Randy Karraker (Yes THAT homer) documents this seasons Rosterbations

[John D]

I mean seriously... if that homer is piling on, it must be bad:

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On opening day, the Cards had seven outfielders on their 40-man roster. Grichuk, Dexter Fowler, Stephen Piscotty and Jose Martinez at the major league level, Tommy Pham and Anthony Garcia at Triple A Memphis, and Magneuris Sierra at Palm Beach. On April 24, the Cardinals DFA’d Garcia and outrighted him to Memphis, leaving them with six outfielders on their 40-man roster. On May 4, Fowler injured a shoulder and Piscotty a hamstring in the same game against Milwaukee. Piscotty was placed on the 10-day DL and Pham was called up. Fowler was kept active, and over the next ten days started two games.

During those ten days, the Cardinals operated with an eight-man bullpen. In that time, Sam Tuivalala and Miguel Socolovich each pitched twice, with both appearing in an 8-3 win over San Francisco. Wouldn’t the club have been better served to have a bench outfielder and lived without Tuivalala for those ten days?

On May 6, Martinez suffered a pulled hamstring and went on the DL the next day, with Sierra arriving from Palm Beach. That means that of the four opening day outfielders, three were injured in three days. And the Cards had every outfielder they had on the 40 man at the major league level or on the DL, with Fowler mostly unavailable.

When Piscotty came back, the Cardinals traded the NL’s best pinch hitter over the last three years, Matt Adams, to Atlanta. But, they maintained their eight-man bullpen. Now, they don’t have a legitimate backup first baseman. When Matt Carpenter needed a day off on Saturday, Jedd Gyorko played first.

And when the bullpen failed, the Cardinals called up a 27-year-old minor league journeyman, John Brebbia, designating Socolovich for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. This is a 40-man roster that has Alex Reyes…out for the season with Tommy John surgery…on the 10-day disabled list rather than the 60 day, which would open a roster spot.

To fill in for the 25-year-old Grichuk and the 26-year-old Piscotty, the Cards have plugged in 28-year-old Martinez and 29-year-old Pham. The most productive and exciting Cardinals outfielder this season, the 21-year-old Sierra, was sent to Springfield with a .367 big league batting average, a .406 OBP and eight runs scored in seven games. While sparking the team…which was 6-1 in the games he played…Sierra wasn’t going to play like that forever. But they should have given him a longer chance to fail.

[Sonicblast12]

It's alarming how shallow the roster is. Couple guys get hurt and they're screwed.

[John D]

It's alarming how shallow the roster is. Couple guys get hurt and they're screwed.

We have long been sounding the alarm of how Moe does little to nothing every winter to fortify the roster - while the core ages.

The chickens come home to roost.

Moe better thank God Almighty Wainwright got himself a new pitching mix that quickly or there'd be booing at the stadium already.

[two-hole]

where are the indictments?

it's a chronicle, with no teeth. "wouldn't they have been better served..." Make the case. Deliver the verdict. If memory serves, they actually fared very well over those games.

"Moving Reyes to the 60-man would have opened up a Roster spot." For whom? Why does it matter? The Cardinals haven't lost anyone to waiver claims. This is a nothingburger. They didn't DFA Soco to make room for Brebbia. They DFA'd Soco because he's out of options. This is just inaccurate.

"They have no legit backup 1B. On Marp's day off, Gyorko played first..." Oh. So they do have a backup 1B. They have bench 3B, and Gyorko is fine at 1B, so yes, they do have a backup 1B.

Sierra didn't get sent back down over 40 man concerns. This has nothing to do with "rosterbation".

Where's the beef?

[85cards]

We have long been sounding the alarm of how Moe does little to nothing every winter to fortify the roster - while the core ages.

The chickens come home to roost.

Moe better thank God Almighty Wainwright got himself a new pitching mix that quickly or there'd be booing at the stadium already.

There should be booing already. If STL truly had the BFiB they'd recognize insufferably bad fundamental baseball and let ownership know they recognize it.

[Indy CardsFan]

I wish someone would get an answer as to why Reyes wasn't put on the 60 day DL back in April?

[two-hole]

I wish someone would get an answer as to why Reyes wasn't put on the 60 day DL back in April?

For what reason? When did we need that spot?

[Oz-iz-God]

I wish someone would get an answer as to why Reyes wasn't put on the 60 day DL back in April?

My memory is that you can only transfer someone to the 60 day if an eligible player is added to the 40 day, thus pushing them over the limit.

The Cardinals haven't had a full 40 for most of the year (again, good on Moe for losing Cordoba for no reason; smart). Without a full 40, procedurally they are unable to move him to the 60.

