Cardinals Rumors

Rosenthal’s Latest: Peavy Suitors, Lowe, Cardinals, Marlins

By Steve Adams | October 19, 2008 at 2:33pm CDT

Ken Rosenthal has a new column up, focusing largely on suitors for Jake Peavy, but also touching on some other news at the end… so let’s take a look!

Rosenthal states that the following teams have been speculated to be suitors for the Padres’ ace: Braves, Angels, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Astros, Dodgers, Cardinals, Brewers, Rays, Rangers. While all of these are not serious possibilities, he elaborates on each team. He mentions Yunel Escobar as a likely centerpiece from Atlanta, and states that the Angels would love to acquire a frontline starter to allow them to send Ervin Santana and/or Joe Saunders to Colorado in a deal for Matt Holliday and/or Garrett Atkins. Rosenthal states that Howie Kendrick could be a big part of any trade, but his health seems like too serious of a concern to me. Rosenthal speculates on the possibility of a dominant rotation for the Yankees if they traded for Peavy and signed C.C. Sabathia. One rival executive’s speculative package for Boston included Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, and Justin Masterson. The Padres will likely charge the Dodgers considerably more for Peavy’s service, as they are division rivals. He lists Rickie Weeks and J.J. Hardy as a possible centerpiece for a Milwaukee blockbuster, but also points out that Ben Sheets has made the Brewers wary of injury concerns. The other teams don’t seem to match up well, in Rosenthal’s opinion.
Rosenthal says that he was wrong in stating that Derek Lowe would prefer to remain on the West Coast. Lowe has now told him that he’d prefer to go East, with Boston being his top choice. He reiterated this desire to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.
The Cardinals prefer a short-term solution for their closer situation, and will likely give Chris Perez the ninth inning job, or seek a lower-budget option through the trade market. They may also trade a young outfielder for an established bat at a corner OF position.
Kevin Gregg is still likely to be traded (perhaps an option for St. Louis), and four teams have asked Florida about Jeremy Hermida. Rosenthal speculates that the Marlins will begin 2009 with Cameron Maybin in center field and Cody Ross in right.

Odds and Ends: Springer, Sheffield, Bonds

By Tim Dierkes | October 18, 2008 at 9:54pm CDT

How about some weekend odds and ends?

Free agent reliever Russ Springer intends to pitch next year, and he prefers the Cardinals. The Cards haven’t discussed a contract with him, though, and they might prefer their younger (and cheaper) righthanded relievers.
Dave Cameron thinks Nate Robertson might be a sleeper, based on his peripheral stats. Boof Bonser is another pitcher whose ERA didn’t match up with his other numbers this year.
Peter Woodfork apparently bowed out of the Mariners GM job competition after his interview. The Ms could decide between Tony LaCava, Jerry DiPoto, Kim Ng, and Jack Zduriencik by Tuesday.
Scott Boras won a $550K decision against former client Gary Sheffield. Will Sheff make good on his February promise to say "ugly things" about Boras now?
Phil Rogers speculates on Manny Ramirez in a Cubs uniform, but admits they’d have to somehow move Alfonso Soriano first. Small obstacle: $106MM owed to Soriano over the next six years, plus his full no-trade clause.
Yahoo’s Tim Brown says Barry Bonds could be awarded $100MM or more if the players union wins its collusion case. Bonds would like to play in 2009, but no one expects it.

Latest Peavy Rumors

By Alejandro Leal | October 18, 2008 at 9:06pm CDT

9:03pm: Lots of good stuff from yesterday’s San Diego Union-Tribune that we haven’t covered. First, Kevin Towers says he’s looking for young controllable pitching and then middle infielders in a package for Peavy. No mention of a center field focus, which had been mentioned previously.

Additionally, Towers explained that the Astros do not match up well given his stated desire for multiple young pitchers. So far the Braves look like the best fit.

