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Cardinals Not Expecting Much At GM Meetings

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Cardinals GM John Mozeliak is lowering expectations for this week even though his team has plenty of issues to address this offseason, according to Joe Strauss The St. Louis Post Dispatch.

"I'd say the chances of us making anything happen there is very small," said Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak, a central mover during last November's weeklong meeting at Dana Point, Calif. "My expectation is that this will be much more about MLB business." 

Mozeliak also said he believes that rookie David Freese should get first crack at the third base job next year, although the team publicly remains interested in Mark DeRosa. He also indicated the team plans to promote a young pitcher to fill one of the rotation spots vacated by John Smoltz and Joel Pineiro, while seeking a "short-term veteran" for the other.

Strauss mentions that if the team believes it can retain Matt Holliday for $17MM annually, they're likely to be disappointed because Scott Boras "is believed committed to finding a far more lucrative deal for Holliday than the eight-year, $136 million deal left fielder Alfonso Soriano accepted to sign with the Chicago Cubs in November 2006."

Giants May Not Sign Wagner Mateo

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Despite reports indicating that the Giants will sign 16-year-old prospect Wagner Mateo, it is "not safe to assume" that they will ink the Dominican outfielder, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.  While the Giants made a "strong offer" for the youngster prior to his ill-fated agreement with St. Louis, they are far from reaching an accord and "don't necessarily expect to reach one."

According to Mateo's agent, he recently went to Miami for a consultation regarding his vision.  Baggarly writes that, presumably, the purpose of the trip was to undergo laser surgery.  In late September Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch penned a strong overview of Mateo's condition and how it led to the voiding of his contract.

Odds & Ends: Hardy, Tejada, Cardinals, Mariners

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Here's a few links to close out the night…

  • Tony Massarotti of The Boston Globe says that the Red Sox "had been engaging with the Brewers in on-and-off discussions involving (J.J.) Hardy since the trading deadline." Massarotti's source says the Brewers wanted either Clay Buchholz or Daniel Bard, but Boston was only willing to part with Michael Bowden.
  • MLB'com's Brian McTaggart tweets that Astros' GM Ed Wade said “At this point, we’re prepared to commit to Tommy Manzella playing shortstop," but noted that Miguel Tejada could return as a third baseman.
  • Matthew Leach of MLB.com takes a look at some outfield options for the Cardinals should Matt Holliday depart as a free agent.
  • The Mariners don't really have any non-tender candidates, according to Larry Stone of The Seattle Times. He also mentions that Brandon Morrow, Jason Vargas, and Jack Hannahan fell a little short of qualifying as Super Twos. 
  • ESPN's Peter Gammons says it's possible, though highly unlikely, that the Red Sox and Josh Beckett's agent Michael Moye are so far apart during contract ngotiations that the team would consider dealing their ace. He also says that unless there is "some unexpected understanding," Beckett will hit the free agent market after 2010.
  • J.C. Bradbury debunked some common Hot Stove Myths.

Cardinals Notes: Holliday, DeRosa, Smoltz

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Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the latest on the Cardinals…

  • Goold feels that the Cardinals "will keep tabs on the Jason Bay sweepstakes even while focusing on Matt Holliday."  Like most Scott Boras clients, Holliday figures to reach the open market.  The Cards have yet to make a formal extension offer; Holliday was one of 79 free agents to file yesterday.  In another article, Goold had a nice look at eight potential Holliday suitors.
  • Goold says Mark DeRosa "expressed a wish to test the open market," and the Cardinals beat writer expects the Cubs to make an offer.  I'm not sure – the Cubs are limited on funds, seemingly happy with Jeff Baker at second base, and probably seeking a left-handed bat to replace Milton Bradley.
  • Though the Cardinals have maintained dialogue with John Smoltz, the veteran pitcher expects to sign later in the offseason.

Cardinals, Boras Discuss Holliday Deal?

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According to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "there are suggestions that the Cardinals discussed a 6-year, $96 million framework with [Matt] Holliday's agent, Scott Boras."

The note is buried in a chat that took place earlier this afternoon and is barely addressed beyond the words above, so giving it too much credence might be irresponsible.  That said, Strauss is as close to the Cardinals' thinking as anyone, and it's at least worth talking about.

The figure — six years, $96MM — probably won't come close to getting a deal done.  Boras, in all likelihood, will want more years and a higher annual salary.  He has been adamant in comparing Holliday's value to that of Mark Teixeira, who struck an eight-year, $180MM deal last winter with the Yankees.  There are suitors out there with holes to fill and cash to spend, and a contract that doesn't crack $100MM isn't likely to catch the eye of Boras and Co. 

Holliday, who turns 30 this winter, batted .313/.394/.515 with 24 home runs and 109 RBI in 581 plate appearances during the 2009 regular season.  13 of those home runs and 55 of those RBI came in his 63 games with the Cardinals.

