Greetings. The Cardinals are back in STL for an off day after a break-even road trip. Win a series in Baltimore. Lose a series in Texas. The offense rallied in Baltimore. The defense was ragged in Arlington. POBO John Mozeliak is a guest on MLB Network’s MLB Now. All of that and it’s Cardinals chat day at StlToday.

You’ve got questions. I’ll do by best to keep up and provide answers.

As always, the complete transcript of the chat appears below the window like a normal article, ready for however you prefer to read the coverage at StlToday. Questions are not edited for grammar or spelling, and they are ignored for vulgarities or threats of violence. The answers are in the eye of the beholder … 

South City Steve: In your opinion is Jacob DeGrom a Hall of Famer today, or is there still some work to do based on his lack of availability over his career?

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DG: This is a great question, a tough question right off the hop. My first reaction was — well, some work to do. He doesn’t yet have 100 wins. He doesn’t yet have 2,000 strikeouts. He would be among the lowest in innings and wins when it comes to starters, and it’s hard to compare him against the peers of his era just in bulk excellence. Max Scherzer has almost twice as many innings in the majors as deGrom.

deGrom — 2014-2025, 230 G, 89-59, 2.51 ERA, 1,732 Ks, 1,436 1/3 IP

Scherzer — 2008-2025, 467 G, 216-112, 3.16 ERA, 3,408 Ks, 2888 IP

This past weekend Sonny Gray got his 1,800th strikeout. deGrom is has yet to get there.

So the question for me, as a voter, becomes how does deGrom incredible years carry his candidacy vs. his lack of quantity of years. Can he be compared to, say, a reliever who was dominant in fewer innings, or because of his role should he only be compared to starters, and will he fall shy of those standards. It’s a really tricky question because I’ve voted for Billy Wagner because of what he did in his role. I voted for Felix Hernandez this past year. And I admit my approach with starters has to evolve with the game — the 300 game winner is gone and wins mean less, while the rate stats mean more and we have access to better ones to compare over time. And so on. Scherzer has 3 Cy Youngs. deGrom has 2. He’s going to get a long look, for sure, and deserves it — but more work seems to be necessary because what Hernandez and Wagner have is a decade of just strong performance in their roles. deGrom has 59 starts total in the past six years. His first six years put him in the conversation as among the best, obviously, of his generation. Another strong year, two years cinch it.

Marc: I’m curious about how golf fits in while the team is on the road. Do players take their clubs along on the flights? Play the mornings of game days, or just on off days?

DG: Some take their clubs for sure. They golf on off days, and some of them plan off days around a chance to play a certain course. Starting pitchers have the opportunity to play more often as they have more days where they’re not in the lineup.

Craig: Hey Derrick, thanks for the chat. I realize Chaim Bloom is probably already involved in any personnel decisions beyond this season, but my understanding is that Mozeliak will remain as POBO until the end of the calendar year. So here’s my question:

This offseason, will any other GMs, players, or agents be less likely to engage with the Cardinals until after Mo departs, and Bloom’s officially the main point of contact on Jan 1, 2026? And if so, why not make that change official right after the World Series is over?

DG: John Mozeliak will not remain in his role until the end of this calendar year.

His contract is up around the end of the World Series, so there’s going to be a the official transfer of power in October or November — ahead of that GM meetings. And he has even talked about Bloom being more prominent in August, September … when it comes to making decisions as they go forward. He just brought that up on MLB Network. Mozeliak says he has a date in mind for his last official day with the Cardinals in his role, and they he and ownership have discussed what that looks like, but Bloom taking the wheel will happen in the lead up to that date, according to all parties involved when I last asked.

By the time the offseason arrives and the scenarios you describe begin, Bloom will be in charge. He may even have his general manager hired by then, honestly. Bloom will also be involved in the trade deadline discussions, and while Mozeliak will lead the team and baseball ops at that time, Bloom’s input will be important for all moves that influence 2026 and beyond.

Marc: I understand the tradeoffs that would come with it, but it seems like Gorman is not really receiving the “runway” as the Cards advertised. Agree? Is this a signal that the team is losing faith in his potential?

DG: That is correct about the “runway.” That is a signal that the Cardinals did not trade Nolan Arenado so he’s the third baseman, and that the Cardinals are not playing Ivan Herrera at catcher much, so he’s the DH. With only nine positions available to them and two of the three Gorman would play taken up — and then Brendan Donovan at 2B and Victor Scott II in CF — the playing time just isn’t three. If you have an idea how to clear at-bats for him, the team is all ears. They still want to give him that “runway.” But there are only so many spots in the field …

Marc: When a pitcher has an uncharacteristically bad outing, e.g. the April Mikolas disaster in Boston, is tipping pitches a likely cause? Maybe in the Liberatore outing Saturday against the Rangers?

DG: It can be. It’s definitely explored and researched as a possible reason. We’ve seen that before, especially when it’s clear that the hitters give away they know the difference between a fastball coming and a breaking ball coming. It didn’t come up as a reason for Mikolas. Sometimes the pitches are just flat, sinkers don’t sink, feel isn’t there, and the opponent is rocking. We also see this with pitchers who throw a lot of cutters. When a cutter is bad it gets crushed. It’s a high-reward pitch when it’s good, and it’s a danger pitch when it’s bad, and if it’s bad for the pitcher that day then it’s going to get rocked. In Liberatore’s case, he had four different pitches hit 102 mph at least once. He threw 16 changeups and only one of them was put in play, so it could be that he wasn’t tipping so much as his sequence was giving him away and he didn’t use the changeup as often as he should given how effective it was.

