The Bernie Miklasz Show

It was a big week for the St. Louis Cardinals. On Tuesday, Missouri voters approved a ballot initiative that legalizes sportsbook wagering in Missouri. The Cardinals -- and their Ballpark Village -- will clearly benefit from that. On Thursday, the Cardinals announced the launching of a direct-to-consumer streaming package that will deliver the games -- with no blackouts -- to laptops, TV monitors, tablets and smart phones. Not only that, but the Cardinals solidified their current TV arrangement with Diamond Sports in a deal that eases ownership's anxiety. Even though the Cardinals will be paid 23 percent less than scheduled after renegotiating with Diamond Sports, they'll make up for that (and then some) by selling streaming packages and having another entertainment venue (sportsbook) on the way.

It's a win--win for Bill DeWitt Jr. and Bill DeWitt III. But it's also a win-win for the fans, who have more ways to hold ownership accountable. The fans don't have to buy tickets to home games, and they don't have to buy the streaming service to see Cardinals games. It is up to the Cardinals to motivate the fans to invest their money in the club -- and the DeWitts can do that by first showing a commitment to invest more payroll dollars to build a better a better team after the moderate rebuild of 2025.

Here's an update on a recent video about Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, taking a look at the reasons why it makes sense for St. Louis to trade him this offseason. The answer, obviously, is yes. But the reasons are even stronger now. The nove must be made, if at all possible.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak offered this clue on Wednesday as he spoke to the St. Louis beatwriters at the annual GM meetings in San Antonio. The question concerned the four Cardinals who have no-trade clauses in their contracts: Arenado, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Miles Mikolas.

“I’ve spoken with everyone, and most have indicated that they want to be a part of this,” Mozeliak said. “I have had an individual ask me to explore a few things, so we will try to do that ... I’d prefer to not name that [player] for leverage in terms of trying to do something with him [in a trade.]"

That unidentified player must be Arenado. Contreras is staying, so he's off the board. Gray has informed the Cardinals that he'd like to stay. I'm not sure Mikolas has any relevance in this discussion. That makes Arenado the obvious candidate.

Arenado's contract is an issue. His age and related decline are issues. He would want to go to a contending team, and that's an issue. The Cardinals might have to pick up a large portion of the salary tab -- that's an issue. And given Arenado's risk factors, why would teams be willing to give up a good prospect or promising contract for an aging hitter who has performed slightly above league average offensively over the last two seasons? Is there real enthusiasm for Arenado on the trade market?

Having Arenado here on a losing or mediocre team is not a good idea. There's a risk of too much negativity. And to give more young players a chance to play a lot, an open third base position provides an outlet. All of this and more in today's Bernie Show video.

Willson Contreras is on the move ... but he isn't really going anywhere. He's staying in St. Louis, staying with the Cardinals, but he'll head to first base to take over for the departing Paul Goldschmidt. So that's his move: from starting catcher, to starting first baseman. And he'll obviously log plenty of at-bats as a designated hitter ... which is good, because it's important to have his outstanding offense in the regular lineup.

Contreras will have to work hard to prepare for his new position, but he's a dedicated individual who will put in the necessary time. The Cardinals should assign a coach to work with him this winter. Contreras has three years left on his five-year, $87.5 million contract. And that's fine because there's good value in his bat.

But there were other reasons for the move. The Cardinals are loaded with catchers. Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages are already here, playing a lot of innings for the big-league club in 2024. But two catching prospects are in the pipeline, not far away. I'm referring to Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal. Crooks has a left-handed swing that pummels right-handed pitching. Bernal is a switch hitter that is still developing offensively -- but he'll be a big leaguer soon enough. If the Cardinals remain committed to Contreras and he remains committed to them, this is a sensible move. Especially with 2025 being set aside as a rebuilding-type of year. It's a good time to convert Contreras to first base. And a good time to give Herrera (especially) all of the innings he can handle. Because Herrera's offense will be an asset.

Just 13 games into the new season, the St. Louis Blues have been walloped by adversity. There are the injuries to center Robert Thomas, their best player -- and defenseman Philip Broberg, their best newcomer. And in Tuesday's 3-2 win over visiting Tampa Bay, the Blues were shaken by an injury to young center Dylan Holloway, who had to be wheeled off the ice on a stretcher and taken to the hospital after being struck on the neck by a deflected shot. Despite falling behind 1-0 after Holloway's harrowing scare, the Blues buckled in and won this game. They answered another challenge, responding in a way that we hope to see from them. The Blues record (7-6-0) may not look all that handsome, but their 14 points are more than Colorado and Edmonton and the same as Dallas. No one should complain about that 7-6-0; the record actually reflects well on the Blues and their competitive character.

The Blues have found themselves down on the scoreboard in too many games. In fact, the Blues have trailed an average of 29 minutes per game this season, the second-highest total in the NHL. But they fight back. They comeback. Their five come-from-behind wins so far are tied for the second-most winning rallies in the league. And though the Blues have held the lead for an average of only 13 minutes and 50 seconds per game this season, they've done an exceptional job of protecting those leads and winning a lot of close games. This can change, of course. But up until now, the Blues deserve respect for hanging tough when it would have been easy to fold and do a lot worse.

