Ian Snell Considering Return
It's been less than a month since Ian Snell abruptly announced his retirement, but the right-hander is now considering a return according to MLB.com's Evan Drellich.
"He told the world he's retiring, and that's what we thought was going to happen," said Joe Sroba, Snell's agent. Sroba said further news about a potential return could come within a week, and that the Cardinals were a possibility. Snell had been in camp with St. Louis as a non-roster player before retiring.
Snell, 29, had his best season with the Pirates in 2007, when he posted a 3.76 ERA in 208 innings. That performance earned him a three-year, $8.6MM extension, but he quickly lost effectiveness.
Offseason In Review: St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are next in our Offseason In Review series.
Major League Signings
- Jake Westbrook, SP: two years, $16.5MM. Includes $8.5MM mutual option for 2013 with a $1MM buyout if club declines.
- Albert Pujols, 1B: one year, $16MM. Club option exercised.
- Lance Berkman, RF: one year, $8MM.
- Gerald Laird, C: one year, $1.1MM.
- Brian Tallet, RP: one year, $750K.
- Nick Punto, 2B/SS: one year, $750K.
- Total spend: $43.1MM.
International Signings
- Leobaldo Pina, Fernando Gonzalez, Jorge Araujo
Notable Minor League Signings
Trades and Claims
- Claimed SP Bryan Augenstein off waivers from Diamondbacks
- Acquired 2B Ryan Theriot from Dodgers for RP Blake Hawksworth
- Acquired SP Maikel Cleto from Mariners for SS Brendan Ryan
Notable Losses
- Brendan Ryan, Blake Hawksworth, Randy Winn, Aaron Miles, Jeff Suppan, Brad Penny, Dennys Reyes, Mike MacDougal, Joe Mather, Brian Broderick
Summary
February was a painful month for the Cardinals, as they failed to sign Pujols to an extension and lost Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery. Still, Pujols and Tony La Russa will be in St. Louis for at least one more season, so let's take a look at how GM John Mozeliak augmented his team.
Last year's significant one-year gamble was righty Brad Penny; this time it's a position player in Lance Berkman. In both cases the Cardinals paid a little more than I would have predicted, but it's hard to complain much about a one-year contract. Berkman can probably still hold a spot in the middle of a lineup – ZiPS projects .262/.379/.449 – but expecting the 35-year-old to play more than 400 innings in the outfield for the first time since 2004 seems unrealistic. You have to think his injury risk is heightened and the defense he does provide will be a negative.
The Westbrook contract represents a bargain, in both the $8.25MM salary and avoidance of a third year. The need for 200 respectable innings from Westbrook (pictured) became much stronger when Wainwright went down. The dropoff from Wainwright to Kyle McClellan might have pushed most pundits to pick the Reds or Brewers in the NL Central, but the Cardinals still have enough pitching to contend.
Theriot didn't cost much to acquire, since the Dodgers probably would have non-tendered him. He's a stretch as an everyday shortstop; a run at J.J. Hardy would have been better, though he may have been too expensive at $5.85MM. Failing a Hardy trade I would have retained Brendan Ryan, who at least provides significant defensive value.
What about Pujols? The Cardinals reportedly offered eight or nine years at $19-23MM annually. While that might have been the third-largest contract in baseball history, I feel that $225MM over nine years would be the floor for an acceptable deal. That'd still represent a hometown discount. The Cardinals will need to enter that uncharted territory in the crucial five-day negotiating period after the World Series ends, having failed to resolve the Pujols situation during the 2010-11 offseason.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Quick Hits: Zito, Orioles, Meyer, Cardinals
Links for Sunday, as Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler become the first set of teammates in MLB history to homer in each of their team's first three games…
- Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) knows that the point has been made before, but he finds it unfathomable that the Giants thought it smart to give $126MM to Barry Zito.
- The Orioles released minor league outfielder Danny Figueroa, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
- The Phillies have released Dan Meyer from their minor league camp, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.
- Within his Sunday Baseball Notes, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that the Rangers "haven't closed the door" on a Michael Young trade. Cafardo says not to rule out the Phillies, though the Phils are a little more optimistic about Chase Utley's health than they were a couple weeks ago.
- Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. says his club has room to add payroll this season "if the right situation develops," according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier discusses former first round pick Jason Place, who the Red Sox released yesterday.
- In an article for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Terry Pluto takes a look at the Indians' future infield.
Rosenthal On Twins, Cardinals, Sizemore
With opening weekend in full swing, Ken Rosenthal has his first Full Count video of the season up over at FOX Sports. Let's check out the highlights….
- The Twins' outfield is worth keeping an eye on, since Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel are facing free agency after 2011 and many of the team's top prospects are outfielders. Rosenthal says it's "even possible" that the Twins could trade Denard Span, who is signed through 2014.
- While Matt Holliday recovers from his appendectomy, the Cardinals are comfortable platooning Allen Craig and Jon Jay. Craig is "highly sought after" in trade talks, particularly by American League teams, according to Rosenthal. However, the Cards aren't inclined to move him.
- Even if Grady Sizemore returns to form in the coming months, he's not likely to be dealt at the trade deadline. His 2012 club option becomes a player option if he's traded, so if they wanted to explore a deal, the Indians would probably do so next winter, after picking up the option.
Heyman On Marlins, Pujols, Sabathia
Buster Posey, Jason Heyward, Colby Rasmus, Gordon Beckham and Matt Kemp make Jon Heyman's list of players who could take another step toward stardom in 2011. Here are the latest rumors from Heyman at SI.com…
- Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez begins the season ‘under the gun,’ according to Heyman. Rodriguez was never the first choice of owner Jeffery Loria, who can make Miami seem like ‘Steinbrenner south.’
