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Cardinals Notes: Holliday, Pujols, La Russa

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Some Cardinals-related Sunday morning links….

  • Newsday's Ken Davidoff hears from a source "in the loop" that when Matt Holliday hits free agency, the outfielder's top choices are the Yankees and the Mets.
  • Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune provides a Windy City perspective on Albert Pujols' future in St. Louis. Unsurprisingly, it's bleak, even going so far as to wonder if Pujols could someday be a Cub. I think Rogers might be jumping to conclusions a little too early.
  • Rogers also thinks Tony La Russa ought to just sign a one-year contract with St. Louis, or even take a year off, considering all the big-market managerial openings that next winter could bring.
  • The Cardinals have finally found their answer at second base, in Skip Schumaker, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 29-year-old infielder is arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason.

Abreu Rejects Angels’ Extension Offer

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FRIDAY, 2:25pm: Heyman says Abreu turned the Angels' offer down. 

THURSDAY, 8:34pm: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim offered Bobby Abreu a two-year extension worth about $16MM, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Heyman indicates that Abreu is looking for a better offer, coming off an extremely productive season for the Angels.

Abreu, who turns 36 in March, hit .293/.390/.435 with 15 homers and 30 stolen bases in 2009. Last winter, the right fielder signed a one-year deal worth $5MM (plus incentives, which have earned him another $1MM so far), making the Angels' offer of about $8MM per year a moderate pay raise. However, given the lack of elite hitters on the free agent market this offseason, besides Matt Holliday and Jason Bay, Abreu is clearly banking on receiving more alluring offers.

Do you expect the Angels to pony up the money it'll take to retain Abreu, or will he be wearing a different uniform in 2010?

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Nationals, Myers, Hudson

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A slew of Thursday night links from around the majors….

Rockies Notes: Marquis, Betancourt, Giambi

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Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies examines Colorado's commitments for 2010, and the decisions they'll face regarding potential free agents and arbitration cases. Here are a few of his thoughts:

  • Jason Marquis has said he wants to sign with the Mets and likely won't be back in Colorado.
  • There's a good chance that lefty Alan Embree will retire.
  • Jose Contreras is interested in returning in a middle relief capacity, but Matt Belisle is a younger option for the team in that role.
  • The club would like to retain Rafael Betancourt, but his contract would have to be reworked. Betancourt has a $5.4MM club option for 2010.
  • Behind the plate, Chris Iannetta will be back as the starter. Yorvit Torrealba could return as Ianetta's backup, but probably not for more than $1MM.
  • The team may not have room for Jason Giambi, instead opting to use his roster spot on a right-handed hitter who can play both infield corners.
  • Righty relievers Juan Rincon and Matt Herges could receive minor-league invites.

Odds & Ends: Cards, Red Sox, Jenks

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After a great ending to the NLDS in Colorado, we'll be without baseball for a couple days. But not to worry, the links are still coming. Here's another set….

  • In their ESPN wrap-up of the St. Louis Cardinals' season, the Baseball Prospectus staff speculates that if Dave Duncan leaves town, his reclamation projects like Joel Pineiro might follow to wherever he lands.
  • The BP staff also takes a look at the Boston Red Sox for ESPN, pointing out that it'll be difficult to upgrade the offense in 2010, with the contracts of Mike Lowell and David Ortiz still on the books. Olney suggests that Miguel Tejada could provide solid production for the Sox if Theo Epstein could convince the infielder to sign at a discount for a chance to "win now."
  • MLB.com's Scott Merkin writes that, while Bobby Jenks wants to stay in Chicago for 2010 and beyond, the closer isn't happy about the team's comments about his conditioning.
  • Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News expects Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean to sign new contracts that will keep them in San Francisco — "probably within the next couple days."
  • The most important "free agents" for the New York Mets to target aren't actually players, according to Ben Shpigel of The New York Times. He wants the team to pursue managerial and front office options like Tony LaRussa and Kevin Towers, but is worried that none will still be available by the time the Mets give up on Jerry Manuel and Omar Minaya.
  • Seeing Wilson Betemit mentioned as a minor league free agent prompted Tyler Hissey of Around the Majors to revisit last November's Nick Swisher deal that sent Betemit to Chicago.
  • U.S.S. Mariner's Dave Cameron provides an interesting read about putting together a major-league roster.

Odds & Ends: Yankees, Varitek, Sheffield

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A few links to browse while we watch to see if the Phillies can finish off the last of the Division Series….  

