Reader Mailbag Part 2: Nolan Arenado trade talk, video games, electric vehicles, non-fiction books, rotation worries, and more

Let's talk it out, friends

Part 1 of this particular mailbag dropped recently, and below you’ll find Part 2. Forthwith …

Shaun writes:

You seem the right age and gaming temperament to have played the original Final Fantasy Tactics, so how do you feel about the upcoming remaster?

Believe it or not, I’ve never played a Final Fantasy game. I have a couple on my wishlist, and I have gaming friends of similar tastes who are very into FF games. I’ll correct this oversight at some point. That’s my promise to you. The last two games I’ve played are Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. KCD2 turned out to be an all-timer for me, which is not entirely surprising given how much I loved the first one. I dare not say how many hours I sank into KCD2. It’s a 10/10 game, in my opinion. Clair Obscur started out strong for me, but a couple of things kept it from truly hitting for me. I found myself wanting quest waypoints, and it was also too cut-scene-heavy for my tastes. It’s also somewhat linear, and I have a preference for open-world-ish games. That said, it’s a visually beautiful game with a pretty cool hybrid combat system that blends turn-based with action. It’s a 6/10. I don’t regret buying it, but it won’t make my exalted Video Game Hall of Fame Google doc.

Chad writes:

I was going to write a question about whether you thought the hitting and pitching were what we saw in March/April or May, assuming a much bigger difference, i.e., pitching was god awful in March/April and good in May and hitting was scalding hot in March/April and above average in May. The stats accurately reflect the general direction, but the differences are much smaller than I assumed. [I've included June as well, even though they are outside the comparison and are a very small sample size]

Hitting: RC+ (rank in NL)

March/April: 109 (5th)

May: 103 (7th)

June: 93 (4th)

Pitching: ERA (rank in NL) | FIP (rank in NL) | xFIP (rank in NL)

Starters

March/April: 3.88 (7th) | 3.63 (5th) | 4.00 (9th)

May: 3.43 (6th) | 3.62 (6th) | 3.76 (6th)

June: 8.41 (15th) | 5.93 (14th) | 4.78 (13th)

Relievers

March/April: 4.40 (9th) | 3.91 (7th) | 4.27 (8th)

May: 3.36 (5th) | 3.15 (2nd) | 3.90 (6th)

June: 4.60 (12th) | 3.97 (10th) | 4.61 (14th)

I already assume the Cardinals pitching was outperforming their metrics and given the age/skill level of the starters, I don't see much room for growth outside of Liberatore. I'm skeptical of continued growth because they've already had several years with Dusty Blake. But, I have little feel for batting since the change there was a dramatic one from Ward to Brown.

What do you think it looks like moving forward?

Thanks for the thorough info in your question. I’ve been sitting on this second batch of questions for a few days, so those numbers aren’t current. Broadly speaking, we’re still too early in the season to slice and dice data samples, so I’ll take all of it. In other words, I think the performances are what they are across the entire season to date, month-to-month ebbs and flows included.

I remain optimistic about the offense, particularly once Jordan Walker returns from his minor-league rehab assignment and – one hopes – continues building on the swing changes that seemed to take before his wrist woes. I also really like what we’ve seen from Nolan Gorman lately, particularly on the swing-discipline front (at least relative to his 2024 standards). I also remain hugely bullish on Iván Herrera.

As you suggest, though, all is not well with the rotation. I’m concerned Matthew Liberatore has hit some kind of wall in terms of his ability to maintain his stuff deep into games. Miles Mikolas is lucky to have the (below-average) run-prevention numbers that he does, Erick Fedde’s command has been badly lacking all season, and Sonny Gray’s K% has declined from last year. Throw in Pallante’s batted-ball struggles of late and the lack of near-term depth behind Michael McGreevy, and this is a rickety unit. If something undoes the season, it’ll probably be the rotation.

Tony writes:

Curious what your thoughts are about the upcoming draft. Which direction should the Cards go? Looks like they'll likely take the leftover college lefty (Anderson, Arnold, or Doyle) or will choose one of the HS shortstops (Willits or Carlson). I never see any projection of the Cards considering the best HS pitcher available (Seth Hernandez). Would you like to see the Cards go for a higher ceiling/lower floor option as opposed to their traditional "safer" path? Will Bloom play a prominent role in this draft and does his past provide insight into the Cards likely choice? Thanks!

It’s always “best talent available” in MLB, or at least it should be. My guess is they’ll lean hitter over pitcher at that lofty spot, and 17-year-old prep shortstop Eli Willits seems like a good possibility. That’s who my CBS colleague Mike Axisa paired with the Cardinals in his most recent mock draft. I know we all have waking dreams of Ethan Holliday, but I see almost no chance he slips to the Cardinals at No. 5, especially with the Rockies picking at No. 4. I’m sure Chaim Bloom and the new player-dev hires will have varying levels of input into the decision, but ultimately it remains Randy Flores’ draft.

Now let’s pair a couple of Nolan Arenado questions together …

Keith writes:

After an encouraging start at the plate, Nolan Arenado has been awful. The glove work has been stellar but his bat, especially in RBI situations, is killing the Cardinals. What’s the level of concern at Busch? After 2024, I’m really concerned this is who he is.

Terry writes:

I think the front office expected Arenado would hit better and have some trade partners open up for the deadline. That looks less likely now. But I agree what to do with Nolan is a huge question for the Cards. Yet, what a fun season so far, right!!! (8 games over .500 vs teams over .500). That alone sounds playoff worthy. Who bet money on this?

