- Resign John Lackey - yes, we have a bunch of starting pitchers, but if 2015 proved one thing, you need more than you think...and you need work horses. Lackey is a work horse who would be an amazing #2 behind Wainwright...even at 37+ years old. Get it done.
- Find a backup to Yadi who intimidates a little with the bat. Hey, Cruz has earned his stripes defensively - he had some great throws to dab would be base stealers in Molina's absence...and the pitchers trust throwing to him...but when Cruz is in the lineup, you are severely hurting an already compromised lineup. Yadi can't seem to make it through the season any longer, he needs more rest...and that rest comes with someone who can be trusted offensively and defensively. Being Yadi's backup is a hard sell, being a perennial playoff team is not...and the AB will increase for the backup if it is the right fit.
- Pick your top four outfielders + one versatile backup and cut the rest. At the end of the year AB were being shared with too many OF who were auditioning. There is too much talent in the Cardinals OF to treat it like a revolving door. Make up your mind on Heyward (resign or cut loose), Grichuk (middle of order hitter or bench player), Pham (super sub or CF), Jay (CF or superfluous piece), Bourjos (bad base stealing pinch runner, defense only, roster filler). I think we all have seen that Holliday will play (and bat 3rd) for Matheny if he says he can play...and Piscotty has earned a spot in the OF. Make decisions on the rest of the OF and go with it...move the rest.
- Teach the hitters to either A) lay off the ball below their knees or B) learn to hit that ball with some authority to the opposite field. In the last game of the playoffs the Cubs scouting report was very easy to discern...low and outside sliders. Throw them often...the Cardinals will chase. The Cardinals whiffed 28 times in the last two games alone...and I bet the majority of them came off balls in the dirt (or close). Mabry, this is on you...then the hitters to implement your teachings.
- Find a cleanup hitter who can handle the job. Peralta is not your guy. Good hitter, not a #4 hitter. Heyward is not your guy either. He filled in admirably, but he is not your cleanup hitter. Holliday is not your guy - for God's sake, please get him out of the middle of the order. Do we need to trade to fill this role? Possibly. We have a plethora of #2/5/6/7 hitters and no legit #3 or #4 hitters anymore. Address that need. Maybe #3 is Piscotty. It's OK if a rookie forces a veteran like Holliday out of his usual lineup spot. It happens on most teams - aging veterans move to new spots in the lineup and do quite well.
Of course, there are many other storylines this offseason. Will the Cardinals pay market value for Heyward? Does his steady bat (though not gaudy numbers offensively) coupled with elite defense warrant paying him top dollar when you still need some impact bats? What to do with all of these young pitchers? If we sign Lackey we have six starters already for opening day (I'm assuming we resign Garcia as his contract is a virtual steal when healthy). We also have Cooney and Lyons ready to be a 5th starter and a few others knocking on the door as well. What do you do with Adams? Is he done? Can he hit lefties?
I am sure there are others, but the five points above would be my emphasis. What are your thoughts?
