2012 Contract Issues: St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are next in our 2012 Contract Issues series, and their offseason should have plenty of intrigue. Here's what the team faces after the 2011 season:
Eligible For Free Agency (8)
- Earlier this month, three GMs who spoke to SI's Jon Heyman predicted Albert Pujols would re-sign with the Cardinals after the season. The situation seems to have gone dormant since Spring Training, but not in a discouraging way. Perhaps coincidentally, Pujols is having the worst season of his career. It's only about a quarter over, but should the slugger fail to reach the .400 OBP and .600 SLG for which he's typically been considered a lock, that would have to affect the price tag and make the Cardinals' offer (north of $200MM over nine years) more palatable. Still, it's hard to picture Pujols not requiring a salary in the $24-26MM range.
- Lance Berkman has proven last year's power outage to be a fluke; he's leading the NL with a .694 SLG. He's close to the top in home runs, RBI, and OBP as well. Should Berkman's health and amazing offense continue, maybe he'll have his eye on Paul Konerko's three-year, $37.5MM contract, which was similarly signed by a mid-30s player coming off a huge year. I imagine he'll have to let the Cardinals resolve the Pujols situation first, if he's aiming to return.
- Ryan Franklin seems headed for a minor league deal, as he's lost his closing job and has been battered in his first 13 2/3 innings.
- The sample is tiny, but Trever Miller hasn't handled lefties well this year. Miguel Batista is another Cardinals veteran reliever whose ERA is much better than his peripheral statistics.
- Gerald Laird, Nick Punto, and Brian Tallet are also eligible for free agency.
Contract Options (3)
- Chris Carpenter: $15MM club option with a $1MM buyout. Though Carpenter's ERA is 4.95, his supporting stats are similar to last year's. The Cardinals will have to decide on him before Pujols, most likely. If Carpenter is healthy the Cards probably have to pick this up, knowing that they could at least trade the 36-year-old if need be.
- Adam Wainwright: $9MM club option for 2012, $12MM club option for '13, must be either voided or exercised at the same time. In his conversation with Heyman earlier this month, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak seemed to imply the team is planning to exercise Wainwright's options. Barring any major setbacks it's an easy call.
- Yadier Molina: $7MM club option with a $750K buyout. This option seems likely to be exercised.
Arbitration Eligible (6)
- First time: Colby Rasmus, Jaime Garcia, Jason Motte
- Second time: Kyle McClellan
- Third time: Ryan Theriot, Skip Schumaker
The Cardinals have several notable arbitration cases, starting with Rasmus and Garcia. Rasmus' career numbers should keep him at $3.5MM or less. Garcia's numbers are limited by missing the '09 season, but he's having a fantastic year and should jump past $3MM (more on that from MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith this week). Theriot and Schumaker are not locks to be tendered, but we'll see how the rest of the season plays out for them. If everyone is retained I'm estimating around $18MM for the team's arbitration eligibles.
2012 Payroll Obligation
The Cardinals' 2012 payroll obligation, according to Cot's, is $47.538MM not including the buyouts for Carpenter and Molina. If the three options are picked up they'll be at $78.538MM, and the arbitration eligible group could bring commitments up to $97MM. If payroll remains steady at $109MM, there's only about $12MM to work with before accounting for minimum salary players. I'm sure the Cardinals have already worked out ways to fit in a salary exceeding $20MM for Pujols, whether by backloading, raising payroll, or not retaining Carpenter, Theriot, and Schumaker. But if Pujols is re-signed it's hard to see where an eight-figure salary for Berkman fits in or how the Cardinals will have any significant money for other improvements.
Heyman On Mets, Pujols, Chapman, Yankees
Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon are closer to settling on a limited partner who will bring cash and keep the organization running, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Unlike the Dodgers, whose ownership situation “seems to be deteriorating,” the Mets are doing fine, according to Commissioner Bud Selig. Here’s the latest from Heyman:
- If Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has support, it’s either “minute or nonexistent.”
- People who know Mets GM Sandy Alderson expect him to trade Jose Reyes and others if he believes it’s best for the organization.
- There’s no indication yet that the Cubs would be willing to offer Albert Pujols $200MM or more in free agency, Heyman writes. However, the Cubs have money and no long-term answer at first base.
- Some baseball people believe Aroldis Chapman and Mike Leake could use time in the minors.
- Though the Yankees aren’t concerned with Derek Jeter’s bat, they are “very concerned” about Jorge Posada. The DH has a .162/.273/.352 line with 6 homers this year.
Quick Hits: Draft, Cubs, Theriot
Links for Thursday, as Yogi Berra celebrates his birthday (number 86!) along with current players Evan Meek (28), Felipe Lopez (31) and Wes Helms (35)…
- Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon and Bubba Starling remain atop Keith Law's latest ranking of the top 100 draft prospects. Law says Starling could be "the single most talented player in this draft."
