Newsday's Ken Davidoff shares his winners and losers of the Winter Meetings, with a twist — he includes winners with downside and losers with upside. The Cardinals top the latter list, as Davidoff notes that losing Albert Pujols means they're "liberated of an albatross contract." Here are a few more Sunday morning NL Central links:
- The Brewers are still talking to Aramis Ramirez, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network. The Brewers appeared to be favorites for Ramirez, with the Phillies' interest fading and the Angels having spent their money elsewhere. However, Francisco Rodriguez's acceptance of arbitration may impact Milwaukee's pursuit of the third baseman.
- In light of Ryan Braun's positive PED test, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains why MLB will never be as clean as the league would like.
- There's a lot at stake for Braun, the Brewers, and the league, says Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who received a text message from Braun saying the positive test was "B.S."
- Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recognizes the Marlins' strategy of significantly boosting payroll as they begin playing in a new stadium. As Biertempfel writes, the Pirates tried the same thing when they moved into PNC Park ten years ago, albeit with less impressive signings.
I’m sorry but the notion that losing the best player in baseball will somehow make your team better like some people are proposing is completely asinine.
It frees up 22 Million $$$$$… pretty simple.
22 a year, not even total, 220 million they can use other ways
By that logic you should never expend top money. Build you team with a bunch of scrubs earning near league minimum will almost always provide you with the best ratio of wins/salary. It will also almost always lead you to last place.
This team is not filled with scrubs…. try another sport.
For the next 3-4 years it no doubt makes the offense weaker. But, years 5-10 of that contract it is almost garaunteed the Cardinals will be a better team not paying Pujols $25MM a year.
Almost as bad as the argument that the Cardinals will be better for losing Pujols, is the argument that the Cardinals can’t make up the 5.1 WAR he provided in 2011. With Wainwright coming back, better defense(Theriot not at short, Berkman not in right), and a few small upgrades the Cardinals will still be fine. The reaction that the Cardinals are suddenly a bottom feeder is way overblown.
I’m sorry, but it does. Look at what they did right after they lost out on him, signed Furcal for $7mm a year. Not paying Pujols allowed the Cardinals to NOT trade a starting pitcher, sign a previous all star SS, and still have enough money to make another free agent or trade splash.
And those are just short term benefits. I’d say upgrading 3 positions while downgrading 1 is a hell of a deal for the Cards. Also they made a competitive enough offer for Pujols that the fans aren’t even upset.
The fact that Furcal was an all-star previously is pretty irrelevant at this point in his career…
Even if he stays healthy he won’t make the all-star team (and he won’t stay healthy)
Not getting paid like an all star anymore…. it is relevant.
So you’re saying they got a injury prone player who isn’t all-star caliber on a multi-year deal, for a non-all-star price? That IS breaking news.
This just doesn’t make sense.
The upgrade that Furcal offers represents a fraction of what Pujols brings to the organization. Let’s see how they spend the rest of the money but at this point the team is looking at a huge void that hasn’t begun to get filled.
so keeping pujols for a rediculous amount of money and having no money to upgrade other areas would have been smart? i think a team with berkman at first, furcal at short and craig or potentially beltran in right would equal or out produce a pujols berkman tyler greene combo, and we can sign beltran and still have money to upgrade other areas now or at the deadline!
If they Sign Cespedes or Beltran & a Oswalt or Jackson that should be enough to win the Central this Season
Cards aren’t signing a starter. Cepedes would be lovely in CF/RF though. Better investment than Beltran IMO.
I dont get the point of ken’s article or why everyone is making this seem like it really hurts baseball. if braun cheated and was caught that’s a good thing, it means testing works. It means we shouldnt be questioning guys like pujols and bautista. Every player gets tested at least twice a season. SO at this point its just dumb to take anything.
Until MLB institutes a policy where a team can void the player’s contract if the player fails a test the sport will never be rid of PEDs. There is just too much money at stake.
There is no money at stake you only get those big contacts after a few seasons of dominance, which means you’ve been doing what you’ve been doing while getting tested 6-8 times. Why then would they start once they get their money?
The Cardinals may be a bottom feeder, but it could be because Berkman is unlikely to repeat his year and the starters like Lohse, Westbrook, and Garcia all could regress. Let’s not forget that the Cardinals weren’t all that great last year. They were playing well at the end of the season. Losing Pujols definitely hurts, but even with him they would have had huge question marks entering 2012.
By Berkman playing 1st you limit that risk. Lohse pitched well because it was his first healthy season in 3 years. Westbrook pitched horrible. If he isn’t better early in 2012, he’ll be replaced by Lynn and/or maybe even Miller late in the season, I have no idea how he would regress. Garcia should only get stronger as he continues to get stonger post TJS and can start going deeper into games.
I’m not saying they will win the division, but they won’t be a bottom feeder. They’ll be in the hunt in September just like every year.
Berkman’s resurgence last season came greatly due to his extensive offseason workout regimen. I’m hoping he keeps it up, otherwise he is likely to regress a few homers and BA points.
Why is Berkman unlikely to repeat last season? That was just a typical year when healthy.
In his prime, sure. I would expect at least a slight regression, but it very well could be more.
Not sure how Westy can do worse than last year. I’m expecting a 3.9-4.10 ERA next season. Lohse, when healthy is a good pitcher. Garcia is likely to be the same pitcher with more innings. Freese should have a great year, and having a GOOD closer from beginning to end will help A LOT. If Prince leaves, we’re easily the best.
I think Garcia will be fine… Westbrook had probably his worst season in 8 years, so I don’t think he’ll get any worse (probably better)… Lohse.. He’ll probably do worse… yes.
Let’s not forget they’re getting Adam Wainwright back… one of the best pitchers in the game… And hopefully they’ll get more healthy games from Furcal, Holliday, and Freese, and they could still sign an OF to round out their line-up.
The Reds and Brewers very well could beat them though (but it’d be a close race) but let’s not forget how bad the Cubs and Astros are (and the Pirates to a lesser degree).
Why will Lohse play worse next year? Do you see into the future Ben. Thats IS breaking news. LOL
based on low BABIP(/somewhat high xFIP), and the fact the he’s never done nearly as good at any point in his career.
I’m not saying a sub-4 ERA won’t happen… but in all likelihood, or at least I predict, that his ERA will probably rise by half a run… but he could prove me wrong.
He was 15-6 in 2008 when he signed a 4 year deal with the Cardinals. Had several injuries since that time. He is healthy there is no reason he can’t win 14 games next year. One of the better #4 pitchers in all of baseball.
huge question marks? what team doesnt have some, and i think the question marks they do have are not huge, more cardinals hate, whats up with that?
braun’s positive test and later clean test were reported only to pick up flat or non existent ratings, as well as hide their culpability in not reporting the kiddie didilers so they can call themselves a news station. when mlb correspondents resist the notion of his guilt and espn “writers” (east/west coast marketing shills) are also calling it into question….I think the impossible should be done. pound his innocence into everyones mind and f’ing bury espn and its subsidiaries into sandusky and wise’s houses of hell.
In response to Biertempfel’s article about the Pirates and Marlins, there is one major difference. The Pirates brought in over the hill players or players who never had a future. The Marlins are bringing in actual players who still are young enough to keep the team competitive. It was just a terribly written article.
Aramis is kind of just lurking out there as a 4 WAR 3B, and that’s an upgrade to pretty much any team that isn’t TB, WSN or TEX. He’s kind of underrated at the moment, you would think with the talent pool at 3B not all that great right now that he’d have a ton of teams lining up for him. A .373 wOBA at 3B right now is pretty valuable.