Cardinals Rumors

Odds & Ends: Sandberg, Werth, Mets, Drabek, Dunn

By Luke Adams 2 | September 12, 2010 at 1:42pm CDT

Links for Sunday, as Chris Volstad goes for his fifth win vs. the Nationals this season….

The Mariners "quietly have interest" in Ryne Sandberg, writes Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post.
Jayson Werth is looking for an agency willing to charge a lower commission than the usual 5%, reports Ken Davidoff of Newsday. Davidoff provides an update on Werth's search for representation and examines the chances of the Yankees pursuing the outfielder this offseason.
In a separate piece, Davidoff looks at some options for the Mets' next manager and GM.
There are hints that Tony La Russa is leaning toward managing the Cardinals in 2011, as Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.
The Blue Jays will call up top prospect Kyle Drabek to make his major league debut Wednesday in Baltimore, according to the team (Twitter link).
Ronny Cedeno is on his way to locking up the Pirates' 2011 shortstop job, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas points out that Darren Oliver needs to make just one more appearance to guarantee his option for next season.
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo tells MASN (Twitter link) that the team is still "in conversations" to keep Adam Dunn in Washington.

Olney On Johnson, La Russa, D’Backs, Mets

By Luke Adams 2 | September 12, 2010 at 10:58am CDT

Here are the latest notes from ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider-only link)….

The Diamondbacks "fully intend" to bring back Kelly Johnson next season. The 28-year-old will be entering his final arbitration year, and should earn a significant raise on this year's $2.35MM salary, but the D'Backs don't have plans to move him this winter.
Some "early speculation" around baseball suggests that if Tony La Russa doesn't return to St. Louis next year, Seattle could be a potential destination for him.
The D'Backs are considering installing a humidor at their Triple-A park in Reno, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. Olney supports the idea, noting that it should help the development of Arizona's young pitchers, who would be less reluctant to pitch to contact.
Olney also agrees with Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who argues that the Mets should consider trading some of their young talent if they think it could improve the team.

Odds & Ends: Backe, Ellis, Crisp, Macha, Holliday

By Mike Axisa | September 11, 2010 at 9:08pm CDT

Some links to check out as the Rockies try to win their ninth straight…

Astros Senior Director of Social Media Alyson Footer tweets that Brandon Backe is working out and hopes to throw for scouts this winter with the idea of getting an invite to Spring Training with a team next year. Backe hasn't appeared in a big league game since last June.
Billy Beane told MLB.com's Jane Lee that the decisions on the 2011 options for Mark Ellis and Coco Crisp likely won't be made until after the season (Twitter link).
Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel reports that the Brewers and Ken Macha have yet to discuss the manager's club option for next season.
Matt Holliday volunteered to move to right field after the Cardinals traded Ryan Ludwick according to FoxSportsMidwest.com's B.J. Rains. The idea was to the give the team the flexibility to pursue a player limited to left field if the opportunity presented itself.
Andy Martino of the New York Daily News doesn't agree with the report earlier today that John Ricco is out of contention to take over as the Mets' general manager if Omar Minaya is removed from the role.
The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham says that Theo Epstein and Brian Cashman might be celebrating the "best deal they never made" — trading for Johan Santana — following the announcement that he requires shoulder surgery.
Edwin Rodriguez loves managing the Marlins and hopes they factor him into their search for a permanent candidate this offseason, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.
ESPN's Buster Olney says the Diamondbacks aren't going to spend a ton of money on their next general manager, but they will pay Kevin Towers what is needed if they decide he's their guy (Twitter links). Olney says the team is likely to decide on their next GM within the next couple of weeks.
The Phillies have traded "over 20 players" from their farm system over their last four years according to assistant GM Chuck Lamar, but Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer says the team's minor league system is still in good shape. Keep in mind that they've traded for Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, and Roy Oswalt within the last 14 months.
Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune lists nine traits the Cubs' next manager should have.

