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NL Central Notes: Cardinals, Samardzija, Votto

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Tony La Russa's retirement has highlighted a busy day in the NL Central. Here are the latest notes from the division…

  • Former Cardinals infielder David Eckstein told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Albert Pujols would re-sign in St. Louis if the Cards make third base coach Jose Oquendo their next manager.
  • Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan told Morosi that he’s going to return to St. Louis in 2012, but it doesn’t sound as though he’s looking to manage the team (Twitter link).
  • The Cubs declined Jeff Samardzija's $3MM option for 2012, according to Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald (Twitter link). Samardzija isn't yet arbitration eligible and remains under team control.
  • One person with ties to the Reds says there's "not a chance" Joey Votto becomes available this offseason, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. The Reds control the first baseman's rights through 2013.

Remaining Contract Options

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By the end of today, teams and players must decide on all 2012 contract options.  Here's what's left:

Cardinals

  • Rafael Furcal – $12MM club option with a $1.3MM buyout.  This is a lock to be declined, unless the Cardinals sign him to an extension first.
  • Octavio Dotel – $3.5MM club option with a $750K buyout.  I'm guessing the Cardinals will exercise this option.

Yankees

Tony La Russa Retires

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Tony La Russa is retiring after 33 seasons as a manager, and he's going out on top.  He told reporters his decision today at a press conference, three days after his Cardinals won the World Series.  La Russa captured three World Championships in his career and won Manager of the Year four times.  He managed the White Sox, Athletics, and Cardinals in a career that began in 1979.  Prior to that, La Russa played six seasons in the Majors as a middle infielder.

Cardinals To Pick Up Yadier Molina’s Option

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MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports that Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said he expects to exercise Yadier Molina's $7MM club option tomorrow. B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com echoed the statement and took it one step further, stating that Mozeliak has confirmed the option will be picked up (Twitter link).

There was never any doubt as to whether or not Molina would be back in 2012. The 28-year-old Puerto Rico native is well-renowned for his prowess behind the plate, but he also turned in the finest offensive season of his career in 2011. Molina battted .305/.349/.465 and swatted a career-high 14 homers in 518 plate appearances for the World Champion Cardinals.

Molina signed a four-year, $15.5MM deal in lieu of arbitration back in January of 2008. This option year pushes the total value of his contract to $21.75MM over five years.

NL Central Notes: Pujols, Oswalt, Pirates, LaHair

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The Cardinals and their fans may still be celebrating Friday's World Series victory, but it won't be long before a pair of the club's most prominent members will face decisions on their futures. Cards president Bill DeWitt III spoke to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports about Albert Pujols and Tony La Russa, two men without contracts for 2012:

"I don't want to prognosticate at all, but in the next week or so we'll hear from [La Russa]…. Albert may take a little while, I guess…. Who knows? Maybe we'll get something done in the quiet period (during which teams are only permitted to negotiate with their own free agents). But if you've waited this long, you're probably going to see what's out there."

Here are the rest of the morning's notes and rumors from the NL Central:

  • Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is surprised by DeWitt's lack of urgency regarding Pujols, and wonders if it's a good idea to allow the slugger to be wooed by teams who may be more aggressive than the Cardinals.
  • Fielding Reds-related questions for the Dayton Daily News, Hal McCoy says it's unlikely that Cincinnati makes a play for Roy Oswalt.
  • The Pirates will likely look at second- or third-tier free agents, but they won't make a huge splash this winter, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Biertempfel says the Bucs will be shopping for a catcher, a first baseman, and starting pitching, naming Jason Varitek, Rod Barajas, Jeff Francis, and Chris Young as a few possible targets.
  • In a Twitter exchange, Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus discuss Bryan LaHair of the Cubs and former Pirates outfielder Lastings Milledge, two players being eyed by Japanese teams. Goldstein suggests the Cubs would like to hang on to LaHair, but hears rumblings that Milledge could sign in Japan as early as next week (all four Twitter links).

Red Sox Notes: Youkilis, Pitchers, Epstein, Freese

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The Red Sox are now under new GM Ben Cherington's watch, and they figure to again be one of the most active teams during the offseason. Here's the latest from Boston…

  • WEEI.com's Alex Speier spoke to sources both inside and outside the organization who said the Red Sox are not expected to move third baseman Kevin Youkilis. Youkilis will turn 33 next month, and although he's missed time with injury in each of the last three seasons, he remains productive (.258/.373/.459 in 2011) and affordable ($12MM in 2012 with a $13MM club option for 2013).
  • Within the same piece, Speier notes that the Sox will "almost surely kick the tires on [pitchers] with the stuff and/or track record that suggests an ability to compete in the American League East," as long as they're open to short-term contracts.
  • CEO and team president Larry Lucchino appeared on the Dennis & Callahan show this morning; Jerry Spar of WEEI.com provides a transcript. Among other things, he said talks with the Cubs about compensation for Theo Epstein are taking so long because "the parties have different views of what is significant compensation."
  • Meanwhile, Bud Selig told reporters (including Scott Miller of CBSSports.com) he expects the compensation dispute to land on his desk this coming Tuesday (Twitter link).
  • David Freese is busy providing the Cardinals with postseason heroics, but Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres says the Red Sox had a loophole deal in place to sign the third baseman for $90K before the 2006 draft. The commissioner's office stepped in and nixed the deal, however.

