Latest news with #JohnMozeliak
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Cardinals General Manager Keeping Decision 'Fluid' With Time Running Out
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The St. Louis Cardinals needed a strong start out of the break to solidify themselves as buyers before the trade deadline. What they got was a 1-5 start in a road trip against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak told Katie Woo of The Athletic, "We're being much more open-minded to where we were pre-All-Star break" while calling the situation "fluid" before the Cardinals dropped their series with the Rockies. MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - MARCH 24: John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations of the St. Louis Cardinals answers questions from the media before the spring training game against the Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park on March... MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - MARCH 24: John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations of the St. Louis Cardinals answers questions from the media before the spring training game against the Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park on March 24, 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. More Photo byThe Cardinals are trying to catch up to the San Diego Padres, and with the pair taking the field against each other, the Cardinals can do so this weekend. It would take a sweep to jump the Padres in the standings, and with a series against the Miami Marlins to follow, the Cardinals could change their deadline outlook by Monday. It is Mozeliak's last hurrah in the Cardinals front office, and he is tasked with setting up incoming PBO Chaim Bloom with the best future that he can, and allowing Bloom to create his vision. The Cardinals have valuable pieces to move this summer, including closer Ryan Helsley. In a reliever-heavy market, last season's National League Reliever of the Year is one of the most sought-after pitchers at the trade deadline. After defeating the Padres Thursday night, the Cardinals inched closer and are now 2 1/2 games back for the final wild card spot. The Cardinals might be hesitant and stand pat until the weekend series wraps up to see if they believe that they can find their way back into the playoffs. More MLB: Royals Reportedly Willing To Trade, Looking To Compete Next Year
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Cardinals designate starting pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment
DENVER — The St. Louis Cardinals have designated right-handed starting pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment, the team announced Wednesday morning. Fedde, 32, had struggled mightily over his last several starts. In his nine starts since June 1, he logged just 39 1/2 innings and posted a 7.32 ERA, allowing 32 earned runs, 51 hits and 21 walks. Despite those struggles, the Cardinals kept Fedde in the starting rotation, hoping he would be able to turn his performance around and boost potential trade value. Advertisement But the organization reached its reckoning point after Fedde's start on Tuesday, where he allowed six earned runs over three innings against the Colorado Rockies. 'The truth is I've been awful,' Fedde said after Tuesday's game, an 8-4 loss. 'I'm putting the team in terrible spots, giving up runs early, putting our batters in tough spots. Confidence? For sure, all-time low. But I've had lows, I've had highs in this game, and I'm just trying to be professional, show up every day and give it my best. The team deserves better.' With the Cardinals (52-50) clinging onto their season, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak expected to make trade deadline decisions in the near future, the club could not justify having Fedde, who was acquired in a deadline deal with the White Sox last July, take another start. '(Fedde) understood it,' Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said Wednesday, before St. Louis' series finale against the Rockies. 'He understood that we gave him several starts to try to correct and get on the other side of it. Unfortunately, it wasn't translating into games. He was working hard at it, but he also understands where we are as an organization, and that this opens up a spot for one of the young guys to contribute going forward.' Right-hander Michael McGreevy will slot into the rotation after spending the first half of the season shuffling between Triple A and the majors. He remained with the team after making a spot start against the Rockies on Monday, scattering two runs over seven innings in the Cardinals' 6-2 victory. The expectation is that McGreevy, the club's first-round pick in 2021, will spend the rest of the season in the Cardinals rotation. McGreevy holds a 3.49 ERA in the majors this season over five appearances (four starts). Reliever Andre Granillo was recalled from Triple-A Memphis as the corresponding move for Fedde. (Top photo of Erick Fedde:)