On the Cardinals front, Joe Strauss says the team’s scouts met this week and are enthusiastic about pursuing Peavy. Strauss’s sources say Peavy’s availability "loosened the organization’s grip on younger talent." Viva El Birdos believes Peavy would cost top prospect Colby Rasmus and then some. Despite Towers’ stated focus on starting pitching, an offer including Rasmus would have to give him pause.

3:26pm: The latest from the Jake Peavy universe:

While the Astros were high on the list of contenders yesterday, MLB.com Astros beat writer Alyson Footer isn’t so sure. According to Footer, sources named the Dodgers and the Braves as the two teams drawing the most interest, and said a deal could be in place within a week.

12:00pm: We had a good running mill of Jake Peavy rumors yesterday, but the stove is still hot. According to MLB.com beat writer Mark Bowman, the Braves are preparing a pitch for the Padres ace.

Citing a team official knowledgeable on the situation, Bowman reports the Braves have already had preliminary discussions with the Padres to gauge what kind of package would have to be put together to land the former Cy Young winner.

At this point, writes Bowman, the Braves are essentially in a holding pattern, waiting for the Padres to consider other deals from other teams. And it might be a long wait.

According to the report, the package the Braves are preparing would include top prospects, but it could also be improved if either second baseman Kelly Johnson or shortstop Yunel Escobar are included. Bowman thinks the Padres would have to include Khalil Greene for the Braves to consider dealing Escobar.

Peavy has said he’d waive his no-trade clause to pitch for Atlanta.

Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com and can be reached here: alexo05 -at- umpbump -dot- com. Tim Dierkes also contributed to this post.

Odds and Ends: Pitt, Manny, White Sox

By Tim Dierkes | October 17, 2008 at 10:18am CDT

Links for Friday…

The Red Sox claimed pitcher Dewon Day off waivers from the White Sox, and also designated pitcher Chris Smith for assignment.
Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ponders trading Colby Rasmus to get Jake Peavy and Khalil Greene.
Brad Pitt as Billy Beane in the Moneyball movie? Beane hopes to add offense this winter.
J.C. Bradbury estimates Manny Ramirez’s value at $128MM over the next six years. I think Manny and Boras would happily accept such an offer.
Dave Cameron laments the lack of respect for Ryan Langerhans.
South Side Sox presents an offseason plan for the White Sox.
Jacob Jackson at Athletics Nation predicts destinations for his top 12 free agents. My Top 50 will come out after the World Series. I disagree with a few of Jacob’s picks – Derek Lowe and Jason Giambi re-signing and the Cubs signing Adam Dunn.
I attempted to find some over/undervalued starting pitchers for fantasy baseball over at RotoAuthority.

Cards Cut Phelps, Claim Manning

By Tim Dierkes | October 15, 2008 at 4:13pm CDT

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals designated first baseman Josh Phelps for assignment today and claimed lefty reliever Charlie Manning off waivers from the Nationals.

Phelps, 30, has been with seven organizations. Things looked promising when he came up in 2002 and snagged some ROY votes with .924 OPS in a half-season. He hit 31 home runs in Triple A this year, but it was his fourth extended stint at the level.

Manning, 29, is also a minor league veteran. The Cards are his fourth organization; he debuted as a 29 year-old rookie with the Nationals this year. He did a pretty good job against lefties. With Ron Villone eligible for free agency, the Cards figured to add a few lefty relievers.

Odds and Ends: Castillo, Avila, Young

By Tim Dierkes | October 15, 2008 at 11:28am CDT

Links for Wednesday…

Chat today, 2pm CST.
Mets GM Omar Minaya regrets the Luis Castillo contract. In another post, Minaya admits that in an ideal world he wouldn’t have to give multiyear deals to relievers, but that’s the way it is.
The Tigers decided not to allow the Mariners to interview assistant GM Al Avila.
Outfielder Luis Gonzalez would be open to re-signing with the Marlins, but it doesn’t seem likely. Gonzo hopes to play in 2009, as he’d like to reach certain statistical milestones.
Viva El Birdos examines the Cardinals’ trade chips.
Charley Walters wouldn’t be surprised if the Twins have trade talks with the Giants regarding Delmon Young. The Giants seem more likely to pursue a slugging infielder, however.

