Cards are out:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/...de-clause.html

Stanton has told them he will not waive it. Well damn.

Good thing I'm getting used to the Cardinals missing out on impact players.

Well, atleast this one isn’t really on them.

Dude doesn’t wanna come to stl, move on.

I didn't feel like the Cardinals early on in the process approached this with the necessary urgency but as its unfolded it's become more apparent that urgency would've meant ****-all when Stanton's clearly just trying to get shipped to LA and/or simply front-run (his 'list of 4' is a joke; the 4 LCS teams....for ****'s sake, does nobody want to actually compete anymore?)

So to the extent I questioned their effort, I'll withdraw said objections.

That said, I think it's pretty apparent at this point that their standing in baseball has been diminished...perhaps significantly so. They are not the 'destination franchise' they were a mere 5 years ago. I don't think they have any kind of scarlet letter on them or anything, but they're stuck in the common pool, so to speak.

And why? Because of their stubborn refusal to do what needs to be done with the half-wit in the dugout. If they'd have fired Mike Matheny and replaced him with Joe Maddon 3 years ago, Giancarlo Stanton would be a Cardinal right now and there would be no talk of Stanton going to Chicago. Now I don't think Maddon is the untouchable Golden God that some do, but I think he's a lot like LaRussa in that his acumen and strengths outweigh his warts and idiosyncrasies by a considerable margin.

When you see something like this unfold, you get back to rooting for STL to actually lose because it's more and more clear that DeWitt will not fire this ****ing clown until they lose 90 games and if they don't fire him, the Cardinals will be stuck in the 'also-ran' line while teams like the Dodgers, Cubs et al... continue to get first crack at the guys we want.

Other organizations are now where the Cardinals were for a 15 year stretch from about 1998 to 2012. It's not nearly as much fun hanging out here with the normies and hoping to catch lightning in a bottle.

Makes sense. LA market and will allow him to play both ways.

He's a real life hero. Were I a Cards fan I'd buy my kid a Reyes jersey.

San Fran is out too.

If he winds up a Cub, I'm going to be so pissed off.

i dont think he gives a **** with the kind of money he's making. I know i wouldnt. lol Just give me my check!

Cubs don't have the money to afford him and all the pitching they need to find. Heyward would have to be traded at the very least, but he still has 1 year left with a full NTC and it wouldn't be a salary dump. The Cubs would have to pay a decent chunk of that salary.

If it's not the Dodgers it's gotta be the Yankees or Miami.

I haven't heard how he's playing both ways. The Angels promised him pitching and hitting but Pujols is their DH. They must have a spot for him in the OF and I don't see how he possibly makes it through a season.

They'll trade Cron or relegate him to a lesser role if necessary.

We still pull in 3 million fans. The fan base is still pretty rabid fans. We always had a top ten payroll. We played the game the "right way". Good fundamentals on every team. We have young talent on the way to the majors, so what's the deal?

I'm with you. It's meathead. Anyone watching can see the BS relief decisions. The best players don't play over favorites with inferior talent. Bible study at the Stadium? Regular bible club attendees play more often. They don't play poker or video Games in the clubhouse, they play chess.

Just doesn't attract today's top players unless you are paying top MLB $.

And put Ohtani at 1st? Pujols has played 34 games in the field the last 2 years. I doubt the answer is making him an everyday option at 1st.

No, put Pujols at first. He's shed some weight this offseason, and If they're serious about using Otani as a hitter, they have to DH him. Only way I can see that working is playing Pujols in the field.

Another option is that Otani will be limited to hitting on days he pitches and as a pinch hitter.

Recent reports from industry insiders are that Stanton has added the New England Patriots and Golden State Warriors to his list of approved teams.