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
What we're hearing: Rays' relief plans, Luis Robert's value and deadline ‘ambulance chasing'
What we're hearing about the MLB trade deadline is a collection of news and notes from our reporting team of Patrick Mooney, Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal. St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak watched as his team faltered and his popularity surged among his peers. Getting swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first series out of the All-Star break brought some clarity to what had been a muddled situation. Advertisement In the final days before the July 31 trade deadline, the Cardinals flunked a big test. Their competitors pounced. 'People realized it was a tough weekend for us,' said Mozeliak, whose phone was suddenly flooded with opportunists. As executives across Major League Baseball constantly check their phones, the buzzword is 'fluid.' Entering play Tuesday, 12 of the 15 American League clubs were either in a leading position or within five games of a playoff spot. Meanwhile, in the National League, only the three last-place teams could be classified as traditional sellers. The unusually large number of bubble teams this summer has created the conditions for more potential awkwardness. It makes you wonder if there's some sort of waiting period before dialing, or a kind of professional etiquette. The fraternity of high-ranking baseball officials is rather small. 'You kind of make a joke in the beginning of the conversation,' Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. Players and coaches romanticize 'the grind,' writing off a bad game as 'one of 162' and trying to focus on the process. But at this time of year, the results matter. A win or a loss can take on outsized import. The Cardinals have been at a crossroads since last year's announcement that, after three decades in the St. Louis front office, Mozeliak would step down at the end of the 2025 season with Chaim Bloom set to take over. The Cardinals retained veteran players such as Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray without making significant investments in their major-league payroll to push forward. While creating opportunities for young talent, the Cardinals did not go all-in and replenish their farm system by trading, for example, All-Star closer Ryan Helsey. In this bridge season, the Cardinals have been largely competitive and mostly unexceptional. Advertisement Getting swept in Arizona by another team hovering around .500 seemingly went beyond the margin for error. 'Where we are in the standings definitely affects our decision-making going forward,' Mozeliak said. 'Playing those three games and losing all three was not helpful.' As division rivals, the Cubs and Cardinals do not come together to make deals at the deadline. For context, Hoyer was speaking broadly about how the trade market usually works. But even in a cutthroat business, executives aren't always bluffing or misdirecting. At times, they gossip, crack jokes and commiserate. 'We've all been there,' Hoyer said. As an example, Hoyer pointed to how the Cubs pivoted at the 2023 trade deadline, reacting to an eight-game winning streak in late July. Not only did the Cubs not trade Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees, Hoyer's group acquired Jeimer Candelario, who was putting together a fine season with the Washington Nationals. 'In '23, I was just really open with everyone,' Hoyer recalled. 'Like, 'Hey, don't feel bad. Yes, this is a little bit day-to-day here. Yeah, if we lose two games in a row, we may well be selling. And if we keep winning, we might be buying.' Teams are pretty open about that. 'If a team loses three in a row and they're still in really good position, no one's calling to ask. But with the teams that are generally in that up-or-down spot, trying to make that decision, I don't think you feel bad about it because usually they are pretty open. Like, 'Hey, we're a little bit series-to-series here.'' In that sense, the media coverage of the trade deadline is not overblown, and fans are not overreacting to a three-game losing streak. Front offices might be making the same calculations. The really awkward part over the phone does not necessarily involve sellers at the trade deadline, Hoyer said. It's when a team gets hit with injuries and bombarded with messages from rival officials who sense an opportunity. Advertisement 'Ambulance chasing,' Hoyer said. Two clubs made aggressive attempts last week to land Luis Robert Jr., league sources said, but the Chicago White Sox wanted a better return of prospects. Indeed, Robert picked a fascinating time for a hot streak. Through 10 games in July, Robert is 12-for-33 (.364 batting average) with two home runs and three stolen bases. He had a scheduled day off on Tuesday, and he missed the first week of the month due to a hamstring injury. Robert's overall numbers for this