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Odds & Ends: Blue Jays, Rockies, Crede

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Links for Monday…

  • The Astros received permission to interview Red Sox first base coach Tim Bogar for their managerial job, according to WEEI's Rob Bradford.  Brad Mills and Manny Acta will also interview, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (via Twitter).  McTaggart adds Bob Melvin, Dave Clark, and Al Pedrique as other candidates, while Alyson Footer adds Ned Yost, Randy Ready, Phil Garner, and Pete Mackanin.
  • Nationals scouting director Dana Brown has been hired away by new Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
  • Rockies owner Dick Monfort told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post that the team's postseason appearance won't significantly affect payroll.  The Rockies have impending free agents in Jason Marquis, Yorvit Torrealba, Rafael Betancourt, and Joe Beimel (among others), and must also decide whether to tender Garrett Atkins a contract.  Torrealba and Betancourt have pricey club options.
  • Astros catcher J.R. Towles is a potential buy-low candidate for the Rays, says R.J. Anderson of DRays Bay.  Towles hit .276/.386/.455 in Triple A this year, but Jason Castro is the Astros' catcher of the future.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak hopes to take advantage of the exclusive negotiating period for his free agents, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  In a separate article, Joe Strauss of the P-D notes that Rick Ankiel pulled a fast one on the media.
  • Joe Crede is optimistic he'll have a quick recovery from his third back surgery, says MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  Merkin says the Boras client "spoke more in generalities than about a specific return to Minnesota."
  • Jack Morris almost signed with the Yankees in 1996, writes Jack Curry of the New York Times. 
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports speculates about the Red Sox trading closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Could La Russa Leave St. Louis?

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3:57pm: Joe Strauss adds that Mozeliak, La Russa, the coaching staff, and chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. will meet this Monday. In the past, the Cardinals have waited until after this meeting to announce any changes to the front office or coaching staff. Strauss offers this quote from La Russa, regarding a potential return in 2010:

“I’ve never doubted the club’s commitment — ever,” La Russa said early Saturday afternoon. “The question is whether I want to go for a 31st year.”

When asked for his thoughts on the NLDS, La Russa said he felt as if there was a lack of energy from his team when returning to St. Louis:

“We got swept the last three. That wasn’t good,” La Russa said. “So you ask, ‘Is what you’re saying not helpful?’ or ‘If it’s helpful, are they tired of listening to you?’ Those thoughts go through your mind. We set ourselves up to play winning-type baseball in the first series. My opinion is I was really pleased with the energy, the drive and the fire we had in LA. I think we competed our tails off. They did, too…. Yesterday I think we were all really disappointed. It wasn’t the same level of chance to win.”

2:57pm: It seems like a strange concept, but both ESPN's Buster Olney and Kevin Kaduk from Yahoo Sports are asking if it's possible for longtime Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa to jump ship.

The Cards were bounced from the NLDS yesterday, swept at the hands of Joe Torre's Dodgers. While many people are focused on names like Matt Holliday, Albert Pujols, Mark DeRosa, and Joel Pineiro, Olney and Kaduk have the coaching staff on their minds.

La Russa is not yet signed for 2010, but general manager John Mozeliak has said he expects La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan (a longtime friend of La Russa) to be back for a 15th season. La Russa holds a 1232-1034 mark as the manager in St. Louis, and stands at 2552-2217 in his career. Duncan is widely regarded as one of the best pitching coaches in all of baseball, due to numerous successful reclamation projects including Chris Carpenter and Pineiro.

As Olney points out, Duncan was not at all pleased with the way that the organization treated his son, Chris Duncan, who was sent to Boston in exchange for Julio Lugo back in July. Add that to a quick postseason exit, and it stands to reason that La Russa and Duncan may not be too pleased with their situation right now.

It's all speculation at this point, and Kaduk even says that he feels La Russa will stay around for 2010, but it's certainly an interesting question. Is it possible for one or both to leave, and if so, where do they end up? Olney lists the teams that could take both La Russa and Duncan on, stating that Nationals, Astros, Mets, Blue Jays, and Reds could all be fits.

What does the MLBTR world think? Is it possible to see a change of this magnitude in St. Louis, or should Cards fans rest easy under the assumption that something will soon be worked out?

Smoltz Contemplating 2010 Return

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Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that John Smoltz would like to return to the Cardinals in 2010 if it's agreeable, and if he decides he still wants to pitch.