- Three GMs predict Albert Pujols will re-sign with the Cardinals after the season, when he hits free agency for the first time in his career. The sides are not negotiating during the season, but earlier in the spring, the Cardinals’ main offer was for over $200MM and nine years.
- A rival GM predicts that C.C. Sabathia is “definitely opting out'' of his contract with the Yankees after the season. It seems likely that the lefty could obtain more than $92MM over four years if he puts together a typical season in 2011.
NL Central Notes: Pendleton, Rodriguez, Pujols, Silva
Let's take a look at what's happening around the NL Central on this fine Sunday afternoon…
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports that the Astros tried to work out a trade for right-hander Lance Pendleton before the Rule 5 Draft pick was returned to the Yankees earlier today. The two sides just couldn't find a match.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Rule 5 pick Josh Rodriguez has made the team (Twitter link).
- Albert Pujols is at peace with his current contract situation and has no hard feelings toward the Cardinals after failing to work out an extension, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Pujols said he still hopes something can be worked out following the season.
- Strauss also tweets that the Cardinals aren't interested in the recently released Carlos Silva.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that Brewers infielder Luis Cruz cleared waivers and will be assigned to Triple-A.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart opines that the addition of Joe Inglett to the Astros means Jason Bourgeois will make the team and helps Tommy Manzella's chances to start at shortstop (Twitter link).
Opt-Out Notes: Batista, Isringhausen, Bush, Chavez
A few notes on veterans with opt-out clauses from around the league…
- Non-roster invitee Miguel Batista has earned a spot on the Cardinals roster, writes B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com. The 40-year-old Batista could have opted out of his contract on Monday had the Cards not informed him that he would make the club.
- The Mets have not asked Jason Isringhausen if he would accept a minor league assignment, because he has already said in the past that he won't, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
- Dave Bush will use his opt-out tomorrow if he doesn't make the Rangers, writes Richard Durrett of ESPN.com. Bush says that he's not sure which way the club is leaning but wants to stay in Texas.
- Russell Branyan could have opted out of his contract with the Diamondbacks yesterday, but he was instead informed that he has made the club according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Brandon Allen is likely to go to Triple-A while the out-of-options Juan Miranda stays with the team.
- George A. King III of The New York Post reports that Eric Chavez can ask the Yankees for his release today if he doesn't make the team. "They haven't let me know anything," said Chavez, but his strong showing in camp (.421/.450/.605 in 40 PA) likely won him a bench job.
- Isringhausen told Mike Puma of The New York Post that he will not accept a minor league assignment if he does not make the Mets out of Spring Training. There's a possibility Izzy would go to Extended Spring Training if his swollen elbow isn't fully healed though.
Olney On Harang, McClellan, Feliz
As Spring Training winds down and teams make their final roster cuts, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney has the latest from around the majors…
- Aaron Harang signed with the Padres because he has family ties to San Diego, but there’s another reason the right-hander’s a good fit for his new club. Olney and Scott Regan estimate that 13 of the 43 home runs Harang gave up in Cincinnati from 2008-10 would not have been home runs in San Diego. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes identified the Padres as a good match for Harang last October.
- The Cardinals like what they’ve seen from Kyle McClellan in the rotation. "It's what we would've expected," GM John Mozeliak said. "He has a strong repertoire of pitches. The big challenge for him is going to be going through a lineup multiple times." For more on McClellan's new role, click here.
- Olney reports that the Rangers will probably decide whether to use Neftali Feliz as a starter or as a closer by the weekend. A week ago, 55% of 6,670 MLBTR readers said Feliz belongs in the ‘pen for 2011.
Twins Willing To Trade Kevin Slowey For Relief
Now that they have decided on Scott Baker as their No. 5 starter, the Twins are willing to trade Kevin Slowey for a late-inning reliever, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
However, the Twins don’t have many promising trade possibilities, since two of the teams looking for a starter, the Brewers and Mariners, don’t have relievers to spare. The Cardinals, Dodgers, Blue Jays and White Sox seem inclined to replace injured starters with pitchers already in their respective organizations, according to FOX Sports.
Meanwhile, Pirates and Diamondbacks officials say they aren’t actively looking to trade for starting pitchers. As Morosi and Rosenthal point out, the Twins are able to consider moving a quality starter like Slowey because they have promising minor league starter Kyle Gibson.
Slowey didn't seem like a fit for the Blue Jays earlier in the spring, partly because Toronto already had a number of legitimate rotation options. Now that Brandon Morrow will start the season on the DL, the Jays could use the starting depth, but injuries to their relievers limit the likelihood that they can part with a late-inning arm.
Here's a list of other potentially available starters.
NL Central Notes: Greinke, Reds, Cardinals
Links for Tuesday night, as the Cubs decide on the back of their rotation…
- Zack Greinke told Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post that he chose to join the Brewers over the Nationals because he felt that Milwaukee was going to win sooner than Washington. The Nationals offered Greinke a $100MM extension at one point and Greinke didn’t accept it, though he says he expects the Nationals to be a good team within a few years since owner Ted Lerner wants to win badly. Greinke didn’t rule out the possibility of playing for the Nationals once he becomes a free agent, after the 2012 season.
- The Brewers are likely to start the season with four starters and eight relievers, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- MLB.com's Mark Sheldon examines the Reds' bullpen and explains that Dontrelle Willis appears to have a good chance of making the team.
- In a mailbag for MLB.com, Matthew Leach suggests it’s a make or break year of sorts for Cardinals Kyle Lohse, Ryan Theriot and Skip Schumaker. They’re not the only ones with lots riding on 2011, as the MLBTR team has outlined.