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Cardinals Rumors: Smoltz, Holliday, DeRo, Pujols

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Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sat down for an interview last week with Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt III.  Multiple topics were discussed, including a few major hot stove items.  Let's dive in…

  • The Cardinals have seen a revenue loss of "several million dollars" this season, despite fantastic attendance numbers.  DeWitt called the loss "a meaningful number," but said the club will still try to maintain a high payroll in future seasons.
  • DeWitt isn't sure what John Smoltz's plans are for 2010.  The 42-year-old right-hander has spoken glowingly about his time in St. Louis, but could opt to retire.
  • DeWitt and Co. plan to make a "very strong long-term offer" to Matt Holliday before he hits the open market this winter.  The Cardinals are optimistic about being able to lock him up.  "He strikes me as someone who's not looking for the last dollar," DeWitt told Strauss. "He's looking to be highly compensated but in a place where he can live, raise a family and be in a very competitive baseball environment."
  • Mark DeRosa is "the type of player" the Cardinals would like to keep "if possible."  If not, David Freese could open the 2010 season as St. Louis' starting third baseman.
  • DeWitt believes this winter is "the ideal time to ensure Albert [Pujols] finishes his career as a Cardinal," even though the slugger still has two years remaining on his current deal.

It should be an intriguing, if not busy, offseason in St. Louis.  Beyond the players listed above, the Cardinals also face free agency with right-hander Joel Pineiro, backup catcher Jason LaRue, third baseman Troy Glaus, outfielder Rick Ankiel and right-hander Todd Wellemeyer.  It's probably safe to assume that Pineiro, Glaus and Wellemeyer won't be back.  Ankiel might also be on his way out.

Bidding On Jason Bay

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WEEI.com's Alex Speier hears from multiple sources that the bidding for Jason Bay will reach at least four years at $14-15MM per season. The 31-year-old outfielder has been "pleasantly surprised" by his first contract year. Bay didn't know what to expect at the beginning of the season, but he's produced, as usual.

He has 36 homers and a .266/.385/.538 line that overshadows his 159 strikeouts and below average defense (according to UZR/150). A return to Boston appears to be a "legitimate possibility," but other teams will have interest if the two sides can't agree to a deal.

As Speier notes, the Angels, Cardinals, Giants, Mariners, Mets, White Sox and Yankees could all have interest in Bay and the resources to sign him.

Yahoo's Gordon Edes and MLBTR's Mike Axisa each compared Bay to Matt Holliday last month, so check out their articles to see how Bay fits in to the rest of the free agent market.

Odds & Ends: Holliday, White Sox, Pirates

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Good morning everybody!  Let's check out some links…

  • Matt Holliday has meshed beautifully with the Cardinals since being acquired in July, writes Matthew Leach of MLB.com.
  • Ozzie Guillen says that Matt Thornton has "good enough equipment" to step into the closer role, but wants to learn more about his mental makeup as the season winds down, writes Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune.  Thornton may asked to be the White Sox' fireman in 2010 if the team trades Bobby Jenks, who is entering his second year of arbitration.
  • If the Giants don't pick up his 2010 option, Freddy Sanchez doesn't anticipate coming back to the Pirates, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • More from Dejan Kovacevic as he says that the Pirates could be calling Matt Capps their closer for 2010 in an effort to boost his trade value.  Capps has an ERA of 5.91 in 53.1 innings of work this year.
  • There are indications that the Mets will keep pitching coach Dan Warthen and batting coach Howard Johnson on board, writes Marty Noble of MLB.com.  There has been no such indication for third-base coach Razor Shines.