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo also has some info about draft prospects, including promising Kentucky right-hander Alex Meyer.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says this isn't the year the Cubs win the World Series.
- At ESPN.com, Casey Stengel tops David Schoenfield's list of the ten greatest managers in baseball history.
- A few St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writers weigh in on the Ryan Theriot acquisition. Bernie Miklasz says the Cardinals acquired the infielder to be an upgrade on offense and increase the team's toughness.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post
NL Central Notes: Pujols, Cubs, Ascanio, Hall
Tim provided updates on all six NL Central teams earlier in the day, but plenty more news is emerging from baseball's biggest division. Here's the latest, including a follow-up on Jose Ascanio…
- Though the Cardinals probably wish that Albert Pujols and Cubs GM Jim Hendry hadn’t exchanged a heavily scrutinized public hug, they aren’t overly concerned with it, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- The Pirates recalled Ascanio and placed Michael Crotta on the DL with right elbow inflammation, according to Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). The team had to decide whether to add Ascanio to the roster or risk losing him to another team, since he's out of options.
- As MLB.com's Brian McTaggart explains, the Astros will have to clear up roster space when Jeff Keppinger returns from the disabled list. Bill Hall could slide into a utility role, or the Astros could part ways with him. Including the buyout on next year’s mutual option, about $2.5MM remains on Hall’s deal.
NL Central Links: All Six Teams
The Cardinals lead the NL Central by one game over the Reds. A link for each of the six teams:
- The $680MM deal to sell the Astros to Jim Crane's group "could be completed as early as next week," report Zachary Levine and Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle. Ownership of the club could be tranferred to Crane "as early as July," they write. Crane is believed to prefer having an agreement in place before the June 6th draft, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Pirates reliever Jose Ascanio's rehab period ends today, reports Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the team must decide whether to add the out of options righty to the 25-man roster or risk losing him to another team. The 26-year-old has been battling shoulder and elbow injuries, but MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch wrote Monday that adding him to the big league bullpen is the most likely move.
- You read yesterday about the hug heard 'round the Midwest, as Cubs GM Jim Hendry embraced Albert Pujols before the game at Wrigley. The hug means next to nothing; as CSN's Patrick Mooney points out, Hendry has tons of connections throughout the industry. Still, it can't hurt to note that Cubs owner Tom Ricketts shook hands with the free agent to be as well.
- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has begun an "open-ended convalescence" in the words of Joe Strauss' source, as he recovers from shingles. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter says La Russa "will miss the rest of the team's current road trip and perhaps significantly more time."
- Despite allowing five runs and nine hits in six innings, Brewers offseason acquisition Shaun Marcum picked up his fourth win yesterday. Marcum is showing no ill effects from his springtime shoulder stiffness; his 4.17 K/BB ratio ranks sixth in the NL. With a strong season I can see him getting close to $10MM for 2012, his final arbitration year.
- Aroldis Chapman won't be sent to the minors to work out his issues, Reds manager Dusty Baker told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The hard-throwing lefty has allowed at least one run and two walks in each of his last three appearances.
NL Central Notes: Pujols, Hendry, Arredondo
Links for Tuesday night, as Carlos Zambrano and Chris Carpenter face off at Wrigley Field and Ryan Theriot explains his thoughts on the Cubs–Cardinals rivalry…
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry spoke with Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols behind the batting cage before today's game and Hendry denied that anything unusual occurred between him and the free agent-to-be, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. “I like Albert. We’ve always gotten along," Hendry said. "Great, great player. I admire the heck out of him.”
- Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune breaks down a few of Hendry's recent moves before noting that it's a "do-or-die season" for the Cubs GM.
- Jose Arredondo's rehab runs out after tonight, though the Reds don't have to activate him, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. We can expect the Reds to make a decision about Arredondo's future Friday, according to Fay.
Quick Hits: Morales, Padres, Cardinals, Hamels
Links for Sunday, as players around the league break out the pink bats. Happy Mother's Day!
- Kendrys Morales will travel to Vail, Colorado to see a foot specialist for a second opinion on his left ankle, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times. In a followup tweet, DiGiovanna says that they've "explored" the possibility of surgery. Mark Trumbo has filled in for Morales with a .265/.296/.500 line and six homers.
- Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the Padres should consider trading one of their late-inning arms, perhaps Heath Bell, for offensive help.
- Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he's open to exploring a trade for a closer. While Mozeliak is on board with Tony La Russa's current "hot hand" approach for the ninth inning, the GM would prefer to see more defined roles in the bullpen as the season progresses.
- Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines the likelihood of Phillies starter Cole Hamels playing in Philadelphia long-term.