season remain subpar: .206 batting average, .636 OPS, 10 home runs in 323 plate appearances. Since last season, his trade stock has suffered because of poor results. Perhaps a late push helps the White Sox recoup some value. Compared to some other center fielders in the trade market, such as Cedric Mullins (Baltimore Orioles) and Harrison Bader (Minnesota Twins), rival scouts still say Robert holds the greatest upside. He is 27 years old and is just two seasons removed from hitting 38 home runs. League sources expect the market to further heat up for Robert, especially if he continues to hit. If not, in theory, it is possible that the White Sox could decide against trading Robert and pick up his $20 million club option for next season because of their low payroll. However, that would be a serious gamble on a player with health and production concerns. An AL executive recently expressed some of that skepticism heading into the trade deadline: 'What are you really getting?' The Tampa Bay Rays remain one of several teams straddling the fence as the trade deadline looms. Should they buy, relief pitching will be the priority. The Rays already swung a deal in early July, swapping their 37th overall pick in this year's draft to the Orioles in exchange for right-hander Bryan Baker. Their next week of games will dictate their course, but the club will continue monitoring the bullpen market. While it's unclear to which degree the Rays would buy, league sources say the club would strongly prefer to hold on to closer Pete Fairbanks, regardless of the direction they take. Fairbanks, 31, is in the final guaranteed year of his current deal, but the Rays hold a club option that would pay the reliever $7 million for 2026, with additional escalators that could take things up to $11 million. Advertisement In addition to bullpen help, the Rays are also exploring potential position player upgrades, people familiar with their plans said, in the event they rack up wins quickly. After Tuesday's 4-3 victory over the White Sox, the Rays improved to 53-49, just a half-game out of playoff position. (Top photo of Luis Robert Jr.: Justin Berl / Getty Images)
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Cardinals face fork in the road after D-backs sweep them and trade deadline looms
Major League Baseball's All-Star break is designed to give teams some much-needed time off ahead of what is usually a mad dash through the final two months of the season. It's a chance to reset and refocus after nearly 100 games, with contending teams ready to start making their competitive push coming out of it. Advertisement Apparently, the St. Louis Cardinals missed the memo. The Arizona Diamondbacks swept the Cardinals to kick off the second half of the season in three virtually non-competitive ball games. Andre Pallante was tagged for six runs (five earned) in the first three innings of Friday's loss. Sonny Gray served up nine runs (eight earned) and 11 hits over 3 1/3 innings on Saturday and Miles Mikolas allowed five earned runs in four innings in Sunday's series finale. St. Louis dropped to two games over .500 and fell to 3 1/2 games out of the final National League wild card spot. Their competitive chances are dwindling as the July 31 trade deadline looms. Shh our favorite show is on. — Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 20, 2025 President of baseball operations John Mozeliak has long said he won't rush into trade deadline plans, that he hopes he has tough decisions to make and that he's prepared to wait until days before the deadline before definitely deciding on a direction. The way the Cardinals are playing, though, might make such decisions much easier for him. St. Louis has lost 11 of its 14 games in July. Its starting pitching has faltered completely — the rotation owns a collective ERA of above 7.20 since July 1. Though Iván Herrera and Jordan Walker are off the injured list, the Cardinals are still without two regulars in Lars Nootbaar (left costochondral sprain) and Nolan Gorman (back pain). Nootbaar landed on the 10-day injured list the day before the All-Star break, after attempting to play through rib pain for two weeks. Gorman was also unavailable that game due to back tightness, but was hopeful the break would give him time to recover. That ended up not being the case; Gorman was a late scratch for Friday's game and went on the IL the following day. Advertisement The Cardinals will also skip Matthew Liberatore's first scheduled start out of the break, citing a need for extended rest. Monitoring Liberatore's innings will be a focal point going forward, as the 25-year-old pitches through his first full major-league season as a starter. He's already logged over 100 innings this year, surpassing last year's total of 86, and is on track to set a new career-high in innings pitched. He'll make his next start on Saturday at Busch Stadium against the San Diego Padres. Michael McGreevy will spot start for Liberatore on Monday in the first of