St. Louis Cardinals NEED To Find A Star Like Fernando Tatis Jr. to IGNITE Their Franchise Future

St. Louis Cardinals NEED To Find A Star Like Fernando Tatis Jr. to IGNITE Their Franchise Future

Could or should the Cardinals swing for the fences in a deal to land one of the most exciting players in the sport? We’ll talk about it today on Locked on Cardinals. You are Locked on Cardinals, your daily St. Louis Cardinals podcast, part of the Locked On Network, your team every day. Hey there, Cardinals fans. I’m JD Hford, a former national radio sports anchor born and raised in St. Louis and a lifetime Cardinals fan. And welcome to Lockdown Cardinals, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Now the number one sports podcast network. Yes, you’re going to get the clapping. Good stuff. Uh big thank you to all of the Everydayers who have been here with us throughout this entirety. You guys are great. And uh for those of you who are new, welcome in. This is a show serving Cardinal Nation and giving you all the info about the birds on the bat. Today’s episode being brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the app today. So, on today’s show, we’re going to discuss the so I don’t even know what I said there. Sai Young award winners in Major League Baseball. I want to compare them to the last time a Cardinals player won the award, and it’s been a bit. Uh, so we’re going to do that today, but we’re going to start today’s episode with a story from Rob Reigns at stlsportspage.com. If you don’t follow him, I think you should. I encourage you to do that. Just another solid journalist that uh covers our St. Louis Cardinals, and I love his stuff during the season. um like the the postgame stats. Like he’s always got the cool stat stuff that uh are always fun to to go through. The nerd inside me geeks out over that kind of stuff. So uh give him a follow on on X. So make sure you go to stlports page.com, check out his work. But anyways, this is his story which uh I am going to link in the description so you guys can give it the uh proper hits and check it out for yourself in its entirety. And his suggestion for our St. Louis Cardinals is to go get Fernando Tatis Jr. from the San Diego Padres’s. And I know, I know you’re probably laughing right now. You’re you’re giggling. You’re like, “What?” You might have just spit your drink out onto your laptop or in your car, wherever you’re listening. Uh maybe you tripped and fell off the treadmill like, “What? What did he say?” And I get it. I get it. I do. But, but let’s hear him out before we say things like, “I’ll have whatever he’s smoking or whatever he’s drinking. Give me that. Give me a double of that juice.” Pillars instead of fillers, as Rob calls it in his article. Apparently got that phrase from former Cardinal Andy Van Slike, which I love. I think it’s great. And the need for more pillars instead of the fillers goes along with things that we have been saying here at locks on Cardinals for the last couple seasons. And that’s where are the star players for the Cardinals? Where are they? Where have they gone? You know, for years the Cardinals have had guys carrying the torch that were elite players in the league. Some of the best of the best. you know, Albert Pools, Nadia Molina, Jim Edmonds, uh Scott Roland, um Larry Walker came here at the end of his career. Wasn’t the MVP guy by that point, but he came in the end. Uh Mark Maguire, Will the Throw Clark, who filled in for Mark Magguire when he was injured. Uh Carlos Beltron, Lance Burkeman, Matt Holiday. Um they go get Nolan Aronado, they go get Paul Goldmid. I mean, how many of those guys were actually homegrown stars? Not many. Not many. Uh, just a Robert and Yachty. But, but they used their farm system, which was considered very good at the time, to go get those guys, to go get the big names that they needed and to grab all those wins and to to get all those banners and those trophies that we see around Bush Stadium. Now, we’ve come to the end of the road. Just like boys to men used to sing about a ballad which still bangs by the way for you younger people and don’t know the boys to men and end of the road. Ask your parents about it. Check it out on Spotify. Um but the end of the road of the Gold and Aronado era and unfortunately that era ended quicker than I think the Cardinals anticipated and also without the success that they were hoping for too. no championships. And it was such a missed opportunity in 2022, remember with Goldie, the MVP, Natto, one of the runner-ups. He was a finalist. Pooh Holes is chasing history. Uh the final year of Yachti, Tommy Edmund had a a 6.2 war that year. You had an outfield that featured Harrison Bader and Tyler O’Neal and Dylan Carlson. Brennan Donovan was there. Those were like your younger core, although Bader ended up getting traded at the deadline to to go get Jordan Montgomery. Um, and then they get bounced in round one and it all comes crumbling down after that. Natto and Goldie fade big time in 2023 as they get they just fall into the into the crap of one of the worst records in baseball. Uh, Puh Holo Zenyatti retire. O’Neal and Carlson flame out. Michael and Wayne bottom out. And since then, the Cardinals haven’t had any star players to really lead the charge and make the Cardinals feel relevant anymore. Obviously, not winning. also has a little something to do with