Odds & Ends: Hinch, Soriano, Ellis, Tigers, Ludwick

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 10, 2010 at 9:24pm CDT

Links for Friday, before the Giants and Padres continue an immensely important series…

MLB.com's Barry Bloom reports that former Diamondbacks' manager A.J. Hinch is close to joining the Padres to work in their scouting department.
David Ortiz suggested to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Rafael Soriano deserves a five-year deal. The Rays closer is having a fantastic season, but he's not going to see a five-year offer this winter.
Mark Ellis told Joe Stiglich of the San Jose Mercury News that he wants to stay in Oakland next year. The A’s have a $6MM option for 2011 with a $500K buyout.
At SI.com, Bud Black of the Padres tops Jon Heyman's list of the year's most impressive managers.
Bob Young of the Arizona Republic argues that the D'Backs will have a hard time finding a better manager-GM combination than Kirk Gibson and Jerry Dipoto.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains that the Pirates have a lot of promising young pitching in the minor leagues. Take a look at the team's projected 2011 rotation here.
I didn't consider Phil Coke when previewing the Tigers' 2011 rotation, but manager Jim Leyland told Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press that the Tigers will at least consider the lefty.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa defended the team's decision to trade Ryan Ludwick, as Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rasmus, Manny, Phillies

By Mike Axisa | September 10, 2010 at 11:45am CDT

On this date in 1969, the Mets moved into sole possession of first place for the first time in franchise history. They swept the Expos in a doubleheader to move ahead of the Cubs by a full game in the NL East. The Miracle Mets went on to defeat the Orioles in the Fall Classic for the first World Championship in their history, more than eight years after they played their first ever game.

Let's take a look at some links from around the baseball netweb…

Yankeeist chatted with Alex Langsam, a Baseball Operations Assistant in the Pirates' front office who reports directly to GM Neal Huntington.
The Sports Virus interviewed Huston Street about the topic of pitching injuries, an unavoidable evil.
1 Blue Jays Way spoke with Luis Rivera, manager of the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, a Blue Jays minor league affiliate.
Play A Hard Nine examines Colby Rasmus' trade value following his fall-out with the Cardinals.
Meanwhile, Capitol Avenue Club tries to figure out what it would take for the Braves to acquire Rasmus.
The Hardball Times projects Manny Ramirez's performance for the White Sox.
Crashburn Alley wonders if the Phillies' offense is just inconsistent, or if their core players are in decline.
River Ave. Blues says that after searching all winter, the Yankees found their left fielder in Brett Gardner.
Cubs Pack looks at Chicago's 2011 rotation, which MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith did just yesterday.
DRays Bay muses about the responsibility of the baseball media.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Dunn, Duke, Pujols

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 9, 2010 at 2:00pm CDT

Ten years ago today, the Giants signed Francisco Liriano as an amateur free agent. In 2003, the Giants famously (and regrettably) traded Joe Nathan, Boof Bonser and Liriano to the Twins for A.J. Pierzynski. Now 27, Liriano is in the midst of a fine season atop the Twins' rotation. Here are today's links…

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio has interest in buying the Dodgers, according to Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse. However, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel hears that Attanasio does not have interest in the Dodgers (Twitter link).
Krasovic also reports that the Padres have talked to former D’Backs manager A.J. Hinch about hiring him as their director of pro scouting.
Adam Dunn is not likely to re-sign with the Nationals if you ask Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post. Boswell suggests the Nationals should sign Dunn, since power like his is hard to find.
Zach Duke was a non-tender candidate before his start yesterday and, as Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains, the lefty didn't do himself any favors by pitching just one-plus inning and allowing four runs. Kovacevic says "indications are powerful" that management will not tender Duke a contract offer through arbitration (though that wouldn't necessarily prevent a return to Pittsburgh).
Yahoo's Jeff Passan argues that Cardinals fans are more concerned about Albert Pujols than either Colby Rasmus or Tony La Russa.
D'Backs Interim manager Kirk Gibson has not had any discussions with ownership about managing after this year, but would like to return, according to Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.

Stark On Rasmus, Jeter, Gonzalez, Morgan

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 9, 2010 at 12:27pm CDT

If the Cardinals put Colby Rasmus on the trade market, they would “only get 60 or 70 cents on the dollar,” according to one MLB executive who spoke to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Here’s a detailed look at potential suitors for Rasmus, and here are the rest of Stark’s rumors:

Derek Jeter and agent Casey Close understand that the Yankees aren’t going to offer an embarrassingly low contract this winter. As Stark points out, the Yankees offered Jorge Posada a four-year deal heading into the season in which he turned 37. Posada was coming off of an MVP-caliber season, so the comparison only works to a point, but as many reporters have pointed out this week, Jeter is going nowhere and the Yankees aren’t going to low-ball him.
Adrian Gonzalez probably won’t be on the trade market this winter, according to clubs that have spoken to the Padres. They’ll try to contend in 2011 and consider trading Gonzalez if they aren’t in contention next summer.
Two scouts who cover the Nationals say they expect the team to shop Nyjer Morgan this winter. One of the scouts said there’s a “non-existent” chance that Washington keeps him.

