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What’s Next For The Cardinals?

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The Cardinals committed $120MM over seven years to Matt Holliday yesterday; he'll be paid $17MM in each year of the deal (with $2MM deferred annually).  Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the contract "leaves the club with little financial space to address the No. 5 starter, the opening at third base and the wish to add a reliever."

Miguel Tejada and Felipe Lopez are known third base targets for the Cardinals, but Goold says either player would be difficult to fit into the budget based on current demands.  Goold's colleague Joe Strauss says Tejada and Lopez are probably out "unless their market collapses."  Goold expects David Freese to get a crack at the hot corner, with internal candidates filling the fifth starter role as well.  The CHONE projection system has Freese hitting .269/.335/.442 in 2010, which wouldn't be any worse than Tejada and Lopez's projections.

The Cards could add an affordable left-handed bench bat via free agency, and Goold says Ryan Church is one name on the radar.  As for the bullpen, Goold speculates on Octavio Dotel and notes that a Russ Springer reunion has been discussed.  The Cardinals' offseason financial flexibility will hinge on the arbitration cases of Ryan Ludwick and Skip Schumaker.  Goold wouldn't be surprised to see March bargains or midseason additions if the Cardinals stay quiet over the next few months.

Cardinals Discuss Extension With DeRosa

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WEDNESDAY, 8:34am: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has more quotes from Mozeliak, who admits it'd be easier to re-sign DeRosa before free agency than Matt Holliday.  Strauss says Mozeliak "minimized the potential impact of DeRosa's left wrist injury."

TUESDAY, 9:42pm: The Cardinals have discussed an extension with impending free agent third baseman Mark DeRosa, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach.  But Leach says GM John Mozeliak "emphasized not to over-sell those discussions."  Too late – we dedicated this post to them!

DeRosa, 35 in February, has scuffled to a .244/.313/.425 line for the Cards since coming over in a trade with the Indians on June 27th.  A big factor: he tore a tendon sheath in his wrist a few days after the trade; it will eventually require surgery.  The versatile DeRosa is earning $5.5MM and sits on the borderline of Type A and B status.

Mozeliak also told Leach that the team plans to go year-to-year with Ryan Ludwick rather than lock him up.  Ludwick came back down to Earth this year – his OBP dropped from .375 to .333 and his SLG from .591 to .465.

Braves Rumors: Escobar, Soriano, Payroll

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David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the latest on the Braves. Here are the details:

  • They're taking calls from teams interested in Yunel Escobar.
  • There's nothing to the suggestion that the Braves could send Escobar and prospects to Oakland for Matt Holliday and Orlando Cabrera, especially since Escobar's much cheaper than Holliday and hitting about as well.
  • The Cardinals are interested in Escobar, but they wouldn't trade Ryan Ludwick.  
  • O'Brien hears that the Braves offered Rafael Soriano to the Cards for Joe Mather last winter but the Cards wouldn't make the move. 
  • Braves GM Frank Wren repeated that he doesn't want to move prospects and can't afford to add much payroll.  

Cardinals Avoid Arb With Ryan Ludwick

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5:26pm: That was quick.  ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark has learned that the deal is worth $3.7MM and carries another $100K in incentives.

5:22pm: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals have reached agreement with Ryan Ludwick on a one-year deal.

The exact financial terms are not yet available, but Goold believes "that the two sides settled for above the midpoint of the two salaries entered into arbitration."  Ludwick filed for $4.25MM and the Cardinals offered $2.8MM back when figures were due.

The Cardinals have now settled with all of their arbitration-eligible players.  The club hasn’t required a hearing since 1999.

Cards, Ludwick Working To Avoid Arb

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Ryan Ludwick is set to fly to Phoenix on Monday afternoon in preparation for his Tuesday arbitration hearing.  But he is still hopeful, according to MLB.com’s Matthew Leach, that a deal can be reached.

The Cardinals settled on a last minute agreement with fellow outfielder Rick Ankiel on Thursday.  Ludwick is hoping for a similar push, but his gap is fairly large.  He requested $4.25MM and the Cards made a $2.8MM bid back when arbitration figures were due.

"That’s exactly why I came down," Ludwick said. "And that’s why I say I’m optimistic. To see where they were and how his whole deal went down, I think that’s what leads to optimism on my side. Thinking, hey, they got his done, so hopefully we can get mine done before I have to leave on Monday. It would be nice."

Cardinals Hope To Avoid Arb With Ludwick

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According to MLB.com’s Matthew Leach, the Cardinals hold "some sliver of hope" that an arbitration hearing can be avoided with outfielder Ryan Ludwick.

Ludwick asked for $4.25MM and the Cardinals countered with a $2.8MM bid back when figures were due.  That gap is obviously going to be tough to overcome, but the Red Birds do have some time.  Ludwick’s hearing won’t take place until Tuesday, February 17.

The 30-year-old exploded last season, finising with a line of .299/.375/.591, including 37 home runs and 113 RBI.

Cardinals Far Apart With Ankiel, Ludwick

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As reported by MLB.com’s Matthew Leach, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said Wednesday that little progress has been made with arbitration-eligible outfielders Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick.

"There’s not a whole lot to comment on," Mozeliak said. "Right now we’re just preparing. I think if there is a settlement before we enter in, it would be a [last-minute] type of thing."

Both players are pretty far apart in negotiations with the club.  Ludwick asked for $4.25MM and was offered $2.8MM, while Ankiel asked for $3.3MM and the Cardinals countered with $2.35MM.  The Cards haven’t required an arbitration hearing since 1999, but it looks like that’s about to change.

Cardinals Outfielders Speak

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A few Cardinals notes this evening coming out of the team’s Winter Warmup.

  • Before Matt Holliday was traded to the A’s, Cards outfielder Skip Schumaker thought he’d wind up in Colorado as part of the rumored Holliday-Ryan Ludwick deal.  Schumaker said, "I thought that was a done deal, and from everything I heard and from pretty good sources I thought I was definitely out of here."
  • Ludwick and Rick Ankiel are two of the team’s prominent arbitration cases.  Ludwick said the Cards have not opened up extension talks.  Ankiel, a Scott Boras client, is eligible for free agency after the season.  Ankiel’s quote about the future: "Absolutely, I’ve told [Boras] I want to work in St. Louis. But for me, it’s just focusing on having a healthy year. If you don’t play, nobody’s going to want you."
  • The cheapest autograph at the Warmup: $5 for Adam Kennedy.  Kennedy drew Tony La Russa’s ire for not attending last year.

Wellemeyer, Cardinals Close To Deal

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Matthew Leach of MLB.com believes the St. Louis Cardinals and right-handed starting pitcher Todd Wellemeyer are close to a deal to avoid arbitration.

This from Wellemeyer himself: "I know it’s getting close, I’ll tell you that much."

Wellemeyer, 30, went 13-9 with a 3.71 ERA in 2008.

Leach notes that deals might be close for Chris Duncan and Brad Thompson, too. General manager John Mozeliak said he would like to avoid arbitration with Duncan and Thompson, as well as Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick.

Mozeliak is hopeful that none of the five players will actually go to arbitration. Ankiel is especially challenging given his short tenure as an outfielder, Leach writes.

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