Marc: Given that the Cardinals need depth in starting pitching, is it more likely that they’d lean toward a developed college pitcher in the draft?

DG: No. Not at No. 5. Not with the potential to land a batter who is significantly better than the other options in the draft — or that they usually get access to in the draft.

As last year’s draft unfolded, the No. 6 pick arrived, the Cardinals were thrilled. They were either going to get Jac Caglianone, who will make his major-league debut Tuesday in St. Louis for the Royals, or JJ Wetherholt. They saw both of them as elite upside hitters, either of whom could have gone No. 1 overall in their evaluations. They see their pick at No. 5 as a chance to also grab an impact hitter. We’ll see how it plays out because, yes, there are also top-five pitchers available. But the Cardinals recognize that the opportunity picking that high in the draft for them is to score a hitter they’ve rarely had access to, and the past two times they have they like the results — Wetherholt and JD Drew.

It looks like it’s just Marc and I talking. Did Marc just copy/paste questions quickly — or is everyone in the chat today named Marc? It’s tricky to find questions not from Marc in the inbox.

Jay Lewi s: With NIL in play, is it more likely that a team will take college players high in the draft?

DG: It’s an interesting question, because the influence of NIL is real, and there are some players headed to college for NIL riches that cannot get the same bonus in the draft, and that is a factor. It’s as if the MLB team is negotiating now with a third entity — the NIL. We’re all still learning (teams included) how that factors into the draft, and the general sense is that it’s changing the approach in say the 11th or 12th rounds when there used to be a play for a college player at a higher bonus because of the $100,000 rebate against the cap. Now that player might be an NIL player and getting more than the bonus is going to be, so don’t waste the pick. To your specific question it doesn’t appear like it’s tilting the draft toward MORE college players taken, not at a rate any different than teams already viewed the draft and the predictability of college players.

Jon: Thomas Boswell wrote a column today describing how baseball has improved its quality/style of play to be similar to the 1970-1980;s (albeit with too many strikeouts and starters going five and fly). How do you view the quality/style of baseball today?

DG: It’s as good and as athletic and as dynamic today as I’ve ever seen. The players are more talent today than at any point in my life. And teams are more risk-adverse than ever — more likely to make a data driven, actuary-table decision than a go for the gusto move, and as a result some of the magic that comes with a player defying the risk and doing something great is lessened.

I’ll give you an example.

Roy Halladay and Chris Carpenter are two of the best pitchers of their time and there are so many good pitchers right now with stuff like and velocity like that and strikeouts like that. Seriously, pitchers are great and it’s so hard to be a hitter. And yet … Sonny Gray and Jacob deGrom are two of these elite pitchers, both of whom we saw pitch excellently over the weekend. Do you see a world in today’s game where Gray and deGrom duel in a 1-0 playoff game where the winner advances?

No team would take that risk.

And we don’t get to see that magic.

Don’t get me wrong. I still think the game is better today — and it’s speedier than it was just a few years ago. But treasure the magic that comes from the moment where a team takes a risk and one of these exceptional ballplayers shines as a result.

Jon: With your early experience in Colorado with the Rockies (the team, not the mountain range…), how would you look to fix this franchise? The crowds still come, but… a team this bad does not happen by accident or over one season.

DG: It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know that it has been a swift and deep plunge for the Rockies — though I doubt they could have tried to be this bad and pulled it off. They have made a series of poor choices over the past decade that created this sinkhole, but it wasn’t a secret this was happening. The Rockies don’t do much well when it comes to the baseball part of being a baseball club. Period. They have a great ballpark. They have a plan for getting people in the ballpark — and other teams mimic that. But as far as the team on the field, the Rockies are behind in spending, behind in scouting, behind in developing, behind in analytics, and behind in infrastructure. Other than that, they’re also behind. “What do they do well?” I was recently asked by a baseball evaluator.

How to fix it? Start by bringing people in from the outside. In the immediate future, answer the phone at the trade deadline. Make deals. Start shedding the roster now of control players because this is a long-term turnaround. Don’t cling to players. Move them. Embrace the tank. Turn that money into coaches, scouts, and higher executives who have a daring plan to win at that level — maximize the potential off the ballpark by prioritizing defense and counting on the elevation creating offense; dig in on the analytics to determine what kind of pitching succeeds there, and then how much depth is necessary to pull it off. Spend accordingly. Draft accordingly. The Rockies, as much as any team in the majors, need an identity to match their ballpark and their circumstance. Outside voices would help greatly. A complete overhaul is needed.

Jon: Best and hardest thing about being a baseball writer?

DG: The best part is the incredible things I’ve had a chance to see and the challenge of capturing those moments, those games, those places, those personalities in words, on deadline. That is the kind of opportunity I wanted in my career, and I am fortunate to have done it for this many years for this newspaper and for this fan base.

The hardest thing is the months and months away from family. They add up … and they don’t get made up.

Jon: What is one thing you miss from old Busch Stadium (I’m sure the players don’t, but those big/sweeping shadows from the arches atop the stadium across the field in the late afternoons could get my vote).

DG: The crown of arches. Great signature part of the ballpark that cast the most incredible shadows and most St. Louis shadows over the field. A photo with them crossing the field and you knew where that game was.

RedBird: Two (count em 2) dubbings by a Rangers team that hasn’t hit well this but they did against our hometown team. What should we take away from this, if anything?

DG: Not much about the Rangers. They weren’t going to struggle offensively forever. The bigger thing to take away from the drubbings is that the Cardinals played ragged defense that contributed to them. That was uncharacteristic, and it reinforced how little margin for error the Cardinals have when they’re playing a team that is their equal or superior.

