenado is currently batting .245 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs in 70 games—a drop-off from his career norms as he's in the midst of his age 34 season. Advertisement Related: Phillies' Rob Thomson Announces Bryce Harper News Before Marlins Game Related: Francisco Lindor Sends Clear Message After Mets' Fifth Straight Loss This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