It's unlikely to matter as Mozeliak has gotten gunshy enough at this point that he refuses to even carry 39 guys on the roster, let alone the 41st that would allow us to transfer Reyes off.

[TCB 6-4-3]

Sierra didn't get sent back down over 40 man concerns. This has nothing to do with "rosterbation".

Where's the beef?

Come on, Two roster management has been pretty crappy overall, starting with Mozeliak out righting Anthony Garcia off the 40-man (which was already at like 38) with no corresponding move. This was the 1st domino that caused us to pull up Sierra from A-ball and start his clock.

[two-hole]

Come on, Two roster management has been pretty crappy overall, starting with Mozeliak out righting Anthony Garcia off the 40-man (which was already at like 38) with no corresponding move. This was the 1st domino that caused us to pull up Sierra from A-ball and start his clock.

TCB - we're all frustrated with the season, bad fundamental baseball, Matheny, DeWitt for not spending, and Mozeliak for not capitalizing on opportunities to better the team.

But...let's inject a little truth between our emotional gripes.

Garcia got outrighted because he sucks. And...while he was actively sucking...that was the very time to outright him off the roster so you have that spot open. And...it worked. He didn't get claimed.

That had nothing to do with Sierra. Garcia wasn't coming up here to the show, not while he was sporting a MiLB batting line that would make Pete Kozma look like Al Kaline. We "started" Sierra's clock to the tune of, what, 8 games? Who cares? The worst thing we did was burn an option year on him. If we end up needing that option year later, it's because he isn't as good as we hope he'll be. On the other hand, he earned a ton of confidence and a promotion to AA out of it, and we got a fun glimpse of the future. I think Sierra's handling is actually one of the bright spots of the season.

The worst roster move of the season was demoting Tui to hold onto Soco and Broxton, only to DFA Soco a few days later and add Brebbia to the 40 because Tui isn't available to re-promote for another week. And I gave Mozeliak right-Hell for that. Inasmuch as posting on a barely-trafficked internet message board is giving a MLB GM "right-Hell".

[Indy CardsFan]

For what reason? When did we need that spot?

That wasn't the question....Duke was put on there and they didn't leave him on the 40 man for the hell of it. It's not a matter of if they needed the spot....it's why keep a guy on the 40 man that isn't going to be pitching?

Moe sucks at managing the 40 man roster....always has.

We dropped Hazelbaker to keep Anthony Garcia, who sucked so bad he was DFA'd for no real reason.

He left Cordoba off over Garcia as well. Cordoba is now hitting .304 w/3 Hrs and 7 RBI for SD as a 21 year old.

Much like Matheny has never figured out how to use a bullpen.....Moe can't figure out the 40 man roster (see your comments on Soco. / Tuil).

[Sonicblast12]

There should be booing already. If STL truly had the BFiB they'd recognize insufferably bad fundamental baseball and let ownership know they recognize it.

That's as likely as Broxton being listed at his real weight. Ain't gonna happen.

[two-hole]

That wasn't the question....Duke was put on there and they didn't leave him on the 40 man for the hell of it. It's not a matter of if they needed the spot....it's why keep a guy on the 40 man that isn't going to be pitching?

Moe sucks at managing the 40 man roster....always has.

We dropped Hazelbaker to keep Anthony Garcia, who sucked so bad he was DFA'd for no real reason.

He left Cordoba off over Garcia as well. Cordoba is now hitting .304 w/3 Hrs and 7 RBI for SD as a 21 year old.

Much like Matheny has never figured out how to use a bullpen.....Moe can't figure out the 40 man roster (see your comments on Soco. / Tuil).

so we're talking about past ghosts? I thought we were talking about this season.

I agree - there have been stupid stupid 40 man decisions prior to the start of the season. None of them are chronicled in the original post; and the ones chronicled in the original post aren't legitimate complaints.

Hell, the original post calls Sierra this season's "most productive" outfielder. I think Tommy Pham might have something to say about that.

It's not even accurate, much less compelling.

[Indy CardsFan]

I'm not Randy Karraker, so I can't speak to his article.

My point is Moe is TERRIBLE at figuring out how to use that roster....this week, last week, last year and 5 years ago.

[paulie walnuts]

There are other outfielders in the system not on the 40-man, correct?

[John D]

I'm not Randy Karraker, so I can't speak to his article.

My point is Moe is TERRIBLE at figuring out how to use that roster....this week, last week, last year and 5 years ago.

Hey, but he's running a "multimillion dollar business!"

[JMolina]

Announcers don't sugarcoat Cardinals' sour play

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseb...19709a938.html