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Cardinals Rumors: Pujols, Payroll, Needs

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Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the latest Cardinals buzz…

  • The Cards are going to stand pat with their starting rotation until they learn more about Chris Carpenter’s injury.  He’ll be examined in late November.  Strauss says a swing man type acquisition is possible as insurance.
  • The Cardinals are likely to approach Albert Pujols about an extension before he enters his 2011 option year.  Pujols will earn just $16MM in each of the ’09, ’10, and ’11 seasons.  Teams must be salivating at the prospect of Pujols on the free agent market, but the Cardinals will try to prevent that.  Pitchers Hit Eighth recently did a roundtable about this very topic.
  • The ’09 payroll is projected in the $106-108MM range.  The Cardinals have $20MM+ to spend, with the exact number depending on several arbitration cases.
  • The Cardinals need middle infielders and lefthanded relievers.  Strauss says, "The club prefers to deal from its surplus of righthanded relievers, outfielders, minor-league pitching and corner infielders."  I have argued about this in chats a bit…is there really a surplus here?  To me a surplus in baseball means more starters than positions (rather than just good depth).  The Cards have a starting outfield of Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel, and Skip Schumaker, with Colby Rasmus coming on fast.  Rasmus will be a rookie, while Ankiel is a Boras client eligible for free agency after ’09.  There are other interesting players on the roster (Brian Barton, Joe Mather, Chris Duncan), but the Cards aren’t overflowing with starters.
  • Viva El Birdos contests the idea of a surplus of righty relievers, and would like to see Russ Springer re-signed.
  • Strauss says the Cardinals have yet to talk to the agents for Cesar Izturis and Felipe Lopez.  He sees players such as Rafael Furcal and Khalil Greene as possible middle infield targets.

Both Sides Want Furcal Return

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According to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times, the Dodgers were not disillusioned by Rafael Furcal’s errors last night.  GM Ned Colletti said he’d like to have Furcal back.  Furcal said he wants to come back.  So if all goes according to plan, the best free agent-eligible shortstop will never hit the open market.

Back in December of 2005, Furcal received a four-year offers but chose the Dodgers’ three-year offer at more money per year.  He missed most of ’08 with a back injury, so maybe he’ll take a similar approach this winter and sign for one year to re-establish himself.  The Dodgers would probably prefer one year with a 2010 option and plenty of incentive-based money.

On the other hand, we could have a Magglio Ordonez situation.  When Maggs signed in January of ’05, he was coming off a 222 plate appearance season due to knee problems.  Ordonez had shock wave treatment in Austria on the knee and hired Scott Boras that winter.  Boras started out asking for seven years for the 31 year-old, and ended up getting five guaranteed with reasonable vesting options for two more seasons.  The Tigers would’ve been able to void the contract after one year if Ordonez spent 25+ days on the DL for recurrence of the knee injury.

Heyman’s Latest: K-Rod, Furcal, Blalock

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Non-Manny notes from Jon Heyman’s latest…

  • The Angels and Mets "appear hesitant" to give Francisco Rodriguez five years.  There’s not an obvious suitor to overpay K-Rod, but the Mets are the closest.
  • Heyman sees Brian Fuentes getting about $11MM per year.  Ken Rosenthal recently suggested even more money.
  • Doug Melvin could become a candidate for the Mariners job if the Brewers aren’t able to extend him.  Doesn’t seem to make sense since Melvin is signed through 2009.
  • Heyman believes Chris Antonetti in Cleveland is contractually guaranteed the GM job in the future.
  • The Dodgers will try to re-sign Rafael Furcal, no surprise there.
  • A scout sang the praises of Hank Blalock’s second-half hitting (.281/.324/.532 after the break).  Blalock may be on the trading block.

Odds and Ends: Moore, Manny, Hudson

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Reading material for Thursday…

Odds and Ends: Cabrera, Sabathia, Gillick

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Your hot stove links for Thursday…

Rosenthal’s Latest: Huff, Hardy, Russ Ortiz

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new column up.

  • Mark Attanasio set a dangerous precedent by firing Ned Yost.  Will he interfere with GM Doug Melvin’s plans in the future?
  • Rosenthal considers Aubrey Huff a "highly desirable trade commodity" this winter.  That begs the question – why did Huff pass through waivers unclaimed in August?
  • Trading J.J. Hardy is more likely than moving him to third base.  Hardy is under team control for two more seasons.  The Jays, Tigers, Royals, Twins, Giants, Dodgers, and Cardinals could be in the market for a shortstop.  Demand certainly outstrips supply.
  • Rosenthal believes Rafael Furcal would be a nice fit for the Blue Jays.  He agrees that GM J.P. Ricciardi is likely to return.
  • The Orioles might prefer affordable veterans to A.J. Burnett as they try to improve their pitching staff this winter.
  • Russ Ortiz wants to pitch in 2009, and he worked out for ten days a week ago.  ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick first reported the workout yesterday.  He says the Royals, Astros, Brewers, and Red Sox had scouts at the audition. 

