Discussion: What’s Next For St. Louis?
When Jonathan Broxton struck out Rick Ankiel to end Game Three of the NLDS tonight, the Cardinals officially went into offseason mode, turning their eyes towards 2010. The team has several impending free agents, including Ankiel, Mark DeRosa, Matt Holliday, Troy Glaus, Khalil Greene, Jason LaRue, Joel Pineiro, John Smoltz, and Todd Wellemeyer, while Ryan Ludwick and Skip Shumaker figure to get considerable raises through arbitration. Holliday projects to be a Type-A free agent, DeRosa and Pineiro come in as Type-B's.
St. Louis has an excellent core in place with Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Colby Rasmus, and, of course, Albert Pujols, so the pieces are there. After finishing seventh in the NL with 730 runs scored and third with 640 runs allowed this year, what do you think the Cardinals need to do this winter to improve their team for next season?
Odds & Ends: Thome, Anthopoulos, 2010 Draft
Here's a few links to check out while the Cardinals try to stave off elimination…
- Prior to this evening's game, Jim Thome said he would "still love to come back" to the White Sox, according to Chris DeLuca of The Chicago Sun Times. ''I want to come back to the American League,'' said the 39-year-old Thome, who is making $13MM in the final season of the monster six-year, $85MM contract he signed with the Phillies prior to 2003.
- Ken Fidlin of The Calgary Sun writes that new Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopolous "would do well to foster" what he calls the "Twins Way" in Toronto. He's referring to a "culture of professionalism and attention to detail."
- Forgive the self-promotion, but if you're looking for a way to keep track of where each team's draft picks go once free agency starts, make sure you check out our 2010 Draft Order Tracker at River Ave. Blues. I'll keep that baby updated all winter as signings are make official, so make sure you check back in often.
Abreu Wants To Remain With Angels
Perhaps the biggest benficiary of last year's depressed free agent market was the Angels, who received a .293/.390/.435 batting line and $11.8MM of production (according to FanGraphs) out of outfielder Bobby Abreu. It's a marriage made in halo heaven, and Abreu wants it to be a marriage that lasts beyond this season, according to Jill Painter of The LA Daily News.
"Of course I want to be back," [Abreu] said. "I have a good time over here. This organization, the team, the manager and the fans, too, they've treated me very well here. I think they really appreciate the job that I've been doing all year round.
"Of course I want to come back. I don't want to go nowhere else. I want to stay with the Angels."
Abreu earned just a $5MM base salary in 2009, although bonuses tied to plate appearances put another $1MM in his pockets. Despite his production, Abreu's .825 OPS was the second lowest full season mark of his career, and his defense was as bad as ever, checking in at –4.6 UZR/150 between left and right fields.
What kind of contract do you think Abreu, 36-years-old on Opening Day 2010, has coming to him this offseason? Would two-years and $18MM be too much, not enough, just right?
Odds & Ends: Bradley, Lackey, Padilla
Bonus afternoon links:
- Yahoo's Tim Brown reports via Twitter that Tampa Bay "will only consider acquiring [Milton] Bradley if Cubs eat so much [of his] salary [that the] Rays could release him at any time without financial hit."
- John Harper of the New York Daily News wants the Mets to pursue John Lackey as "people around the Angels" view his return as unlikely.
- Vicente Padilla is grateful for the opportunity he has been given with the Dodgers, writes MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. The Dodgers picked up the righty for the prorated portion of the minimum salary after he was released by the Rangers in August.
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff brings us a strong quote from Yankees GM Brian Cashman on Carl Pavano: "He took a lot of crap, and so did I…Do I blame him for it? No, I don't. I don't think he laid down on us."
Discussion: Carl Pavano
After the trade deadline, the Twins acquired Carl Pavano from the Indians to help bolster their rotation. The 33-year-old was serviceable in Minnesota, posting a 4.64 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and an xFIP of 4.18. Tomorrow night at the Metrodome, Pavano will take the mound as the Twins look to stay alive.
Pavano infamously pitched just 145.2 innings for the Yankees over the course of a four-year, $39.55MM pact signed in December of 2004. During that time a litany of injuries (including a bruised buttocks) kept the righthander off the mound but in 2009 he recorded 199.1 IP in total.
Looking ahead to this winter, Pavano seems to be an attractive commodity in free agency once again. It's no secret that the pool of free agent starters leaves much to be desired and that should mean a bump in pay for the Connecticut native. One executive told Ken Rosenthal in September that Pavano could fetch a one-year deal worth as much as $7MM this offseason.
Where would you rank Pavano amongst the other available starters? Would you dole out $5-7MM per season in a multi-year deal? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section.
Odds & Ends: Reds, Brewers, Astros
Some afternoon links:
- Dusty Baker's job may not be safe in Cincinnati, writes Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune. Owner Bob Castellini "reportedly has his eye on the Cardinals tandem of manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan." Both men could go elsewhere if they so choose. La Russa's contract expires at the end of the year and Duncan holds an option on a deal he signed around this time last year.
- Rogers also says that the Brewers are telling teams they don't plan to trade Prince Fielder. They are, however, looking for pitching in return for J.J. Hardy and Mat Gamel. Recent comments by GM Doug Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash indicated that Gamel will be on the trading block this winter.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle implores the Astros to hire Jim Fregosi as their next manager. However, Justice says that former Nats skipper Manny Acta has the "inside track."