that as well. Um, you know, we the idea was that Aronado and Goldie were going to be your stars until the next group of stars were were ready to come up and that hasn’t happened. And when the Cardinals almost made the trade to go get Juan Sodto that year, the thing that I was most thrilled about before he got shipped to the Padres’s was that they were trying to acquire another superstar. Not just let’s get a good piece, you know, they they were trying to get somebody of elite talent to lead them, somebody young, somebody who was special, stood out amongst everybody else, and they were going to make a run at it. And it didn’t happen. The the Nationals got a better offer from the Padres’s, and they went that way instead. The the Padres’s had a better farm system. They had better players to offer, and that’s what happened. Uh they tried to get Jean Carlos Stanton, if you remember, after his MVP season. He didn’t want to go to St. Louis. He wanted to go be a Yankee. That’s what he wanted to do. So that didn’t work and they ended up getting Marcelo Zuna instead. That didn’t work out. Uh the Cardinals still need a young superstar to to build around. They thought Oscar was going to be that guy until his untimely death, right? Um, they thought, and I I think the idea was, the plan was is that when Natto and Goldie started to get into the Twilights and they were ready to move on from them, that you would have Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman, your your your first round picks, those would be the guys that would take over the mantle. And that has not happened in spectacular fashion, right? They’ve got good pieces. They’ve got Ivonne Herrera. They’ve got Alec Burles. They’ve got Mason Win. JJ Weatherholtz is on the way. But you need a guy that people fear that demands attention. And when I did the the the Cardinals Blue Jays comparison, um was that last week week before? I don’t know. They all run together after a while. But when we were talking about that after the World Series and I was just like, you know, let’s for fun, let’s let’s just kind of compare what the Cardinals have to what the Blue Jays have. And there were certain spots that I don’t know you all laughed at that too, but that matched up okay that there was some similarities. Um, they had decent solid bats to surround their star hitter, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Cardinals don’t have one of those guys, right? I know Bob Bashette was very good. So was George Springer this past year. But Vlatty is the man, right? He’s the face. He’s the straw that stirs the drink. He’s the guy everybody wants to talk to. When you think Toronto Blue Jays, you don’t think George Springer, you don’t think Bo Bashette, you think Vladimir Guerrero Jr. When you say St. Louis Cardinals, who do you think of right now? See, see what I’m saying? That’s the thing. That’s the thing. The Cardinals need that guy. They need one the dude, the one guy that you can just be like, “Cardinals, bam. This is the guy.” for years it was Albert and then it was Yachti Wayne Wright was a part of that but who’s the guy now who is it um so that’s kind of where we’re at here and Rob gives some reasons why this would this move would make a whole lot of sense for the Cardinals and whether you might still be laughing I know I know it seems absurd but these are the things that we got to talk about in the offseason so I’m going to share his thoughts with you I’ll give you my thoughts why it’s a good idea you’re One thing you’re actually going to question is like, wait, hold on. Doesn’t he have like a massive contract? Yeah, he does. But Rob makes a good point about how the Cardinals can make that work. So, we’ll get into all of that coming up next on Locked on Cardinals. The NBA is back and there is no better place to get in on the action than FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Now, if you miss the start of the game, which happens, or maybe you catch it late and you want to ride the hot hand, you can jump in with the live bets on FanDuel. They’ve got live bets on everything from who’s going to score next to the fourth quarter comebacks. Plus, you can combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout, which is what you want, right? If you’re going to win, let’s win big, right? It just keeps every game more exciting, especially when your team’s making that late push. Some of my favorites again, Nicola Joic has been killing it for Denver this year trying to get another MVP trophy. But you’ve got other guys that you could pay attention to. Kade Cunningham, Russell Westbrook, uh Haime Hakez from the Miami Heat. There are other guys we can go with. Check them out because right now FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. So head to fanduel.com, sign up, and play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Thanks again for making locked on Cardinals your first listen every day. Big thank you for making Lockd on the number one sports podcast network. If you enjoy daily Cardinals content, you can follow the podcast on X at l_cardinals. We’re also on YouTube, Tik Tok, and Instagram, Lockdown Cardinals. We do not switch sports here. We do not move around. We we’re not going to start talking soccer or h I might throw a little hockey in there from time to time, but it’s all about baseball here at Lockton Cardinals. And again, I want