MS Bird Brain: In looking at the minor league big picture (is that an oxymoron?) it seems like the Cards higher prospects, collectively, are having a so-so year at best. It doesn’t help that Mathews and Hence have been hurt, but still. It seemed like the opposite last year. Obviously there are exceptions, but do you agree? Is there an organizational reason this could be, such as aggresive promotion? Have you picked up any organizational concern?

DG: It might say more about this past year than this year. This might be just normal. If we compare this year — through May 31 — to a couple of years ago, the performance is significantly better. But that was the worst year for an organization in many many years. The pitching was atrocious. Compare it to last year, and it’s so-so. But compare it to the middle of those two, and it’s on the right side of the spectrum, and it’s only May 31. One thing we’ll all have to do is understand how the new management views development, and we’re learning that this year. We cannot use the past metrics that we all knew when it came to a LaRocque farm system, because the goals and priorities may be different now for a Cerfolio/Day farm system. Two months in, they’re definitely revealing themselves, but — and maybe this is just me — I’m not going to rush to two months judgment on this. Let the year play out. And then view the system on the universal metrics for whether an organization is advancing:

• how many prospects improved.

• how many prospects advanced.

• how many prospects emerged.

• did any of them impact the majors? will they? and what is the ETA?

• where are the holes in the system and what won’t it be ready to supply when the majors come calling (pitching, depth, hitter, trade pieces)?

Those seems like fair lenses to look at any organization through, and two months in won’t give us a clear picture.

James F: Hi DG! First ever question: Why not start Herrera at catcher more? Is his game calling/throwing so inferior? I get frustrated in a tight game when Pages or Pozo come up with runners on. Wouldn’t an offense-first lineup want to get Herrera at C and someone else at DH? )I thought of this after the Gorman question above.)

DG: It’s a great question, and I don’t just say that because it was a question I asked a few times in Baltimore ahead of writing about that topic. It also was a topic we discussed on the recent BPIB. If Herrera’s future is at catcher — or the Cardinals want his future to be there — then he needs more reps in the present right? Isn’t that true to the “runway” pledge. And yet he’s at DH so often that it’s costing Gorman time. So it’s a double-whammy. Herrera isn’t getting innings to improve at catcher. Gorman isn’t getting at-bats to show where he is as a slugger.

Actions speak louder than words, and the Cardinals actions right now are that they believe Pages and Pozo are superior catchers, and there is evidence of this. Pitchers really do trust Pages — all of them. Teammates gravitate toward him. It’s really impressive, and he’s getting starts and support and confidence as a result of that. Herrera has to improve when it comes to defending against the running game. He continues to improve at calling games. He does things to improve on both even now when he’s starting so often at DH. It absolutely feels like the Cardinals are coming to a crossroads with their catchers — who stays at the position and who has to find a new one.

Jon: What’s one thing from baseball’s past that you wish was still a thing today (opening game in Cincinnati; stirrups everywhere; 154 game schedule; more personality from players, etc)

Jon: Not Marc- Favorite baseball book to read?

DG: Have to come up with an answer for this for the local bookstore that opened up. My favorite fiction book, likely: “Iowa Baseball Confederacy.” My favorite non-fiction … Buster Olney’s “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty” was super influential for how I view and measure beat writing and having command of the coverage on a beat. “Lords of the Realm” is a great book for a better understanding of baseball. It was invaluable to me in college and opened up the game to me in a new way, as did “Nine Innings” by Okrent.

Spork: If I remember correctly, you have stated that while you are a fan of baseball, you are not a fan of any particular teams. Does that also apply to individual players, or do you have players that you root for? If so, who are some players you enjoy following and why?

DG: There is no cheering in the press box. I also understand that to mean that there is no jeering in the press box. That goes for teams, for players. I do however hope that players stay healthy, and there are players in situations where I know they’ve been a) doubted or b) overlooked and have worked hard, it is good to see them rewarded for that work or …

… how do the kids say it? …

… prove the haters wrong.

Goodness, is it delightful when a player a proves the haters wrong. Truly. I’m human, so seeing Adam Wainwright pitch like he did for his 200th win and all that went into it — hard not to celebrate that. But cheer for it as it’s happening? That’s not the role of the beat writer.

chico: This is Mark with a K,who do you think most likely gets traded and who least likely? is there any chance the way they are playing better that they stand pat?

DG: I have no idea at this point — and that is partially because neither do the Cardinals.

Are they in the race on July 25, are they out of it? What, to them, counts as being in the race — is 3 out in, but 5 out not, is 3 up in? There are so many variables that go into your question and not one of them is available today because there are so many games to play before now and the trade deadline. The Cardinals have yet to face the Cubs. The Cardinals have yet to really know who is available via trade. So many swirling unknowns at this point when it comes to your question except for one — there are games to play before that decision has to be made.

No one knows the outcome of those games.

And that is why I’m not alone when I say that I don’t know the answer to your question.

I could guess. But you can get that anywhere these days. I see lots of guesses — and I empathize with readers who have to cut through the fog of guesses and wild speculation from name-brand news outlets to find the real information. So, my hope here is to give you the real information that I can prove, defend, report, provide, and be accountable for. And sometimes that means recognizing that I don’t know — because the team doesn’t know.

To speculate would be more entertaining for you, I get it. But it would also be unfair and it would only contribute to the clutter instead of cutting through it.

Lu: Hey Derrick, the parallel you drew between where in the “rebuild” the Orioles and the Cardinals stand was fascinating. To take it a step further, if each GM job was open which would you prefer to take?

Certainly the O’s have more talent in the farm system, but as you pointed it out its almost a challenge in and of itself to untangle the web they’ve created. I think I’d also rather run a team in the NL Central.

