As August continues its stretch of merciless wildcard hunting, the St. Louis Cardinals visit Houston and Philadelphia this week.
Every day seems to produce a flurry of questions surrounding this team and where they are going. Fans dice it up online. Local scribes pick away. Columnists like myself fire their best shot at the answer to the riddles created from a 162-game season.
Since I am a Twitter addict, I see all of these topics broached on a daily basis. Let me do my best to answer the latest fleet from the Birds wonderwall. As a cup of Tim Horton's delicious coffee is digested, I fire away.
Can Matt Holliday make it back this season?
Regular season? No.
Holliday broke his thumb and it was a clean break. That is 4-6 weeks of recovery, which puts him on track to face live pitching against near the end of September. I won't put it past the Stillwater, Okla., native to show his Avenger DNA and come back sooner, but it's highly unlikely.
The lack of minor league action at the time will also hinder his ability to get back into game shape. At 36-years-old, the body isn't going to heal fast for Holliday. The playoffs are an even bigger question mark.
What version of Holliday, who has struggled this year to be consistent before the injury, can fans expect? A 2016 return for Holliday is unlikely and it's a sad thing for a veteran with an option for 2017.
Does Kolten Wong deserve to start?
Yes and no.
Over the past 15-30 games, Wong's on-base percentage has reached .400. However, that number comes in limited action.
2016 hasn't been kind to the newly extended young second baseman. The Cards put him in center field for a short time to get him innings, but he can't even break into that pack at the moment. Wong is a unique asset for the Cards.
Over his short career, his OPS has never screamed "Watch Out". His 2015 mark was a high and it sat at .707. This year, his defense hasn't been able to keep him in the lineup and the emergence of Jedd Gyorko's power and Greg Garcia's versatility has sunk him.
Photos: Cardinals 2B Kolten Wong
You can't defend a .328 slugging percentage, but Wong's .361 OBP over the last 30 games(71 at bats) is a kick in the right direction.
If Wong enters the picture, the infield needs a shift and with Jhonny Peralta ingrained at third and Matt Carpenter at first, that isn't happening.
Is it realistic to see Lance Lynn throw a pitch for the Cardinals in 2016?
Unlikely yet not impossible.
While seeing Lynn fire 27 pitches Monday night for Class-A Palm Beach, I don't see him rejoining this team.
With Luke Weaver and Alex Reyes up making an impact and carrying fresh arms, the need for the rotation help isn't there and Lynn doesn't have enough time to gather enough strength for a start.
A relief role is less of a long-shot, but still unlikely. He has to climb quickly to Memphis and see at least 4A hitting and who gets bumped for him, but with the injury to Seth Maness and possibly Kevin Siegrist, Lynn coming out in the late innings throwing heat may be an option.
Don't hold your breath, but don't rule it out either.
What should the Cards offer Brandon Moss if the offseason started today?
He's 32 and swinging the most powerful bat for the Cardinals.
Moss has turned around a lot of suspect heads who didn't like losing the prospect hall of fame arm Rob Kaminsky last summer. Moss has solidified the middle of the order for the Cards in the absence of Holliday and Matt Adams.
He's produced 21 home runs without getting a whole season's worth of at bats up to this point.
Photos: Cardinals slugger Brandon Moss
What do you offer him? I'd think about a two- to three-year deal with some options and incentives. Moss is getting older, but isn't ancient. He can play a number of positions and is a great clubhouse guy. With the dry 2017 market for players, he may be a bargain.
I don't see the Cards tossing Moss a qualifying offer. He's put up great numbers and Mozeliak did trade a decent prospect for him. He will offer him at least a two-year deal. I like that. If it gets to four years or another club offers him stupid money, I let him walk, pick up Holliday's option, and bring Harrison Bader into the fold.
Should Alex Reyes eventually get a start in 2016 or stay in the pen?
Bullpen. Right now, he's an asset there.
Luke Weaver has the tools right now to pitch deep into a game. He stays in the rotation and puts in solid no. 5 innings. If Weaver gets rocked a couple times, Reyes' turn may be up.
However, let's keep that 101 mph heater tossing 79 mph flipping weapon in the pen. How about a late inning 7th inning type?
Carlos Martinez and Adam Wainwright both found their wings in the bullpen first, so keep Reyes down there and let him develop.
Should Matt Carpenter be hitting third or leading off?
I still like Carpenter hitting leadoff simply because his numbers there are hard to deny. He feels comfortable there and has the ability to force a pitcher to show his full hand early and break through.
He has cut down on his strikeouts in 2016 and kept the power. With Holliday and Aledmys Diaz out, I understand the need to place the threats in certain spots, but when fully powered, this lineup functions best over a large stretch with Carp leading off.
If you can't replace his OBP at the top, don't move him.
Send in your questions to me on Twitter @buffa82 or via email, buffa82@gmail.com. I'll answer them next week in another set of Cardinals burning questions.