you to check out Rob’s article at seclspage.com. Um, but let’s put on let’s put on our comfy pants real quick. All right, I want I want to get you comfortable. Comfy pants, put on the hoodie, let’s get settled in and let’s dream a little, right? We’re dreamers. Just picture Fernando Tatis Jr. in right field for your St. Louis Cardinals. Platinum gloveinning Fernando Tatis Jr. in right field. Threetime Allstar face of MLB’s hat commercial, which I saw a bazillion times this year in right field and batting third for your St. Louis Cardinal. Doesn’t it make you feel all warm and tingly inside a little bit, don’t it? Don’t it? So, why or how is this a thing you ask? Well, here’s what Rob Reigns says about. Rumors circulated as baseball executives gathered for the annual general managers meetings this week in Las Vegas that the Padres’s might entertain potential trade offers for Tatis. Padres’s GM AJ Prowller has collected a lot of Pillar type players in the last few seasons and despite coming close, he has not seen his team reach the World Series. Those players don’t come cheap. Tatis is one of five players on the Padres’s set to earn at least $18 million next season and one of four who will earn more than $20 million. Three of those players are set to earn at least $24 million every year from 2026 to 2033, creating the obvious need for some financial relief. Now, we’ve I’ve already read articles today that despite these rumors, the Padres’s are like, “We’re he’s not on the market. He’s not on the market. We’re not trading for Nano Tatis in 2026. So, shut up. Okay. You where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Usually, these things normally don’t just get made up. So, despite those reports, uh we’re going to go into this because it’s fun. And I would love to imagine Fernando Tatis Jr. is a part of the Cardinals. That would be entertaining. I want to get on MLB the show right now and trade for him and see what he would look like in a Cardinals uniform. But there are several reasons why this would make sense for the Cardinals. Number one, you’re upgrading the production in the outfield. That’s imperative. That’s imperative. The Cardinals offense production from the outfield last year was fugly. It wasn’t just ugly, it was fugly last year. Reigns uh even says the team’s outfielders only hit 38 home runs and 1,745 at bats while hitting 223 and with a 634 OPS. That is disgusting from an outfield. That’s what you expect from, you know, a group of your your bench players to do that. Not your outfielders as a whole. That’s awful. We know Victor Scott is not that guy, right? Heck of a glove, heck of a base steeler. He’s not a bopper. Nobody expects him to be a bopper. You just want him to be on base, right? But your other two outfield spots in the corners, you need production out of those dudes. And Newar and Jordan Walker just were not it last year. You got Burley who plays some outfield, but he wasn’t out there the whole time. He’s going to DH. He’s got to play first as well, but you need more from those corner spots to go with uh what Burley gives you wherever else he’s playing. and you just drop a Tatis Jr. in there. Ah, chef’s kiss. Beautiful. It would be amazing. Um, age-wise, perfect. 27 years old, in his prime. Hopefully, he’s matured from, you know, the peed suspension that he that he went through. You’ve seen the blowups in the dugout with teammates before. Uh hopefully those days are done. they need to be over if you were to make a move like this, especially in a Cardinal organization, which uh you know, they just don’t put up with stuff like that. You know, this is this is not where the hottheads go. The hotheads get shipped out of St. Louis. They don’t get to stick around. Uh the defense second to none. Just won the platinum glove award for the National League. Again, uh this would be quite the upgrade from what we’ve seen in right field over the last few years to say the least. And again, superstar face of the franchise that they have longed for for quite a while right now. Here, look at his face on YouTube. Gorgeous, right? So, that’s what you need because right now I got Mason Win in that role is kind of the face of the franchise. But pairing him up with a guy, you know, because Mason W’s got some swagger, but you pair him up with a guy that’s got some swagger, nicknamed El Nino for a reason, who’s been on the cover of MLB the show, who oozes confidence and excitement and has got a flare for the dramatics, and he’s got the skill to back up all that swagger. Yes, please give me more. Give me two scoops of that. Uh, the one thing that Rob brings up that most fans are going to question, myself included, when I when I first started reading about this is how does the money work? How would the money work for the Cardinals? Because as we know, um, you know, they’ve been shedding payroll, not adding it in recent years. So, how would they even make this work? How could they even think about something like Fernando Tatis Jr’s contract? And Rob breaks it down like this. He says the contract shouldn’t scare the Cardinals away. Uh he does have nine years left on a 14-year deal, which I know sounds bonkers in your mind, but it began in 2021. He’ll only be 35 when the contract expires in 2034. He is owed a lot of money as Rob says, but it is still a very reasonable deal for the next three years. He’s set to earn 