Coming into the season I was very much of the mindset the cardinals should sell everything and rebuild. But there’s plenty of evidence of that not really working and the years following tank being filled with potential but no trophies.

DG: I have no delusions of grandeur, so pity the organization that even considers me for a GM position. I’ve heard a few times how baseball writers don’t know much about leadership qualities so maybe I wouldn’t even make it out of the interview process! That said, take the Cardinals job. It’s a historically relevant franchise with a great brand, a devoted fanbase, growth potential, and great reward because of the history here. It’s one of the few jobs like it in sports, and you don’t ignore that. That’s true for the GM position, the manager position, and tangentially those same qualities make it a rare gig for heck even the beat writer, broadcast jobs, ballpark ops, columnist positions, etc.

Brent: Hi DG, if this team wants to avoid being Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront, what pitching adds to they need to make to get in and succeed in the playoffs? Middle relief, back of bullpen, upgrade a starter? The Memphis starting pitching stats look rough aside from McGreevy.

DG: A seventh inning surefire answer would really change the look of this team, or an eighth inning option that moves Maton, Romero, and Leahy into the earlier inning. A lockdown setup man like, say, Kittredge was, would really alter the look of this team in a way that is both realistic and substantive as a possible trade.

Tackleberry: I remain undecided on Nootbaar’s value? He certainly has shown this season, when healthy, that he is a solid contributor. His ability to get on base at leadoff is very important. But I’m not sure he is special, and it feels like the team would pay him like he was if they bought out his arbitration. Do I want him to be part of this year through the end of the decade? I do, but not on a contract that ownership uses as a reason not to go get the next Goldy or pursue the next Harper.

DG: I can help with that.

Don’t expect the Cardinals to pursue the next Bryce Harper as a free agent.

You should want peak Lars Nootbaar to be part of the team for the coming years because he’s the outfielder who is going to do what that parade of outfielders did not do in St. Louis and some did elsewhere.

Peter in Cali: Hi Derrick! I wanted to share more of a comment/observation than a question. I feel like Winn doesn’t get the national recognition that he deserves for his arm and defense. I hear so much hype about Oneil Cruz’s rocket arm, which was 2024’s strongest infield arm for highest avg velocity. Watching his highlights though, he often double crow hops to make those jaw-dropping throws (often while making routine plays look difficult). Conversely, Winn gets to his high-velo when he’s off-balance or doesn’t even have his feet set underneath him. If I have a question here, why is this not being discussed amongst local or national baseball media? I feel like Cruz is all hype and no real juice

DG: I would suggest that ONeil is a talented player, so he’s not all hype. These two things can coexist — he can be a lot of hype and also good and also Masyn Winn is getting overlooked nationally. All of that can be true without dismissing ONeil entirely.

El tigre: Your best guess. Are the cardinals buyers or sellers at the deadline

DG: Today they are buyers. If they stay in it like they are now, they’re buyers with the green light from ownership to add, per people I’ve spoken with. That’s not a guess. That’s a report on where things are right now. But that’s right now. Mozeliak has taken to a favorite phrase when asked about the deadline, and he says that he hopes “it’s complicated.” There are — as mentioned above — a lot of games left to play and we cannot guess how those will go.

Matt: Mike Antico has been really good at Memphis (OPS .825). Was there any thought to calling him up when Walker was ILd?

DG: Great question. I haven’t had a chance to ask yet, so please keep that in mind. I do know that when Walker went on the IL, the Cardinals were looking to add a right-handed bat and that was the preferred move. Antico is a left-handed bat. Koperniak bats left-handed. Vilade is a right-handed bat, and that was the roster spot/role they had in mind.

JB: Your recent article on what happens when a player gets demoted was excellent. The Cardinals seem to have an action plan for every player to help them improve, and it has paid dividends for some already. How much of a change is this from past seasons?

DG: The number of people involved has grown. The way it is delivered to the players — written, meeting, etc — is more detailed. The interaction between the majors and the player development group is stronger due to Cerfolio’s presence in STL and also their communication and structure throughout. Those are where some of the changes are this year than previous years. From players, they feel like they’re getting more information — and that’s partially because there is an emphasis on getting it to them in whatever way the player best learns, takes info, etc. So it’s not just one-size fit all, it’s more individual and accessible in that way. That specific part of it — the individualized approach — is something that has been in development and improved over the past several years.

Jon: Way too early to say, but could there be a path where a Wild Card ticket can come from the NL Central?

DG: Indeed there can be. As of today there is. And if the teams start to fade or become sellers, then you’re looking at more wins to be had at the expense of those teams later in the year that could help.

Bob the Subscriber: Following up on your report that the Cardinals will have the green light to buy if they are in it at the deadline the way that they are right now: Would they entertain trading Helsley for a haul of prospects while simultaneously buying?

DG: They could indeed. What a message that would send. In talking with Mozeliak the other day, he brought that up as something to consider — not that specific trade, but the message that it would send if they start dealing contributors, key contributors, for the future when the chance to win is there in the now. Helsley would qualify as a real fulcrum in that conversation and what message it would send to the clubhouse.

The message it would send about the priority of the team.

Evan: Is it too early to start imagining what next year’s rotation might look like? Will it be as simple as replacing Fedde and Mikolas with McGreevy and Matthews? If this is truly a one-year “reset”, this offseason should be the time to make a real move for a front-end starter that consistently misses bats. It was mentioned earlier in this chat how razor-thin the margin of error is for this team on the run prevention end, but how much more effective could this group be as a whole if the pitching staff wasn’t at the bottom of the league in strikeouts? What if opposing batters had far fewer chances to put balls in play to challenge this stifling defense? Thanks for the excellent chats as always!