Manager Notes: Red Sox, Maddon, Martinez, La Russa

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Let's round up some manager links as we wait for Game Six of the World Series…

  • Torey Lovullo and Joe McEwing aren't on Ben Cherington's initial list of interview candidates for the Red Sox manager's job, reports Joe McDonald of ESPN Boston.  "Among those expected to get some consideration" from the Sox include DeMarlo Hale, Sandy Alomar Jr., Ryne Sandberg, Dave Martinez and Pete Mackanin.  McDonald also lists Ken Macha and Terry Pendleton as longer-shot possibilities.
  • Dale Sveum and Tim Wallach are also mentioned as candidates by Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  Lauber also reports that Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux "is interested in becoming a manager."
  • "Honestly, I love where I work and who I work with," said Rays manager Joe Maddon when asked by WEEI.com's Rob Bradford about pursuing another manager's job elsewhere. "For me it isn't always about money. I really am humbled by that thought, but at the end of the day I am a Ray and I want to be a Ray."
  • Maddon went on to say that Dave Martinez, his bench coach with the Rays, is "ready in the dugout, for sure," but he could have a tough time adjusting to the media responsibilities that come with being the manager of a big market team, like most people would.
  • In another WEEI.com piece, Alex Speier passed along a quote from Jack Sands, agent for Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who appeared on the Dennis & Callahan Show last week. “Tony loves Boston,” said Sands. “Many years ago, he was really thinking this might be a place he might like to come to. … When he first came over to St. Louis, he really was an American League guy. He loved the DH. But now, he loves the double switches. We’ve seen what’s happened in the playoffs. He loves working that bullpen. So I seriously doubt that he would come back to the American League at this point.”

Cardinals Exercised Wainwright’s Options

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The Cardinals officially exercised Adam Wainwright's options for 2012 and 2013 during this year's playoff run, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wainwright, who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, will earn $21MM over the course of the next two seasons.

Wainwright has embraced his role as motivator and cheerleader during his team's extended playoff run and he has offered — apparently in jest — to pitch if necessary. He has resumed throwing and is nearing maximum effort again. The Cardinals expect Wainwright to have a normal offseason and be ready for Spring Training 2012.

Wainwright, 30, posted a 2.42 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 230 1/3 innings in 2010, finishing second in NL Cy Young voting. He placed third the previous year, when he posted a 2.63 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 233 innings. Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said in August that he doesn't expect to explore the possibility of a long-term extension with the right-hander.

Manager Notes: Scioscia, La Russa, Red Sox

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We heard earlier today that Blue Jays manager John Farrell will be staying put in Toronto. Here's the latest news on other managers around MLB:

  • Tony La Russa expects to decide soon after the World Series whether to exercise his half of his mutual contract option with the Cardinals, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The sides have 14 days to make their decisions regarding the option. The St. Louis coaching staff has not received any indications that La Russa intends to leave or retire, according to Strauss.
  • Now that Farrell is out of the picture for the Red Sox, they aren't likely to hire another MLB club's manager, according to the Boston Herald.
  • Angels manager Mike Scioscia told ESPN 710’s Mason and Ireland that he's far from Los Angeles' de facto GM, according to Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The skipper says he can't do two jobs at once. “I don’t look at budgets. I don’t count money," he said. "I don’t look at other teams to see what trades are going to be made or facilitate or start that process. I think that’s the only way a manager can function." 
  • Saxon hears from one executive who says some executives shy away from the Angels GM job because of Scioscia's power in Anaheim.

Cardinals Links: Pujols, La Russa, Franklin

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While we wait to see if the Cardinals can retake the series lead over the Rangers in the Fall Classic, let's round up some notes from St. Louis (all links go to Twitter)…

  • "Clearly we still think we have a lot of core players," said GM John Mozeliak to a group of reporters (including Scott Miller of CBSSports.com) when asked about the possibility of losing Albert Pujols to free agency. He added that the team's pipeline of young players is strong.
  • Mozeliak told Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and others that he's hoping to get an answer from manager Tony La Russa about his future with the team at some point soon. La Russa's contract is up after the season.
  • Former closer Ryan Franklin was hanging around the team today, and Joe Strauss of St. Louis Post-Dispatch says it sounds like he's done playing. Franklin expressed a desire to play beyond 2011, but that was before he posted an 8.46 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 27 2/3 innings.
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