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Isringhausen To Audition For Reds

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Appearing on KFNS 590 The Fan with Doug Vaughn this morning, free agent reliever Jason Isringhausen said he has a tentative plan to audition for the Reds tomorrow.  Isringhausen added that he expects to hear back from the Cardinals this week and implied that his agent has been in contact with the Yankees, Rays, and Royals.

Isringhausen admitted it'd be weird to pitch for the Reds against the Cardinals this summer as the teams battle for the NL Central.  Walt Jocketty's Reds already count Scott Rolen and Russ Springer as organization members.  Izzy, of course, tallied 217 saves in seven seasons for the Cards from 2002-08.  Isringhausen's last appearance in the Majors came in June of 2009 with the Rays, after which he went down for Tommy John surgery.  He said he's currently throwing three times a week and working on a changeup.  He expects he'd need a couple of weeks in the minors to get ready.  

Odds & Ends: Molina, Machado, Wood, Montero

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Saturday afternoon linkage…

  • Bengie Molina has had an immediate impact in Texas, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.
  • The Orioles won't sign Manny Machado before August 1st, Baltimore's director of scouting told Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com (via Twitter).
  • The Indians placed closer Kerry Wood on the disabled list with a blister on his right index finger according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. The move is retroactive to July 12th, so unless he needs more than the 15 days off, Wood will be back just before the trade deadline.
  • Meanwhile, ESPN's Buster Olney says Wood's actual trade deadline is August 31st, because he will clear waivers next month given the $4MM still owed to him this season (Twitter links).
  • White Sox GM Kenny Williams often approaches his veteran players to get their opinions about potential moves, but he has not yet pulled Paul Konerko aside to discuss scenarios according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times.
  • Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak was well-deserving of his contract extension.
  • In a video on ESPN, Olney says the Yankees have determined that they would not trade catching prospect Jesus Montero for any player available on the trade market. They were willing to move him for Cliff Lee because it was a special case.

Odds & Ends: Sheets, Padres, Scutaro, Nationals

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A few links to check out while the Yankees play their first game without George Steinbrenner at the helm since 1972…

  • Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Phillies have had a "top scout" on hand for the A's last four series, though Oakland isn't going to move Mark Ellis and Ben Sheets isn't scheduled to pitch this weekend. 
  • James Schmehl of MLive.com says that Sheets could be a "rather inexpensive" trade option for the Tigers if they're looking to add a starting pitcher. 
  • MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that Padres' GM Jed Hoyer told reporters he would like to make a move to improve the team, not just a cosmetic one (all Twitter links). He says the prices must first come down, and that he has the resources to add multiple pieces.
  • WEEI.com's Rob Bradford says (via Twitter) that the Braves did not talk to the Red Sox about a potential Yunel Escobar–Marco Scutaro deal. He says that the Blue Jays were the only team Atlanta spoke to about an Escobar trade.
  • Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo ranked the team's international free agent signings for MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling.
  • Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times tweets that the Tokyo Giants have a scout attending tonight's Dodgers-Cardinals game. If nothing else, it shows that Japanese teams scour the U.S. for talent just like MLB teams do in Japan.

Cardinals Extend GM John Mozeliak

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The Cardinals agreed to a three-year extension with GM John Mozeliak, according to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals, who currently trail the Reds by a game, won the NL Central last year, Mozeliak's second full season on the job. The GM's current deal was set to expire after the 2010 season.

Mozeliak's major moves include the Matt Holliday signing and extensions for Kyle Lohse and Adam Wainwright. The biggest decision of all has yet to come: Albert Pujols will hit free agency after 2011 and Mozeliak and his front office will have to decide how much they're willing to pay to keep the slugging first baseman in St. Louis. Yadier Molina and Pujols are two of the better-known players the Cardinals drafted when Mozeliak was the team's scouting director.

Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Marlins, Berry, Carroll, Pujols

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Links for Wednesday, on an eerily quiet day for baseball fans…

Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Mariners, Red Sox

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Four years ago today, the Rays sent Aubrey Huff and cash to the Astros for Ben Zobrist and Mitch Talbot.  The Astros finished 1.5 games out in '06 despite Huff contributing 13 home runs, and GM Tim Purpura chose not to offer arbitration after the season.  On to today's links…

  • ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees have no plans to acquire a starting pitcher – "Cliff Lee was a special case."  Speaking of Lee, he told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that the trade from the Phillies did not sour him on the team, and he's not opposed to any club once he reaches free agency. 
  • The Blue Jays had a scout at this weekend's Cardinals-Astros series, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Strauss wonders if shortstop Alex Gonzalez could be a match for the Cards, and he notes that the Jays have had previous interest in Brendan Ryan.
  • Mariners president Chuck Armstrong and CEO Howard Lincoln weren't aware of the full extent of pitcher Josh Lueke's 2008 trouble with the law, reports Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.  Lueke went to Seattle as part of the Lee trade.
  • Talking to WEEI's Alex Speier, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein explained that in the case of Casey Kelly and other prospects, he'd rather challenge them against advanced competition than allow them to compile numbers and trade value at more age-appropriate levels.
  • In the same article, Speier notes that the Red Sox have agreements, pending physicals, with a pair of international free agents.  One is a righthanded pitcher, the other an outfielder.
  • As part of an extensive Q&A with Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times, Commissioner Bud Selig says he would not consider contracting the Athletics or Rays if their ballpark situations are not resolved.

