Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Phillies

 

Two things happened that ensured that, despite their excellent 96-win season and consistent dominance throughout, the Phillies would not go to a World Series this year. One was that their best pitcher and probable Cy Young candidate was out for the last two months of the season. The other was that, despite their best efforts, this team was still cursed with a first round bye. A lot of teams have been able to withstand a first round bye, especially this year, but not the Phils. Even with their last real chance to compete, with an even bigger and badder team, they were cut down very early by the team that would eventually win the World Series.

It really was 2011 all over again.

There is still a chance this team can withstand the losses of a lot of big pieces, and rebuild enough to match the Mets, Braves and Marlins, but the process may be over, and without a Maxey as well. Bryson Stott came up with big promises as an infield bat, and while he's been good he still hasn't graduated to fully great yet. This year Stott hit .257 with 66 RBIs and 13 homers, plus decent defense. The fear is he's evening out after 2023. He's contracted for another two years, but I think 2026 will be the make or break one for him, seeing as the Phils famously have another middle infielder down the pipeline.

2026 Prediction: Rises one spot in the lineup, returns to .280.

Brandon Marsh, meanwhile, saw some of his power and defense drop off, and was platooned a bit with Kepler and Bader down the stretch. He did hit .280 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs, but I think the Phils have discovered some of the limits of the Brandon Marsh experience.

2026 Prediction: Like Stott, he's got 2 more years on contract, so he's also got to prove himself this year. He will...but perhaps not in the way he intended. Like...perhaps in a way that attracts the attention of another team.

Taijuan Walker signing in Philly did seem like a good idea at the time, as he was considered to be a smart choice for a low-rotation innings eater. However, his 2024 campaign was positively disastrous, and the fans were begging him to get hurt so someone else, a rookie perhaps, could take over. By that metric, Walker's 2025 was an improvement. I saw two starts of Walker's this year, and both honestly went pretty well, even against a tough Yankees team. His dominance came from keeping balls in play, and despite a 4-8 record he had a 4.04 ERA and 86 Ks in 34 games, 21 of them starts. I think this team just needed to figure out how to use Walker, and from that point on he was very helpful.

2026 Prediction: Similar swing-work, though perhaps not as successful as this year.

I still think the Edmundo Sosa for JoJo Romero trade is one of the most evenly-matched ones in recently memory, because both teams got a very crucial piece out of it. The Cardinals got one of their most valuable relief pieces, and the Phils got a very talented utility infielder. Sosa had another strong season of backup work for the Phillies, covering Trea Turner at short for his injury stint. In 89 games, he hit .276 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs, fantastic for a depth infielder.

2026 Prediction: The kind of season that gets somebody to start him, in a decent contract, for 2027.

So fun fact, as a tall, lanky, long-haired guy, I'm aware I have the slightest resemblance to Matt Strahm. Living in this area has that effect. So I went to a game this summer at the Bank, and they do a lookalike cam, like a lot of stadiums. I got on for looking like Strahm. And honestly, that's a heck of a compliment. Strahm's been an excellent reliever for the Phils since coming over, and had another strong year this year, with a 2.74 ERA and 70 Ks in 62 innings. The ninth was an issue for this team for a while, as was relief in general, but Strahm never gave us much of a scare.

2026 Prediction: The word on the street is that the Phils are trying to deal him, which doesn't make sense to me. Ultimately I think he sticks around for another year, and he'll give another strong campaign that might even lead to another nice deal afterwards. Dude's just a solid relief piece, his luck hasn't run out yet and it won't for a while.

Tanner Banks was another very impressive, and very reliable, relief asset for the Phils this year. He led the bullpen in innings with 67, and went 6-2 with a 3.07 ERA and a 1.010 WHIP. Banks was also scoreless in two postseason appearances.