Smoltz states that while he's planning on returning right now, he'll need to begin his workouts in November and see how he feels before making a final decision. He expects to sign late again this offseason if he does indeed feel up to a return. The NLDS certainly has him considering it:

“Last night made me realize a lot of things. How much I missed it, for one. How nervous I got. … I wanted to go in there and pitch perfect and I almost did.”

Smoltz will turn 43 next season, but posted a respectable 4.26 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and .248 opponent batting average in 38 innings for the Cards this year. He struck out 40 while walking just nine.

“I want to be sure,” Smoltz said. “You know all these guys retire and then come back. I don’t want to be one of those guys.”

Odds & Ends: Rays, Joba, Pettitte

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A few Sunday links to browse through….

  • R.J. Anderson at DRays Bay examines Tampa Bay's 2009 season and their expectations for 2010. He figures that the Rays' most likely spot for improvement is behind the plate, and suggests they possess the chips to deal for a catcher.
  • The New York Yankees nearly sent Joba Chamberlain to the minors this summer, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman says that the Yankees will expect Chamberlain (and Phil Hughes) to come to spring training in 2010 prepared to start. But if Joba's struggles continue, he may not merely be moved to the bullpen, but rather sent to the minors.
  • Mark Carig of the Star Ledger also looks at the Yankees' 2010 rotation and questions whether Andy Pettitte will be back in the Bronx next season.
  • The New York Post's Bart Hubbuch wonders (via Twitter) how much money Matt Holliday cost himself with his poor NLDS, both offensively and defensively. In a second tweet though, Hubbuch concedes that Holliday's bank account probably won't suffer, since the "Cards seem determined to sign him no matter what."

Rosenthal On Pujols, Holliday, DeRosa

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes a look at what lies in store for the St. Louis Cardinals this winter. A few of his thoughts:

  • Despite the Cardinals' desire to sign Albert Pujols to a lengthy extension this winter, a reliable source tells Rosenthal that there is virtually no chance a deal happens so quickly.
  • Rosenthal speculates that the Cardinals' chances of retaining Pujols past 2011 aren't great. The first baseman will likely use Alex Rodriguez's $275MM contract as a benchmark, and might want to sign with a club "that would operate with fewer financial restrictions than the Cardinals."
  • Rosenthal suggests attempting to re-sign Matt Holliday, but not exceeding about $90MM over five years to do it. The thinking is that the Cards likely can't afford to commit over $100MM to Holliday and over $200MM to Pujols.
  • An alternative to signing Holliday would be pursuing Jason Bay or bargain-hunting for this offseason's Bobby Abreu.
  • St. Louis should make re-signing Mark DeRosa a priority.

Want to share your own thoughts on the Cardinals' potential offseason moves? Jump into the MLBTR discussion.

Odds & Ends: Astros, Tigers, Braves, Reds

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A few more links to cap off the night….

  • GM Ed Wade and the Houston Astros will begin contacting managerial candidates Friday, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. McTaggart adds that the team's interview process will get underway next week, as they hope to pare down a 10-name list.
  • Keith Law and ESPN.com take a look at the Tigers' 2009 results and anticipate their offseason moves. Law notes that Detroit is a franchise that doesn't mind avoiding big-name closers, so Ryan Perry could conceivably pitch the ninth inning in 2010 if Fernando Rodney and Brandon Lyon depart. Law also thinks Scott Sizemore is ready to step in and play second base every day.
  • Like everyone else, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks the Braves need a right-handed power bat next season. O'Brien also suggests that Atlanta would benefit from adding a little speed to their lineup. O'Brien thinks that Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz, who can hit home runs and steal bases, will be discussed as a potential target for the Braves.
  • The Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay expects the Reds to wait until after St. Louis is out of the playoffs to hire a new pitching coach. Fay speculates that history between Cincinnati GM Walt Jocketty and Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan could make Duncan a candidate for the opening.

Discussion: Joel Pineiro

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Poised to start Game 3 of the NLDS for the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, attempting to stave off elimination, Joel Pineiro will have his performance under a little extra scrutiny. Pineiro benefits from being part of a weak free agent class for starting pitchers, and is coming off his best season in a Cardinals uniform. A strong playoff showing this weekend could make him even more desirable for potential suitors.