It’s not that simple as one-for-one, no. There are other moves and candidates to consider. Don’t discount Kyle Leahy as a challenger for it.

Any increase in strikeout rates is likely going to increase a pitching staff’s effectiveness unless it comes at a radical spike in walks and homers as a result. Strikeouts rule. Missing bats is great. But there are few pitchers who do that and so having a great defense behind a staff that gets contact is also a way to contend.

Mike in KC: DeGrom is Lincecum 2.0. A couple of elite seasons. Truly incredible. But limited success otherwise. Injuries hurt DeGrom and losing effectiveness hurt Lincecum. To me, Greinke is the more intriguing HOF candidate.

DG: To me, Greinke is a Hall of Famer. Someone is welcome to take the other side of that argument and make it compelling for me, but he’s one of the best pitchers of the past 20 years, has a lot of the impressive counting numbers, has the honors, has the rates, all of it. Not a whole lot of suspense there for me. But someone is welcome to prove me wrong and give me a reason why that’s an intriguing debate.

JB: Given the price of impact hitters on the market, how much money does it make sense for the Cardinals to invest to make sure that one or more of Herrera, Walker, Gorman, and Burleson evolve into middle of the order hitters?

DG: A lot. I presume you’re talking about investing time, not just money. But yes, time. This is why they’re doing that, yep.

Myronjax: Good day, sir. A question about the hitting coach, Brant Brown, and his influence. He has done wonders at the MLB level to date. I recall Mo stating that he wanted the philosophies of Jeff Albert to be the “one voice” heard throughout the organization-from MLB down to Low A Palm Beach. Has the same been applied with Brant Brown and his hitting tendencies. I know it’s a lot more detailed, but, in essence “a time to slug and a time to hit” Thanks for any insight.

DG: Yes, Brant Brown is involved in what the Cardinals do throughout the organization, and he has conversations with the hitting coordinators and coaches at the levels below the majors to discuss what hitters need to do, how they need to improve, and what they’re going to value. It’s different than Albert in this way — Albert was asked to modernize and build the Cardinals hitting approach and the tech to support it, and he did. There’s no question that his influence over the modernizing of the Cardinals hitting facilities, approach, coaching, all of it was clear, and you see in the majors hitters who benefited from what he improved throughout the organization. So Brown has a different starting point and mandate than Albert did when he arrived — and it took hiring him as the big league hitting coach to get him to STL — but Brown is involved in the development. All of the major-league staff is.

They were involved in the interview process for the coaches in the minors who share their field of expertise. That was done on purpose to make the interview process part of how they could collaborate and will collaborate with who was hired.

Alan: The team may advertise Gorman’s runway, but with so many ahead of him on the taxiway, he seems pertpetually stuck in the terminal. At this point, wouldn’t he be better served getting regular reps in AAA until he has a spot available to him to take advantage of his runway?

DG: That is an entirely fair suggestion and one you cold argue strongly. The Cardinals have been resistant to the argument or questions on this topic when presented by reporters because they feel that Gorman can improve more in this role with the big-league team and big-league coaches every day and not playing every day at a level he’s already succeeded in.

That’s their stance. Your argument is also a strong one, and perhaps another team would side with you on it.

Andy: Will the Cardinals look to add power to their lineup at the trade deadline? I’m not sure how to reconcile this with the need to provide runway to players and the limited spots available on the field as we sit here today. That said, there is a clear need for home run power in this lineup.

DG: I’m not sure where that bat would play at the moment. A corner outfielder? That would nudge … Scott from the lineup, Walker from the lineup. That’s not likely. First base? The Cardinals are doing fine there. DH? Well, Herrera then is out of the lineup — or is he going to be the catcher to make room for the power. That’s one move. But where is the evidence the Cardinals are open to doing that? I can see the benefit and the need. Just hard to see where the fit would be.

Johnny: Is it realistic that the team finds someone to eat a good portion of Arenado’s salary? It’s ironic to me that even though the Rockies are subsidizing his Cardinals income, we’re actually paying an annual rate for what his offense was as a Rockie…not a Cardinal.

DG: Even if they did — and I’m not sure why the Cardinals would look for that at this point unless they just want to

b) cut the heart out of the clubhouse

And even then he would have to agree to a trade. And, yep, you described well how contracts work. The Mets are, in part, paying for Soto’s production with the Yankees, when you put it that way.

Amir: I myself, among many cardinals fans, are pleasantly surprised with how the season has played out. The most surprising occurrence to me is personally is the play of Miles Mikolas. I would not have believed you if you told me before the season that he would have a 3.53 FIP while consistently keeping the team in games, despite losing a tick off of his fastball velocity. Is it simply that he’s being taken out of his starts sooner/before the 3rd time through? Any insight on what else he has been able to do differently?

DG: That is part of it — and it’s strategic in that nature. Wrote a lot about that earlier in the season and spoke with Mikolas about how he’d have to redefine himself. This is a pitcher who named his boat “INNINGS EATER” and yet is going to have to accept that he’s going to be less of that this year. And it might make him more effective. The other aspect of it is how he is using his pitches, and where he’s putting them. He’s going outside of the zone more. His walk rate is about double, for example, and yet that’s OK — he’s got to accept that’s OK — because he’s starting to get more outs from outside the zone, and that has been the goal.

Ed AuBuchon: The greatest need for the Cardinals is controllable pitching not a homerun bat. Mikolas and Fredde will be gone next year and we have Gray, Palante and ?,?,? !

DG: Matthew Liberatore leaps to mind.

