Cardinals Rumors

Odds & Ends: Padron, Washburn, Moeller, Chapman

By Tim Dierkes | March 30, 2010 at 4:15pm CDT

Links for Tuesday…

I joined Jeff & Jeff on KNFS 590 St. Louis today; click here to listen to audio.
Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald tweets that the Red Sox signed 22-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Padron to a minor league deal with a $350K bonus. Cuban Ball Players has a bit on Padron here.
SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Royals will join the Mariners in the Jarrod Washburn bidding. Heyman first made the Royals-Washburn connection on January 11th, but nothing much came of it.
Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times spoke to Orlando Cabrera, Tony Reagins, and Walt Jocketty about the decline in multiyear free agent contracts.
Rays first baseman Dan Johnson cleared waivers and accepted a Triple A assignment, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.
Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun feels that Orioles catcher Chad Moeller is unlikely to accept a minor league assignment now that the team has chosen Craig Tatum to back up Matt Wieters.
Aroldis Chapman is expected to begin the season in the minors, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs praises the Rockies for their player development, but questions their offseason tweaking. For more on that topic, check out our Rockies offseason in review.
Rich Hill, recently reassigned to Triple A, can elect free agency around June if he's not in the Majors according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Cubs Outright Mike Parisi To Triple-A

By Mike Axisa | March 27, 2010 at 5:17pm CDT

The Cubs have outrighted righthander Mike Parisi to Triple-A Iowa according to a team press release. Chicago selected Parisi from the Cardinals with the 12th pick of the Rule 5 draft this past December.

As Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post Dispatch explains, Parisi has already gone through the process of clearing outright waivers and being offered back to St. Louis as per the Rule 5 rules. However, since he had been outrighted once before in his career, Parisi was able to elect to become a free agent, which he informed the Cardinals he would do instead of returning to their minor league roster. So after all that, the Cubs retained Parisi on a minor league contract.

The soon to be 27-year-old got smacked around in seven Spring Training outings (7.45 ERA), though he owns a 4.27 ERA in the minors with a 6.6 K/9 and a 3.3 BB/9. He threw 23 innings with St. Louis back in 2008, walking more batters (15) than he struck out (13).

Odds & Ends: Giants, Harper, Heyward, Padres

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 26, 2010 at 4:37pm CDT

Some links as the weekend draws closer…

In his organizational rankings, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says it's a good time to be a Brewers fan and explains why 2010 is a critical year for the Angels.
Don't expect the Giants to sign an outfielder. GM Brian Sabean told Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that the club's right fielder will come from within the organization (Twitter link).
The Giants have yet to announce the extensions for Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Wilson, so Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders (via Twitter) if Matt Cain will get an extension of his own soon.
MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo offers an extensive scouting report for Bryce Harper, the 17-year-old slugger whose power is "off the charts" according to one scout.
Jason Heyward made the Braves, according to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. They're going for it in Bobby Cox's last season in Atlanta.
Chipper Jones would not be surprised to see the Braves lock Heyward up after the season, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (via Twitter).
The Cardinals released ten minor leaguers, including knuckleballer Charlie Zink, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Bill James tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he thinks players peak defensively around the age of 25.
Jeff Moorad assured Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune that his partnership will be able to complete its purchase of the Padres without trouble.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson reminds us that Cristian Guzman has ten and five rights.

Pujols Extension Talks Tabled Until Winter

By Mark Polishuk | March 25, 2010 at 8:00pm CDT

Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting (via Twitter) that discussions between Albert Pujols and the Cardinals about a contract extension have "evaporated" for the time being. Further negotiation will have to wait until after the 2010 season.

Nothing weighs heavier on the minds of Cards fans than the idea that the team might not be able to lock up their franchise player beyond his current deal, but this latest news shouldn't be too much of a cause for concern. Pujols has already stated that he didn't want negotiations to reach into the season, lest they become a distraction. The slugger is under team control through 2011 (the Cardinals will obviously pick up Pujols' $16MM option for 2011) so there is still plenty of time for the two sides to reach an agreement.

