Why Fowler plays here and Carlson doesn't when the games resume is another of the hot topics from Derrick Goold's chat with Cardinals fans.

Columnist Ben Frederickson takes Cardinals, Blues, Mizzou, SLU and MLS questions and comments in his weekly chat.

Post-Dispatch subscribers: See what our baseball writer had to say about the team during his live chat.

Four-game series vs. the team that made the biggest move of the winter shaped up as a doozy, with Flaherty opposite Kershaw or Buehler. 

Simulations show the Cardinals' chances of making the 2020 postseason — if there is one — decrease every day the season doesn't start. 

QUESTION: All this talk about empty stadiums and neutral sites just seems like wishcasting for bored sportswriters. Is it even possible? Would you want to cover a game from high up in the press box in an empty stadium in North Dakota?

QUESTION: This might be 25 steps in the future, but would MLB just use the same schedule in 2021 if the 2020 season is cancelled? Hoping they will, because we would get to see the Yankees in town.

QUESTION: Did Dylan Carlson have the inside track on opening the season in St. Louis? What is the part of his game that needs the most work or that the Cardinals want him to focus on?

QUESTION: Will the fact that MLB will play a much shorter season (if at all) mean the Cardinals stay the course on the outfielders they have, or does the fact that Fowler will have just one year left on his contract allow them to pivot for a more productive known quantity?

QUESTION: Which Cardinals do you think this postponement will hurt the most? Who benefits from the delay (i.e. health, timing, etc.)?

QUESTION: With the proposal of frequent doubleheaders, there might be a need for 6 starting pitchers to cover innings. Basically a 6-man staff. Is this possible and would the Cardinals have an edge over other NL contenders because of their starting pitching depth?

QUESTION: Don't quite understand the problem of Kwang Hyun Kim flying back to South Korea to see his family. Yes, it is risky virus-wise, but flights are still going, right? Are they worried he will get stuck there?

QUESTION: How does a delay or cancellation of the season impact a possible Rockies-Cards trade that has been speculated about in these chats for weeks?

QUESTION: Talk about a curveball. Did DeWitt and the other owners have a model of what it would look like for them if the season was lost? Surely they have one for a labor strike, which they would rely on for a pandemic, but I do not see how any of them could see this coming.

QUESTION: If baseball comes back, there has been talk of tinkering with rules, rosters, the postseason, universal DH, etc., just for this season. If that is the case, what do you think we can expect to see, or what would you do?

QUESTION: Have you had a chance to talk to Mike Shildt and get an update on how the players are doing in their off-site training? I presume he and his staff are monitoring them and their workouts?

COMMENT: Not sure Marcell Ozuna was a good move based on hindsight, and I really liked the guy. They gave up two major-league starting pitchers and possibly a 5th outfielder for two years of Ozuna. I think the deal tilts to bad when the Cardinals let Ozuna walk.

QUESTION: I recently listened to an interview with Jim Kaat. He was describing different types of pitchers; max effort, Scherzer; easy velocity, DeGrom; and a control magician, Maddux. How would you describe the Cardinals' starting pitchers that were in camp using those descriptions? Lastly, I don’t want to start a front office firing chat. In your opinion, have the Cardinals made a really good trade or FA acquisition in the last 5 years. I couldn’t find any, but I would appreciate your perspective.

QUESTION: Any thoughts on the players who have been optioned to AAA? I guess it’s all on paper, but it was surprising to see Reyes and Fernandez sent out.

QUESTION: There are a lot prospects that are not named Gorman or Carlson, some of which will be our next Redbirds. That kid they've got at catcher ... Ortega?  Supposed to be glove only, but all he did was rake?

QUESTION: Everyone seems to be doing the Mount Rushmore’s these days, so ... who would be on your Mount Rushmore for best Cardinals since you’ve been covering the team?

COMMENT: This might be too controversial to touch, but I was a bit taken aback by Mo's comments that baseball would help lead the nation back because people needed something to have "faith" in. Mmy reply to him would be that people have a lot more to place faith in than baseball — their family, friends, and, yes, a higher being.

Rounding up the hot topics from baseball writer Derrick Goold's weekly chat with Post-Dispatch subscribers.