That leaves two spots for Mathews, Graceffo, McGreevy, Leahy, and Co. to compete for unless there is an addition from the outside or a rush into the conversation by, say, Drew Rom and others.

An overthinking fan: Hi Derrick. Herrera has cooled slightly but has been one of the best offensive players when healthy. Pages has struggled a lot offensively for the past month. I appreciate that I don’t know the health of Herrera’s knee, but why isn’t he catching more regularly? That could free up some DH at bats for Gorman (if they really want that) or allow Contreras and Burleson to be in same lineup in the right matchups. Do the pitchers prefer Pages?

DG: Addressed some of that early in the chat, and wrote extensively about it from Baltimore. That article is still available here, and there will be more to come, for sure.

Robert: Derrick: Please know that there are those of us in readerland who greatly appreciate your commitment to accuracy and reporting facts – and abhor the type of inaccuracies and blather that permeates most social media. Your sense of character, professionalism, and dedication to your craft are consistently evident in your work. Thank you for what you do. If you are not doing it, I am likely NOT a subscriber to STLToday.

DG: Thank you, Robert. I really hope people know that I understand how difficult it is these days for readers. I just went to share the link to the chat on Facebook and saw the feed polluted with hogwash. Seriously, some of the stories about the Cardinals presented as news there — with thousands of likes, dozens of comments — are just fiction. There is no accountability for peddling it either. I appreciate you saying this because more and more our coverage has to set itself apart by being accurate, thoughtful, factual, and accountable.

Amir: I believe you and others have hinted at the organization considering changing the dimensions of Busch Stadium over the years, though this has never gained real momentum. I personally appreciated how the Orioles recently made the minor adjustment of making their park more of a neutral environment after the initial changes seemed to favor pitching & run prevention more. Why don’t the Cardinals move the outfield walls in a bit? It almost seems that current team has given up at going for the long ball and is satisfied with passing the baton, even though that approach seems to be working out fine.

DG: I know that I haven’t hinted at it. I flat out reported that they were looking into doing it — so much so that they approached MLB about what the policy is and how far in advance they would have to make that decision. They also did cost analysis on the construction and they spoke to a few teams that have made the moves — the Mets, for one — and the Cardinals studied the fallout from that, benefits and problems. No hints here. Straight up reporting that they were exploring it.

And then they won five Gold Gloves.

And then they looked at unintended consequences and talked to fans about the style of play they enjoy and thought of the team’s identity and looked at the market and cost and decided — hey, being a pitcher friendly ballpark isn’t all that bad at all. So they doubled-down on defense and pitching at a time that the farm system wasn’t ready to produce the pitching that was needed. Losing ensued. They couldn’t outhit the problems because of their ballpark in part, and while they got the one of the most gifted third baseman in the game, he also was one of the most accomplished pull-side hitters, and this is a ballpark that isn’t all that friendly to pull-side right-handed hitters. And that is where they are now.

They are, this year, playing a game that fits their ballpark — fits any ballpark, really, but theirs snugly — and they’re cranking doubles, they’re stealing hit, and if they become a better baserunning team that is BuschBall.

Robert: Hello Mr. Goold: Are the Cardinals in communication with Ryan Helsley’s agent on an extension, or has that ship passed? What would a possible new contract /extension for him look like (Cards or other teams)? 4 yrs/$80 million? 6/120? Do you know Chaim Bloom’s philosophy regarding signing high-end closers? Is it possible the assumption of the Birds automatically trading Ryan is inaccurate, especially given the play of the team?

DG: There’s a lot packed into this series of questions. Let’s try to tackle it one by one. 1) At last check, they are not, but that does not mean that the ship has passed. Helsley remains open to that conversation, and as long as he is open to it the possibility exists for the team to engage in the talks. 2) The highest paid reliever right now is around $20m, and believe you’re looking at more than $16m for Helsley, so adjust the offer accordingly around a 4-year, 5th option or 5-year deal. 3) Only at the surface, and it is subject to change based on the individual reliever. He recognizes the volatility of the role and values spending on it accordingly. 4) I think it is unwise to assume that he will be traded as a given. They could also give him a qualifying offer and recoup a draft pick if he finishes the whole season here, and that makes sense, too.

Glenn: I have wondered about Roku’s excessive commercials (for Roku programming) toward the late innings of the game yesterday. Has anyone else remarked on that. The Rangers made a pitching change around the top of the seventh, and the parade of commercials kept going and going. When they came back to the game, it was the next half inning already. This continued during each subsequent break. I started to follow the game on the Gameday app on my phone and quit when the score was score was 5-1 or so. But that practice of long, long commercial breaks did not happen in the early or middle innings. I was just wondering. . . .

DG: I’m flattered that you think I would have any sort of answer at all about it. But commercials on the broadcast are way out of my area, not even the same medium, and I am not sure I would have even accidentally stumbled into any sort of expertise to comment on this at all.

imetsatchelpaige: Your chat is such a welcome distraction to another Monday morning-our collective thanks. After very hot and promising starts, Hererra and Scott2 have cooled. Is this simply a matter of the book finally being out on them, or is it something else?

DG: It’s more than than anything. Scott has already had the shift, and he countered, and now he’s in the process of doing so again. Look at how he adjusted to more off-speed stuff, and consider that he’s also getting these starts and those at-bats against lefty pitchers. So it’s expected. Herrera cooled from molten hot to just leading. Relative is important here.

EEG: Are there any Cardinals fans in Tahiti? Asking for a friend.

DG: With so much else to see and do there? Perhaps. There may have been one download of the Best Podcast in Baseball from that area. I can only imagine that it was someone who needed company and comfort while snorkeling with all of the sharks.