20.7 million in 2026, 25 million in both 27 and 28, and the contract does jump up to 36 million in 2029 with the same amount due each year until 2034. I know that sounds expensive, but you do know that contracts are just going up up up. But there’s also a new labor deal that’s coming down the pipeline at some point. Hopefully, we we don’t have a work stoppage. Uh obviously us in the business are very concerned about that because uh what do we do? What do we do if that happens? But if they get this new labor deal done um it should be done before you know obviously the escalation of the the the contract and who he says who knows what the overall financial situation will be in the game at that time talking about the later years of uh Tatis’s contract. So, you know, eventually you have to you have to pay people. That’s just the way it is. You know, like unless you want to sit in mediocre or worse purgatory for the rest of your days, you got to produce stars. You got to pay to keep them or you need to trade guys that you are producing in your farm system. go get other guys and then pay those guys. But you got to pay people. You just can’t keep cycling them out and expect to get to the top of the mountain. The Cardinals have been paying guys like Nolan Aronado, Miles Michael, Paul Goldman while he was here, Sunny Gray at the moment still with the Cardinals and they’re set to pay him $35 million this year. They’ve paid those guys quite handsomely. They will pay their stars. They just don’t want to go buy them in the free agent market when everything is, you know, Scott Boris bloated and you can’t really blame them for that. You know, only a select number of teams can afford those people on the free agent market. And the Cardinals aren’t they don’t want to play that way. They don’t want to do it that way. They want to produce their own stars and pay those guys. But you can also use those guys to trade for guys who are under contracts that you don’t think are entirely outrageous. So, what would it take to get them? That’s the next question people are going to say. I have no idea. Again, they’re saying that he’s not even available. Uh Reigns suggests you could dangle Sunny Gray and his contract. Padres’s one pitching. Uh the contract is up after this year and maybe even the next year. Uh obviously you’d have to add stuff to that. Uh you would have to add people with upside. you know, Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, Thomas Ajaci, one of the catching prospects probably, you know, Bernal Rodriguez, uh, you know, some of your pitching guys, maybe like a Tink Kent. I mean, it would take quite a bit. Like, it would be a a massive hall, but that’s what you do to get these guys. Like, you got to do stuff like that. Is the farm system built up to a point where you’d feel comfortable moving all of those pieces? Probably not. Probably not. And after all these rumors started again, the Padres’s are stating that, you know, he’s not available this off season. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t, but it’s still an avenue to to keep an eye on because if it’s not Tatis Jr., it’s still something that the Cardinals should be looking at and keep in mind. They they need a star to build around. And as unlikely as this is to happen, I’m not pretending that it is this off season, probably not going to happen this Aussie, but it’s something they need to address eventually. All right. They they got to get something like that. So, um, an everyday player, star player, I think, is what they need. Somebody’s going to be out there all the time. You know, as great as it is to have a, you know, a Sai Young award winner, he only helps you every fifth day. So, uh, an everyday player that the fans will want to come and see every day. That’s what they need to be looking for. Tatis Jr. fits the mold. He would be perfect. It’s not going to happen probably, but it’s fun to think about. And maybe at some point there are other players around the league that uh will be available in a similar situation as Tatis Jr. if if he’s not. and uh Cardinals should definitely put in a call and and and talk and see what what they could put together. Um up next, speaking of Sai Young award winners, let’s talk about the new Sai Young award winners and I want to compare them to the last Cardinals winner, my guy Chris Carpenter. We’ll do that next on Lock on Cardinals. Thanks for making Lock on Cardinal your first listen every day. For your second listen, check out Locked on MLB hosted by our guy Sully. Brings you a daily blend of humor and baseball throughout the offseason. You can find Locked on MLB on YouTube or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. The SAI young winners were announced on a Wednesday night and the Tigers Terk Scubble won it for the second straight year in the American League. And it was the Pirates Paul Skins winning it for the first time in the National League. Uh unanimous winner too, which uh surprised me a little bit, a little bit. I thought maybe one or two voters would go to somebody else, but uh obviously both of them are very deserving. And the AL School got 26 first place votes. Finished ahead of Garrett Crochet of the Red Sox and the Astros Hunter Brown. uh became just the 12th pitcher to win the award in back-to-back seasons. The last to do it, Jacob Deg Gro, Jacob Deg Grom with the Mets back in 2018 