  • Benjamin Kabak of River Ave. Blues wonders how Johnny Damon's recent slide and Hideki Matsui's hot streak will affect the New York Yankees' decisions this winter.
  • Josh Beckett wants Jason Varitek back in Boston in 2010, according to Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com.
  • MLB.com's Kelly Thesier writes that Joe Mauer has spoken to agent Ron Shapiro about his contract status, but that there haven't been any "serious discussions" yet.
  • Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports that Gary Sheffield wants to return to Florida. "It would be nice to finish my career with the Marlins," Sheffield said. "This is where I made a name for myself.''
  • The Houston Astros aren't handling the managerial interview process well, according to Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle. Justice's pick for the opening, Jim Fregosi, wasn't one of the ten candidates announced by the Astros.
  • Chris Ruddick of the Sports Network, via the Miami Herald, speculates on the next moves for St. Louis and Boston. He isn't opposed to letting Tony LaRussa and Matt Holliday walk, and suggests that Jonathan Papelbon could be shopped for a "young bat" this winter.
  • The Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay writes that former Diamondbacks pitching coach Bryan Pryce is on the Reds' list of candidates for their pitching coach. The Brewers have also expressed interest in Pryce.
  • Within a mailbag on MLB.com, Chris Haft writes that players like Matt Holliday and Jason Bay will be out of the San Francisco Giants' price range, and that the team is more likely to acquire a "hard-hitting utilityman."

Tigers Notes: Strieby, Polanco, Closer

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Jason Beck at MLB.com is the latest to look ahead to the Detroit Tigers' 2010 season. A few of his predictions:

  • GM Dave Dombrowski will avoid any major free-agent splashes, instead sticking to cheap, "smaller, targeted moves."
  • The Tigers could be happy with Gerald Laird and Alex Avila behind the plate next year. They figure Avila should only improve with more big-league experience, and that Laird will hit better if he's used more sparingly than he was in 2009. Considering Laird's .306 OBP this season was exactly in line with his career numbers, I'm not sure that's a safe assumption.
  • Stuck behind first baseman Miguel Cabrera, prospect Ryan Strieby will have to move to the outfield if he's going to earn major-league playing time.
  • Placido Polanco is probably a goner. The club will use Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn as fallback options at second base if Scott Sizemore isn't ready for the full-time job.
  • There will be no everyday designated hitter, with two or three players instead rotating in and out of the role.
  • With Magglio Ordonez seeing time at DH, the Tigers could add another corner outfielder.
  • The team will try to sign an outside veteran arm to fill their closer vacancy.
  • Excepting lefty Bobby Seay and whoever the closer turns out to be, the bullpen will be young and full of short-term contracts.

Manager Rumors: Astros, Indians

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Teams with managerial openings will be deciding soon who will man their dugouts for the 2010 season. Some rumblings on the candidates….

  • MLB.com's Brian McTaggart writes that the Houston Astros' list of candidates features many familiar names, including Bob Melvin, Ned Yost, Manny Acta, and former Astros skipper Phil Garner.
  • Jim Bowden of FOX Sports suggests (via Twitter) that Jim Fregosi is in the mix in Houston too, but McTaggart makes no mention of Fregosi.
  • Although he's likely not an early frontrunner, Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills is excited about being considered by the Astros, according to ESPN.com's Amy K. Nelson. He says that he'd "love the opportunity [to manage]."
  • The Cleveland Indians have been granted permission to talk to Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. However, even though MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince thinks that Farrell would be the best fit for the job, it sounds like Farrell wants to stay in Boston. In another Twitter update, FOX's Jim Bowden suggests that Farrell will remain a Red Sox in hopes of replacing Terry Francona down the line.
  • It's not a managerial opening, but the Milwaukee Brewers are searching for a pitching coach. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel thinks Rick Peterson remains the odds-on favorite, though the team continues to conduct other interviews.

Odds & Ends: Rays, Joba, Pettitte

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A few Sunday links to browse through….

  • R.J. Anderson at DRays Bay examines Tampa Bay's 2009 season and their expectations for 2010. He figures that the Rays' most likely spot for improvement is behind the plate, and suggests they possess the chips to deal for a catcher.
  • The New York Yankees nearly sent Joba Chamberlain to the minors this summer, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman says that the Yankees will expect Chamberlain (and Phil Hughes) to come to spring training in 2010 prepared to start. But if Joba's struggles continue, he may not merely be moved to the bullpen, but rather sent to the minors.
  • Mark Carig of the Star Ledger also looks at the Yankees' 2010 rotation and questions whether Andy Pettitte will be back in the Bronx next season.
  • The New York Post's Bart Hubbuch wonders (via Twitter) how much money Matt Holliday cost himself with his poor NLDS, both offensively and defensively. In a second tweet though, Hubbuch concedes that Holliday's bank account probably won't suffer, since the "Cards seem determined to sign him no matter what."

Astros Rumors: Valverde, Hawkins, Manager

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The Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice has a five-point plan to solve the Houston Astros' problems — or at least to point the team in the right direction. Here are some of his ideas:

  • Bring Jose Valverde and LaTroy Hawkins back to the bullpen.
  • Focus on pitching and defense, which would mean installing players like shortstop Tommy Manzella, second baseman Edwin Maysonet, and catcher Jason Castro (a 2008 first-round pick) into the 2010 starting lineup.
  • Sign a "reliable" free-agent starting pitcher to add to a rotation led by Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez. Justice's wishlist includes most of the market's biggest names, such as John Lackey, Ben Sheets, and Rich Harden.
  • Hire Jim Fregosi as the new manager. Justice adds that Manny Acta, Bob Melvin, Don Baylor, and Ned Yost would also be good fits for the opening.

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