2026 Prediction: Some troubles but a helpful finish.

Midway through the season, after no teams wanted him during the offseason, David Robertson, at age 40, made himself available to teams. He could still pitch, and wanted to go somewhat deep, thinking retirement would be on the horizon. This led to his third stint with the Philadelphia Phillies, and at the very least he stayed healthy for this one. In 20 games he went 2-0 with a 4.08 ERA, and was responsible for a truly torrid third of an inning during the playoffs.

2026 Prediction: Finally retires.

And most bizarrely of all, as the season wound down and the Phils still had a glaring hole in their rotation without Wheeler, Walker Buehler was called to the scene. Buehler was mediocre with Boston, with a 5.45 ERA in 17 games, but the Phils let him work some kinks out in Lehigh Valley, and apparently his one start in the minors was decent enough to give the Phils confidence. He had 3 games with the big club, and was pretty good, going 3-0 with a 0.66 ERA and 8 Ks. I think if Buehler had been relied upon in the postseason, against his old club, some outcomes would have been a little different.

2026 Prediction: One year deal with a non-competitor, does well enough that a competitor overpays for him next year. 

Coming Tomorrow- The Pirates had a Cy Young winner this year. And not much else.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2024: Phillies

 

This is the thing about the modern playoff schematic. The Philadelphia Phillies put together an incredible team this year, one that was way better than either of the teams that made the NLCS. They were finally the alphas of the NL East, they had great seasons out of multiple starters, and they clinched a key playoff spot. But, of course, because they were in a position to lose momentum during a first round bye for the first time, they weren't able to advance past the NLDS round. A lot like the 2011 team, they had the better team, but not the luck.

That is Phillies baseball. You're rewarded every year except the one where you honestly deserve it. And even after this year, we're probably gonna make some major upgrades in the infield and outfield.

Edmundo Sosa is one of those guys we were lucky to hold onto, as after Trea Turner got hurt, Sosa plugged right into the infield and had a phenomenal year. Sosa's great because he's an above-average defender with some occasional hitting perks. So even as he was honestly a step up from Turner at short, Sosa also hit .257 with 31 RBIs and 7 homers, plus a postseason hit, which seemed hard to come by for this team.

2025 Prediction: A similar backup role with moments at the forefront, one that'll improve his trade case around the league. 

For as long as I can remember, the Phillies' bullpens have been a punchline, where despite all the attention put in it turns into a bottomless pit where great relief seasons go to die. So to have two of the single best relief seasons of 2024 come from two Phillies relievers is an excellent change of pace. Matt Strahm, who I honestly hope retires as a Phillie at this rate, was wonderful in a full season of relief, with a 1.87 ERA, a 6-2 record and a 0.750 WHIP in 66 appearances. Jeff Hoffman was the real surprise, as he was healthy all year and was truly incredible, with a 2.17 ERA, 89 Ks and 10 saves in 66 innings. Unfortunately both got lit up during the postseason, but they were both All-Stars, and they both had 2.0+ WAR seasons.

2025 Prediction: Strahm has another impressive year, even picking up more saves, while Hoffman is gonna make a lot of money thanks to this season that he may not completely deserve over the course of the forthcoming contract.

I never would have thought that for a portion of the season, the fans would be crying out 'why isn't Spencer Turnbull starting games over Taijuan Walker?'. Walker has been the more consistent pitcher over the last few years, and Turnbull's only consistency with the Tigers has been getting injured. But miraculously, Turnbull became a surprisingly awesome fifth option for us early, going 2-0 with a 1.78 ERA and 38 Ks in 7 starts. His bullpen work wasn't quite as good but I saw him do some amazing long mop-up work after Ranger Suarez left a start. Then, of course, as this is Spencer Turnbull after all, he got hurt and missed the rest of the season.

2025 Prediction: 12 very good starts somewhere, and a lot of missed time.

After Johan Rojas's debut last year, most fans were saying that Rojas would really be a help to this team once he figured out how to hit at the MLB level. A year later that still hasn't happened. Rojas's excellent defensive play keeps him in the lineup consistently for us, but at the plate he hit .243 with 3 homers and 32 RBIs. To his credit, he did steal 25 bases this year, and he is only 23. Something could develop, it's just not happening as quickly as the fans would like.

