Best Podcast in Baseball 7.29: The Carlos Question

12/20/19 • 55 min

By signing Korean lefty Kwang Hyun Kim to a two-year deal, the Cardinals didn't just add a swingman who could be in the rotation if Carlos Martinez isn't -- they set the bar Carlos Martinez must beat to be in the rotation. In the final brand new episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball in 2019, host Derrick Goold, baseball writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, discusses the Cardinals' addition with sports columnist Ben Frederickson, who makes the point that we're asking the wrong question. Martinez must prove his health, must prove his readiness for the rotation, and must prove he's better than Kim, who the Cardinals signed to compete for a starting job. With all of their moves this winter, the Cardinals are asking fans to take the same leap of faith the team is trying -- only the fans get to jump first.

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Previous Episode

Best Podcast in Baseball 7.28: The Waiting Game

After a brief hiatus (thank you for your patience), the Best Podcast in Baseball, fresh off the plane from baseball's Winter Meetings, is back with a brand new episode. The Cardinals have adopted a wait-and-watch approach this offseason, favoring math over mash, data over drama. St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold, host of the BPIB, and sports columnist Ben Frederickson discuss the Cardinals' stance and what it has already cost them -- and why their return to October may have more to do with it than they are letting on. The Cardinals insist they're betting on the roster they already have. Maybe that's a hedge. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of Derrick Goold, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and StlToday.com.

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Next Episode

Best Podcast in Baseball 7.30: The Quandary of Oz

New Year. Same questions. Back from a holiday break, Post-Dispatch staff writers Derrick Goold and Ben Frederickson discuss the concerns facing the Cardinals through the lens of offseason negotiations. The Colorado Rockies are exploring trades involving Nolan Arenado, and the Cardinals have long been fascinated by adding the Gold Glove-winning third baseman to their lineup. Is the conversation different today than it was 12 months ago -- and why? And should it matter? The two writers also explore the semantics of deals, how they as reporters could do a better job describing and articulating what teams are actually talking about, how trades develop and happen, and why saying a team talked to an agent might not mean anything at all. Enter Marcell Ozuna. The Cardinals remain in conversation with Ozuna's agent about the free-agent left fielder and their most recent cleanup hitter. The question facing the Cardinals, as Frederickson points out, is this: If not Marcell Ozuna, then who? There is also a contest! Win a copy of Goold's Cardinals book by posting a picture on Twitter of where you listened to BPIB, and be sure to send it too @Ben_Fred or @dgoold and add #BPIB. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. It can be found on iTunes and anywhere you get your podcasts.

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