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Cardinals Notes: Westbrook, Carpenter, La Russa

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In a recent chat, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post Dispatch writes that few appreciate how much turnover could occur if Tony La Russa does not return to the Cardinals next season.  Let's see what else he has for us..

  • Offering Jake Westbrook arbitration would be a risky move for the Cards as he is virtually guaranteed to receive an increase over this year's $11MM salary.  If St. Louis does want to keep the soon-to-be 33-year-old in the fold, Strauss believes that they will open talks before the free agency filing period like they did with Joel Pineiro and and Kyle Lohse.  However, the club locked up Pineiro and Lohse with multi-year deals at market or above-market rates, something that they're probably not capable of doing at this time with Westbrook.
  • Speaking of starters, it's hard to imagine the Cardinals giving Chris Carpenter similar money to what he makes now if they re-sign Albert Pujols.  Carpenter's contract calls for him to earn $15MM next season with a $15MM club option ($1MM buyout) for 2012.
  • It's fair to say that Felipe Lopez found himself unmotivated to perform after the Cards acquired Pedro Feliz last month.  The infielder struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .231/.310/.340 with seven homers in 425 plate appearances.  The club sent Lopez packing yesterday afternoon.
  • Strauss expects to see La Russa back in St. Louis unless he hears something that he doesn't like from the ownership or front office.

Cardinals Release Felipe Lopez

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The Cardinals released Felipe Lopez, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. When GM John Mozeliak signed the infielder to a one-year $1MM deal late last offseason, it appeared that he had found a bargain. Instead, Lopez was a disappointment, batting .231/.310/.340 as a utility player for the Cards.

The 30-year-old played all four infield positions for the Cardinals and, in one wild game that took place long before his team's playoff hopes had disappeared, Lopez actually pitched a scoreless inning. The Cardinals decided to release Lopez because he was late again yesterday, according to FOX Sports Midwest (on Twitter).

Rosenthal On Beltran, Pirates, Pujols, Braves

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There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the 2011 Mets from Francisco Rodriguez to Omar Minaya to Jerry Manuel. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Minaya or his replacement,  “would be wise to explore trades for [Jose] Reyes and [David] Wright” this offseason. Here are the rest of the rumors:

  • Carlos Beltran, a player who could become a trade chip this winter, told Rosenthal that he would like to remain on the Mets.
  • Pirates president Frank Coonelly is the team's “de facto GM”, according to some rival executives.
  • Not surprisingly, the Cardinals’ top offseason priority will be extending Albert Pujols, who will hit the open market after 2011 unless the Cards lock him up. It took Joe Mauer and the Twins a while to work out their $184MM extension, so we could be in for a winter’s worth of Pujols rumors.
  • As Rosenthal points out, the Braves could use a big bat to play left field and they'll likely be on the lookout for one this offseason.

Jason LaRue Retires

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It wasn't the way he wanted to go out, but Jason LaRue tells Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he has played his last game in the majors. LaRue suffered a severe concussion when he was kicked in the head by Johnny Cueto during the Cardinals/Reds brawl last month, and doesn't want to risk further head injuries by continuing his career.

"I'm done. It's a simple decision," LaRue said. "As a catcher you're so vulnerable to getting another (concussion). All it takes a foul ball to the head. Even as a backup that happened 3-5 times last year. It's not a question of if it would happen again, it's when. Nobody can guarantee anything. It'll probably be worse."

According to Strauss, friends of LaRue say the 36-year-old was considering taking legal action against Cueto for the on-field assault, but ultimately decided against it. Still, he's disappointed with the way his career had to end: "I was going to retire on my own terms…. Does it suck that my career is over because Johnny Cueto started kicking me in the head? Yes, it sucks."

Although he played in just 29 games this season, LaRue hit .231/.315/.396 in 3103 career plate appearances, spending time with the Reds, Royals, and Cardinals. According to Baseball-Reference, the backstop earned $19.44MM over the course of his 12-year career.

Cardinals Designate Evan MacLane For Assignment

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The Cardinals have designated lefthanded starter Evan MacLane for assignment, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The hurler was DFA'd in order to make room for second baseman Daniel Descalso on the 40-man roster.

MacLane registered a 4.45 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in 147.2 IP this season for the Cards' Triple-A affiliate.  In early June, the 27-year-old made his major league debut and surrendered a ninth-inning walk-off homer to the Rockies' Chris Iannetta.

Ryan Franklin Reconsidering Retirement Plans

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Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin announced his plans to retire from baseball following the 2011 season earlier this year, but he is now reconsidering that decision according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. Franklin emphasized that it will still be a decision based around his family and not necessarily performance.

The 37-year-old righthander has a 3.55 ERA and 24 saves in 58.1 innings this year, and his 1.2 BB/9 is an all-time low for him. The Cards signed Franklin to a two-year deal worth $6.5MM last season, and he has maintained throughout this process that he will indeed follow through on that commitment and pitch next season regardless of his future plans.