2025 Prediction: An improvement, but something tells me he won't be starting as often.

Weston Wilson was the real surprise this year, a super-ute bench bat that could show up without warning and provide some much needed help. In 40 games, he hit .284 with 25 hits, 10 RBIs and 3 homers. The word for Wilson is 'handy', because we've needed a fun bench guy like him for a while.

2025 Prediction: Becomes even more of a fan favorite and does something insane to end a game at some point.

Because of our lack of outfield pop, the Phils went and got Austin Hays from Baltimore in exchange for Seranthony Dominguez. I'm not sure if either side truly WON the trade, but Hays...did what he could, I guess. In 22 games he hit .256 with 6 RBIs, limited by injuries. He was hitless during the playoffs. The Phils have since cut him.

2025 Prediction: Clearly this season was the problem. Someone's gonna pick him up for cheap and he's gonna hit .300 and be a regular. 

Carlos Estevez joining the Phils was great for me because I specifically said 'we need to get this guy'. He was a consistent, fun closer in Anaheim, he looked like a great fit for the Phillies, I said 'go get 'im, and they did. While not quite as incredible as he was with the Angels, Estevez still did well in a closing role, with a 2.57 ERA, 18 strikeouts and 6 saves. He also struck out 4 in the postseason. Also, really cool that we had a guy this year whose closing celebration is doing a kamehameha from DBZ. 

2025 Prediction: I think someone will pick him up, but I don't think he'll be doing the bulk of the closing. 

Coming Tomorrow- For a team that didn't make the playoffs, the Pirates took a surprising amount of steps forward. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2023: Phillies

 

Another wild season from those lovable Philadelphia Phils, or at least lovable if you're a fan of underdogs. For the second year running, the Phillies wormed their way into the NLCS as a wild card team, though this year was the superior version of this scrappy team, with great performances from Bryson Stott, Ranger Suarez, Jeff Hoffman and, of course, Bryce Harper. Unfortunately, the incredible run ended in Phoenix, as it tends to these friggin days for Philly. Most of the people I wanted to make customs of this year I already did, so it only left three for December. Three relatively strong choices, though.

Edmundo Sosa, after coming over the previous year in a sneaky deal from St. Louis, has become our go-to utility infielder. In 104 games, Sosa hit .251 with 30 RBIs and 10 homers, not a bad shake at all for your backup guy. Unlike last year, he didn't get much postseason action, and was hitless during the Arizona series.

2024 Prediction: Plays an even bigger role, perhaps even becoming an able starter in the event of an injury.

Meanwhile, Cristopher Sanchez, after Bailey Falter didn't exactly work out, was tapped into the 5th starter role, a role he'd been preparing for since early 2022. Sanchez, now healthy enough to deliver strong work, was a pleasant surprise in 19 games, hitting a 3.44 ERA and 96 Ks, and adding to the ironclad quality of the rotation during the heat of the season. 

2024 Prediction: Moves up a rung, as he's only gonna get more confident as people like Walker and Sanchez falter, heh, a bit.

And then when the Phils were worried about the stability of the rotation given an injury to Ranger Suarez, they went out and got Michael Lorenzen from Detroit. In his first start in Philly, Lorenzen went 9 innings without giving up any runs. Then things kinda went downhill. It's believed that the no-no wore out his arm for the rest of the year, as he finished the season with a 5.11 ERA in Philly, despite a 4-2 record. Tellingly, he only struck out 28 batters in 11 games, meaning he was relying more on outthinking batters rather than whiffing them. The good news is that he was scoreless in 2.2 postseason innings, only allowing 2 hits. 

2024 Prediction: Seeing as the Tigers have already brought back Andrew Chafin, maybe they reunite with Lorenzen as well. And hopefully he's used the offseason to recover. 

