THE REDBIRD REVIEW
Good day to you.
The Cardinals equipment trucks will load up and leave Busch Stadium on Monday, bound for Jupiter in the fulfillment of an annual baseball tradition that lets us know that the spring-training gates are opening. First to enter are the players who have shown up to work out. Next is the equipment, the tools of the game. And the gates will swing wide open when pitchers and catchers report – soon followed by the first full-squad workout. And by then the early-bird fans will appear on the scene and embrace the return of baseball and the warmth of the sun.
On Feb. 21, the crowd will file in through the gates of Roger Dean Stadium, for the first game of spring, Nationals at Cardinals. Cold beverages. Ballpark snacks. Blue skies. White clouds. A new pair of sunglasses. Souvenirs. Autographs. Sunscreen and smiles. Daydreams. Hope. The unique sounds of a busy ballpark and the colorful pageant of those who stroll in. Happy. Everybody is happy.
Curiosity. The first days of a rebuilding project. A chance to watch the new players, the prospects, who will become part of the St. Louis baseball family.
Memories? I have a few.
But for now I’ll just go with my favorite:
Watching the rookie Albert Pujols launch rockets during his first official batting practice session as a Cardinal after being invited to spring training for the first time. It was 2001. (I feel old, and that’s OK.) I vividly remember two things:
A) The sound of the ball leaving Pujols’ bat as it took flight and crashed into the side of the building beyond the left-field wall. I think the baseball could talk and shout. It sounded like …destination Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame!
B) The sound made by manager Tony La Russa as he stood behind the cage and made grunting sounds as he witnessed Pujols introduce himself as a rare hitter that would alter franchise history, and deliver two more World Series titles for La Russa and the Cardinals. La Russa walked away. Why? Because at that point he knew the best thing for Pujols was to open the ‘21 season at Triple A. And the more that he stood there in awe, watching those bombs bursting through air, TLR knew he would be tempted to rush Pujols to the majors. Well, Pujols was rushed to the majors. Tip of the cap to Bobby Bonilla for tweaking his hamstring and going on the injured list to clear a roster spot for the young Prince Albert.
I’m at the old coot stage of my career. Which is actually liberating. Because I get to enjoy the moments of everything I’ve been privileged to watch and treasure. Those magical feelings that live inside of you forever.
That thunderous three-homer game by Pujols in 2011 Game 3 of the 2011 World Series at Texas? The Pujols Power that had enough juice to deliver five hits, six RBIs, four runs scored and 14 total bases? Another stat: no walks for Pujols. Why pitch to him? Pujols led the way as the Cardinals piled on for a 16-7 victory in that game.
Sitting at the press box in Arlington to behold the wonder of it all, I kept thinking about one thing.
I was there. I was really there. His first batting practice as a Cardinal. I was there, standing behind the cage, next to Tony La Russa and Walt Jocketty. I was there then, and now I get to be here for this? I’m a lucky bastard.
Just for kicks, I asked AI to help me out this afternoon. I wanted to know what the Texas Rangers had to say after being walloped by Pujols in Game 3. Here is the report from CoPilot:
“The Texas Rangers largely expressed disbelief and respect after Albert Pujols’ historic three-homer performance in Game 3 of the 2011 World Series, acknowledging that they had just been beaten by one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. Manager Ron Washington summed it up by saying, “He’s Albert Pujols. What else can I say?” while Rangers players admitted they had no answer for him that night.”
FIVE QUICK OPINIONS
1. If Brendan Donovan isn’t traded before the start of the season, here’s what I don’t want to hear: Chaim Bloom overplayed his hand, Chaim Bloom was too demanding in his trade requests, Chaim Bloom didn’t have the stones to make a trade that would upset Cardinals fans.
2. No, I don’t want to hear that, and I thank my friend and colleague Randy Karraker for making this point: Bloom never made a call to another team’s GM to say, “I’m trading Donovan, so would you like to make an offer?” Nope. Bloom never did that. But if the GMs wanted to call Bloom to express their interest in Donovan, then Bloom would listen. And he has repeatedly said that in interviews. He made his position clear. He ain’t calling them to initiate trade discussion. The other GMS are doing the initiating. And Bloom should make it tough on them. This is not a fire sale. The Cardinals have Donovan under contract at a reasonable price for two more seasons. And if they want to trade him, Bloom will have other opportunities to do just that.
