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« Mark Teixeira Rumors: Tuesday | Main | Yankees Going Hard After Manny? »
Cardinals Rumors: Fuentes, Saito, Kawakami, Uehara
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the latest on the Cardinals' hunt for pitching.
GM John Mozeliak is getting impatient with Brian Fuentes' agents, who are waiting for the market to develop. They might be waiting for the Angels to jump in, but that won't happen until the Mark Teixeira situation is resolved. Strauss says the Cardinals have offered two years and $16-18MM, and the ball is in Fuentes' court. Fuentes, of course, wants three years and more than $30MM. The Cardinals are reluctant to give him the third year.
Strauss says the Cards "may investigate the availability" of Takashi Saito, though the Dodgers hope to re-sign him. Strauss also learned that Mozeliak met with the agents for Kenshin Kawakami and Koji Uehara at the Winter Meetings.
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I keep thinking that with the free agents angling for 3 years and the teams trying to stick to two years that a market will develop for BJ Ryan.
If the story was true that the Cards had discussed Ankiel for Putz, I can't see why they wouldn't talk about Ankiel for Ryan and the Jays - given their money issues - should be all about a deal like that.
Posted by: WillRain | December 17, 2008 at 12:46 AM
What happened to Motte and Perez?
Cardinals have other needs to fill, like starting pitching. And, half their current rotation hits free agency after next season (Wellemeyer and Pinero) and Carp's an injury risk as always.
Give Motte/Perez the closing job and call it a day.
Posted by: melonis rex | December 17, 2008 at 12:46 AM
I would prefer a few options before handing away a draft pick and more than half the remaining budget for Fuentes. Trevor Hoffman is still out there and only requires a one-year commitment. Saito is worth checking up on, although when it comes to the Cardinals any type of injury is trouble with that medical staff. Of course I like the idea of just giving the job to Motte/Perez, but Tony has to be difficult about it, and I guess Mo isn't sold on them either. Still, the money is better spent on a combination like Trevor Hoffman and Randy Johnson.
Posted by: mateodh | December 17, 2008 at 01:10 AM
With KRod signed and Putz traded then logically if the market hasn't already developed then it simply won't.
And I don't believe the Angels interest in genuine. They need a hitter and if they don't sign Tex, they might be better off trying to get in on Dunn )especially if they can give him a short term deal)... or hell, Manny seems to like California...
Posted by: start_wearing_purple | December 17, 2008 at 01:26 AM
$10 mil a year for Fuentes is a joke, considering Hoffman, Saito (if he's healthy)and potentially BJ Ryan are available. Additionally, if the Cards truly believe that Perez or Motte is the closer of the future, why invest 3 years in Fuentes?
Fuentes needs to realize that the market for closers is drying up. By all reports, the Cards, the Brewers, and the Tigers are the teams who are looking for a closer. I can't imagine any of those teams going 3 years $30 mil for him.
Posted by: tolo316 | December 17, 2008 at 06:07 AM
I would think that the Jays would be looking for pitching if Ryan istraded. I don't see Ankiel fitting into the Jays OF.
Posted by: Robin | December 17, 2008 at 06:21 AM
I say the Cards take a look at bringing in Penny on one year incentive laden deal. Be happy with Perez/Motte. As long as you keep Franklin out of the 9th and don't resign Issy you will see great improvement as they blew the majority of the games last year.
Posted by: hombrej | December 17, 2008 at 08:45 AM
Why are the crds so cheap? They should be in the upper tier of teams as far as payroll.
Posted by: whitesox4life | December 17, 2008 at 08:50 AM
It was reported a while ago that the Rockies and Fuentes discussed a two year deal expected to be worth about 16 million before he declined arbitration. If the best offer he can get is from the Cards for the same amount, I can see him going back to Colorado and restarting those talks.
Here is the link, it's under Fuentes talk.
www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/09/rockies-close-acquiring-redding-nationals/
Posted by: mkorpal | December 17, 2008 at 08:53 AM
At the very least, the Rockies should offer 2/22, to top what Kerry Wood got. I don't see how Fuentes dropped below Wood on the open market.
He may not deserve that third year anymore, but he still deserves a solid contract.
Posted by: scribbletone | December 17, 2008 at 09:32 AM
Would Brian Anderson interest the Jays for BJ Ryan, if Ankiel wouldn't? I don't believe Anderson's value is going to get any higher, and I don't believe he will ever start for this team...so why not try and get someone like Ryan?
