Cardinals Rumors

Cafardo On Chamberlain, Cishek, Royals, Rangers

By Zachary Links | March 17, 2013 at 9:01am CDT

In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe ranks all 30 managers in the major leagues. In Cafardo's view, you're doing something right if you're managing in MLB, so there are no negative comments for any of the skippers. Buck Showalter takes third place for his work with the surprise Orioles last season. Rays manager Joe Maddon takes second for his innovative ways. The top spot, however, goes to the Giants' Bruce Bochy. Here's more from Cafardo..

We learned last week that the Rangers are scouting Joba Chamberlain of the Yankees and one AL scout believes that the Bombers believe they have gone as far as they can with the right-hander. “They would deal him in a heartbeat and then fill in with one of their starters in the bullpen,” said the scout. “If Texas would give up Mike Olt, a deal could get done there.”
The Marlins' Steve Cishek is drawing considerable interest from teams looking for a reliever. One scout says that the side-arming sinker baller is likely on most wishlists around baseball.
The Royals are open to moving Luke Hochevar (albeit, for a higher-than-expected price) but they're also willing to trade projected No. 5 starter Bruce Chen.
The Phillies' Yuniesky Betancourt has improved his visibility and it wouldn't be shocking to see a team deal for him before Opening Day. The shortstop has a March 24th opt out date and he is on the Cardinals' list as they look to replace Rafael Furcal.
Cafardo believes that there is an obvious trade to be made involving Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello and the Red Sox's Andrew Bailey. However, Boston's rotation is full right now and they already have Allen Webster waiting in the wings.
One National League GM says that teams will be kicking themselves for missing out on Kyle Lohse, despite the draft pick compensation that he will cost. “That’s the way it’s going to go,” said the GM, “but you also don’t want to overpay for a pitcher who has been hanging around that long. If you can’t get him at your price, then you look foolish paying what he was asking two months ago.” In Cafardo's view, the Rangers are still the most logical destination.
Manny Acta, who is now serving as an analyst for ESPN, has said that he hopes to get back into managing. However, he says that he's not interested in becoming a GM.

Central Notes: Cardinals, Lohse, Royals, Hochevar

By Zachary Links | March 16, 2013 at 2:49pm CDT

Earlier today, we learned that the Cardinals are interested Astros pitchers Lucas Harrell and Bud Norris while also shopping for available shortstops. The Cards were somewhat expected into looking at help at shortstop but their interest in pitching is a fairly new development. Here's more out of St. Louis and other notes out of the Central divisions..

It would be a curious move for the Cardinals to trade from their surplus of young upside pitching to acquire more experienced pitching when their more obvious need is at shortstop, tweets Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. However, it's not surprising to Goold (Twitter link), that the Cards would go bargain hunting with a call to the Astros.
More from Goold, who notes that if the Cardinals really saw a need for starting pitching, they could re-engage Kyle Lohse (Twitter link). Lohse, of course, would only require money and not the forfeiture of prospects. Goold doesn't see Lohse settling for a one-year deal yet, however.
In a Q&A, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes that the talk of the Royals asking for a lot to part with Luke Hochevar is more than a rumor. The Royals appear to want a guy who could help the big-league club or a legitimate prospect and don’t want to eat a lot of his $4.56MM salary.
When asked about an extra right-handed hitting outfielder, Tigers manager Jim Leyland responded "We want one. You can take that to the bank. It's 99.9 percent (sure) we'll have one," according to Tom Gage of the Detroit News (on Twitter).

Cardinals Interested In Harrell, Norris

By Jeff Todd | March 16, 2013 at 12:10pm CDT

In addition to "asking about" available shortstops, the Cardinals are "interested in Lucas Harrell and Bud Norris of [the] Astros," reports MLB Network's Peter Gammons (on Twitter). While the Cards' interest in help up the middle is unsurprising (in spite of GM John Mozeliak's recent statements), St. Louis was not expected to be in on starting pitching.

As MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith detailed at the start of the offseason, the Cardinals already "feature[] an effective starting rotation with a combination of established veterans and powerful young arms." And as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently explained, the team was thought at this point to be narrowing its choice between Joe Kelly and Shelby Miller for the team's fifth starter spot. Of course, the Cardinals have already allowed Kyle Lohse to test the free agent waters for quite some time after the veteran turned down his qualifying offer.

Meanwhile, Harrell and Norris (both righties) are coming off of solid, if unspectacular, 2012 campaigns. Harrell, 27, threw 193 2/3 innings of 3.76 ERA baseball in his first full big league season. Norris, in turn, is entering his age 28 season after posting a 4.65 ERA over 168 1/3 innings last year, and features a longer history of performance at the highest level. Certainly, St. Louis is well-positioned to add either pitcher if it so chooses, as it possesses the kind of farm depth that would appeal to an Astros team that has been aggressively cutting payroll and adding young, unproven talent.