Perrotto’s Latest: Royals, Ibanez, Rauch, Gregg

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It’s Sunday, which means that John Perrotto has his Every Given Sunday column up over at Baseball Prospectus. Here’s the highlights…

  • Royals GM Dayton Moore will likely make a big splash in the free agent market once again. Two years ago, he signed Gil Meche to a five-year, $55MM deal. Last year, he signed Jose Guillen to a three-year, $36MM contract. This year, his big target appears to be Rafael Furcal, which would allow the Royals to move Mike Aviles to second base. Moore is also believed to be willing to trade anyone on the team with the exceptions of Meche, Zack Greinke, and Joakim Soria.
  • Raul Ibanez isn’t likely to be back with the Mariners as a free agent next season. Perrotto feels that Ibanez is a good bet to become the Rays’ designated hitter for 2009.
  • The Diamondbacks originally wanted to use Jon Rauch as their closer for 2009 and let Brandon Lyon leave through free agency. Rauch’s recent string of rough outings has them reconsidering that train of thought.
  • The Marlins will try to trade Kevin Gregg this offseason, and will likely non-tender him if they don’t find match.
  • The Braves are looking to add two starters for the 2009 campaign. General manager Frank Wren has traveled overseas to scout Japanese pitchers Koji Uehara and Kenshin Kawakami already this year.
  • The Nationals have a crowded situation at first base with both Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young under contract, but they’ll still be looking to improve at the position in the offseason.

Perrotto’s Latest: La Russa, Offseason Moves

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John Perrotto at Baseball Prospectus has his Every Given Sunday column up. Here’s the highlights from the Rumors and Rumblings section (with some added speculation here and there from yours truly):

  • There’s a growing rumor that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa could step down after this season and pursue a job as a general manager. We all know Seattle’s looking…
  • The Diamondbacks love Adam Dunn’s production so much that they are considering re-signing him and possibly having him play first base. Dunn’s racked up a .474 OBP since coming to Arizona… what’s not to like about that?
  • The Padres seem willing to move Kevin Kouzmanoff once again. Perrotto doesn’t say, but it would make sense for young starting pitching to be the target for the Padres, and a move would allow Chase Headley to move back to his natural position, third base. The Giants are looking for help at third, but I doubt the Pads would trade him within the division. Minnesota, perhaps?
  • The Marlins are considering playing Jorge Cantu at first next season, using Dallas McPherson at third, and trading Mike Jacobs in the offseason.
  • The Royals will not re-sign Mark Grudzielanek this offseason, but will likely target both Rafael Furcal and Raul Ibanez. Given Mike Aviles’ emergence at the plate, shifting him to second base and putting Furcal at shortstop would make for a very good middle of the infield in Kansas City. The Royals will also explore options for trading Jose Guillen. I personally didn’t like the contract they gave him at the time, and I doubt many clubs like it now either. Moving him could be difficult.
  • The Rangers will try to trade Gerald Laird for pitching, given their surplus at catcher. The Yankees could use some help behind the plate if Jorge Posada is unable to catch…
  • Jeff Kent, Frank Thomas, and Kent Mercker are all mentioned as possibilites for retirement this offseason, with Jeff Kent being almost a certainty, regardless of how his knee reacts to surgery.

Odds and Ends: Downs, Furcal, Saltalamacchia

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Today’s link collection…

  • Perhaps sparked by successful conversions by Ryan Dempster and Justin Duchscherer, the Blue Jays are considering putting Scott Downs in the rotation next year.  Downs has 50 big league starts under his belt, most recently in 2006.  The Jays might be more inclined to make the switch if A.J. Burnett opts out of his contract.  They also may be less willing to shop B.J. Ryan this winter.
  • Rany Jazayerli takes a look at the ’09 Royals, noting whispers regarding their interest in Rafael Furcal.
  • Jamey Newberg notes that Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia will attempt to prove his health in winter ball, which could make him trade bait.
  • The Mark DeRosa signing has worked out well for the Cubs, says Dave Cameron.  Other good ones from that free agent class: Gil Meche, Ted Lilly, and Jose Guillen.  Take a look – the majority of signings that winter became busts.
  • RotoAuthority offers simple advice for winning your fantasy league next year.

Week In Review: 8/3 – 8/9

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Here’s a quick look back at some of the bigger stories on MLBTR over the past week:

  • D’Backs ace Dan Haren signed a very affordable extension with the team, which would keep him in Arizona through 2012 with an option for 2013. Great deal for the D’Backs and their fans.
  • Brian Giles was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox, which is now believed to have been an effort to block the Rays from acquiring him. Giles blocked the trade to Boston with his no-trade clause.
  • The Rockies acquired Livan Hernandez from the Twins. Minnesota won’t receive a player in return, but unloads Hernandez’s remaining $1.5MM on his contract, as well as his 5.48 ERA. Seems fine to me.
  • Fifteen teams watched a throwing session from Freddy Garcia. Here are a few reactions.
  • Relievers on the move: The Cubs DFA’ed Scott Eyre, and traded him to the Phillies the next day. The Rays acquired Chad Bradford from the Orioles, and DFA’ed Al Reyes in order to make room for him. In a rare inter-division trade, the Royals traded Horacio Ramirez to the White Sox. Huston Street was claimed, but is staying put.
  • Position players on the move: Felipe Lopez signed with the Cardinals, the Mariners released Jose Vidro, and the Marlins signed Paul Lo Duca in addition to claiming Brad Ausmus off waivers. No word on whether or not a deal will be worked out for Ausmus yet.
  • A few glimpses into 2009? Rafael Furcal hopes to re-sign with the Dodgers. Bobby Abreu hopes to be wearing Yankee pinstripes again, and the Nationals hope Willie Harris is a part of the organization again as well.
  • Tim made a list of waiver trade candidates for both the American League and National League and compiled a list of players who were known to have cleared waivers in 2007. Remember, these are just players who would likely clear waivers, whether because of their talent level or contractual status. Teams often place big-name players on waivers that they have no intention of trading.
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