By Tim Dierkes | at
This one isn’t a prank…the Cardinals are considering signing Juan Gonzalez and inviting him to Spring Training. Every year there are rumors about comeback attempts. It would be surprising to see Gonzalez in the St. Louis outfield at any point in 2008, but you never know.
Juan-Gone is 38 now, and hasn’t been in the Majors since that infamous one at-bat in 2005 with the Tribe. He’s 66 home runs away from 500.
By Tim Dierkes | at
According to Buster Olney, Troy Glaus told J.P. Ricciardi several months ago that he’d like to be traded. Apparently he really wanted to get away from artificial turf.
Olney says Ricciardi made no promises, and set about finding good value for Glaus. Glaus had wanted to play for St. Louis for years, and Scott Rolen’s rift with Tony La Russa created an opportunity.
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 1-14-08 at 5:44pm: And it’s official, news conference Wednesday.
UPDATE, 1-14-08 at 2:15pm: Both players passed their physicals, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This could be officially a done deal later today. By the way, the Belleville News-Democrat discusses some of the failed Rolen scenarios here (including one that involved Jhonny Peralta, Cliff Lee, and Anthony Reyes).
UPDATE, 1-14-08 at 10:57am: A small amount of money will change hands – the Jays will send $1.8MM to the Cards, pending commissioner approval. Given that Rolen has more money on his contract, it’s surprising to see the Jays sending money.
UPDATE, 1-13-08 at 12:12pm: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick says the agreement has been reached; the deal will be done if both third basemen pass physicals on Monday. The Cardinals required that Glaus exercise his $11.25MM player option for ’09 as part of the trade – they didn’t want him to have a big ’08 and then opt for free agency. No money changed hands, which makes the deal look like a win for St. Louis.
FROM 1-12-08 at 11:00am:
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Blue Jays and Cardinals are "closing in" on a trade of Troy Glaus for Scott Rolen. Both would have to pass physicals first. Rosenthal adds that both players agreed to waive their no-trade clauses and the Cardinals might need to cough up some cash as well.
Glaus, 31, hit .262/.366/.473 in an abbreviated 2007 season. He had nerve decompression surgery for his foot in September, which will hopefully relieve his plantar fasciitis. Also that month, Sports Illustrated reported that Glaus received multiple shipments of steroids as a member of the Angels. Glaus is set to earn $12.75MM in ’08 and $11.25MM in ’09.
Rolen, who will turn 33 in April, hit .265/.331/.398 in a similarly abbreviated season. He also had September surgery, a shoulder cleaning that involved removing scar tissue. Rolen also had shoulder surgery in ’05, but did show good power for the first five months of ’06. His other wart is a strained relationship with Tony La Russa. He’ll earn $12MM in ’08, ’09, and ’10.
It’s hard to say which team won the swap, though I lean towards the Cardinals. They get a younger player with a less serious health issue and a shorter commitment. The reason I think it’s close is that Rolen is a superior defender. Can you imagine hitting a groundball to the left side when Rolen and John McDonald are both on the field?
By Tim Dierkes | at
You know how it works…random rumors and links to clear out my inbox.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Random rumors and links for your perusal…
By Tim Dierkes | at
According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, talks between the Giants and free agent third baseman Pedro Feliz are stalling. The parties have now passed a Giants-imposed deadline, apparently because the Giants wouldn’t go three years on him. Even a two-year offer would be a mistake. Bringing him back in general seems an odd idea.
Schulman suggests that Scott Rolen or Joe Crede could now become trade targets for Brian Sabean. What is this team’s direction?
By Tim Dierkes | at
Scott Wuerz of the Belleville News-Democrat suggests that Cardinals pitcher Brad Thompson is a rumored target for the Pirates. He could be part of a larger package, where players such as Jack Wilson, Matt Morris, and/or Jason Bay could be involved.
Thompson turns 26 soon. The Cardinals tried him as a starter last year, and he posted a 4.66 ERA in that role. He was at 4.91 in relief, but for his career he’s been better coming out of the pen. Thompson lost his groundball mojo a bit in ’07, and as a result his HR rate rose dramatically.
At one point, the Cards and Bucs discussed a Wilson-for-Chris Duncan deal. About a month ago Dejan Kovacevic said he expected Wilson to stay put this winter. Morris was a Cardinals’ target at various times in ’07. There hasn’t been much buzz about the Pirates trading Bay to St. Louis.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a new column up this morning regarding the Cardinals’ arbitration-eligible players. This year they have Rick Ankiel, Yadier Molina, and Todd Wellemeyer.
Goold spoke to Scott Boras regarding Ankiel’s situation, which is definitely a unique one. Salaries for arb-eligible players are often determined by looking at comparables, but Ankiel doesn’t really have any (Babe Ruth doesn’t quite fit). Ankiel has four years of service time; he’ll be a free agent after the 2009 season.
Molina has three years of service time, so he’s under team control through 2010. Goold says a multiyear deal for Molina is likely to be discussed.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Here are some random rumors and links I’ve cobbled together today.
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 1-3-08 at 6:20pm: Clement gets a $1.25MM base with another $5.25MM in incentives for ’08. The ’09 option is for $8.75MM, an amount that can increase based on innings pitched. Seems a low-risk deal for the Cards.
UPDATE, 1-3-08 at 3:21pm: The deal includes a club option for ’09 and as you’d expect is heavy on incentives. The base salary is not known yet.
FROM 1-3-08 at 2:27pm:
According to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals have signed Matt Clement to a Major League deal.
Clement, 33, jumps back to the NL Central after spending 2002-04 with the Cubs. He had rotator cuff surgery in September of ’06, so he’s a complete unknown at this point. He joins Adam Wainwright, Joel Pineiro, and Braden Looper in the Cards’ rotation, with Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder due at various points during the season. They still might have money for one more starter.
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