Coming Tomorrow- The Pirates had an incredible start. What happened?

Uncustomed Heroes of 2022: Phillies

 

Right now, the Philadelphia Eagles are the best team in football, the Philadelphia 76ers are tearing shit up with both Ebmiid and Harden healthy, the Philadelphia Union are sitting pretty after making it to the finals, and the Philadelphia Flyers also exist. But I think the single biggest accomplishment of the year in Philly sports might go to the Fightins. Nobody expected them to sneak into the playoffs, or beat St. Louis, or beat Atlanta, or beat San Diego, or take a win against the Astros, or SHUT OUT THE ASTROS. It was never gonna be perfect, and of course the Phils got no-hit twice this year, but they did what no one thought they could do and make a World Series, and I'm so immensely proud of them.

I was with my Mets fan cousins the other day, and one of them admitted to me that he thinks the Phils have the best lineup in the NL. This is a Mets fan who lives off the McNeil-Lindor-Nimmo-Alonso combo, and he's sitting there saying Turner made the Phils' lineup unstoppable. I went 'can we get that on record?' jokingly. But they are looking good next year, and additions like Trea Turner, Taijuan Walker and Matt Strahm do make me feel really good about their future chances. The NL East is gonna be tight, but they're not as outmatched as they were.

Despite going into the season with the outfield very clearly being Schwarber-Castellanos-Herrera, Matt Vierling did work his way into being a nice depth, and occasional starting, outfielder for this team. In 117 games, he hit .246 with 30 RBIs and 80 hits, plus 2 postseason hits and 1 postseason RBI. He's a handy guy to have around, and even with Brandon Marsh rendering him obsolete for the second half, he was still a big piece of this team.

2023 Prediction: Okay, so at the very least the first half, if not the first three quarters, of this season will use Schwarber at DH, Castellanos in right and Marsh in center. Folks, I think we're looking at our starting right fielder next year, and I think he'll do a nice job for himself. Defensively he's better than Marsh or Castellanos, so we'll be alright.

Zach Eflin struggled with injuries this year, and though he had a decent start with a 4.37 ERA in 13 starts, he mostly worked out of the bullpen after coming back. Surprisingly he did well as a relief, guy, with a 1.17 ERA and a save in 7 appearances. In 10 postseason games he had a 3.38 ERA with 12 Ks, 4 earned runs and a save. All things considered, not a bad end to Eflin's respectable Phils tenure.

2023 Prediction: Zunino's gone, the Rays need a new Florida man. Eflin's from Orlando, and he'll be there for a bit. They will enjoy him this year before he gets injured. 

Brad Hand spent 2021 with 3 teams, and spent 2022 with just one, and one that got him to October. Suffice to say he chose the right team. Hand was never the team's designated closer, but he was a stern, imposing eighth inning man, and he finished the year with a 2.80 ERA with 5 saves. Not as flashy as Alvarado or Dominguez, but the workmanship did not go unnoticed.

2023 Prediction: Part of me kinda wants the Phils to re-sign him, but he's more likely going to a mid-marketer and having a decent year for them.

A team with the best catcher in baseball should also have a great backup catcher, and after FINALLY getting rid of Andrew Knapp, the double-letter backup catcher trend continued after Rupp and Knapp with former Astros backup Garrett Stubbs. Stubbsy was a really nice tool for us, and I got to see him leg out a triple when no one expected him to. In 46 games, Stubbsy hit .264 with 16 RBIs and 5 homers, which was the right kind of backup performance. Sadly, Stubbs did not appear in the World Series against his former team.

2023 Prediction: More of the same. I never hope for a scenario to use him everyday, as that'd imply a JT injury which I do not want, but I think he'll continue his solid work for us.