Mozeliak: Rasmus Will Not Be Traded

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Earlier tonight we learned that the Cardinals might increase their payroll in the future, but that's not the only bit of news to come out of the team's social media event. MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports that GM John Mozeliak said that center fielder Colby Rasmus will not be traded, despite the drama between him and manager Tony LaRussa. 

"A lot of times players, out of frustration or for whatever reason, may go into a meeting and come out saying some things they may regret," Mozeliak said. "But a lot of times, you have to understand, these things never get out there. In this particular case, it's been festering for a while. But I can assure you, Colby's not going to be traded. I can also assure you that some of the things he's dealing with are typical growing pains that young players go through. When I look at the talent he brings to the table, and when I think about how I could replace that, I realize that would be a very difficult task ahead."

Rasmus reportedly demanded a trade due to frustrations over playing time, but he later denied that report. The 24-year-old has started every game since that news broke, and is hitting .366/.426/.659 with three homers in 47 plate appearances during that time. Overall, he's hitting .274/.356/.511 with 22 homers on the season, and St. Louis still controls him for another four seasons after this one.

For what it's worth, 57.4% of more than 1,500 MLBTR readers recently said they would not trade Rasmus.

Mozeliak: Cardinals’ Payroll Might Increase

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Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak told fans at tonight's social media event that the team's payroll might increase over the next couple of seasons (Twitter link). St. Louis started the season with a payroll just north of $94MM according to Cot's, right in line with where the club has been since 2005.

Obviously the elephant in the room is Albert Pujols' upcoming contract extension. He'll earn the same $16MM next year that he's earned since 2008 once the team picks up his option, but 2011 is the last season the team will enjoy that discount. His salary is then expected to soar over $20MM, perhaps as much as $10MM more annually than he's pulling down right now.

The only significant contract coming off the Cardinals' books this offseason is Brad Penny's one-year, $7.5MM deal, but they'll also save marginal amounts thanks to the expiring contracts of Jason LaRue and Felipe Lopez. Ryan Franklin's $3.5MM salary will disappear after next season, but that money will just be redistributed to Adam Wainwright when his 2012 option ($9MM) is inevitably picked up. It's worth noting that St. Louis did save itself a nice chunk of change both this year and next when it traded Ryan Ludwick to the Padres. 

Clearly, if the Cardinals plan to retain Pujols and field a competitive team long-term they're going to have to expand the payroll. Jumping into nine-figure payroll territory seems inevitable for the foreseeable future.

Odds & Ends: Hudson, Mets, Arroyo, Atkins

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As major league teams unveil their 2011 schedules, here are some news items….

  • As Daniel Hudson improves to 6-1 with a 1.67 ERA as a Diamondback tonight, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that Hudson "probably" could have been a Brewer had Milwaukee accepted a one-for-one offer from Chicago for Prince Fielder.  The problem at the time was that the Brewers projected Hudson as only a third or fourth starter and wanted more for their slugger.  Obviously hindsight is 20/20 on any missed trade, but if Hudson continues to pitch well in Arizona, it will put even more pressure on the Brewers to get a big return back if they do end up dealing Fielder.
  • An anonymous NL official tells Newsday's Ken Davidoff that Jose Reyes could command "one really good prospect, one solid prospect, and one or two medium-range prospects" in a trade should the Mets put their shortstop on the market this winter.  This source seems in favor of a total rebuild for the Mets; he also thinks they should try to deal David Wright and Francisco Rodriguez.
  • Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News cites Bronson Arroyo's durability, consistent win totals and veteran presence as reasons why Cincinnati should pick up the right-hander's $11MM option for next season.
  • We've heard that the Rockies will look for a right-handed first baseman to platoon with Todd Helton next season, and ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill cites former Rockie Garrett Atkins as a possibility for the role.  Atkins was non-tendered by Colorado last winter and after signing a one-year contract with Baltimore, was released by the Orioles last July.
  • Interim Arizona GM Jerry Dipoto will interview for the full-time position tomorrow, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert (Twitter link).
  • Any Boston fans tickled by A.J. Burnett's struggles this season might not want to crow too much, since Fangraphs' Joe Pawlikowski cites Burnett as comparable to the also-struggling John Lackey.
  • Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press wonders if the Red Sox might pursue Jim Thome as a cheaper free agent DH option rather than pick up David Ortiz's 2011 option.
  • Travis Buck's "organizational status is clearly at an all-time low" in Oakland, writes Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com.  Buck is eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter and could be non-tendered given the number of other promising outfielders in the Athletics' system.
  • If Jesus Montero can develop a solid catching glove to go along with his powerful bat, the Mariners may regret passing on New York's Montero-centered offer for Cliff Lee, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
  • Blogger El Lefty Malo praises the Giants' acquisition of Cody Ross and some other recent Brian Sabean moves.
  • Angels manager Mike Scioscia thinks the Halos just need a "tweaking" rather than an overhaul in the winter, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
  • Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says upgrading the infield should be a top priority for the Cardinals in the offseason.

Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Mets, Harang,

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Here are some links to check out on a very muggy Monday night in New York..

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