- Cubs' broadcaster Bob Brenly had "informal talks" with Nationals GM Mike Rizzo earlier this year about their managerial vacancy, writes Dave Van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune. The former D-Backs skipper said that it was "way too premature" for Washington to make a decision at that point. Brenly has been interviewed by several teams in recent years, including the Cubs and Brewers.
Phillies Seeking Utility Infielder
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel wants an upgrade at the utility infield position, writes Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Second baseman Chase Utley tends to run out of gas late in the season and a quality backup would go a long way towards solving that problem.
Utley's late-season performance took a dive once again this year as fatigue caught up with him. The 30-year-old hit .304/.423/.554 from the start of the year to the end of August. From September 1st to the end of the regular season, Utley saw his slash line dip to a putrid .193/.290/.325.
An improvement over Eric Bruntlett (.462 OPS in 2009) could also ease the workload of Jimmy Rollins. As Martino points out, someone with enough versatility could even spell Raul Ibanez in left field.
The article identifies two candidates who can fill that role in this winter's free agent class: Mark DeRosa and Marco Scutaro. While both players have experience at second-base, each were asked to play just a handful of innings at the position in '09.
What other free agent utility men should Ruben Amaro Jr. consider this winter?
Odds & Ends: Rangers, Hawpe, Griffey, Matsui
Are you over that back-and-forth, edge of your seat Yankees-Twins game yet? If not, here's some links to calm you down…
- Jeff Wilson of The Dallas Morning News provides a quick breakdown of each of the three bidders that are considering purchasing the Rangers. He notes that there is still no timetable for a sale to be complete.
- Jim Armstrong of The Denver Post wonders about Brad Hawpe's future in Colorado after Jim Tracy used three lefthanded pinch hitters during Game Two of the NLDS, none of whom was Hawpe. With several younger, more athletic, and (perhaps most importantly) cheaper outfielders on the roster, Hawpe could be the odd man out.
- When asked if he wanted to play in 2010, Ken Griffey Jr. replied "Um, yeah," according to Phil Rogers of The Chicago Tribune. Junior also qualified that by saying he'll do what's best for his family and for the Mariners.
- Could Hideki Matsui stay in New York next year? Newsday's David Lennon thinks it may be possible, with the Mets instead of the Yankees. The one they call Godzilla has insisted he could play the outfield all season, yet the Yankees have only used him at DH because of his surgically repaired knees. Lennon notes that Matsui has also "told people he would consider trying first base," which would fit great for the team from Flushing.
Looking Ahead To The Nationals’ Offseason
Whenever a team loses 103 games and has been outscored by a total of 348 runs over the last two years, it’s going to take more than one offseason for their new GM to bring the franchise back to respectability. The Nationals made a great first step by drafting, and paying, superprospect Stephen Strasburg, who made his professional debut earlier this week.
In his latest column for The Washington Post, Chico Harlan outlines some of the items the Nats must address this offseason, with a little help from GM Mike Rizzo.
- Rizzo detailed some of the first steps his team will take this winter, which includes adding an assistant GM and a farm director to his front office. “That’s the first order of business,” Rizzo said.
- The team must also decide on a permanent manager. Interm mamanger Jim Riggleman is a candidate for the position, but Harlan says he won’t be the only one. Rizzo would prefer a manager with experience, but “acknowledged that getting permission to interview outside candidates whose teams are in the playoffs could slow the process.”
- Of the 30 pitchers the Nats used in 2009, only John Lannan remained with the team wire-to-wire. Regardless, they have some building blocks on the staff, with a surplus of back-end starters and a few reliable bullpen arms. The most notable of those bullpen arms would be 24-year old Tyler Clippard, who led all big league relievers with 60 strikeouts after the All Star break.
- Rizzo has said “that the Nationals can become contenders without detonating their roster.” Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, and Lannan represent a decent core, and you can add catcher Jesus Flores to that mix if he returns from shoulder surgery.
- The contracts of Dmitri Young and Austin Kearns expired after the season, freeing up $13MM from last year’s $60MM or so Opening Day payroll. Kearns is still owed a $1MM buyout.
- “I think it helps that we’re not locked into bad long-term contracts,” Rizzo said. “Certainly it helps. It gives you the opportunity to kind of look over the landscape and do what’s best in the long-term, big-view picture of what we’re trying to do, not only in 2010 and beyond.”
Odds & Ends: Astros, Brewers, Tigers
Let's take one more look around the web on this Friday evening:
- Manny Acta confirmed to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that he has been contacted by the Astros regarding their managerial vacancy. Acta managed the Washington Nationals for two-seasons-and-change, leading them to a 132-198 record in that time.
- Adam McCalvy of MLB.com spoke to Rick Peterson, who said that Milwaukee is at the "very top" of his list. McCalvy notes that Peterson wasn't completely out of baseball in 2009 as he was called in to help Scott Kazmir in Tampa Bay.
- The Tigers have invited all of their coaches back for next season except for one, writes Jason Beck of MLB.com. First-base coach and outfield instructor Andy Van Slyke has "decided to pursue other opportunities," according to a Tigers press release.
- Patrick Hayes of MLive.com wants the Tigers to go after Milton Bradley and Justin Duchscherer. ESPN's Rob Neyer offers up his response.
- Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette takes a look at top prospects Pedro Alvarez, Brad Lincoln and Jose Tabata as they are named three of the top players in the Double-A Eastern League.
- Pat Gillick was surprised to hear that Bobby Cox will retire after 2010, writes Mark Bowman of MLB.com.