Speaking of Astros connections, Nick Maton's brother won a World Series ring with the team this year, and Nick himself got a chance at it with the Phils. Nick has been a versatile infield guy for us, and while he didn't have much playing time til later on, he still impressed, hitting .250 with 18 hits, 17 RBIs and 5 homers in just 34 games. A lot of production in a short time. Maton only had 1 postseason at-bat, and it wasn't a productive one.

2023 Prediction: We're likely going with a Hoskins-Stott-Turner-Bohm infield. Bohm and Stott are gonna need to miss games. I think Maton is gonna have some nice games for us in the first half, and unless Bohm or Stott completely collapse, might be a trade incentive for someone.

In the interim period while Eflin was injured, Suarez missed starts and Syndergaard was still in LA, the Phils used relief guy Bailey Falter in starting situations. He actually did pretty well with the opportunity, with a 3.86 ERA, a 6-4 record and 74 Ks. Unfortunately, Falter's sole postseason start was a drubbing at the hands of San Diego. 

2023 Prediction: The Phils rotation has Nola, Wheeler, Suarez and Walker confirmed. Falter's a heavy favorite for the fifth spot out of camp, though Cristopher Sanchez and Andrew Painter are gonna make a run at it, and maybe Hans Crouse if he's anything like Topps has been saying. I think Falter will be the fifth starter as the season opens. I am not certain he will be as the season ends. Painter might be ready next year.

The first move the Phillies made in July was in nabbing Edmundo Sosa from St. Louis in exchange from Jojo Romero. It was initially viewed as an odd move, two competitors dealing, Cardinals giving an excess infielder for a crucial reliever. Sosa was a very fun pickup for us, as he hit .315 in 25 games with 17 hits and 13 RBIs, in addition to his dazzling defense.

2023 Prediction: Our primary backup infielder for next season. He's gonna do a lot of great stuff for us, and mayyyyybe take Stott's job?

The big deal the Phils made was landing Noah Syndergaard in exchange for Mickey Moniak. Thor was always a favorite of mine with the Mets, and though he'd become less of a strikeout guy and more of a leverage guy, he was still a great choice for Philly. Thor continued his leverage further with the Phils, resulting in a 5-2 record, a 4.12 ERA and 34 Ks in 10 games. Thor was also a little shaky in the postseason, as he was still limiting innings.

2023 Prediction: The Dodgers signed him expecting a Tyler Anderson-esque surprise FA triumph. I do not think it'll go as well as they think it will.

In 2019, the Phillies signed David Robertson to a 2-year deal. He pitched 7 games in 2 years for us. He then made the 2021 USA team, used it to be a 2021 Rays bullpen piece, and had a huge start to 2022 with the Cubs. On D-Rob's return to Philly, while he wasn't as consistent as he was in Chicago, he still has a 2.70 ERA, 30 Ks and 6 saves. Robertson had a postseason win against St. Louis, and was scoreless in the World Series with a save and 5 Ks in 4 games against Houston.

2023 Prediction: I don't think he'll be quite as good for the Mets, but he'll have some good moments. Robertson is probably gonna go down as one of the great relievers of the last 10 years, and next season won't be an outlier.

Tomorrow, a few fun odds and ends with the Pirates.

Examining This Deadline's Lateral Selling Trend

 

One of the big aspects of this past trade deadline was watching to see where Joey Gallo would land. We knew the Yankees would be getting rid of him with Benintendi coming to town, we knew that maybe Gallo himself wasn't the problem, and we knew that teams still want a guy like him to compete. Very much like Sonny Gray a few years ago, the demand is there, and New York is happy to let a guy like that succeed. 

So when I found out the Yankees dealt Gallo to the Dodgers, I was a little puzzled.

I was kind of thinking the Yanks would unload Gallo in a deal for another piece, but perhaps he didn't wanna play for a rebuilding team again. Or maybe they would have given him to a mid-level competitor like Cleveland, San Francisco or Seattle. But...the Dodgers. A team that will likely be chasing the Yankees all the way up the league this year? The team that might even meet them at the World Series? THEY get Gallo? I mean, I'm not Brian Cashman, but...doesn't that seem like you're helping out the enemy?

