Goold on trade possibilities....

[McKdaddy]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/article_f9a9a63d-5638-5af3-8e08-88e20d8bec2a.html#.UfXDIZ7Wt8w.twitter

On another note, why didn't the Cards pack their bats to take to ATL? (sigh)

[McKdaddy]

Meant to post this in the Redbird Rundown

[ucahogfan]

On another note, why didn't the Cards pack their bats to take to ATL? (sigh)

The Braves pitching might have something to do with it.

[McKdaddy]

The Braves pitching might have something to do with it.

No doubt, I was being sarcastic...equipment manager should be fired, type of stuff. When a team ranking as high as the Cards in several batting categories is getting shutdown, there's obviously some excellent pitching going on.

[ucahogfan]

No doubt, I was being sarcastic...equipment manager should be fired, type of stuff. When a team ranking as high as the Cards in several batting categories is getting shutdown, there's obviously some excellent pitching going on.

What should make it even scarier is that Medlen is the old man of the group at 27.  If the Braves can keep all of their under 30 talent together (Uggla is the only big healthy contributor over 30 right now), we are set up for another 90s run.  Hard to believe that Justin Upton, Heyward, Freeman, Simmons, Kimbrel, and Teheran are all 25 or younger.

[McKdaddy]

What should make it even scarier is that Medlen is the old man of the group at 27.  If the Braves can keep all of their under 30 talent together (Uggla is the only big healthy contributor over 30 right now), we are set up for another 90s run.  Hard to believe that Justin Upton, Heyward, Freeman, Simmons, Kimbrel, and Teheran are all 25 or younger.

Yeah, props to the Braves' organization for putting itself in that position.

[ucahogfan]

Yeah, props to the Braves' organization for putting itself in that position.

Same to the Cards.  It always seems like the farm system is very deep with great players no matter what happens.  2 best run organizations in the MLB.

[GolfNut57]

Same to the Cards.  It always seems like the farm system is very deep with great players no matter what happens.  2 best run organizations in the MLB.

Best run in MLB? TB might beg to differ. Or even the Orioles as of late.

[Baseball Hog]

Best run in MLB? TB might beg to differ. Or even the Orioles as of late.

Drafting in the top 5 for a decade straight then having a playoff caliber team does not constitute a great organization.

It's just logical.

[GolfNut57]

Drafting in the top 5 for a decade straight then having a playoff caliber team does not constitute a great organization.

It's just logical.

TB hasn't drafted in the top five since 2008 but your point is valid in terms of Price and Longoria. Not so much when you consider Matt Moore, who is arguably the Rays ace this year, was an eighth round pick, or Chris Archer, a real nice starter that was acquired from the Cubs in the trade for Matt Garza. Add in the Myers kid that the Rays got from KC in the deal for James Shields. Then there is Alex Torres, a solid reliever, and Sean Rodriguez, who is a real nice utility position player that TB picked up in a trade with the LAA for Scott Kazmir.

As a Red Sox fan it pains me to say it but the TB organization is one of the best run groups simply because of the way their scouts can find talent and the coaches develop it the way they do. Spending as little money as anyone in the entire league.

[McKdaddy]

As a Red Sox fan it pains me to say it but the TB organization is one of the best run groups simply because of the way their scouts can find talent and the coaches develop it the way they do. Spending as little money as anyone in the entire league.

No doubt, they've been solid.

[ucahogfan]

Best run in MLB? TB might beg to differ. Or even the Orioles as of late.

The Cardinals and the Braves have had the most success without throwing insane amounts of money at anyone who was available.

And considering the vast majority of the Braves core is under 30, they are set up for another long sustained run of success much like the 90s and early 2000s.

I thought of Tampa Bay as a well run organization which they are.  Oakland is up there as well, but the Braves and Cards have long track records of success over the last couple of decades.  The Nationals were in the running until collapsing.

Plus, you need to consider who a team loses to injury/free agency when concerning how well run an organization is.  The Braves have lost what might be the 2 best LHP setup men in the game in Venters and O'Flaherty to TJ surgery yet their pen is still excellent.