Ed AuBuchon: How could I forget Liberatore but the arms you mentioned are unproven. A few years ago Flaherty and Hudson were promising arms.

DG: And a few years from now, two other draft picks will be. Time is a flat circle. And not all prospects work out to be exactly as expected. That is when teams like the Rockies happen.

Ben: Hey DG, found the Vilade move curious. If they were looking to get Gorman more AB’s with Walker out, wouldn’t Baker have been the more logical move? Burly/Donovan get more time in the OF while Gorman gets more AB’s at 2nd?

DG: It’s been two days. That is indeed one possible outcome of where this is headed for the next three days.

rhinsd: Although current results are above expectations, could you imagine if they kept the 2025 version of Goldschmnidt and have Herrera and Contreas alternate between catching and DH?

DG: They might not have signed Phil Maton.

The 2025 version of Paul Goldschmidt is doing quite well. Not sure he’d be hitting leadoff for the Cardinals, though …

Mike in KC: Amazing that it took them this long to figure out that playing for HR launch angle at Busch was/is a mistake. Contact, contact, contact. It’s been obvious this was the need for a decade…since the Royals provided the blueprint in 2014-2015…and yet we continued to double down on power. The team this year is so much fun, in part, due to the contact mindset.

DG: It didn’t take them this long to figure it out. It took them time to execute it. They’ve been looking for this kind of offense for years. And it wasn’t that long ago they saw how it worked. Check out that 2013 team’s production.

Well, I guess 2013 was awhile ago.

Jon: Thank you for all the time you give to your job. You’re one of the best around.

DG: Thank you, Jon. That is appreciated.

First Time Caller: Picking up on the Rockies discussion earlier, one problem with embracing the tank is the CBA rule limiting a team to two lottery picks in a row. So this year, while the Rockies potentially post the worst record and run differential ever, their reward is picking no higher than 10th next year.

Of course, while that’s a certainty for the 2026 draft, anything after that is subject to change pending the Great CBA Lockout after next season.

DG: All the more reason to open the doors and trade for the talent you won’t be able to draft. I’m not saying the embrace the tank for years to come. I’m saying they’ve already tanked, they’re off to a historically terrible start, and what’s going to be the difference for them if they win 25 games or 35 games or 45 games? Trade the players now for what they cannot draft: depth, upside, quantity. It’s that bad.

Mike in KC: I was at the game last Sunday when Arenado made the career highlight reel catch into the stands in foul territory. All of those sitting around us were confused by the runners advancing. We’ve seen many catches over the years with players diving or falling into the stands or dugouts and couldn’t remember runners ever being awarded a base because of it. Is that a new rule? Or what was the nuance of this particular catch that allowed that to happen?

DG: It is the farthest from a new rule. It has to do with him throwing the ball back into the field of play. If he goes into the dugout and tosses the ball back from the dugout, same thing would happen. If he went into the net, made the catch, and then came out, planted his foot in the field of play — and then threw the ball. No advance. That’s a legal throw. It has to do with the fact that he did not return to the field of play before making the throw. You may have seen this before — but it likely would have been with a catcher on the steps of the dugout or somewhere in that area.

Quick aside: This is why Arizona challenged the play. It came across as silly at the time because the Diamondbacks said they were challenging the catch — and c’mon that catch was clear and obvious and what are you doing? But they were challenging the continuation of play and started at the beginning of the play so that they could then get to the point that replay determined where the runners could go because the throw was from out of bounds. That makes sense. Good challenge, Arizona.

Warren: I’ll be attending my first game at Coors Field this summer. Any “must dos” at the ballpark or surrounding area?

DG: Wander. Check out LoDo. Visit Tattered Cover. Maybe grab a few baseball postcards there and send them to friends. Get a burger at Cherry Cricket. There are a few breweries are there that are also solid, if you’re interested and old enough, all within walking distance. Be sure to go out and view the bullpens with the mountain/pine scene. Try a tornadough at the ballpark. There’s not a Beau Jo’s pizza nearby, but it’s worth seeking one out. You could also visit the great town of Boulder, Pearl Street and wave as you pass by where I grew up. Closer to the ballpark, there’s breakfast joint Snooze, and not too far is Union Station with a lot to do there. That was my first view of Denver — we took the train there when we moved, but you didn’t ask for an origin story, so I’ll stop there.

Tim from NJ: Are the Cardinals just as willing today to trade Arenado as they were before the season began? If so, would it be only to shed payroll because they have seen enough of Gorman? If Arenado plays out his contract who would the Cardinals have developed as their next long term third baseman?

DG: What a great question, just really strikes at the core of what’s happening here and where the Cardinals’ priorities there and if results on the field have changed them. I’ve been wondering and asking around about this here recently, and I don’t get good answers. The one that really had any gravity was the description that it would be Bloom’s to revisit — and that suggests it’s an offseason discussion, not an active in-season goal. Could a phone change that? Perhaps. This is currently the stance because they’re not getting interest from teams in him — so is it that they’re not courting that interest or there isn’t that interest, and I really think its some blend of both, but not 50/50. It does seem at the moment more like they’ll take a phone call, not make a phone call. They also no there are so few places he’d accept a trade and there are so few reasons for them now — other than just cutting payroll — to make that trade. Again, he enjoys being a Cardinal. He enjoys winning. They’re currently doing both. He would enjoy being more productive at the plate and a part of doing both, obviously.

Less of a concern is developing the third baseman of the future who takes over whenever Arenado leaves. That isn’t like some pressing, urgent, concern. It just isn’t. They have Donovan who can play there and Saggese at second. Look up when Arenado leaves and it could be Wetherholt there at third. They have options there at the corner that are developing right along and could be ready when they are.