This was a trend I would soon find wrapped around the league entirely this deadline. Teams on the same standing helping each other out and staying even, which isn't always the point of deadline deals to me. Some of these, like trading Josh Hader for Trevor Rogers, I kind of understand because there's looming contractual stuff on the horizon, but a lot baffled me. Here's a few of the others:

Luke Weaver hasn't really found much of a place for himself this year in Phoenix, so the Diamondbacks decided to deal him. It's WHERE they decided to deal him that confuses me- they sent him to the last place Royals, which means instead of the usual upgrade one would expect from someone leaving the Diamondbacks, Weaver somehow got a downgrade. And he was swapped for Emmanuel Rivera, who had been a pretty decent starting 3rd baseman in Kansas City and now is stuck behind Josh Rojas in Phoenix. I sort of get why the Royals would ship Rivera out, the prospects are coming up, Pratto's getting more starting time at first so Dozier's starting more at third, but...two low-rung teams trading with each other vexed me. It vexed me greatly.

Eric Hosmer, like Gallo, I figured would be dealt eventually. The Padres have been trying to get rid of that contract for years, and they tried to even get rid of it in the deal for Soto and Bell, but Hosmer said no. I was honestly expecting Hosmer to take the L, start at DH and ride out the rest of the season, but A.J. Preller decided to dump Hosmer in Boston. Boston is...sort of competitor, though they've been losing ground. And I suppose Hosmer could be an upgrade at first from Bobby Dalbec. But...Hosmer's the kind of hitter that could really work in Boston, and the Padres just sort of gave him away. If the Red Sox come back with the help of Hosmer, even if the Padres also do well...that's gonna look a bit odd. I understand, they needed to get rid of him, and he had 10 teams he didn't want to go to, but this still seems kind of lateral.

This one also confused me. The Astros were easing Odorizzi out of the rotation. The Braves were trying to give Will Smith less innings. I understand both these teams trading these players...but why for each other? Why do the Braves, who just frigging played the Astros in the World Series last year, want to help the Astros get better by handing them Smith? And why do the Astros, who just got BEAT by the Braves last year, want to give the Braves another starter who they can trust? Why are so many teams willing to pat each other on the back all while low-rung teams are tanking and selling? Is there a class metaphor in this?

The Cardinals, as they did last deadline, confused me the most. They hadn't been able to find room for Edmundo Sosa in the infield this year, and had wanted to bring up Paul DeJong again, so they deal Sosa, which is fine. But...the Cardinals also made deals for Jose Quintana and other players on competitors. Why didn't they deal Sosa to Pittsburgh or something? Why did they make a trade with their main NL Wild Card competitor the Philadelphia Phillies by giving them another infield piece they can work with in exchange for a reliever that, unless the Cards know something, isn't gonna really make much of a difference? I mean, I guess Sosa can work in Philly, he's flexible enough, but this mostly felt like an absentminded handoff.

But that's tame compared to what they did to finish the deadline:

This, folks, is the single most baffling deal of the deadline. And we're gonna talk about it.

About 10 minutes before the trade deadline ended the other day, it was reported, out of absolutely nowhere, that Jordan Montgomery had been traded to the Cardinals. The first words out of myself and my father's mouths were the same: "WHY?" Montgomery had been an extremely efficient starter for the Yankees, and it had become clear that, with Severino injured and Domingo German shaky, as well as J.P. Sears now playing in Oakland, we needed as many starter innings as possible.

So we traded him...to St. Louis...where there is currently a rotation of Miles Mikolas, Adam Wainwright, Dakota Hudson, Jose Quintana and Andre Pallante. That makes SIX viable starting options for the Cardinals, and it leaves the Yankees with 4 and a half. Closer to four now after what the Mariners did to Gerrit Cole. When we needed as many innings eaters as possible...Brian Cashman gives one away...