Offseason In Review: St. Louis Cardinals

By Tim Dierkes | March 23, 2010 at 10:35am CDT

Next in our Offseason In Review series, the Cardinals.

Major League Signings

Matt Holliday, LF: seven years, $120MM. Includes $17MM club option for 2017 with a $1MM buyout. Includes deferred money.
Brad Penny, SP: one year, $7.5MM.
Felipe Lopez, IF: one year, $1MM.
Jason LaRue, C: one year, $950K.
Total spend: $129.45MM.

Notable Minor League Signings

Rich Hill, Charlie Zink, Ruben Gotay

Extensions

Skip Schumaker, 2B: two years, $4.7MM.

Trades and Claims

Claimed Rule 5 P Ben Jukich off waivers from Reds; returned on 3/18/10

Notable Losses

Rick Ankiel, Joe Thurston, Mark DeRosa, Khalil Greene, Brian Barden, Troy Glaus, Joel Pineiro, Todd Wellemeyer, Brad Thompson, John Smoltz, Jarrett Hoffpauir, Mike Parisi

Summary

The Cardinals' offseason was mostly about re-signing Holliday, which finally occurred on January 5th. GM John Mozeliak also overpaid Penny by a few million, but made up for it by getting Lopez at a bargain price.

Summing up the concerns about the Holliday signing: the Cardinals significantly overpaid given the lack of competition, it may be difficult to pay Holliday and Albert Pujols a combined $40MM+ starting in 2012, and the last few years of the contract will not provide good value. ESPN's Jayson Stark says Holliday's only other offers were one-year deals in the $18MM range. The Cardinals-Holliday contract was panned by most executives to whom Buster Olney spoke.

Prior to the Holliday signing, Mozeliak guaranteed a surprising $7.5MM to Penny. Penny offers upside under Dave Duncan's tutelage, though replacing Joel Pineiro's 214 innings of 3.49 ball will be nearly impossible. Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cards never made Pineiro an offer, because the pitcher wanted multiple years and the team already has three such rotation commitments.

The Lopez signing was easily one of the best of the offseason. The Cardinals waited him out until late February and guaranteed less than many utility players and half-season pitchers received.

The Holliday contract is questionable, but he certainly makes the Cardinals much better in the near future. Their offense projects as one of the best in the NL, and the worst projected ERA among their front four starters is Kyle Lohse's 4.18. The Cardinals are easily the NL Central favorite in 2010.

Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Brewers, Willis, Guardado

By Luke Adams 2 | March 21, 2010 at 2:23pm CDT

Links for Sunday….

The Cardinals are considering Adam Ottavino, their 2006 first-round pick, as an option for the bullpen, writes Derrick Goold. The 24-year-old has improved his delivery and hurled 8.1 innings so far this spring, allowing just one run with five strikeouts, though he also has five walks to go along with them.
The Brewers will have some decisions to make this week on players such as Jim Edmonds, Matt Treanor, and Scott Schoeneweis, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Each signed a minor league deal with an out clause. McCalvy opines that "it would be a surprise" if Edmonds didn't factor into the Crew's 2010 Major League plans.
Lynn Henning of the Detroit News thinks that the Tigers will release Dontrelle Willis in the near future.
Eddie Guardado hasn't officially announced his retirement, but he tells Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas "I think I'm done." Durrett reports that, even if Guardado doesn't pitch again, the lefty would like to stay in baseball in some capacity.
The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo has a few interesting notes in his latest column. He names Jake Westbrook as an intriguing trade-deadline pitching option, and says that Mark Mulder could still work toward a comeback this season.
The Rangers may try to trade for a utility infielder, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't think it's a foregone conclusion that Adrian Gonzalez will be playing in Fenway Park by August.
Heath Bell, another Padre who has been the subject of trade rumors, is staying in San Diego for the time being, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times. The Bell-to-Minnesota rumors have been swirling lately, following the news of Joe Nathan's season-ending injury.
For the latest updates on Bell, and the rest of the closing situations around baseball, be sure to follow our @closernews account on Twitter.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Jays, Bell, Davis, Dunn

By Mike Axisa | March 19, 2010 at 11:10am CDT

On this date in 2002, the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network launched. Although the regional network barely broke even that year, YES has gone on to generate millions in revenue, much of which goes right into the Yankees' pockets. As recently as 2008, there was talk that the network was worth more than the team itself.