Latest Peavy Chatter

By Tim Dierkes | October 15, 2008 at 10:39am CDT

10:39am: More from Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Peavy has a strong preference for the NL, and wants to play for a winner. Axelrod mentioned Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and St. Louis as cities that fit for Peavy and his family. Because of Peavy’s willingness to pitch in L.A., the Angels were named as a possibility by Axelrod.

8:27am: Let’s catch up on recent Jake Peavy articles. Dan Hayes of the North County Times wrote about Peavy Monday, quoting Padres GM Kevin Towers saying nothing is imminent. Hayes talked to several sources who say Peavy prefers to stay in the National League. The Padres have already approached him with hypothetical trade scenarios (Peavy has to approve any trade).

Regarding that no-trade clause – Peavy’s agent Barry Axelrod is on record saying three AL teams could entice his client. But at the end of the season, Peavy said he wouldn’t accept a deal to the AL. David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke to someone claiming to be an old friend of Peavy’s. The friend agrees that Peavy wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause for an AL team, despite his agent’s statement.

The friend gave O’Brien all kinds of info, making the Braves sound like Peavy’s top choice. O’Brien adds that the Braves let Towers know they’re interested. Even if Peavy is picky about his destination, though, there is no reason for Towers to accept a package that does not begin with Jason Heyward or Tommy Hanson. He has plenty of time to explore possible Peavy trades.

The Cardinals may also be in the mix, according to Buster Olney. Olney says that one team, "perhaps the Cardinals," is discussing the idea of adding Khalil Greene to a Peavy deal.

Week in Review: 10/5 – 10/11

By Steve Adams | October 12, 2008 at 1:45pm CDT

Let’s kick things off this afternoon with the week in review…

Rich Harden doesn’t need surgery, and he also doesn’t need to worry about where he’s pitching next year. The Cubs exercised his $7MM option this week. That one was a no-brainer, good news for Cubs fans.
Elsewhere in the Midwest, the Twins exercised backup catcher Mike Redmond’s option for $950K. While that’s great news for Twins fans, the bigger story for them is that Delmon Young could be available this offseason. Personally, I think trading a 23-year-old outfielder with that kind of upside would be a colossal mistake. I realize the Twins feel the need to acquire some infield help, but trading a former #1 overall pick after one disappointing season when he’s just 23 holds zero logic in my mind. I still like the Young/Matt Garza trade for Minnesota in the long run.
Couple of notes on the Brewers’ 1-2 punch, as C.C. Sabathia told reporters he’s open to playing anywhere, and wants to get his free agency over with quickly, and early in the offseason. As for Ben Sheets, despite his elbow injury, he is likely to be wearing a new uniform when 2009 comes around. His injury is apparently not too serious anyway.
We saw a few different rumblings about a possible Jake Peavy trade. Peavy doesn’t like the idea of a full-scale rebuilding project in San Diego, and an interview with his agent hints that he may be willing to play for the Yankees. If he’d prefer to be somewhere closer to home (Alabama), the Braves could be an interesting suitor.
Ryan Howard’s name has been tossed around as a potential trade candidate, but he’s likely to remain in place. One slugging first baseman from the NL will be available though, it seems: Tim takes a look at several potential landing sites for Prince Fielder. Trading Fielder is only a good idea if they can get a cheap, young, potential ace in my mind. With Sabathia and Sheets on their way out the door, the Brewers are going to need that offense working on all cylinders.
For those teams that need power, but lose out on the Fielder sweepstakes (assuming he’s moved that is), there’s still power to be had. Here’s a list of this year’s free agent home run leaders.
Tim covered his Offseason Outlook for the Twins, White Sox, Cardinals, and Astros.
Curt Schilling will either pitch for a contender in the second half of 2009 or retire.

