The Cardinals declined their options for Octavio Dotel and Rafael Furcal, according to the Associated Press (via Sports Illustrated). The Cardinals will pay Dotel a $750K buyout instead of a $3.5MM salary and they'll pay Furcal a $1.3MM buyout instead of a $12MM salary.
Dotel, 37, arrived in St. Louis along with Marc Rzepczynski and Edwin Jackson in the trade that sent Colby Rasmus to Toronto. In 54 total innings for the Cardinals and Blue Jays, Dotel posted a 3.50 ERA with 10.3 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 30.1% ground ball rate. MLBTR reported today that Dotel is a Type A free agent.
Furcal, a Type B free agent, hit .231/.298/.348 in 369 plate appearances for the Dodgers and Cardinals in 2011, spending time on the disabled list with a strained left oblique. The 34-year-old shortstop started discussing an extension in September, but didn't reach an agreement.
If FW would deal with his agent I think Furcal would probably be a bit of an upgrade over Gonzalez…
I’d like that move (not that it’ll happen like you said)… until Furcal got injured…
But in all seriousness, Gonzo’s gotta go.
Bad move declining Dotel.
Meh….Eduardo Sanchez
who has an electric arm but shoulder problems. not a safe bet really… The safe play was to pick the option up. Maybe they think they can resign him for less than 2.75MM…
Salas
Motte
Boggs
Lynn
Sanchez
Reifer
how many righties do you need?
Do you pronounce Reifer as “reefer” ??? Just wondering
In 2011, the Cards needed at least that many when considering the seasons of Franklin, Batista, and others. Add McClellan to your list too.
McClellan will be shipped out, I’m willing to bet.
Yeah, I thought it was a reasonable option, but I guess they have an idea with the relief market there is going to be.
Especially in the context of the trade that brought him to St. Louis. I figured they would pick up the option just on principal. “We sent Colby to Toronto because the guys we got in return will help our team win now and in the long run.” Strange decision, especially considering the uncertainties surrounding Albert and the Coaching staff…
they can still offer him arbitration
why would they do that? It’s 99.9% guaranteed he’ll accept arbi.
Edit: Unless they want him back. Maybe they do want him back, I dunno.
well maybe they dont mind him back, but if he doesn’t accept you get 2 picks out of it?
He’d have to be out of his mind to decline arbitration, no one will give up a first rounder for him. He’s accepting that arbitration guaranteed.
15 teams have protected first round picks..
if any of them sign a higher ranked free agent, they would only be giving up a 3rd round pick
2nd round pick.
Absolutely, positively, conclusively, definitely. assuredly… Dotel would accept arbitration if offered. He’d be crazy not to.
Type A free agent. Worst case senario he accepts arbitration and Cards get him for a year around the same price. Best case the Cards get 2 high draft picks…
Wouldn’t he get a small bump through arbitration? And does the 750k buyout go into next year’s salary considerations as well (might just be wishful thinking, but if it’s on their books for next season…)?
There is a huge risk in arbitration. First of all, he’d accept. That is more certain than the sun rising in the morning. NO way any team would give up a first round pick to sign him, so he’d be limited to the bottom 15 clubs, and doubtful they’d give up a second rounder in addition to salary for him.
He’d also be in line for an increase in salary through arbitration. His salary history and experience are two of the main criteria to an arbitration panel, two factors that don’t matter to a GM looking at free agents.
I doubt he gets much more than $3.5MM through arbitration. Also if you think nobody would sign a type A RP for anything other than closing duty, you weren’t paying attention last winter. Many good teams signed type A RP’s for setup work, including the Tigers, Red Sox, and Yankees. I think the Cardinals made the right move here.
Deeper relief class this year.
Furcal burned the ATL bridge. He’s not coming here.
Furcal or his agent? Link pending mod approval…
WOW. Declined Furcal.
um, that’s not surprising AT ALL. TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS for a short stop with injury history that hit .231/.298/.348.
…I hope you were joking….
Not surprised about Dotel, but Furcal….. Seesh what is Mozeliak thinking!
How are y’all surprised that they’d decline a $12mm option on a guy that’s going to get a $5mm contract next year?
that he can get furcal back for less than 12 million
I’m sure they can sign him for much less than $12M.
Giving Furcal $12mil would have been stupid. They can still try to sign him back for a lot less.
Dang, this is a brutal business. 3 days after winning it all they decline a modest option on one of their bullpen pieces that came up huge.
Doesn’t mean they don’t want him back. Probably just a matter of pinching pennies and counting draft picks.
still a business. still a very good chance that both players return next year for much smaller price tags. How are either of these decisions surprising at all?
“still a business.”
Absolutely. 50% of the people who post here think that money grows on trees for the owners and should just pay anything to these players. As you posted.. It is a business, with REAL bottom lines and must be ran as one.
Dotel can still throw, so he’ll definitely find somewhere to play. The Cards definitely won’t offer him arb because he’d accept it. It works out either way for Dotel because if he gets arb, he can accept with a higher salary increase. If he doesn’t get offered arb, he’ll have enough teams looking to sign him…maybe even some teams that think he can still close? Not crazy to think some team might give Dotel a shot at closing again, especially considering how shutdown he was for the Cards this season out of the pen.
Would love to see the Phillies go after Dotel. He showed he can still throw the baseball at a high level and we need bullpen depth beyond the prospects (DeFratus, Schwimer, Savery, Aumont). I’ve wanted them to go after him for a while though.
I’d expect Furcal to stay in St. Louis on a 1 year deal, possibly with a club option for $5-8 million.
Am I the only one thinking this is a “Oh well, TLR is gone, so we will only need like half our bullpen?”