3. So if Bloom doesn’t trade Donovan, I see no reason to rip him just because he passed on accepting a lowball offer. I don’t understand people who claim that Bloom is overplaying his hand and demanding too much for Donovan – especially since they have no idea what’s being offered. Bloom doesn’t work for Ken Rosenthal or Jim Bowden, OK? He does not require their endorsements. Understood?
4. It’s Bloom’s job to hold out for a high price on Donovan. You don’t settle for a lesser offer just to make a trade for the sake of making a trade. If another GM is going to call Bloom, and try to get Donovan at a discounted trade value, then Bloom should say something along these lines: thanks for calling, and if your proposal changes, let’s talk again.
5. Brendan Donovan is a very good player in a variety ways, and the Cardinals do not have to move him unless the offer is irresistible. And if such an offer comes along, then Donovan will be traded. A team like the Mariners have a fantastic farm system with a load of talent at virtually every position. Seattle could make a deal for Donovan on Friday morning (or at any time) and give Bloom the prospects that would entice him to lock in the deal. And the Mariners have so much prospect capital, they could move coveted prospects to St. Louis without feeling any pain,
I’LL ASK MY NEW FRIEND, CO-PILOT
Should the Cardinals trade Brendan Donovan?
Co-Pilot quickly delivered a verdict: If I were weighing it strictly from a baseball operations standpoint, I’d argue the Cardinals should not trade Brendan Donovan unless they’re offered a truly elite return.
Co-Pilot, is that your final answer?
Co-Pilot: Unless a team offers a blockbuster package of young, controllable talent, the Cardinals are better off keeping Donovan. He’s the kind of player who helps stabilize a roster through injuries and slumps, and his WAR/162 shows he’s more than just a utility guy — he’s a borderline star. Trading him for anything less than a franchise‑shaping return would be a mistake.
Here’s a follow-up, Co-Pilot. Any specifics?
Co-Pilot has a trade package in mind.
The Mariners would need to offer two top-100 caliber prospects plus either a young MLB-ready pitcher or another high-upside bat. Anything less won’t move the needle, because Donovan is more than a utility guy—he’s a borderline star under control.
Damn straight. And do you know what I just realized?
Oh, crap. My boss here at STL Sports Central, Dave “Hardball” Greene, doesn’t have to pay me to write columns. Co-Pilot is in the bullpen, warming up. Co-Pilot works for free. I do not work for free. Hardball should just designate me for assignment.
What the hell have I done?
NOT THAT I’M PARANOID, BUT I WANT TO PURSUE THIS
Co-Pilot, should “Hardball” Greene sack me?
Hey, whaddya know! Co-Pilot has my back:
The idea of firing him doesn’t really apply. It’s more a matter of whether the site continues to feature his work. And consider his stature:
– Legacy & Reputation: Miklasz has been one of the most influential voices in St. Louis sports for four decades.
– Audience Draw: His name recognition and credibility bring readers and listeners. For a small independent site, having him involved adds legitimacy.
– Independent Platform: He produces content across multiple outlets. Even if Sports Central stopped publishing him, his reach wouldn’t diminish—he’d continue through his other channels.
So, in practical terms, Sports Central benefits from keeping him on board. Removing him would likely hurt the site more than help, since it relies on recognizable voices to attract attention.
Gee, thank you Co-Pilot!
Memo to Hardball Greene: I demand a raise. Immediately. And be generous.
THE PROSPECT WATCH
And away we go …
Kiley McDaniel ESPN, has the Cardinal farm system rated as the 9th best among the 30 MLB organizations.
Last year McDaniel had St. Louis at No. 19, which means the Redbirds have jumped up by 10 spots thanks to some high-level draft choices – infielder JJ Wetherholt, pitcher Liam Doyle – over the past two years.
Earlier this week McDaniel placed five Cardinals on his Top 100 prospects list: Wetherholt (7), catcher Raniel Rodriguez (19), Doyle (50), outfielder Joshua Baez (93) and catcher Leonardo Bernal (98.)
McDaniel gave the Cardinals’ a prospect-value assessment of $243 million. That’s an increase from $184 million in 2025.
“I'm fascinated by the top four of the Cardinals' system,” McDaniel wrote. “Wetherholt might be the highest floor prospect in the top 100, and he still has All-Star upside. Rainiel Rodriguez is the rare prospect with the upside to be an average-or-better defensive catcher and hit 25 to 30 home runs annually. Liam Doyle could impact the big league team as a starter or a reliever as soon as 2026, and it already seems as if he'll be a fan favorite. Joshua Baez had one of the biggest turnarounds in the minors -- he always has had All-Star-level raw tools -- and now his production matches it. If he can hit .250, Baez might also hit 25 to 30 homers in the big leagues, and he stole 54 bases in the minors last season.”