Minor Moves: Cortes, Reifer, Flacco

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 16, 2013 at 12:40am CDT

We'll track the latest minor moves here…

Righty Dan Cortes has signed with the Diamondbacks, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports on Twitter. The one-time top-100 prospect last pitched in 2011 for the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate, tossing 39 innings and logging a 5.08 ERA, before he sat out the 2012 season.
The Cardinals have released right-handed relief pitcher Adam Reifer after previously outrighting him off of the team's 40-man roster, Eddy further tweets. Reifer, 26, spent the last two seasons at Triple-A Memphis and last year posted a 4.90 ERA over 64 1/3 innings.
The Red Sox acquired minor league first baseman Mike Flacco from the Orioles for cash considerations, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). The Orioles could get a player to be named instead of cash, Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com reports (on Twitter). Flacco, the brother of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, spent the 2012 season at Class A and Double-A. The 26-year-old posted a .214/.284/.330 batting line with eight home runs in 396 total plate appearances last year. The Orioles originally selected him in the 31st round of the 2009 draft.

National League Notes: Cedeno, Diamondbacks, Mets

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 15, 2013 at 10:20am CDT

Three years ago this time a memorable rumor made its way onto the pages of MLBTR, as ESPN reported the possibility of a Ryan Howard for Albert Pujols swap. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. quickly dismissed the report that the Phillies had talked internally about the idea, saying "I don't know who you're talking to, but that's a lie." It’s rare for such an exciting rumor to circulate during Spring Training, so it generated lots of discussion. Ultimately the rumors quieted down and the deal never materialized. Here are some National League notes for Friday morning…

It's possible the Cardinals will release Ronny Cedeno and keep Matt Adams on the Opening Day roster, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com writes. Keeping Cedeno would give the Cardinals a backup shortstop, but they could instead choose to rely on Daniel Descalso.
GM Kevin Towers is optimistic that the Diamondbacks' young starters will pitch better in 2013 after obtaining some MLB experience in 2012, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. Towers also expects the addition of Brandon McCarthy and the strength of the team's bullpen will help the rotation.
Some MLB evaluators aren’t fully convinced that Mets catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud warrants the attention he’s getting, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. “He’s 24 and hasn’t played in the big leagues yet,” one executive said. “Where was Yadi at 24? Where was Buster Posey at 24?” The Mets acquired d’Arnaud for R.A. Dickey in December.

Central Notes: Gomez, Chapman, Choate, Indians

By Mark Polishuk | March 14, 2013 at 11:28pm CDT

It was on this day in 1932 that the Reds and Dodgers swung a very notable trade. Clyde Sukeforth, Tony Cuccinello and Joe Stripp went to Brooklyn while Cincinnati acquired Babe Herman, Wally Gilbert and a then-23-year-old catcher named Ernie Lombardi. Needless to say, this deal ended up being a big win for the Reds — Lombardi spent the bulk (10 years) of his Hall of Fame career in Cincinnati and hit .311/.359/.469 and 120 homers with the club. Lombardi won two batting titles during his career, and was the last catcher to lead the NL in average until Buster Posey last season.

Here are some items from around both the NL and AL Central…

Carlos Gomez's three-year, $24MM extension with the Brewers "isn't likely to be a stinker" for the club, Fangraphs' Eno Sarris writes, and it could be a bargain if Gomez's power and ability to hit right-handed pitching continue to develop.

An opposing NL scout tells FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal that the Reds "are crazy" if they use Aroldis Chapman as a starter. "It’s Joba Chamberlain all over again. His velocity dropped off in the second inning. He couldn’t get his off-speed stuff over the plate consistently. No question in my mind, he’s the closer," the scout said. Meanwhile, Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News talked to several other scouts about Chapman and they were "nearly unanimous" that he is a better fit as a closer. Keep following @CloserNews on Twitter for all the latest updates on the Reds and other ninth-inning situations from around baseball.
Randy Choate talks about his career and his development into a left-handed relief specialist with Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Choate signed a three-year, $7.5MM deal with the Cardinals in December.
Ryan Raburn may have the edge on winning a bench job with the Indians at the expense of Ezequiel Carrera, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian opines. Bastian thinks the Tribe could try to deal Carrera in such a scenario since he is out of options and would probably be claimed off waivers by another team. Here is the full list of out of options players who could be facing a roster crunch by the end of Spring Training.
Earlier today on MLBTR, we heard about the Tigers weighing their trade options, while Ben Nicholson-Smith covered the Tigers' winter moves as part of our Offseason In Review series.