...in exchange for Harrison Bader. Who is currently injured.

Immediately, the Cardinals are going to reap the benefits of Jordan Montgomery, he's gonna be an excellent starting option for them, they may even just release Steven Matz at this point. He'll make the Cardinals even more of a playoff threat. Meanwhile, the Yankees have Bader as an eventual backup defensive outfielder. The Yankees are going with Judge-Hicks-Benintendi right now in Stanton's absence, and when Bader returns, he will likely usurp Hicks's spot, despite Hicks's improved play recently. Then it'll be what happens to Stanton when he comes back, who gets the DH spot, it'll get crowded, and it'll be a whole thing. Good news is we have one roster spot we don't need to devote to a friggin starter anymore, so that'll work.

Which brings me to the million dollar question. If the Yankees wanted Harrison Bader, and wanted to give them a suitable bounty to keep them competing without altering their immediate plans...why not just trade Miguel Andujar? He'd made it clear that he wanted to be traded. The Yanks haven't been doing anything with them. He'd fill an outfield hole, albeit not terribly well, and eventually be a DH after Pujols leaves. Why not do that? Did the Cardinals get too greedy and Cashman just shrugged? Come on.

As good as the Yankees have been, and as smart as they were this deadline, that deal made absolutely no sense and I don't know when it WILL make sense. If we lose in the playoffs because of starting pitching, it will go right back to this deal. Maddening. 

That is the last I'll be talking about trade deadline deals on the blog for a while. Back to regularly scheduled customs tonight. 

The Cardinals Have a Shot, or Please, Think of the Children

 

The NL Wild Card Race...is still very much a moving item right now, mostly because a number of losing and winning streaks have lined up together. So even if there's one wild card spot that's very much reserved for the Dodgers...the last one has become a five-team free for all.

Granted, the two contenders that have been there all season, the Padres and Reds, are still there and leading, and currently tied for the spot. But the Phillies and Mets have caught up, and also...a team that was counted out a little while ago is now one game behind the two leaders. 

And because it's September, and I'm never allowed to enjoy myself...it's the Cardinals. 

I would love it if the Cardinals would just go away and not compete for a long period of time. I know this is what you all say about the Yankees, but the Cardinals just never get the hint to stay down. They remove themselves from the conversation, then by the end of the year they've hung around and can sort of waltz back into it without anyone objecting. The Cardinals have been pulling this shit every few years for the last decade or so, and sometimes it catapults them into the NLCS. 

We don't need the Cardinals to come in and start winning when there's absolutely no need for them. We already have the Astros for that.

To their credit, the Cardinals do have a halfway decent team this year. It's a lot of elder-statesmen types, like Paul Goldschmidt, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, who are leading this team, but also some homegrown types like Harrison Bader, Tommy Edman, Tyler O'Neill and utility infield standout Edmundo Sosa. There's some versatility, some surprising heroes, and some nice depth. Granted, not everything has worked. Jack Flaherty has been injured for most of the season, Paul De Jong has seemed lost without former battery partner Kolten Wong, Lars Nootbar has been only serviceable as a bench bat, and trusted veterans like Miles Mikolas, Andrew Miller and Jon Lester have all struggled this year. 

So it's not a perfect team, but it's a very fortuitous, streaky team. This week, they have to play 2 Wild Card contenders, the Mets and the Padres. I feel like they have enough momentum to ground the Mets a bit, but I don't think they'll get past the Padres, who...yeah, I'm thinking might take the last wild card spot. I appreciate the Cardinals' determination and drive, but I just don't think they have a place in this construct this year. Especially if it leads to a 1-game playoff against the Dodgers.

Just watch, I just gave the cosmos permission to give me an Astros-Cardinals World Series. Wonderful.

Coming Tomorrow- An acquired starter for a team whose wild card status has shifted slightly but isn't completely dead yet.