The stove is hot: #HeywardWatch keeps Cardinals Nation on edge

Published Dec. 10, 2015 11:19 a.m. ET

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Jase Bandelow

What a fantastic offseason it's already been for those who like talking St. Louis Cardinals baseball. It started early with Lance Lynn's Tommy John surgery, and hasn't lost steam since.

Gone from Baseball Heaven are three players with five-plus years of familiarity in Jon Jay, Pete Kozma and Tony Cruz. 

Rough business.

In comes utilityman Jedd Gyorko, a young infielder with potential and a contract that's prepared for him to reach it. 

There was the gratification -- or irritation, depending on how you view it -- of finishing runner-up in the David Price sweepstakes.

According to USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale, the Cardinals offered Price the richest contract in franchise history, a seven-year deal worth at least $30 million less than the Red Sox's $217 million offer. For comparison's sake, Adam Wainwright received a five-year, $97.5 million extension in 2013, which is the most Camp DeWitt has shelled out for a pitcher to date. 

And what about the Mark Buehrle situation? According to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, Buehrle "will either retire or pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals, his home town team" in 2016. 

Fantastic. If it happened in line at a Costco, it has to be true, right? Stay tuned!

Now, baseball's best fans are focusing on the present: resigning Jason Heyward. 

The situation heated up Thursday with a Tweet, as so often is the case in the world we live in (What a time to be alive, they say). 

General manager John Mozeliak offered little when the subject was brought up.

So Cardinals Nation must wait. And Tweet out reasons why he should stay. 

Joe Buck? Tougher sell.

Gotta love the offseason. 

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