Arenado right now checks with an OPS+ of 95 and a xwOBA (what’s this?) of .297. This continues a generalized pattern of offensive decline since 2022, when he finished third in the NL MVP vote. He’s still swinging the bat faster than he did last season, but that hasn’t translated into improved production. Arenado is still among the best at avoiding strikeouts. He’s 34 now, and he himself recently commented that this may just be who he is as a hitter now. I’m inclined to agree. Arenado’s fielding remains a major plus, at least according to Statcast and the eye test, and that’s a foundation for overall value. As long as he keeps that up and doesn’t completely crater at the plate, he’s a 2.5-3.0-ish WAR guy for now, and that has value (if not value on the dollar).

If he remains a non-terrible hitter with strong value in the field over the balance of 2025, then perhaps an offseason trade is doable in light of his declining salary commitments. His contract goes from $32 million this season with $5 million paid by the Rockies to $27 million next season with $5 million paid by the Rockies to $15 million in 2027. The no-trade clause of course remains an impediment, and offensively he’d do well to go to a home ballpark that’s friendly toward right-handed pull hitters. I don’t see all this coming together at the deadline, and for the moment anyway the Cardinals should not be seeking a deadline sell-off anyway (I’m eyeing this five-game losing streak warily, though). As long as contention is in play, a trade of Arenado would not play well in the clubhouse or with the paying customers who have trickled back into Busch Stadium in recent weeks. The winter, though, may present more of an opportunity.

(Concluding aside: Arenado has actually been slightly better this season with runners on and RISP than he has with the bases empty

Chris C writes:

Thoughts on the following: 1) Even though the team is performing better than expected, I'm still of the opinion that Arenado should be traded if there is a team willing to take him on (and he's willing to waive that NTC). Gorman may not be the long-term answer but we need to give him a bigger opportunity by opening up 3B; 2) is Tink Hence a bust? Can't seem to stay healthy enough to do anything but tease everyone.

The Arenado situation is addressed above, and I strongly agree that Gorman needs more consistent playing time. Personally, I’d prioritize his lineup presence over Burleson, but Burleson’s ability to play an outfield corner must be noted. As for Hence, yeah, it’s too soon to label him a bust. The injury and durability concerns are real, and it would be hardly shocking if his future is in the bullpen. That said, he’s still just 22 years of age, he’s struck out more than 30% of opposing hitters for his pro career, and he’s proved capable of dominance at the Double-A level. The stuff, of course, is very much there. It would be grossly premature to call him a bust, and honestly I’m not sure the descriptor should ever be applied to a prep-draftee arm in this, the Age of Pitcher Attrition.

Russ writes:

Are you in the market for a Tesla? I hear there's one for sale.

Haha, I am afraid I am not. We were out of quasi-necessity a two-vehicle family when we lived in Nebraska, and our second one was a used Nissan Leaf EV. My wife and I loved it and prioritized using it over our gas-powered vehicle. Back in Chicago and without a home charger, though, it’s not viable. I’m hoping our future is no vehicle at all – we didn’t have one in Chicago until our son was born – and maybe that happens once the lad departs for college (depending upon conditions on the ground). If we ever have the wherewithal to get back in the EV game, though, I’ll be highly tempted by the forthcoming Slate offering.

Jibby writes:

What is the best non-fiction book you've read so far this year?

I’ve been all fiction in 2025. Going back to 2024, the last non-fiction book I read was The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells. I found it a worthwhile read that I would characterize as well-executed, unsettling, and necessary. You didn’t ask about fiction, but just the same I’ll say I just finished In the Distance by Hernan Diaz and enjoyed it immensely.

Jibby writes:

If you could choose one historic St. Louis Cardinals moment to attend in person, which moment would it be and why?

The 1980s “Whiteyball” teams cemented my fandom, and Ozzie Smith remains my favorite player ever. Thus, this one is an easy decision for me:

Thirteen-year-old me went crazy, folks.

JC writes:

Just 6 short days away from the all important Flag Day standings check (thank you Mike Claiborne for your permission), it’s probably time to reassess and reform our End-of-season expectations from this years team. The record and results thus far has probably met or exceeded what most fans best-case scenario/90th percentile outcome, is it time to raise the ceiling on what this team could do in a situation where a Mo-esque deadline addition shores up a need and/or major league ready reinforcements (like Michael McGreevy today 🤞) provide added value? In short, do you think this team is capable of playing even better than they’ve played so far, or is this the ceiling and we should just be content to be rubbing our heads against it? Bonus question: Have you played Out of the Park Baseball? If so, what moves do you make (presumably as Cardinal POBO)? If not, I highly recommend

The current losing streak is certainly ill-timed for any soaring declarations of optimism. I’m by no means giving up, and I do think contention is still a tenable goal and outcome. If the rotation continues defying the underlying indicators and staying generally healthy, then yes I do think this team can snare a wild-card berth. I don’t think that will happen, though, which causes me to downshift my ambitions to “second-straight winning season.” What might make me feel differently? Replace Mikolas with McGreevy, maybe use an opener with Pallante, and get Quinn Mathews to St. Louis early in the second half for some sorely needed rotation upside. To reduce it down to one thing, Liberatore must get back to his April-to-mid-May form, but I’m worried there’s something going on that renders that unlikely.

Back soon, and thanks for all the great mailbag contributions.