Odds & Ends: Garrison, Red Sox, Werth, Cubs, Burnett

By Zachary Links | September 6, 2010 at 9:34pm CDT

Labor Day linkage..

Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter) thinks that the Padres would like to keep Steve Garrison, who they DFA'd earlier today. The lefty was protected by the club last winter.
Having Lars Anderson and Anthony Rizzo waiting in the wings won't necessarily preclude Boston from retaining Adrian Beltre and/or Victor Martinez, says Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN tweets that he's hearing a lot of speculation about Jayson Werth taking Scott Boras on as his agent. However, he also tweets that players tend to follow their teammates and he may be drawn to Arn Tellem as the agent secured Chase Utley's seven-year, $85MM deal with the Phillies.
It may be time for the Cardinals and manager Tony La Russa to part ways, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
A recent move by Cubs manager Mike Quade may have scored points with GM Jim Hendry, opines Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.
Jayson Stark of ESPN (via Twitter) wonders aloud when A.J. Burnett will rank as a "full-fledged crisis" for the Yankees. Burnett is set to earn $16.5MM each season until 2013.
It will be an active offseason for Boston, tweets Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.

Rosenthal On Jeter, Werth, Cardinals, Reds

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | September 6, 2010 at 12:38pm CDT

Derek Jeter’s .264/.331/.372 batting line is remarkably similar to Marco Scutaro’s .271/.331/.372 line, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out. Scutaro’s a quality major league player, but the two-year $12.5MM deal he signed as a free agent last winter pales in comparison to the kind of contract Jeter seems likely to sign when he hits the open market after the season. Here’s Rosenthal’s Jeter update, plus other notes from around the majors:

Yankees officials do not plan to “play hardball” with Jeter this winter. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes suggested in May that $30MM over three years could be reasonable, but the Yankees don’t want to lowball their captain.
One GM who may have interest in signing Jayson Werth this offseason has doubts about the outfielder’s ability to hit in a less imposing lineup.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told Rosenthal that St. Louis made multiple waiver claims on hitters last month, though they “went nowhere.”
The Reds and Dusty Baker have exchanged ideas since the Reds offered Baker a one-year extension with no raise, according to Rosenthal.

Rasmus Denies Making Trade Request

By Zachary Links | September 5, 2010 at 8:20pm CDT

8:20pm: Rasmus denied making a trade request earlier this season, according to B.J. Rains of FoxSportsMidwest.com.

"I never did that,” said Rasmus following today's game. "I don’t know where that’s coming from. I just want to play baseball and have fun…I love being here. I love the fans. I’m moving forward and just trying to play hard and I’m happy we won today."

Tony La Russa also addressed the topic in today's post-game press conference. The manager insisted that he doesn't have an issue with Rasmus and that he will see significant playing time down the stretch.

2:04pm: Pujols had even more to say on the matter, writes Passan.

“If he doesn’t want to be here next year, we need to figure out a way to get him out of here and find somebody that wants to be here and play,” said the nine-time All-Star. “That’s a reality.

“That’ll show you right there a young player that doesn’t respect what he’s got,” Pujols added. “He needs to find out the talent and ability that he has and pretty much keep his mouth shut and play the game. Let the organization make those decisions, not himself.”

1:55pm: First baseman Albert Pujols has weighed in on the situation, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

"We need to figure out a way to get him out of here," said the nine-time All-Star.

1:26pm: Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa confirmed that center fielder Colby Rasmus has requested a trade, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. However, La Russa declined to delve much deeper into the matter with reporters.

"What do you want me to say? Ask Colby. Just ask Colby," said the manager. "He can handle it however he wants to handle it. He's capable of explaining himself and what he was thinking at the time."

Despite La Russa's suggestion, Rasmus would not confirm his trade request before taking the field against the Reds this afternoon. He also declined to say whether he hoped to remain with the club next season. La Russa seems to think that the center fielder has had a change of heart.

"I think he's thinking probably the grass is not greener other places and that this is a good situation, a great organization, teammates, everything. That's what I think. You can ask him," said La Russa, who also said that the outfielder made a similar request in his rookie season.

Rasmus came to GM John Mozeliak with his request during the Cards' July 23-25 series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, according to a source familiar with the situation. After the center fielder arrived late to the park, La Russa threatened to option him to Triple-A in a closed door meeting. However, when talking to Rasmus, Mozeliak assured him that he would be staying put.

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