Kyle Lohse Signs Extension

6:04pm: The deal is official – four years, $41MM according to the AP.  Lohse also gets a full no-trade clause.  It’s a bit better than the Silva price.

10:19am: According to Derrick Goold and Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals plan to finalize a four-year extension for starter Kyle Lohse this morning.  Sources tell Goold and Strauss the deal will be similar to Carlos Silva’s four-year, $48MM contract.

It may be tempting to call this a loss for Scott Boras, since his client chose not to test the open market.  Lohse settled for $4.5MM in March this year after turning down a three-year, $21MM offer from the Phillies.  However, Boras still comes out a winner as the Cardinals are not getting any kind of discount.  Plus, taking the Phillies’ offer would’ve been a mistake.

I’m with Viva El Birdos on this one – there’s no upside to signing Lohse at this price. What are the odds this deal looks solid even halfway through?

Goold and Strauss say the Cardinals earmarked about $15-16MM for the rotation this winter.  That means Lohse is the big signing and the other pitcher will be a bargain buy.  The Cards will use another $15MM or so to fill other needs.  Brian Fuentes and Orlando Hudson could be considerations.