- As Newsday's Ken Davidoff writes, there may not be any top starting pitching available at the trade deadline this year. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes drew the same conclusion after examining the midseason trade market for the AL and NL in mid-March.
Quick Hits: Barnes, Chavez, Kasten, Simon, Berkman
Congrats to Justin Verlander. The Tigers' ace threw a no-hitter against the Blue Jays this afternoon, the second of his career. He's now one of only 28 men to throw multiple no-hitters in the big leagues. Here are Saturday's links…
- Red Sox GM Theo Epstein was personally scouting UConn RHP Matt Barnes tonight, reports Dom Amore of The Hartford Courant (on Twitter). Barnes is expected to go in the first round this year, in which the Red Sox have two picks.
- Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports that the Rangers called up Craig Gentry to replace Nelson Cruz, who was placed on the disabled list (Twitter links). He notes that one possible reason why they didn't call up Endy Chavez is because they'd have to place him on waivers once Cruz was healthy.
- In a guest post for Through The Fence Baseball, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith took stock of the winter's biggest offseason deals.
- Bill Madden of The New York Daily News wrote about the numerous big-money players that are struggling this year, including Derek Jeter and Hanley Ramirez.
- Stan Kasten confirmed to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post that he sold his ownership stake in the Nationals this March. Kasten stepped down as team president late last year, but it's unclear what he'll do next. He was mentioned as possibly trustee when MLB took over the Dodgers' financial operations.
- Alfredo Simon was in the Orioles' clubhouse today, and will continue working his way back with a minor league appearance next week according to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. Connolly says the team will have to recall, waive, or release Simon by "roughy May 22" after he spent two months in a Dominican Republic prison and being placed on the restricted list.
- Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch spoke to Cardinals GM John Mozeliak about the resurgent Lance Berkman. "We did a lot of due diligence," said the GM. "We truly believed he could have a bounce-back year. When we looked at it, we knew he was working extremely hard on his conditioning, was getting the knee healthy, was getting himself in tremendous shape, and that he'd be a lot stronger. That was a big thing. We knew that he still had an eye for hitting, and he would work the count and take walks. The question was, how would he be physically. And once we knew how much he was putting into his training, it gave us confidence."
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Colletti, Hendry, Royals
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new Full Count video up, so let's dive in…
- Ned Colletti is under contract as Dodgers GM through 2012, but he has an out-clause after that. MLB is unlikely to stand in the way if another team asks to interview him before then though.
- The consensus is that the Cubs need to show some progress if GM Jim Hendry is going to keep his job beyond this season. The team's 14-17 start already has some in the game speculating about possible successors, which might include Colletti, former Diamondbacks GM and current Padres executive Josh Byrnes, and White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn. If the ChiSox are worried about losing Hahn, Rosenthal says they could promote him to GM and promote Kenny Williams to club president.
- Most expect the White Sox to "snap out of it," but if not, they could be a team to watch as the trade deadline approaches. One GM said Williams is not the type to "sit there in no man's land," so expect some rumblings about free agents to be Mark Buehrle and Edwin Jackson. Some believe Buehrle would only accept a trade to the Cardinals though.
- Their most intriguing chips are John Danks and Carlos Quentin, who are under team control as arbitration-eligible players in 2012. Danks could bring a significant return.
- The Royals could be quite busy if they remain in contention. The Zack Greinke trade and Gil Meche's retirement freed up significant cash, and the team could be both buyers and sellers. Wilson Betemit is expendable because of top prospect Mike Moustakas, possibly to the Marlins, and they could look to deal either Jeff Francoeur or Melky Cabrera. One thing they will need in return: bullpen reinforcements. The Kansas City bullpen is throwing a ton of innings.
Quick Hits: McClellan, Berkman, Reyes
Dan Meyer, Matt Anderson, Luis Castillo and Robb Quinlan probably didn't like it very much when the Phillies released them this spring, but they may not have realized that they have something in common with their former GM. The Blue Jays released Ruben Amaro Jr. on this date in 1996, before he ever played a Major League game for them…
- Kyle McClellan has become a valuable cog in the Cardinals’ rotation, as Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains.
- McClellan's teammate, Lance Berkman, told ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick that he was disappointed with the way his tenure with the Astros ended. “They basically said, 'You're bad. We're bad. Let's cut ties and get on down the road.' And that was hurtful.”
- International scouts tell Melissa Segura of SI.com that this year's Dominican July 2 class of amateur free agents is the best they've seen in years (Twitter link).
- Anthony DiComo of MLB.com presents ten possible destinations for trade candidate Jose Reyes, some (Milwaukee) more plausible than others (the Bronx).
- Former Reds and Nationals GM Jim Bowden also weighs in on the market for Reyes. He has the Giants, Cardinals, Red Sox, Reds and Angels as possible suitors on his list at ESPN.com.