Quick Hits: Andrus, Braves, Astros

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 11, 2013 at 4:40pm CDT

On this date two years ago, Chuck Greenberg resigned as the Rangers' CEO after encountering philosophical differences with others in the team's ownership group. The Rangers' leadership structure is again making headlines, as ownership looks to determine what Nolan Ryan's role will be going forward. Here are some links from around MLB, starting in Texas…

Dan Szymborski of ESPN Insider explains why the Cardinals are a perfect fit for Elvis Andrus of the Rangers. St. Louis needs a shortstop after losing Rafael Furcal to injury and the Rangers could part with Andrus to create space for Jurickson Profar. The Rangers could look to acquire a pitching prospect such as Trevor Rosenthal, Shelby Miller or Carlos Martinez from the Cardinals' top-ranked farm system.
Atlanta GM Frank Wren told James Wagner of the Washington Post that most of the Braves' offseason moves revolved around their own needs, rather than the Nationals' roster. Wren explained that he wanted to add right-handed balance to a lineup that had become too left-handed. "I can’t say that anything we did this offseason was reactionary,” he said.
FanGraphs' David Laurila spoke with Sig Mejdal, the Astros' director of decision sciences, about his role in Houston and the place of analytics in baseball.

Cafardo On Yankees, Headley, Red Sox, Lohse

By Zachary Links | March 10, 2013 at 8:47am CDT

In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that some league executives feel that the new-and-improved PED testing will have a drastic effect on the power numbers of players. That feeling has given some owners pause about committing long-term deals until they know how it will all play out. “We’re all anxious to see what the result of the testing will be, but we’re anticipating that it will have a significant effect on the numbers, which will impact the game in general,” said an American League owner. “I think a few owners feel the way we do, that we’re going to see noticeable physical changes in players and their stamina in getting through a 162-game schedule.” Here's more from Cafardo..

The Yankees have explored temporary options to fill-in for the injured Mark Teixeira but they have also looked into more significant moves. The Bombers have inquired on the Padres' Chase Headley, though we learned recently that he's not available at this time. However, Headley could be on the market this summer.
If shortstop Jose Iglesias continues to hit in spring training, Cafardo wonders if the Red Sox might be open to dealing Stephen Drew down the line. The Cardinals pursued Drew this offseason and they are looking for help with Rafael Furcal sidelined. Drew cannot be traded until June 15 without his approval.
Teams have a number of reasons why they say they are not interested in Kyle Lohse, but Cafardo isn't buying any of them. He feels that some team will happily give him a one-year, $10MM contract. He would be a great fit in tfhe National League and Cafardo suggests the Brewers as a good fit.
There is more interest in Dodgers lefty Ted Lilly than fellow surplus starters Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano. The Dodgers are holding on to all of them until they know that Chad Billingsley is fully recovered after undergoing treatments to his elbow this offseason.
A National League scout suggested that Phillies outfielder John Mayberry might be a good fit for the Yankees at first base, with a switch back to the outfield after Teixeira returns. Mayberry is a former first baseman and was used there last season when Ryan Howard was out of action.

Cardinals Notes: Kozma, Cedeno, Wainwright

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 8, 2013 at 1:45pm CDT

Earlier today the Cardinals announced a five-year, $31MM extension for Allen Craig that buys out up to two of the 28-year-old’s free agent seasons. Here are some more notes related to the Cardinals, who learned this week that shortstop Rafael Furcal will have to undergo Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow…

Furcal’s injury isn’t disastrous, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. As long as Pete Kozma can provide acceptable defense until the trade market develops, the Cardinals should be fine. The team’s internal projections didn’t expect more than 100 starts from Furcal in 2013, according to Strauss.
The early returns on Ronny Cedeno are “less than glowing,” according to Strauss, who notes that Cedeno’s $1.2MM contract is not guaranteed.
The Cardinals remain apart on years and dollars in extension talks with Adam Wainwright, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Mozeliak expressed optimism about the discussions, telling Stark "I feel good about where we're headed but we'll see."

Cardinals Extend Allen Craig

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 8, 2013 at 12:04pm CDT

12:04pm: Craig will earn $1.75MM in 2013, $2.75MM in 2014, $5.5MM in 2015, $9MM in 2016 and $11MM in 2017, according to Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch. The 2018 option is valued at $13MM with a $1MM buyout.

10:52am: Craig obtains a $31MM guarantee, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on Twitter).

9:41am: The Cardinals announced that they agreed to a five-year extension with first baseman/outfielder Allen Craig (Twitter link). The deal runs through the 2017 season and includes a club option for 2018. ACES represents Craig.

Craig, 28, is now entering his final season as a pre-arbitration eligible player. The contract covers his final pre-arb year, his three arbitration seasons, and at least one free agent year. The club option gives the Cardinals the chance to retain Craig for a second free agent year.

Craig got plenty of playing time as a first baseman and corner outfielder in 2012, and he responded with a tremendous season that earned him some recognition on NL MVP ballots. In 514 plate appearances, the right-handed hitter posted a .307/.354/.522 batting line with 22 home runs. Craig also impressed in 2011, when he posted a .917 OPS in 219 plate appearances.

While terms of the deal aren't known, it won't be surprising if it's worth $30MM or so. Many others have signed long-term deals covering the same seasons as Craig's deal, as MLBTR's Extension Tracker shows. When Andrew McCutchen, Justin Upton, Jay Bruce, Cameron Maybin and Curtis Granderson signed long-term deals, this five-year period was valued in the $25-36MM range (some of those players signed six-year deals).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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