I'm not familiar enough with the Jays system to know if they have a good, young catching option like Anderson.
Posted by: Aduncaroo | December 17, 2008 at 10:21 AM
The Jays have their No. 2 prospect, JP Arencibia, as their future catcher. Supposed to be up this year sometime. Anderson probably is or no interest to them.
Posted by: hombrej | December 17, 2008 at 10:48 AM
I'm still trying to figure out why the Cardinals don't go after Juan Cruz for the closer's role.... He's shown great potential with the Diamondbacks and he'd be a heck of a lot better than Izzy. Now as far as Izzy goes, sign him back let him retire a Cardinal (I'm thinking the 2.5-3 mil range for him and Cruz both). Then throw Beimel into the mix for around the same amount and all of a sudden this team has a respectable pen.
Posted by: sliceservace | December 17, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Cruz will probably make at least 3 mil a year, and probably at least 2 year contract. There are a ton of teams interested in him.
hombrej, thanks. That makes sense then. Jays are probably going to want pitching, and the Cards probably aren't going to want to give it up. I do think they should see what the market is for Anderson though.
Posted by: Aduncaroo | December 17, 2008 at 10:57 AM
I'm thinking Cruz is a bargain at 3 mil a year for the next three years....
Posted by: sliceservace | December 17, 2008 at 11:26 AM
"
Would Brian Anderson interest the Jays for BJ Ryan, if Ankiel wouldn't? I don't believe Anderson's value is going to get any higher, and I don't believe he will ever start for this team...so why not try and get someone like Ryan?
I'm not familiar enough with the Jays system to know if they have a good, young catching option like Anderson."
I doubt the Jays would have interest in Anderson with J.P. Arencibia in the minors, who's actually a fairly similar prospect to Anderson.
If the Blue Jays deal Ryan, I would expect them to persue young pitching.
The Jays have some good young position pieces in Rios, Snider, Hill, Arencibia, Lind, Cooper, etc., but outside of guys like Cecil, Romero, etc., they don't have as much in the way of pitching prospects.
Posted by: scribbletone | December 17, 2008 at 11:30 AM
"The cardinals blew the most saves in the NL, a closer must be their top priority."
More mismanagement than anything.
Because TLR didn't give neither Motte nor Perez the closer's role until late in the season, after the Cardinals were pretty much out of it. Keeping Izzy and Ryan Franklin in the closer's role led to a lot of those blown saves.
Posted by: melonis rex | December 17, 2008 at 02:15 PM
Perez will be good, but I think it would be best to get a Hoffman type on a one year deal to mentor him, and he can take over in 2010 if all goes well. If they are planning on competing, I'm not sure I'd give the rookie the closer's job...but thats just me.
Posted by: Aduncaroo | December 17, 2008 at 02:27 PM
Stick Perez in the closer role and use that money to get some more starting help.
How's about maybe spending it on scouting.
Posted by: coryjwilson | December 17, 2008 at 03:07 PM
I agree that they should bring in a veteran on a short deal to let Perez set up and develop a bit more, basically like the Cubs did with Carlos Marmol.
Posted by: scribbletone | December 17, 2008 at 03:21 PM
I LIVE IN MICHIGAN AND I'M A AVID CARDINAL FAN..BUT I REALLY THINK THE CARDS SHOULD TO CUT THEMSLEVES LOOSE FROM FUENTES..I PREFER THEM TO USE THE MONEY ON TWO OR MORE HELPERS..I THINK SAITO (IF HEALTHY),OR CRUZ WOULD BE GREAT..EXPERIENCE WILL HELP WHILE PEREZ/MOTTE COWBOY UP THIS YR..PERSONALLY I HOPE MOTTE TURNS OUT TO BE THE REAL DEAL..HE REMINDES ME OF THE "MAD HUNGARIAN".WITH HIS FACIAL EXPRESSIONS..WE NEED THAT KIND OF ATTITUDE IN OUR CLOSER..I LIKE THE PATIENT APPROACH..WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE YANKEES AFTER THEY GAVE ALL THAT MONEY UP..BURNETT WILL BUST(I PROMISE.CAN'T STAY HEALTHY)C.C. ALTHOUGH GREAT PICTHER, WILL NOT FAIR AS WELL BACK IN AMAERICAN LEAGUE..
Posted by: MARK REEVES | December 22, 2008 at 03:22 PM