Odds & Ends: Rolen, Yankees, Astros, Jeter

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Links for Sunday, as the celebration continues in Spain….

Cardinals Notes: Trades, Payroll, Pujols, La Russa

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Bill DeWitt Jr. has "turned general manager John Mozeliak loose" to find a starting pitcher, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In a Q&A with the Cardinals' chairman, Strauss asks about the team's approach to the trade deadline and Albert Pujols' future in St. Louis, among other topics. Here's what DeWitt had to say:

  • The team's farm system isn't as deep as it was at this time last year, but they still have a few "premium prospects" that other clubs are interested in.
  • Giving up a lot of talent to rent a player whose contract expires at season's end isn't something the Cardinals want to do. However, they do have some prospects they'd make available in the right trade.
  • The team has financial flexibility to take on salary, in part because their attendance this year has been slightly stronger than expected.
  • It sounds like the Cards would prefer taking on salary rather than parting with blue-chip prospects: "Dollars is one thing; talent is another," said DeWitt. "Talent is harder to get."
  • Even taking into account Pujols' upcoming extension negotiations, the team is confident they have room to add a "quality player," as long as it's not one with a long-term, backloaded contract.
  • The Cardinals would never consider trading Albert Pujols this year, and view this coming offseason as the "optimal" time for contract negotiations.
  • DeWitt hasn't discussed with Tony La Russa whether the Cards' skipper will be back next year. They'll wait to see how La Russa feels after the season.

Cardinals Looking To Add Personality To Clubhouse

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The Cardinals' trade deadline shopping list probably includes a starting pitcher and a middle infielder, but GM John Mozeliak indicated that he would also like to add some personality to the team's clubhouse according to Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"When you think about our clubhouse personality, you think 'businesslike.' I would use the word 'professional.' I think we could use a true ice-breaker at times," said Mozeliak. "I think sometimes a level of tension develops. You play 162 games with the same group of guys from February to hopefully late October, sometimes you have to be able to take a step back."

Mozeliak made it clear that he was not talking about a team's clubhouse chemistry in a negative way, he just wants to see a more energetic vibe. He mentioned Mark DeRosa, who was limited on the field after being acquired at the trade deadline last season but remained valuable to the team through his intangibles.

Manager Tony LaRussa acknowledged the positive effect that adding some more personality could have, but he emphasized that the priority should be on-field production. He went deeper into the memory bank than Mozeliak, saying that Will Clark was the perfect kind of on the field production, off the field intangibles pick up. St Louis acquired Clark at the 2000 trade deadline. 

The Cardinals recently added some bullpen help on minor league deals in the form of Renyel Pinto and Mike MacDougal, and the team also dipped their toe into the Cliff Lee pool. They are also known to covet former Cardinal Dan Haren. It's hard enough to find someone that will be productive when his name is penciled into the lineup, let alone when he's in the clubhouse.

2011 Vestings Options Update

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The season started with nine vesting options to watch, but we're down to just five a little beyond the season's halfway point…

  • Trever Miller, Cardinals. The southpaw's $2MM option vests with 45 appearances. He's appeared in 31 of the team's 85 games, so he's on pace for 59. He should get there easily.
  • Alex Cora, Mets. Cora's $2MM option vests with 80 games (not necessarily starts), and he's already appeared in 48. He's on pace for 91 games. Luis Castillo's foot and Ruben Tejada's emergence could stand in Cora's way.
  • Darren Oliver, Rangers. His $3.25MM option will lock in with 59 appearances. He's already appeared in 37 games, so he should get there without a problem.
  • Ramon Hernandez, Reds. Hernandez must play in 120 games for his $3.25MM option to vest. He's appeared in just 57 of Cincinnati's first 86 contests, putting him on pace for 107 games. 
  • Magglio Ordonez, Tigers. Ordonez's $15MM option vests with 135 starts or 540 plate appearances. He's on pace for 141 and 615, respectively, so it'll take a lengthy stint on the disabled list to knock him off track.

The vesting options for Kerry Wood, Brian Fuentes, Billy Wagner, and Matt Cain have already been addressed.

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