Odds & Ends: Lilly, Iwamura, Beckett, Marlins, Dunn, Cubs

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Here's some links to check out while waiting for what might be the final start in the great careers of Andy Pettitte and Pedro Martinez…

  • Ted Lilly had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder today, and the Cubs expect to have him back in their rotation "within the month of April," according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Might the Cubbies look for a little extra rotation insurance this offseason?
  • MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch mentions that the Pirates "began to show heavy interest" in Akinori Iwamura back in September. GM Neal Huntington confirmed that they had several scouts watch Aki after he came back from his knee injury.
  • WEEI.com's Rob Bradford mentions that Josh Beckett "isn’t likely to take a hometown discount" to stay with the Red Sox. Yesterday we learned that the two sides plan to meet in the coming weeks to discuss a contract extension.  
  • MLB.com's Joe Frisaro answers some hot stove related questions in his mailbag today. He thinks the Marlins will sign Josh Johnson to an extension this winter, and that they may explore trade possibilites for reliever Renyel Pinto.
  • In response to some weekend speculation that Adam Dunn could be a fit in St. Louis if Matt Holliday leaves as a free agent, ESPN's Keith Law says "just doesn't make a lot of sense for the Cardinals to consider it," noting that they'd be looking at a big drop-off by sticking Dunn in left field.
  • The Cub Reporter looks at what might happen on Chicago's north side in the coming weeks.

Cardinals Release Brad Thompson

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The Cardinals released righty Brad Thompson today, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The arbitration-eligible Thompson would've been a likely non-tender in mid-December anyway.

Thompson, 28 in January, posted a 4.84 ERA in 80 innings this year (eight starts, 24 relief appearances).  He's typically shown strong control and home run prevention but a weak strikeout rate.  His best asset is his ability to get groundballs – 52.7% of the time this year.  If Thompson has a successful '10 season for his new club, that team could elect to retain him for '11 as an arbitration-eligible player.

Cafardo On Pujols, Mauer, Holliday, Damon

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a new column up, and he addresses a few topics of interest from around the majors. Some highlights….

  • Cafardo examines the crossroads that superstars Albert Pujols and Joe Mauer will soon face with their current clubs. He passes on this quote from one baseball official: "I think Mauer has a better chance of staying in Minnesota than Pujols in St. Louis. Mauer is from Minnesota, while you have to give Pujols an A-Rod type contract and I’m not sure the Cardinals would do it."
  • His source thinks that the best way for the Cardinals to keep Pujols in St. Louis is to continue showing him they're committed to going after championships by making moves like this year's Matt Holliday acquisition.
  • Cafardo sees "no downside" to the idea of Holliday patrolling left field in Fenway next season. From an on-field standpoint, that statement could apply to virtually every team in the league, but the Red Sox are probably one of the few clubs that could absorb the financial blow.
  • Johnny Damon could be a good fit in the south side of Chicago, according to Cafardo. The White Sox will be looking for a leadoff hitter, and it's still unclear whether or not Damon will be back in New York.
  • Casey Kotchman may not fit into Boston's plans next year, but Cafardo thinks he could also be a solid addition to the White Sox — especially if Chicago doesn't retain Mark Kotsay.
  • Cafardo wonders why a power-hitting right-hander, like the New York Mets covet, would want to play in Citi Field, which he calls a "death valley" for righties.

Odds & Ends: Gaston, Cardinals, Rays

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Happy Halloween!  Remember to drive carefully tonight.  Let's check out some links…

  • As expected, Cito Gaston announced Saturday that he will step down as Blue Jays manager after the 2010 season and begin a four-year tenure as an organizational consultant. "I think maybe I can probably help the organization as far as being an advisor," Gaston said (via MLB.com's Jordan Bastian). "It's something that I want to do in my life — just step back and maybe do something different besides manage."
  • Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune believes the Cardinals are deserving of the title "Franchise of the Decade" for the way they've consistently put together winning teams while working with a middle-of-the-road payroll.
  • Steve Slowinski of DRaysBay.com breaks down several trades from Tampa Bay's past. "Like middle-school history teachers always say," he writes,"'You can't know where you're going until you know where you've been."

Pujols Hopes To Stay In St. Louis

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Albert Pujols surprised many, including the Cardinals front office, when he said he wasn't "desperate" to sign a long-term deal earlier this month. Now, Pujols tells ESPN radio in St. Louis that he wants to be a Cardinal for life, he just doesn't see the need to obsess over his contract yet (transcription from Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).

"You know the Cardinals need to worry about signing Matt Holliday and all the free agents," Pujols said. "There's no rush for me to sign right now, you know? But if they come tomorrow and say 'Albert, you know, we want to lock you up,' – hey, they know that we're open to that."

Pujols, who will hit free agency two winters from now if the Cards pick up his 2011 option, repeated that he wants to be a Cardinal for life. The 29-year-old combines above-average defense with one of the most potent bats in baseball history.

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