West Newsmagazine 3-20-24

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26 MARCH 20, 2024 WEST NEWSMAGAZINE CARDINALS PREVIEW 2024 WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM CARDINALS PREVIEW 2024 OVERVIEW Let’s get this out of the way first. Last season was… bad. Which part, you ask? All of it. The “all of it” part was bad. Pitching, offense, defense, win/loss record, Willson Contreras’ first season, Adam Wainwright’s final season – all bad. Rumor has it even the Rally Squirrel switched alliances to CITY SC and the Battlehawks. It was all bad. Let us speak of it no more. Now then, on to 2024! Every year, ESPN hands out grades for each team’s offseason and this year the Cardinals were able to score a, well, just a C+. Hey, that’s a passing grade. (Gulp.) Same grade as the Cubs. (Gulp, gulp, cough.) But there is an actual plus sign! In all seriousness, those grades are mostly bunk. The Los Angeles Dodgers scored an A++ and ESPN argued it may have been the greatest offseason ever. Well, yeah. They spent $1.2 billion dollars. They increased their already very high annual payroll by $67 million. To provide some context, that means the 2024 Dodgers took the 2023 Dodgers and added the equivalent of the 2023 Tampa Bay Rays in new payroll. That’s bonkers. Oh, and for more context, a reminder that the New York Mets won the 2023 offseason and then lost the 2023 regular season by a great big ginormous amount. We actually are quite optimistic about the Redbirds’ ability to return to form this season. They might not be built to win a popularity contest, but they just might be set up to make a decent postseason run. Let’s talk about why. THE WINN COLUMN The 2024 Cardinals will feature one of the largest, most exciting groups of young prospects since the early 1980’s teams. We know what team superstars like Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt are going to do for us, they do it every year. But if the team can get one or more of these young players to really break out, then the sky is the limit. The group is led by a pair of 21-yearolds, shortstop Masyn Winn and outfielder Jordan Walker. Walker spent nearly all last season in the big leagues, Winn got a taste at the end of the year. Both have a way to go to reach their enormous potential. Nolan Gorman (23), Alec Burleson (25), Dylan Carlson (25), Lars Nootbaar (26) and Brendan Donovan (27) are the other relatively young players with the potential to turn into superstars. Gorman and Burleson both have 40-home run power. Donovan was the only rookie Cardinal to ever win a Gold Glove. Nootbaar and Carlson are excellent all-around performers. THE LYNN COLUMN Listen, if you are a male between the ages of 35-39 with a loose affiliation to or affinity for the St. Louis Cardinals, you need to check your email. There is a chance that you were signed to a contract by the Redbirds this year. The Cardinals filled out their pitching rotation by signing former Cardinal Lance Lynn (36) and St. Louis native Kyle Gibson (you guessed it, 36). They also added backup shortstop Brandon Crawford (37) and former Cardinal that we all loved, then hated, (Lou Countryman photo) then traded, and now have very complicated feelings toward, Matt Carpenter (38). The result is that the Cardinals have a tantalizing combination of youth and experience. If the two sides can play off each other (pun intended), then the mix could be magical. SHADES OF GRAY Here is an interesting thing to watch for this year. In the past, the Redbirds have been viewed as a pretty businesslike organization. Our current superstars, Goldschmidt, Arenado and Miles Mikolas, are fairly subdued in demeanor. They are nice guys, pro’s pros, that sort of thing. The last two offseasons the Cardinals have broken form a bit. Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, these guys all have an edge. They play a little nasty. Contreras was quoted saying to Gray, “I think we have the same attitude in the game. We’re not making friends out there.” Is that intentional? Probably. This organization does very little by accident. Chances are, they want their young stars to play like stars, but they also want them have a bit of an attitude about it. They brought in the right guys to show the way. It’s going to be a fun season to watch how it all plays out. ROSTER PREDICTIONS Starting Pitchers Sonny Gray Miles Mikolas Kyle Gibson Lance Lynn Steven Matz Bullpen Ryan Helsley Giovanny Gallegos JoJo Romero Andrew Kittredge Keynan Middleton Andre Pallante John King Matthew Liberatore Starting Infield C- Willson Contreras 1B- Paul Goldschmidt 2B- Brendan Donovan 3B- Nolan Arenado SS- Masyn Winn Starting Outfield LF- Lars Nootbaar CF- Tommy Edman RF- Jordan Walker Designated Hitter Nolan Gorman Bench Matt Carpenter Iván Herrera Brandon Crawford Dylan Carlson Alec Burleson TAKING HOLD OF YOUR VISION NEEDS Dr. Kim Folwarski Brown and Dr. Christy Hayes Myopia Management • Glasses & Contact Lenses Treatment of Eye Diseases • Neurolens Provider With cutting edge treatments and the latest technologies, we strive to provide comprehensive ocular health care to the entire community with a focus on building personal relationships with each of our patients. 2751 FOUNTAIN PLACE, STE 2 WILDWOOD | 636.273.3910 HOURS: M-TH-F: 9A-5P | T-W: 9A-7P SAT-SUN: CLOSED WILDWOODVISION.COM Flooring & Stair Installation & Restoration $45 Off! 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