Insiders Only: Willson Contreras, Binnington Change of Scenery and Beau Pribula Transfer

In this week’s exclusive Insider segment, Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karraker didn’t hold back on the two biggest elephants in the room for St. Louis sports: the collapse of Jordan Binnington’s form and the frozen trade market for Nolan Arenado.

The "Emotionally Disconnected" Goalie 

With Joel Hofer starting five consecutive games, the writing is on the wall for Jordan Binnington. The stats are damning—Binnington ranks 52nd in goals-against average and 57th in save percentage among eligible goalies. But according to Bernie, the issue isn't physical; it's mental.

"Binnington has always been a guy where his emotions are in the center of everything," Bernie explained. "I don’t think his head is in it. He’s emotionally disconnected... that 'Jordan Binnington alter ego' is gone into hibernation."

So, what is the solution? With Hofer ascending, Randy proposed a fascinating scenario: a trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs. With Craig Berube behind the bench in Toronto and Joseph Woll struggling with injuries, a homecoming might be exactly what Binnington needs to rediscover his edge.

The Arenado Dilemma: Time to Pay Him to Go?

On the baseball side, the news is grim regarding Nolan Arenado. despite the Cardinals signaling he is available, Randy reports there has been "zero interest" from other teams, with contenders focusing on free agents like Alex Bregman instead.

Bernie believes the Angels remain the most logical fit, but if a trade cannot be found by spring training, the Cardinals face a nightmare scenario: bringing back a disgruntled veteran who blocks top prospect JJ Wetherholt.

Bernie’s solution? It’s drastic, but necessary.

"They might have to just pay him off to go away," Bernie argued. "If he’s on the team, you can’t bench him without causing problems. It puts Oli Marmol in a terrible situation. Bill DeWitt would earn a hell of a lot of respect if he signed off on that [buyout]."

Nostalgia Trip

Finally, the guys took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about the golden era of Saturday NFL games and the infamous 1976 incident where pilot Donald Kroner crashed a plane into Memorial Stadium after a Steelers-Colts playoff game.

Click HERE, or the image below to watch!