Email a copy of 'Bowden's Latest: Free Agency, Scherzer, Drew, Lobaton' to a friend
Loading ...
By Steve Adams | at
Email a copy of 'Bowden's Latest: Free Agency, Scherzer, Drew, Lobaton' to a friend
MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com
hide arrows scroll to top
Drew M
No current team that plans on contending next year needs a starting pitcher as bad as the Cardinals needed a shortstop.
SocraticGadfly
“Really” said the teams who do things like pass out four-year contracts to Matt Garza.
As for teams that “plan to contend”:
1. Yankees and Tanaka.
2. Boston has a good rotation.
3. Detroit has a good rotation, largely locked up.
4. Cleveland – no money, few trade assets
4. Angels dumbly passed on Tanaka when they could have made that deal happen without too much cap hit
5. A’s arguably overpaid for Hudson
6. Nats traded for Fister
7. Mets hamstrung by MLB loan, tho that’s now, belatedly, been loosened
8. Pirates no money
9. Reds probably could find more
10. Rockies wanted Cards to do a pitching overpay for Tulo
11. Zona wanted Tanaka, still looking at options
12. Giants overpaid for a resign of Lincecum
13. Dodgers set.
So, no, there are “plans on contending” teams who have already chased pitchers. Some of them arguably (or inarguably, the Yankees) needed one at least as bad as the Cards needed a SS.
And, the Cardinals almost won a WS with Kozma, so “need” was arguably relative.
Drew M
They also had Beltran. Now they have Craig (Who is only a good fielder if you compare him to Holliday), Adams (who still needs to prove he can hit big league pitching for a full season), and Taveras (who at this point is still a prospect at this point). Plus a lot of their success was due to their out of this world hitting with RISP, which they are unlikely to repeat at that rate. So they needed to upgrade offensively and like I said before, there were very few SS that could hit on the market and Mozeliak did not want to loose out.
SocraticGadfly
Not arguing with any of the above. Cards had been at least to NLCS three years straight though. And, none of this negates that other teams, as I mentioned above, had serious need for good pitching, some just as serious if not more so than Cards’ need for a SS. I still stand by what I said, and nothing you write here’s gonna change that!
Drew M
none of these pitchers would likely provide the impact on other teams that Peralta would to the Cardinals.
SocraticGadfly
Tanaka to Yankees, which I already mentioned, arguably provides MORE impact. MORE. Cards would win NL Central again this year, in all likelihood, with 2013 lineup. Again, I stand by what I say; you’re not changing my mind. (Although it’s fun to watch you continue to try.)
Drew M
Tanaka wasn’t one of the free agent SP that was having trouble getting a contract.
Drew M
They also had Beltran. Now they have Craig (Who is only a good fielder if you compare him to Holliday), Adams (who still needs to prove he can hit big league pitching for a full season), and Taveras (who at this point is still a prospect at this point). Plus a lot of their success was due to their out of this world hitting with RISP, which they are unlikely to repeat at that rate. So they needed to upgrade offensively and like I said before, there were very few SS that could hit on the market and Mozeliak did not want to loose out.