three games against the Colorado Rockies. Erick Fedde will start Tuesday, with Pallante tabbed for Wednesday. There is an internal desire to keep McGreevy in the rotation after this turn, though the organization is not yet sure how to configure that. A six-man rotation is not under consideration at this time. The Cardinals are shopping starting pitcher Erick Fedde, and will continue to do so regardless of whether they buy or sell. That's why Fedde will remain in the rotation for the time being. Starting pitching remains a dire need for many contending teams, and while Fedde's 3-9 record and 4.93 ERA aren't particularly attractive, his health is. Fedde's value lies in his availability, and he has yet to miss a start this year. If the Cardinals suddenly begin skipping his starts, opposing teams might start raising some red flags. The club believes there is somewhat of a market for Fedde, who is in the final year of his contract and is due less than $3 million for the remainder of the season. In order to reach that market, Fedde has to pitch. Other pitchers may be made available as well, depending on how the next week goes. Mozeliak stated in early July that there would be some hesitancy in trading away players from his bullpen if the Cardinals remained in contention. Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz and Phil Maton will all be free agents at the end of the year. All three have been instrumental in locking down wins in late innings. All three could also find themselves suddenly available depending on the next week of play. 'Right now, I don't think we have intentions of (trading relievers),' Mozeliak said on July 4. 'But again, we'll see where we're at.' Advertisement Where the Cardinals are currently is a grim position. They remain in contention by the definition of the word, but they have shown little to no signs of being able to string together a truly competitive second half. As their transition season continues, St. Louis has finally found itself at a fork in the road. Should it retain talent and hope for a late summer miracle? Alternatively, should the Cardinals stick to their established plan and continue building for the future? The next six days will all but answer those questions. (Photo of Miles Mikolas: Norm Hall / Getty Images)
New York Times
16-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Cardinals second-half storylines to watch, starting with the trade deadline
We blinked, and the first half of the St. Louis Cardinals' season came and went. Despite preseason projections expecting the worst for this transitioning ball club, the Cardinals went 51-46 and will enter play Friday just 1 1/2 games out of the last National League wild-card spot. There are 65 regular-season games remaining, but the next couple of weeks could dictate the Cardinals' year. Will the organization attempt to make a playoff push? Or will it concede come the trade deadline and focus on 2026 and beyond? Advertisement Welcome to the second half. We can't predict ball, but we know one thing: It won't be boring. Here's what to watch as the Cardinals kick off a mad dash through the summer months, beginning with a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks starting Friday at Chase Field: The Cardinals are one of several bubble teams that probably won't commit to buying or selling (or holding) until days before the July 31 deadline. 'Where we are in the week leading up, or the 72 hours leading up to the trading deadline, may affect how we make our decisions,' president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said in early July. Mozeliak maintained through June that the team's performance in July would drive his deadline decisions. The issue? The Cardinals are 4-7 this month with multiple players battling through injuries. Iván Herrera was activated off the IL the day before the break after missing 3 1/2 weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. His time behind the plate is expected to be limited for the remainder of the season, as he's suffered two lower-half injuries already this season and the Cardinals want to protect his health as much as possible. Taking Herrera's place on the IL is Lars Nootbaar, who played through several weeks of rib discomfort before being diagnosed with a left costochondral strain. He is expected to miss at least two weeks. Nolan Arenado (right index finger sprain) has tried his best to avoid the IL, but he's played in just four games this month and completed only two of them. He'll use the All-Star break as a reset and hope to return to game action Friday. Jordan Walker (appendicitis) has cleared all health concerns, but remains in Double A on a rehab assignment. The Cardinals want him to fine-tune his approach and correct some swing issues before calling him back up. However, a position player can be on a rehab assignment for a max of 20 days. Walker began his rehab stint on June 28, which points to the team needing to make a roster decision before the second half begins. Advertisement While the Cardinals try to get healthy, their depth needs to step up. Thomas Saggesse has struggled since being called up in mid-June, hitting .133/.152/.156 over 14 games. José Fermin and Yohel Pozo have made solid contributions offensively, but they are designated to be role players, not starters. If the Cardinals can come out of the break with better health, they'll feel much more confident about their chances to be buyers. If not, they could be a major factor in the trade market. St. Louis has several impact relievers on expiring deals (Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz) and is believed to be shopping starting pitcher Erick Fedde as well. 