and 2019. Uh St. Louis State of Max Scherzer did it with the Nationals in 2016 and 17. I don’t know if you guys heard, he’s a free agent. He’s a free agent. Breaking news, Max Scherzer is available. Uh Bob Gibson won two SAI Young Awards. Never won it back to back. Never did. Uh his wins were in 68 and 70. The NL winner 1969. Nice. The Mets Tom Siver. Now I can make an argument. I could make an argument that Bob Gibson should have won three in a row and beat Siver that year. He had a lower ERA. He had 28 complete games compared to 18 for Siver. He had more strikeouts. But hey, what whatever. The media loved the Mets that year. They were the cool team in 1969. So, what? We know how good Bob Gibson was. Tom Siver was really good, too, by the way. I’m not putting him down. I’m just saying. I’m just saying. We’re trying to trying to be nice to our Cardinal guys here. Uh, last Cardinal saw young award winner Chris Carpenter 2005. So, for fun, I thought we could compare what Carpenter did in ’05 to what these guys did here in 2025. 20 years. 20 years. Uh, Karp went 21 and five that year. 21 and five. School was 13- six. Skines 10 and 10. So point Carpenter 20ame winners, man. He when when are we going to get another one of those? When are you going to get one? Cardinals. Not just in baseball. I mean Cardinals. I need a I need another 20 20 game winner. That would be nice. Uh let’s go to how about erra Carpenter 2.83. 83 scoo 2.21 21 skins 1.97 point skins excellent year strikeouts carb 213 scubble 241 skins 216 points scoo scubble was outrageous this year with the strikeouts uh RA plus carpenter 150 scubble 187 skins 270 point skins uh fielding independent fip carp 2.90 scoo 2.45 45 skins 2.36 point skins uh whip carpenter 1.055 scubble 0.891 891 sking 0.948 point scubable. All right. I got one. I got one that cart one. I got one that cart one. Let’s show cuz you don’t see this anymore. Chris Carpenter seven complete games, four complete game shutouts. Scooble had one complete game and it was a complete game shutout this year. Skins had one complete game, no complete game shutouts. So, Karp wipes the floor with Scubble and Skins in that particular category. More wins. It was a different era. I get that. I get that. But Karp was awesome. But it just shows you how dominant these guys uh in baseball were this year with Scooble and Skins. Like what a year. And now Scubble is rumored to be on the trade market. Skins. Not yet. Not yet. But there was a story today that Pittsford might actually try to spend a little this off season so that skins wouldn’t demand a trade because he’s about there. We’ll see what they do. Either way, I love Chris Carpenter. My favorite pitcher growing up that that I watched and I just loved his attitude, his grit, that warrior mentality that he brought to the mound. And the dude could sling it. He was really really good. Uh, top pitching prospect Liam Doyle reminds me a lot of him. Like just the way their demeanor is on the mound, the presence on the mound that Doyle shows, it reminds me a lot of Karp. Uh, so I’m looking forward to seeing if he can uh back it up in his first full pro season in 2026. So looking forward to that. Uh, MVPs will be announced tonight. I got Otani in the NL. Can’t really say anybody else deserves it over him. Uh, in the AL, the the big debate. Is it Cal Raleigh? Is it Aaron Judge? I went with Cal Raleigh all season just because the demand of being a catcher and doing what he did offensively is just insanity to me. But I’m I’m sure Judge will get some some votes as well. Welld deserved. But I think Cal Raleigh takes it home tonight. Thank you for making Lock on Cardinals first listen every day. If you haven’t already, give us a follow on X at l_cardinal and JD Sports Radio. Tik Tok and Instagram at lockdown Cardinals. Like, subscribe on YouTube. Help our channel and love for the Cardinals grow. You guys are the best fans in baseball for a reason. I’ll see you next time on Locked On Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals fans are buzzing: could Fernando Tatis Jr. transform the team into serious contenders? JD Hafron weighs the bold idea of swinging for the fences to acquire the Platinum Glove outfielder from the San Diego Padres

For a team that needs more “pillars” and less “fillers” here’s an idea for Cardinals – trade for Fernando Tatis Jr.

00:00 “Cardinals Should Get Tatis Jr.”

06:01 Cardinals’ Failed Soto Trade

09:20 “Cardinals Talk & NBA Betting”

11:43 Tatis Trade Rumors Circulating

15:20 “Platinum Glove Superstar Upgrade”

17:23 “Pay to Succeed in Baseball”

21:25 Cy Young Winners Discussion

25:54 Baseball Dominance and Trade Rumors

26:32 Liam Doyle, MVP Predictions

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-st-louis-cardinals/

Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/mlb/

Follow on Twitter/X: @JDSPORTSRADIO
Follow the show on Twitter/X: @LO_Cardinals

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
PrizePicks
Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONMLB to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.
PrizePicks — Run Your Game.

Click Link Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONMLB

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA and NFL seasons are here, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

#ForTheLou #stlcards #mlb #lockedoncardinals #stlouiscardinals