Odds and Ends: Moore, Manny, Hudson

By Tim Dierkes | October 9, 2008 at 11:06am CDT

Reading material for Thursday…

NBC San Diego reports that John Moores plans to sell his 49% of the Padres as part of his divorce settlement.
Derrick Goold looks at the many teams that might consider Rafael Furcal, including the Cardinals. Imagine the kind of contract he’d be looking at if he’d been healthy all year.
I did a Q&A with Sox and Pinstripes recently.
According to Mariners president Chuck Armstrong, the new GM will have less power and a smaller payroll than Bill Bavasi. The list of candidates is down to ten.
MLB.com’s Dick Kaegel talked to Royals GM Dayton Moore, who wants to add an offensive player (a hitter, not a guy who offends). Moore won’t be moving Joakim Soria to the rotation, though some in the organization support it. Also, MLB Interviews chatted Royals with Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post sees a parallel between Mike Mussina and Jimmy Key. Some Yankees officials expect Mussina to file for free agency to keep his options open.
In another article, Sherman warns suitors that Manny Ramirez is a "con man."
ESPN’s Buster Olney runs through possible destinations for Orlando Hudson, including the Mets, White Sox, Indians, and Angels.
Anthony Marenna of DC Metroblog provides an offseason plan for the Nationals, while Jacob Jackson takes on the A’s at Athletics Nation.

Offseason Outlook: St. Louis Cardinals

By Tim Dierkes | October 8, 2008 at 9:44am CDT

The Cardinals are next in our Offseason Outlook series. Their likely commitments for 2009:

C – Yadier Molina – $3.25MM
C – Bryan Anderson – $400K
1B – Albert Pujols – $16MM
2B – Adam Kennedy – $4MM
SS – Brendan Ryan – $400K
3B – Troy Glaus – $11.25MM
IF – Aaron Miles – $1.4MM+
IF/OF – Chris Duncan – $439K
LF – Skip Schumaker – $400K
CF – Rick Ankiel – $900K+
RF – Ryan Ludwick – $411K+
OF – Brian Barton – $400K
OF – Joe Mather – $400K

SP – Chris Carpenter – $14MM
SP – Adam Wainwright – $2.6MM
SP – Kyle Lohse – $7.125MM
SP – Todd Wellemeyer – $1MM+
SP – Joel Pineiro – $7.5MM

RP – Chris Perez – $400K
RP – Ryan Franklin – $2.5MM
RP – Kyle McClellan – $400K
RP – Jason Motte – $400K
RP – Brad Thompson – $414K+
RP – Josh Kinney – $400K
RP –

Buyouts: Mark Mulder – $1.5MM

That’s about $78MM, plus arbitration raises for Miles, Ludwick, Wellemeyer, and Thompson. The Cards apparently had around $30MM to spend before signing Lohse, so now they have roughly $21MM. Unloading Kennedy is unlikely to save much money.

I don’t have much to add beyond the musings of Larry Borowsky of Viva El Birdos. The Cards will probably look to re-sign Felipe Lopez, maybe Jason Isringhausen at the right price. They’ll ink a few lefties, maybe a swingman pitcher, and a backup catcher.

It seems the Cardinals can either spend good money on a shortstop or a reliever, but probably not both. It could boil down to Rafael Furcal or Brian Fuentes; you know I prefer Furcal. It’s easier to piece together a bullpen than find a starting shortstop.

John Mozeliak could also pursue a trade. Some thought to be available who might fit: Brian Roberts, Dan Uggla, Jack Wilson, B.J. Ryan, George Sherrill, Kevin Gregg, and Huston Street. Top prospect Colby Rasmus figures to be off-limits; you just can’t trade a potential star center fielder. And Ankiel, a Scott Boras client, is a free agent after ’09.

The Cardinals will always be fearsome with Pujols anchoring their lineup. If they can find a shortstop this winter and keep the rotation healthy, they’ll contend.

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