The 2026 Cardinals: Actually Good or Playing With Fire?

$300 Million?? We Thought TOO SMALL on a Potential Jordan Walker Extension

We tried to get a handle on what a Jordan Walker extension could look like for the St. Louis Cardinals and it appears we very much UNDERSHOT the entire idea. Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold joined 101 ESPN earlier this week and completely changed the expectations, saying that DOUBLING Wetherholt’s guaranteed money ($112.5 million) would be the ‘starting point’ in the Walker negotiations… Can the Cardinals pull that off? Would you want them to? 0:00 -- Did we shoot TOO low on a potential Walker extension? 7:00 -- Compare Walker to other ~300mm players--does the resume match up? 14:35 -- Does it make sense for the Cardinals to go *that* high? 20:50 -- Teams are using generative AI during the game, & MLB wants to stop it 33:30 -- The chat has some thoughts on the Jordan Walker conversation... 38:00 -- The Cardinals cannot let Walker go to arbitration 47:00 -- We can't ignore the Walker side of this whole thing 52:20 -- Jordan Walker with $300mm & a doctorate could save the world... 57:45 -- Quick preview of STL CITY SC returning with a rivalry matchup vs. SKC 58:45 -- Show Close Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

17 Games Before the Trade Deadline: What Can the Cardinals Learn?

We have a little time before the Cardinals return from the All-Star Break, and once they are back there's a short time before the big decisions have to made. Seventeen games, in fact. What could change in that time frame? What can the Cardinals learn? 0:00 -- Show Open 1:00 -- 95 games in the Cardinals should have a plan that 17 more games won't change 5:00 -- This next stretch is about the rest of Major League Baseball setting the market 10:15 -- How many teams will actually be "sellers" when August 3rd rolls around? 18:15 -- The Twins (or anyone from the AL Central) could completely change the trade deadline 25:15 -- Could a Dustin May trade send the wrong message to the clubhouse? 30:00 -- What you rather have the prospects from a May trade or a comp pick from a QO? 37:45 -- Does the Austin Riley horror story scare off the Cardinals from a Walker extension? 46:25 -- Is JJ Wetherholt driving the Cardinals in 2026? 47:15 -- Does Randy Karraker think we'll see Quinn Mathews this year 49:30 -- The Jordan Walker topic is gonna be unavoidable... 59:00 -- Talking more Cardinals 2nd half, Walker extension & more this week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Jordan Walker: Home Run Derby Champion & Future 200 Million Dollar Man

Jordan Walker put on a performance Cardinals fans will remember for YEARS with his comeback Home Run Derby title and put himself center of the baseball world stage as millions were formally introduced to the kind-hearted, soft-spoken, colossus-clouting right field that St. Louis has gotten to know over the past three years… And now the Cardinals need to make sure he’s here for 8+ years—and what exactly would that look like? 0:00 -- Something special about getting to watch history in the making 7:15 -- Let's talk about the potential Jordan Walker extension!! 16:30 -- The clock is ticking on Walker's reason to sign an early extension 23:00 -- What about 8 years and over 200 million bucks for Walker? 30:00 -- Walker's family, and an ideal format, helped make the night truly special 34:50 -- What about an extension for...Alec Burleson? 41:50 -- Randy was analytics thinks RBIs are "lucky", but is that true? 47:30 -- Would MLB adding "max contracts" help the Cardinals sign players like Walker? 54:00 -- Do analytics discriminate against high average, low-power guys 1:07:15 -- Final predictions: What does Walker's extension look like 1:08:55 -- Show Close Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Did Marmol Admit They Mis-Managed the Brewers Series? | Is Walker Smart Money to Win the Derby?

The Cardinals have officially closed out the unofficial “first half” of the season with a 50-45 record, so we’ll have a full week during the break talking about what happened over the first 95 games and what we expect over the final 67! But before we get to that…did Marmol admit they over-handled the Brewers series past week? And what does that say about the Cardinals’ process? And with Monday night’s Home Run Derby giving Jordan Walker the 4th-best odds going in, we’ll take a look how smart of a bet J-Walks could be… 0:00 -- Matthew Liberatore's last three starts are (potentially) real! 8:05 -- Did Oli admit they over-managed the Brewers series? 16:50 -- Let's not do this thing about bullpens a month+ later 19:45 -- Would a healthy Urias get more innings at 3B than Blaze? 22:05 -- Cijntje called up to AAA! 23:50 -- We have no idea but the expect seem to like the Cardinals '26 draft 26:45 -- The line between "not trying to win" & "being okay with losing" 34:50 -- What are Jordan Walker's chances to win the Home Run Derby 37:05 -- Here's some analytics as to why Walker could be a good bet 42:35 -- Are Burleson & Herrera a part of the Cardinals future core? 46:10 -- What are the Cardinals next steps in the rebuild? 49:00 -- Show Close Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Busch Stadium Is Doing Something to This Offense, and Bernie Has Proof | The Randy Karraker Show

Bernie Miklasz found the one number that explains the entire Cardinals season, and it has nothing to do with the standings. Randy Karraker brought a bullpen stat that might be even worse. On Bernie's Weekly Meeting on The Randy Karraker Show, Bernie and Randy break down where the St. Louis Cardinals actually stand at 48-43 heading into the All-Star break, why the offense at Busch Stadium is the difference between a playoff push and a fade, and how the Milwaukee Brewers have quietly built the smartest offense in Major League Baseball. Bernie also settles his long-running internal debate on the MLB salary cap, explains why the NHL model works for everybody, and pushes back hard on anyone calling the Brewers a failure. Plus: the delayed Luis Gastelum call-up, Chaim Bloom's handling of the 40-man roster, Jordan Walker in the Home Run Derby, and a World Cup match Bernie could not look away from. 🍺 STL Sports Central is brought to you in part by Budweiser. It's Budweiser's 150th Anniversary and they're celebrating with a Heritage Can Series that honors their legacy of being Made of America. Collect all four designs. For 150 years, This Bud’s For You. Enjoy Responsibly. Copyright 2026 Anheuser-Busch. Budweiser Lager Beer, St. Louis, MO.  Visit the Rawlings Experience at Westport Plaza in St. Louis. Explore the full lineup of gloves, bats, and gear, tour the Glove Vault, design your own custom glove, and take cuts in the Hit Lab The #1 baseball brand worldwide, home in St. Louis since 1887. Be one of "The Finest in the Field.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]