Odds & Ends: Astros, Mateo, Aurilia, Rays

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Some more links on this Sunday afternoon…

  • The Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers writes that Tim Bogar and Manny Acta are early front-runners for the Astros managerial job.  Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio could get called in for interviews by general manager Ed Wade.
  • Joe Strauss gives us an overview of the dispute the Cardinals are having with recently signed Dominican outfielder Wagner Mateo.
  • Veteran Rich Aurilia doesn't expect to be a part of the Giants' plans in 2010 according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Mike Hargrove, who last managed the Seattle Mariners, could land a job this winter, says Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com.
  • Marc Topkin tells us, via Twitter, that Rays' manager Joe Maddon will talk with his coaching staff immediately after the season, but doesn't anticipate any changes. Tampa's playoff hopes plummeted when they dropped 14 of their first 16 games in September.
  • Even at the age of 42, Omar Vizquel would still like to return for another season, according the AP. Can you think of any teams in need of the veterans services? Omar's only logged 189.2 innings at shortstop, but it's no surprise to see a tremendous 21.6 UZR/150.
  • Dejan Kovacevic checks in with the latest and greatest from Pirates' GM Neal Huntington, who once again stresses that the Buccos will not be spending money just to spend money this offseason.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Pujols, Upton, Astros, Bradley

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FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up, so let's see what he has for us…

  • Albert Pujols is in no rush to sign a contract extension. A source "with knowledge of his thinking" tells Rosenthal that the chances of Pujols agreeing to an extension this winter are "slim and none."
  • The reason is that Pujols wants to assess the Cardinals' long-term outlook before deciding on his future. Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, and Tony LaRussa are all unsigned beyond this season.
  • Tampa Bay figures to explore the market for B.J. Upton this offseason. The Rays would be selling low, but they have needs behind the plate and in the bullpen, and it's possible a team could offer a package that would satisfy those needs. If they don't get an offer to their liking, Tampa will simply hold onto him.
  • The Astros managing job might be Jim Fregosi's to lose, but don't be surprised if Red Sox first base coach Tim Bogar "gains momentum." Even though he's relatively inexperienced, Bogar is a former 'Stro who also managed in their minor league system, as well as in Cleveland's. Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell all think highly of him.
  • Teams have already called the Cubs about Milton Bradley. The Giants, Padres, Rangers, Rays, and Mets are among the clubs with possible interest. The Cubs are confident they can deal Bradley without paying the overwhelming majority of the $21MM still owed to him over the next two years. They could either trade Bradley's bad contract for another bad contract, or use the old sliding scale of "the more money we pay, the better the players we get in return."

Odds & Ends: Halladay, Pujols, Mateo, Benitez

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Here's a few links to check out as Roy Halladay makes what might be his final start in Toronto as a member of the home team…

  • MLB.com's Jordan Bastian spoke to Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston about Halladay, and what the offseason might hold for him. "If you didn't [have a shot at the playoffs in '10], I think you would maybe think about ''Maybe it is time to move him.'" He also added "I can't make those decisions. They're going to do what's right for the club and certainly Doc's got a little bit of say-so."
  • Rob Neyer of ESPN suggests that Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt wait a year before signing Albert Pujols to an extension because Pujols' value will never be higher than it is right now. What to do you guys think, any chance Pujols actually increases his value next season?
  • Yoel Adames of ESPN Deportes has some quotes from Edgar Mercedes, agent for Wagner Mateo, about a possible lawsuit against the Cardinals. St. Louis voided Mateo's $3.1MM contract earlier this week after finding "pre-existing injuries and physical defects."
  • Bob Nightengale of USA Today says that the "hottest rumor among baseball scouts is that Pat Gillick will be returning to Toronto to become president of the club, but not GM."
  • The Astros released Armando Benitez and the Braves released John Halama, according to this week's edition of minor league transactions, courtesy of Baseball America.