Jon: Best NL team you’ve seen so far?

DG: Probably the Mets, but it should have been the Phillies. Haven’t gone west yet.

I am going with in person. I’ve seen all the teams play on TV, so that would widen the answer to the usual suspects.

Ed AuBuchon: Derrick had to google “time is a flat circle”, thanks

MS Bird Brain: This is probably old business, but I keep wondering why they aren’t extending some of their young core position players? Donovan, Winn, maybe Nootbar? Pitching is riskier, but how about Palante and Libby? I’d even say Herrera now. It seems like part of the forumula of successful mid-market teams. Is the upcoming transfer of power the reason?

DG: It is indeed the upcoming transfer of power. This is was the subject of an article in the Post-Dispatch from earlier this season — right from the beginning, honestly, of the season, as Mozeliak said he wanted to create a way for Bloom to start fresh, make those calls, have this season of info, and know the direction the team is going.

The one extension conversation that seemed outside of that was Donovan. Both the player and the team were open to a conversation about an extension at the end of this past season, and there was some discussion about that. It just didn’t have any traction between the Cardinals and Donovan’s representatives as arbitration neared, arrived, and determined his salary.

Ben: What I wouldn’t give for that Brendon Donovan extension to have happened this past offseason to ensure he’s a staple on this team for the next 5 years, at least….

DG: There was conversation. There was progress. But then there wasn’t — and an arbitration hearing happened. Expect both sides to take another run here at some point, with Bloom involved in where that goes.

Robert: Mr G: Which of the Cardinals catchers (rostered and minor leaguers) will command the best return via trade, and given the surplus, wouldn’t management be prudent to take advantage of this surplus by trading at least one?

DG: Ivan Herrera would. Full stop. That is the young catcher in the Cardinals organization that teams have asked about have tried to trade, using Jimmy Crooks rise as a reason for asking, as an example. In the coming month, it will be clearer if Crooks or Bernal draw the same kind of attention. Bernal’s profile is rising.

Jody: Clearly, the Cards are better than expected. If they make the playoffs, do you think Bloom sticks with Oli? Conversely, if they don’t get in, will Oli be here in 2016?

DG: It’s a fair question. I don’t know. Marmol is under contract for 2026, and really when it comes to the decision it could be ownership’s, and we all know — or, I hope you know by now after all these chats — how DeWitt prefers to avoid firing people. Contracts play out. Team moves on. Marmol and Bloom have a developing relationship, and it’s good by all descriptions and also indications. It’s not clear if Bloom would see success in 2025 as a one-off (an outlier) or if he sees it as a starting point that gives them a head start. That makes sense in May, and it will be clear by November.

From experience, might I suggest that answers to questions like this are obvious when they have to be made because we have more information at the time and performance makes it clear.

larry harnly: do oli and mo talk daily? do you think mo critiques oli? does mo ever give oli a lineup to use?

South City Steve: At what point does your DeGrom analysis converge with a Lincecum debate?

DG: I wasn’t aware there was a Lincecum debate.

Ray Jay: OK, call me a cranky old man but I miss the old days in terms of scheduling. Some interleague play is nice, I guess, but I would rather be playing the division foes more often. I can watch Tigers, Rangers, etc. on tv if I’m that interested. Here we are the 1st of June and the Cards haven’t played the Cubs yet.

DG: I understand where you’re coming from, and there is a great appeal to more division games — and certainly having them early in the season. It is silly the Cardinals haven’t played the Cubs yet and it’s almost Flag Day. That said, I think it’s a mistake if MLB doesn’t have Aaron Judge visit Dodger Stadium more than once every six years, and doesn’t have Shohei Ohtani visit Fenway Park once every six years, and so on. Cardinals fans should feel this one deeply given how it took so long for Albert Pujols to return to STL with the Angels. That shouldn’t happen, and if it takes fewer division games to make certain that doesn’t happen, then it’s worth it for Paul Skenes to pitch on the South Side and Julio Rodriguez to play on the North Side, and Judge to finally hit a homer at Busch Stadium — or maybe not, maybe never, but it won’t be because he never visited.

Ken: Hi Derrick. I’m really surprised at how well the team is performing (the hitting seems to have cooled a little). Anyway this team is really fun to watch. With that said we’re flying up to see the Cubs series. Is the team seeing any turn up in attendance ?

DG: The team is indeed. There was an uptick in sales for the Arizona series, and development a strong uptick in atmosphere. It was a good vibe at the ballpark, for sure. And the Cardinals are also seeing an improvement in butts in seats. They had a high rate earlier in the season — but that corresponded with fewer tickets sold, so higher percentage showed up. Now they’re seeing more turnstile twists, too. This KC series will be interesting — and then comes the Dodgers.

Marc: If the Cardinals are in the mix come the trade deadline, are their still some trades they might seek given “logjam” situations? For example, Gorman being sorta blocked for playing time, or in the longer term, the number of good catching prospects coming up for example.

DG: For sure. That is an area of interest for them, and it could be where they find the most action — it’s where they did a year ago, too, flipping a major-league player for a major-league pitcher and major-league outfielder. That is a good way to describe one approach they’ll have at the deadline, and it really is independent of the standings. They’ll look for deals like that — just the return will be different based on the standings.

Ron: What’s the FO plan for deadline? Sell out expiring contract and wipe slate clean?

DG: Not at the moment, no.

If you have the time and interest, Mozeliak spoke to me about that in Baltimore, and he was the one that took the conversation in that direction. I was more interested in if the Orioles were a cautionary tale of trying to line up spending with contention. Here is that story.

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