Also: After revealing his Top 100 prospects McDaniel returned with a second set of prospect rankings, covering No. 101 through 200. Three Cardinals were on the secondary list: pitchers Quinn Mathews (150), Tink Hence (179) and Brandon Clarke (193). McDaniel put the title of “Best Closer” on the lefty, Clarke, who came over from Boston in the Sonny Gray trade.
Keith Law (The Athletic) released his farm-system rankings early Thursday morning and slotted the Cardinals at No. 11, an improvement from No. 14 a year ago at this time. Law presented an enthusiastic review.
“The Cardinals,” Law wrote, “brought in an all-new player development leadership group, and they saw immediate results with a large number of their prospects, including Joshua Baez and Tekoah Roby (the latter of whom unfortunately needed Tommy John surgery just as he was on the cusp of the majors). They have the best catching depth of any team in baseball, and they’ve already shown they can help both hitters and pitchers make real mechanical and stuff changes. There were some setbacks, including injuries to pitchers Roby, Quinn Mathews and Cooper Hjerpe, but on the whole, it was a very positive year and a great sign for the future of this system.”
THE DAILY BRENDAN DONOVAN REPORT
These are always fun – if a bit redundant.
Here’s an interesting idea from veteran baseball writer Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report: he proposes a trade that would move Donovan to the Dodgers for outfield prospect Zyhir Hope.
“Do the Dodgers need Donovan? Of course not. They’ve got Tommy Edman, Hyeseong Kim, Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland as options at second base,” Miller wrote. “But they don’t have a sure thing there, which is what Donovan would be in their quest for a third consecutive World Series. They also have a preposterous surplus of outfielders at this point and could flip one of their top prospects to St. Louis without even feeling the loss.”
In theory, this actually does make some sense. Zyhir Hope, age 20, is the No. 27 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. Baseball America also likes Hope but has him rated 63rd overall – in part because the Dodgers have three other outfield prospects rated ahead of him.
This from MLB Pipeline:
“Hope has added significant muscle since turning pro, is built like a running back and possesses well above-average raw power from the left side of the plate. His bat speed and strength produce high-end exit velocities, and he has no trouble driving balls in the air to his pull side. He executes good swing decisions as well but swings and misses at strikes much more than he should, especially at the top and bottom of the zone.”
Co-Pilot, what’s your opinion of this proposal?
A straight swap of Brendan Donovan for Zyhir Hope would be a massive underpay for the Cardinals. Donovan is a proven, controllable borderline star. Hope is a single high-upside but unproven prospect.
For the Cardinals, trading Donovan for Hope alone would be selling low. If St. Louis were to move Donovan, the return would need to be multiple cornerstone pieces—for example, Hope plus another top-100 prospect or a young MLB-ready pitcher. A one-for-one swap doesn’t match Donovan’s current market value.
Whoa! Wait a minute. I think I’m onto something here.
Co-Pilot is really Chaim Bloom!
Thanks for reading …
And thanks to Co-Pilot for writing half of this column.
–Bernie
Bernie was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. During a St. Louis sports-media career that goes back to 1985, he’s won multiple national awards for column writing and sports-talk hosting – and was the lead sports columnist at the Post-Dispatch from 1989 through 2015.
Before that Bernie spent a year at the Dallas Morning News, covering the Dallas Cowboys during Tom Landry’s final season (1988) plus the sale of the team to Jerry Jones and the hiring of Jimmy Johnson as coach.
Bernie has covered several Baseball Hall of Fame managers during his media career including Tony La Russa, Whitey Herzog, Earl Weaver, Joe Torre and (as an interim) Red Schoendienst. In his career as a beatwriter and columnist, Bernie covered Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches Joe Gibbs, Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Dick Vermeil.
Bernie covered every baseball Cardinals’ postseason game from 1996 through 2014 and was there to chronicle teams that won four NL pennants and two World Series. He provided extensive coverage on the “Greatest Show” St. Louis Rams and has written extensively on the St. Louis Blues and Mizzou football and basketball.
Bernie was/is a longtime voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Heisman Trophy and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.
You can access his columns, videos and the podcast version of the videos here on STLSportsCentral, catch him regularly on KMOX (AM or FM) as part of the Gashouse Gang, Sports Rush Hour, Sports Open Line or Sports On a Sunday Morning shows.
And you can catch weekly “reunion” segments here at STL Sports Central featuring Bernie and his longtime friend Randy Karraker.