Heyman On Pujols, Holliday, Acta, Cubs

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The Cardinals want to lock up Albert Pujols, but Jon Heyman of SI.com wonders if they can keep him and Matt Holliday. One GM says there's "no chance" the team can keep the two stars, despite owner Bill DeWitt's goal to "lock up both of them." Here are more details on the Cardinals' superstars, along with the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • Heyman says it's illogical to expect Pujols to demand anything less than $30MM per season.
  • Holliday is "thought to be interested" in a deal comparable to Mark Teixeira's $180MM pact. No doubt Holliday would have interest in that kind of deal, but would any team consider it? (I doubt it.)
  • There are many reasons it makes sense for the Cards to try to lock up Holliday and Pujols. As Heyman says, such an attempt would show manager Tony La Russa, pitching coach Dave Duncan and the fan base that the team wants to win at all costs.
  • Heyman hears that the Astros will interview former Nats manager Manny Acta for their managerial opening.
  • Indians GM Mark Shapiro is facing pressure to fire manager Eric Wedge, especially now that the club has lost 11 straight.
  • Not surprisingly, two GMs consider Alfonso Soriano untradeable. He has $90MM remaining on his contract.
  • The Cubs would have to eat a "decent chunk" of Carlos Zambrano's contract if they decide to trade him. A trade doesn't seem likely, however.
  • If the Cubs deal Milton Bradley, Heyman considers the Padres a logical fit.
  • Execs around the league expect Roy Halladay to be on the trade market again this winter.

Cardinals To Discuss Extension With Pujols

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The St. Louis Cardinals will attempt to lock up slugger Albert Pujols long-term during the offseason, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com, via Twitter. Heyman tweets that Cards owner Bill DeWitt informed him that St. Louis will try to sign Pujols to an extension past 2011.

The 29-year-old first baseman has been the best hitter on the planet this decade, batting .334/.427/.629 since being called up to the majors in 2001. In 2009, he has posted a .330/.447/.676 line with 47 homers, and is the favorite to repeat as the NL's Most Valuable Player.

Pujols is making $16MM this season, the sixth year of a seven-year, $100MM deal, which includes a $16MM club option for 2011. Given his incredible production over the course of the deal, he'll undoubtedly be in line for another raise. Cardinals GM John Mozeliak already announced that the team doesn't intend to negotiate with its potential free agents such as Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, and Joel Pineiro until season's end. Attempting to retain those players, in addition to inking Pujols to a triple-digit extension, could mean a busy and expensive winter in St. Louis.

Stark On Braves, Hardy, Uggla

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Let's check out the hot stove highlights from Jayson Stark's latest Rumblings and Grumblings column at ESPN.

  • The free agent market for super-utility men is strong, with Chone Figgins, Mark DeRosa, and Jerry Hairston Jr.  Stark says the Cards will let DeRosa test the market, despite the recent extension chatter.  Stark talked to an NL exec who prefers Figgins to DeRosa, which seems logical.
  • Stark finds it "all but certain" that the Braves bring Tim Hudson back for 2010, but they won't be shopping Javier Vazquez.  He considers the Braves unlikely to re-sign free agent relievers Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez.  If that's the case, Frank Wren will need to bring in some kind of late-inning arm.
  • Expect a strong market for Brewers shortstop J.J. Hardy, despite his disappointing '09 season.  Which teams do you see in the mix?
  • Stark sees the Marlins keeping only one of Dan Uggla, Cody Ross, and Jorge Cantu, who are all due raises through arbitration. 
  • Stark says the Astros don't have a shopping list yet for their next manager, but count on GM Ed Wade to be meticulous.  The 'Stros prefer someone with experience, leading Stark to join in on the Jim Fregosi speculation.

Cards Void Wagner Mateo’s Contract

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8:28pm: Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Derrick Goold of the P-D he has no plans to renegotiate with Mateo at this time.  Mozeliak is disappointed the deal fell apart.

5:37pm: Badler talked to Mateo's agent Edgar Mercedes, who said his client will be among those in attendance at a tryout in October.  By the way, the Cardinals noted that there were no concerns about Mateo's age.

2:43pm: The Cardinals voided the contract of top prospect Wagner Mateo, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 16-year-old Dominican signed a $3.1MM deal with the Cards in July, but failed to meet the club's physical standards. The team discovered "pre-existing injuries and physical defects" and voided the deal. 

Mateo's representatives say the outfielder has 20/30 vision in his right eye, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. However, they say Mateo doesn't have a degenerative eye condition or nerve damage. Mateo's representatives say the prospect's vision is the same as it was earlier in the year when Mateo was impressing scouts. Regardless of the severity of Mateo's eye issue, he's a free agent again now.

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