In this episode of the Viva El Birdos podcast (0:04), hosts Jake Wood and Gabe Simonds interview Derrick Goold, the lead baseball writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and host of the Best Podcast In Baseball. The discussion covers significant changes within the Cardinals organization, future front-office strategies, and the evolving landscape of Major League Baseball.
Key topics discussed include:
- Front Office Evolution: The hosts and Goold examine the Cardinals’ changing front-office structure, specifically addressing the departure of assistant GM Randy Flores to the Astros and the potential for new, outside voices to be brought in to prevent stagnation (3:00 – 9:51).
- Player Development & Coaching: The conversation touches on the hiring of Joel McKeithan as the new hitting coach (19:05 – 26:56). Goold explains that the team is focused on finding coaches who can grow with a younger core of players rather than just focusing on immediate results.
- CBA and League Economics: Goold provides insights into the potential for missed games due to CBA negotiations (39:43 – 45:17) and discusses the financial challenges teams face regarding Regional Sports Network (RSN) revenue declines (35:58 – 38:57).
- The “Metric” Disconnect: A major portion of the interview (1:23:03 – 1:32:13) focuses on the disconnect between the organization and fans. While fans primarily use total wins as the metric for success, the team is currently prioritizing long-term development, leading to a clash in expectations.
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