The St. Louis Cardinals acquired the acclaimed first baseman Paul Goldschmidt from Arizona before the 2019 season. Goldschmidt is a free agent, and he'll undoubtedly play elsewhere in 2025. The Cardinals declined to make a qualifying offer to Goldschmidt, and that closes the book on his St. Louis career.

No question, Goldy had a strong overall body of work in his six seasons as a Cardinal. He won the National League MVP award in 2022. He was an All-Star. He won a gold glove award, and a silver slugger award. He received league MVP votes in four of his six seasons here ... and played a leading role in getting the Cardinals to the postseason four times in six years.

But in the end, Goldschmidt individually came up short in the postseason (with one exception.) And the postseason failures shouldn't be overlooked or ignored. And those October crashes - especially with Nolan Arenado as a teammate -- reduced the impact of Goldschmidt's Cardinal career.

Oscar Tavares, a heralded and highly-touted prospect, made his MLB debut for the St. Louis Cardinals on May 31, 2014 at age 22. He played his final game for the Cardinals on Oct. 16, 2014 and died 10 days later, killing himself and his girlfriend in a horrific, single vehicle drunk-driving wreck in the Dominican Republic. Including the postseason, Tavares was a big-league Cardinal for 87 games. His death left a void in right field that the Cardinals have been unable to full despite using more than 40 players there over the last 10 seasons.

Questions remain. Had Taveras lived, what were the chances of him fulfilling such immense hopes and expectations? Obviously, we'll never know. But I don't assume greatness. Taveras had some struggles during his brief time as a Cardinal -- and that could have prevented him from becoming the Next Great Star of a franchise that desperately wanted to develop a successor to Albert Pujols as a lineup catalyst and leader. I discuss all of this in Monday's video.

The St. Louis Cardinals have been caught in a slow but unmistakable downturn since the start of the 2016, missing the playoffs five times in the last eight full seasons. The fan base is justifiably disillusioned, and some of the more irate fans have implored Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. to sell the team. I'm not telling anybody they're wrong to feel that way.

But I will say this: be careful of what you wish for. Should the Cardinals be sold, there are no guarantees about the ownership that moves in. I've been through these franchise sales before, and most of the new owners (in my experience) have made the franchise and the product much worse than before. A new "dream" owner on the surface can become a nightmare.

After hitting well as a rookie in 2023, Jordan Walker had a brutal 2024 season for the St. Louis Cardinals. He collapsed offensively and relapsed defensively in right field. The numbers were brutal. But he still has the physical ability and natural talent to get his career back on track offensively, and it can happen as soon as the 2025 season. The Cardinals will be relying extensively on their young hitters next season, and it's imperative for Walker to make a strong comeback. I would argue that no young hitter is more important to the Cardinals and their future than J. Walker. New Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown will have an immediate chance to help Jordan find his way back to success in the batter's box. In this video, I explain what specifically went wrong for Walker in 2024, and what he must do to rebound.

As much as I love watching baseball, there's a tedium to it. I do not live in the past; I accept the sport for what it is now. Things constantly change. But in these modern times, so many games look the same. So many teams look the same. That can never be said of Whitey Herzog's St. Louis Cardinals teams during the 1980s.

Months before I started my YouTube channel this year we lost Whitey -- Hall of Fame manager, Hall of Fame personality -- Herzog, who died on April 15 at the age of 92. I hadn't done any type of video tribute to Whitey. That left me restless.

We've spent a lot of time here on The Bernie Show talking about managers -- be it Tony La Russa, or Mike Shildt, or Oli Marmol, or the candidates to replace Marmol if the Cardinals make a change. And that got me to thinking about a few things: today's baseball lacks identity, and too many managers are similar in their thinking.

Whitey Herzog was the opposite of that. His 1980s Cardinals were immensely successful, and popular, and wildly entertaining. And they had a unique style that made them one of a kind. Herzog, a maverick, went against the norm and reinvented the way baseball was played in St. Louis. And that makes us miss him more. From time to time I will present a historical perspective on sports figures that I've covered, written about, or known Today: it's my honor to share my thoughts on Herzog, and take some time to elaborate on why this legend -- and his style of baseball -- was so extraordinary. I hope you enjoy it.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado will turn 34 years old in April, and he's already two seasons into an age-related decline phase -- offensively and defensively. The aging curve brings down all athletes at some point, but that's happened sooner than expected with Arenado. It makes sense for the Cardinals to move him this offseason. He won't be happy in a rebuilding situation. Before the 2021 season, he agreed to be traded to St. Louis for the chance to play for a winning franchise that has a proud history of winning and competing for championships. But that window has closed for now as the Cardinals go forward with a youth movement and a complete overhaul of their outdated and wobbly player-development (and minor league) system. It will be a while until the Cards win again, and Arenado would be absolutely miserable in this environment. Losing -- at Colorado and more recently in St. Louis -- has worn him down. His decline of power and skill only adds to his frustration.

With the Cardinals about to get younger, the last thing they should want is a disillusioned Arenado radiating negative energy. I find it hard to believe that Arenado would want to stay here given the circumstances. If he's motivated to waive his no-trade protection and accept a trade -- and the Cardinals are motivated to make the trade -- the outcome would be best for the player and the team and the younger flock of Redbirds. In this video I discuss the other parts of this situation -- Arenado's contract, trade value, and a few young players who could benefit from Arenado moving on.