The 31-year-old Pineiro set a career high in innings pitched (214 IP), starting 32 games for the NL Central champs. His 3.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP were significantly lower than his career ratios of 4.39 and 1.34. Plus, he displayed outstanding control (1.1 BB/9), along with an ability to keep the ball in the park (0.5 HR/9).

Pineiro has said he wants to stay in St. Louis, but the Cardinals have a handful of potential free agents to worry about. Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa have expiring contracts, and the Cards also hope to lock up Albert Pujols to a long-term deal. Pineiro's current two-year contract earned him $13MM, and SI.com's Jon Heyman expects the righty to sign for more money this time. Will St. Louis make re-signing their third starter a major priority this winter? Will another club make him a more lucrative offer? If you're a GM, do you trust Pineiro's performance in 2009, a contract year? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section.

Discussion: Dan Uggla

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His name is Dan Uggla, and he can be had for the right price this offseason.  The 29-year-old Florida second baseman has 121 homers and an .826 OPS in his four major league seasons, but between his war of words with Marlins franchise player Hanley Ramirez and the $7-8MM he is likely to earn in arbitration, rumors have been swirling that the Fish are looking to move Uggla out of south Florida before he becomes too pricey for their taste.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal listed the Dodgers, Cardinals, Orioles, Twins, Giants and Diamondbacks as possible suitors for Uggla in an article last month.  The Snakes may be out of the running now since, as reported by the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro, Arizona will likely look at internal candidates to play second base.  Baltimore already has Brian Roberts entrenched at second, but if Uggla was interested in moving to third base he would surely become attractive to even more clubs.

Of the clubs on Rosenthal's list, Minnesota stands out since it's unusual for the small-market Twins to be looking at picking up high-priced talent, rather than moving it themselves.  But with Target Field opening in 2010, the Twins may have some extra revenue to spend on both picking up the tab for Uggla and (the team's top priority) signing Joe Mauer to a long-term contract.  Minnesota has holes at both second and third that Uggla could fill.

Would Uggla fit best on one of the aforementioned six clubs, or is there another team out there with both the money and the need for a slugging second (or third) baseman?

Discussion: What Late Additions Could Have Big Playoff Impact?

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With the 2009 postseason picture nearly in place, it's time to identify some of the late-season pickups that can make a huge splash in this year's playoffs. 

In 2002, the Angels may not have won the championship without the help of a young pitcher by the name of Francisco Rodriguez.  Because of multiple injuries to their bullpen, the Angels called up the 22-year-old in mid-September.  Rodriguez was able to pitch in just five regular season games for the club before being thrown into the postseason fire.  The hard-throwing righty responded to the pressure beautifully, posting an ERA of 1.93 and fanning 28 batters in just 18.2 innings. 

Here are some of the key late-season additions by playoff-bound squads:

What other playoff-bound players added to the big league roster after the trade deadline could be poised to have a memorable postseason?

Cardinals Rumors: Smoltz, Holliday, DeRo, Pujols

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Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sat down for an interview last week with Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt III.  Multiple topics were discussed, including a few major hot stove items.  Let's dive in…

  • The Cardinals have seen a revenue loss of "several million dollars" this season, despite fantastic attendance numbers.  DeWitt called the loss "a meaningful number," but said the club will still try to maintain a high payroll in future seasons.
  • DeWitt isn't sure what John Smoltz's plans are for 2010.  The 42-year-old right-hander has spoken glowingly about his time in St. Louis, but could opt to retire.
  • DeWitt and Co. plan to make a "very strong long-term offer" to Matt Holliday before he hits the open market this winter.  The Cardinals are optimistic about being able to lock him up.  "He strikes me as someone who's not looking for the last dollar," DeWitt told Strauss. "He's looking to be highly compensated but in a place where he can live, raise a family and be in a very competitive baseball environment."
  • Mark DeRosa is "the type of player" the Cardinals would like to keep "if possible."  If not, David Freese could open the 2010 season as St. Louis' starting third baseman.
  • DeWitt believes this winter is "the ideal time to ensure Albert [Pujols] finishes his career as a Cardinal," even though the slugger still has two years remaining on his current deal.

It should be an intriguing, if not busy, offseason in St. Louis.  Beyond the players listed above, the Cardinals also face free agency with right-hander Joel Pineiro, backup catcher Jason LaRue, third baseman Troy Glaus, outfielder Rick Ankiel and right-hander Todd Wellemeyer.  It's probably safe to assume that Pineiro, Glaus and Wellemeyer won't be back.  Ankiel might also be on his way out.

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