'The Cardinals can be a linchpin for a lot of teams,' one major-league executive recently said. 'They have a lot of players teams are interested in.' Regardless of whether the team buys or sells, player development will still be the focus. But manager Oli Marmol will be comfortable prioritizing the players who are producing. 'In my opinion, we've given opportunity to everybody at this point, so we'll mix and match and continue to play guys that are deserving,' Marmol said. The Cardinals have already tabbed Herrera as their everyday DH, while acknowledging it complicates matters for Nolan Gorman. It also doesn't allow days off from the field for regulars like Arenado, Brendan Donovan or Willson Contreras. But St. Louis can't (and shouldn't) take at-bats away from Herrera, who has already established himself as its best all-around hitter. Alec Burleson slugged his way into more playing time and looks to be one of the deserving players Marmol referenced. He hit .293 with 11 homers and an OPS above .800 in the first half and will continue to be a starter, likely as a corner outfielder in Nootbaar's absence. Advertisement There will also be an emphasis on finding consistent at-bats for Gorman after what he showed with regular playing time in June. Dating back to June 1, Gorman has played in 34 games and hit .245 with a .500 slugging percentage and eight homers. He packs major value as a left-handed bat off the bench, but St. Louis does not want to limit his role to that. It will be tricky, but the club believes there's a way to ensure Gorman ample playing time even with Herrera at DH. Walker looks to be the odd man out once he returns. Multiple stints on the IL have limited him to 55 games, and his production has been lackluster when he is healthy. Walker hit .210/.267/.295 in the first half with just three home runs, disappointing for a player the organization identified as a priority coming into the year. Herrera's surge allowed the Cardinals to stay afloat while Walker struggled. With St. Louis battling to stay in contention, Walker could hit the back burner. 'We've given ourselves a shot while (developing),' Marmol said. 'I'll continue to find ways, and I think we've threaded that as much as we can. I don't think we'll veer from it, but I'll lean heavier as we get further into the (second half) on playing guys that are deserving. It's not just runway for the sake of runway.' The Cardinals deserve credit for how they handled the health of their pitching staff in the first half. Miraculously, St. Louis did not lose one impact starter or reliever to the injured list. The meticulous scheduling by Marmol and pitching coach Dusty Blake is a huge reason why. It allowed pitchers in the rotation to take most of their starts on a six-day schedule instead of the traditional five-day turn. But some luck was involved here as well, and the club would be the first to acknowledge that. The area where the rotation's luck has started to run out is the contact rate. St. Louis often plays with fire with its low swing-and-miss, high ground-ball rate pitching staff. That's come back to bite the Cardinals lately. The rotation averaged a 5.02 ERA in June. They've fared even worse in July. Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante, Matthew Liberatore and Erick Fedde have combined to throw just 53 innings this month and have allowed a total of 36 earned runs. Fedde, in particular, has drawn ire from fans, but the Cardinals will keep him in the rotation in an attempt to stabilize his potential trade value. Michael McGreevy should be a regular starter come the second half, assuming the Cardinals can create room for him. Pallante and Liberatore are on track to record the most innings in a season in their careers, which raises some concern internally. It doesn't seem likely that Matz, who has thrived in relief, will stretch out and revert to a starter's role. Top pitching prospects Quinn Mathews and Tekoah Roby aren't ready for the big leagues, and the new player development regime will not rush either pitcher up out of need. You know the adage: A team is only as good as its starting pitching. It remains to be seen if the Cardinals have the depth to bolster them through the second half. (Top photo of Masyn Winn: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