After you wrap your head around that, here are some links to check out from around the baseball blogosphere…

The Baseball Opinion says that the Adeiny Hechevarria signing caps off an impressive offseason for new GM Alex Anthopoulos.
The Friarhood examines the trade market for Padres' closer Heath Bell.
Phillies Nation has some fun with internal discussions after the Albert Pujols–Ryan Howard rumors.
DRays Bay wonders if Andy Sonnanstine will start the season in Tampa's rotation so they can send Wade Davis to the minors and push his service time clock back.
Around The Majors wonders if the Nationals should really be trying to sign Adam Dunn to a contract extension.
The Dodgerhater says that Sergio Romo and Dan Runzler are the key to San Francisco's bullpen this year.
Bronx Bombers Beat wonders if Robinson Cano can take that next step towards being a middle of the order hitter for a team with some aging core hitters.
SPANdemonium looks at some players drafted in the second round of the 2008 draft who have already had an impact in the big leagues.

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

Cardinals Return Jukich To Reds

By Howard Megdal | March 18, 2010 at 5:14pm CDT

The Cardinals have returned Rule V draftee Ben Jukich to the Reds, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Jukich, 27, pitched as a swingman in the Cincinnati system last season. His 4.10 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 123 innings were good, not great at Triple-A Louisville. And considering he's actually allowed a higher batting average to lefties (.270) than righties (.256) in his career, he didn't figure to be a lefty specialist, either.

St. Louis GM John Mozeliak said he tried to work out a deal to keep Jukich, but couldn't "find a fit", Goold writes.

According to a report by the Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fayman, Reds manager Dusty Baker is happy to have Jukich back.

Odds & Ends: Lo Duca, Pujols, Strasburg, Guzman

By Tim Dierkes | March 18, 2010 at 2:35pm CDT

Links for Thursday…

The Mariners watched free agent catcher Paul Lo Duca this spring, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch weighed in on the Cardinals' Albert Pujols extension situation in his chat yesterday. Strauss gives a 75% chance Pujols remains a Cardinal for life.
Using Tim Lincecum for comparison, Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post estimates delaying Stephen Strasburg's Nationals debut until late May could save the team $18MM.
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told MASN's Ben Goessling that while he considers all trade possibilities, he's "certainly, certainly not" trying to trade Cristian Guzman.

Odds & Ends: Guzman, Sonnanstine, Jukich

By Tim Dierkes | March 17, 2010 at 9:15pm CDT

Links for Wednesday…

The Mets have no interest in trading for Cristian Guzman, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Guzman could have played shortstop in New York while the Mets wait for Jose Reyes to get healthy.
Dave Allen at FanGraphs thinks the Rays should use Andy Sonnanstine as a long reliever to start the season with an eye towards trading him if something comes up. Sonnanstine is going to get squeezed out of Tampa's rotation in a numbers crunch, but he has minor league options remaining.
The Cardinals are in trade talks with the Reds in hopes of keeping Rule 5 lefty Ben Jukich, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Indians signed righty Justin Germano to a minor league deal, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Germano, 27, posted a 4.38 ERA, 4.97 K/9, and 1.18 BB/9 in 76 innings for the Softbank Hawks last year.
After working out for the Diamondbacks, Dominican outfielder Wagner Mateo will audition for at least four more teams according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
Dan O'Dowd told Tyler Kepner of the New York Times he hopes Troy Tulowitzki retires a Rockie.
Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues explains why he does not expect the Yankees to sign Joe Mauer even if the superstar catcher reaches free agency.
Kiko Calero received calls from a dozen teams this winter, reports Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News.
Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner finds Seattle to be lacking in middle infield depth.

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