Cardinals Rumors

Odds and Ends: Cashman, Roberts, Lowe

By Tim Dierkes | September 18, 2008 at 11:43am CDT

Rounding up links for Thursday…

Ken Davidoff of Newsday notes which player moves were entirely Brian Cashman’s, and which came from above.
Buster Olney wonders if Doug Melvin could replace Cashman as the Yankees’ GM. Olney stresses that it’s pure speculation on his part.
Viva El Birdos asks what it would take for the Cardinals to acquire Brian Roberts.
John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press says the Tigers should sign Derek Lowe this winter. Will Lowe get a four year deal?
Bud Selig tells Ken Rosenthal the Manny Ramirez trade was completed before the deadline. Jerry Crasnick says the Dodgers have not talked to Ramirez about an extension.
Rays Index explains why the team should not trade Scott Kazmir.

Mets Likely To Pass On K-Rod?

By Tim Dierkes | September 15, 2008 at 7:42pm CDT

Newsday’s Ken Davidoff spoke to a "person informed of the Mets’ thinking," and learned that they will not be signing free agent closer Francisco Rodriguez. This is not because of the $10.5MM owed to Billy Wagner next year – that’s a sunk cost. It’s just that the Mets would rather try internal options than hand out another record-breaking contract. Davidoff does not expect the Mets to pursue Brian Fuentes either. He sees the Mets re-signing Luis Ayala and then focusing on starting pitching.

Davidoff examines the likelihood of the Angels, Cardinals, or Tigers signing Rodriguez. He seems to consider the Cards the favorite. The Cardinals may entertain re-signing Jason Isringhausen, but that wouldn’t take them out of the market for a closer.

A closer vacancy and a ton of money…not many teams fit that description. Will K-Rod have a disappointing winter?

Cardinals To Be Aggressive This Offseason

By Nat Boyle | September 14, 2008 at 10:22am CDT

Joe Strauss of the St. Louis-Dispatch reports Cardinals owner John Mozeliak has vowed to be aggressive this offseason.

"Last year, I thought the only way we could improve was through addition by subtraction," Mozeliak said, referring to trades that sent away disenchanted third baseman Scott Rolen and center fielder Jim Edmonds. "This year is different. I think we will identify holes and aggressively pursue closing them in a number of ways."

Jason Isringhausen, Kyle Lohse, Braden Looper, and Russ Springer will free up some payroll. In fact, over $40MM will be pared from the payroll. The Cardinals need a left handed reliever, a starting pitcher, and an impact bat.

It will be interesting to see if the Cardinals wind up in an arms race with the Astros.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Hudson, Ordonez, Fielder, Howard

By Tim Dierkes | September 12, 2008 at 3:26pm CDT

Let’s swing through Ken Rosenthal’s latest column.

Rosenthal names the Mets, Yankees, Rangers, White Sox, Indians, Rockies, and Cardinals as speculative fits for free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson. Obviously several of those scenarios would involve shuffling players to other positions or trades. The Yankees’ infield defense could certainly use the boost.
Rosenthal considers Frank Wren’s midseason trip to Japan a sign that he might be active in that market.
The Tigers may shop Magglio Ordonez for pitching this winter. Maggs will need fewer than 500 plate appearances next year to cause his 2010 and 2011 options to vest. So he’s essentially owed $48MM over three years.
Don’t forget two other sluggers who may be available this winter: Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard. It works well for the Brewers and Phillies, as the free agent market is weak at first base.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rasmus, Tazawa, Manny

By Cork Gaines | September 12, 2008 at 12:10pm CDT

Let’s take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…

Cardinals Diaspora reads between the lines and feels the Cards will shop their top prospect, Colby Rasmus, this winter.
The Detroit Tigers Weblog would like to see the Tigers go after Japanese amateur pitcher Junichi Tazawa.
East Windup Chronicle looks at the Japanese free agent crop.
River Ave. Blues thinks the Yankees and Manny Ramirez would be a "perfect fit" despite those that say it won’t happen.
Drunk Jays Fans thinks the Mets should inquire with the Jays about the availability of B.J. Ryan.
Rays Index takes a look at the Rays’ ’09 roster and sees too many starting pitchers and not enough chairs, which could lead to one or two being traded this off-season.
McCovey Chronicles projects the Giants’ ’09 roster and sees all positions spoken for except possibly third base, but still wonders if Brian Sabean will feel the need to sign an impact free agent.
Lone Star Ball takes a look at the Rangers’ ’09 40-man roster.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

Odds and Ends: Sabathia, Pavano, Penny, Burnett

By Tim Dierkes | September 11, 2008 at 9:24am CDT

Random links to start the morning…

Ben Shpigel says Billy Wagner’s $10.5MM for ’09 is not covered by insurance, making the Mets unlikely suitors for K-Rod (hat tip to MetsBlog).
The Padres claimed knuckleballer Charlie Haeger. You have to like the move; he’s only 24.
Ken Davidoff writes about Nationals pitcher Tim Redding, who dreams about returning to the Yankees one day.
Davidoff also says that contrary to popular belief, C.C. Sabathia did not buy a home in Southern California.
In another post, Davidoff lists the worst trades of ’08.
Nats GM Jim Bowden will probably bring in a veteran first baseman next year due to health concerns with Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young.
Not much cooking on the Pedro Alvarez front…Bud Selig testified yesterday, and the next part of the hearing isn’t until September 23rd.
Andrew Baggarly explains Bengie Molina’s contentious relationship with the Giants.
From Saturday: Carl Pavano’s side of the story. Can Pavano be a useful pitcher next year?
Larry Borowsky would like to see the Cardinals enterain an extension for Todd Wellemeyer. He’s eligible for free agency after the ’09 season.
Joel Sherman isn’t sure the Yankees will invite Andy Pettitte back next year.
Brad Penny says he pitched through a shoulder injury because of uncertainty around his ’09 option.
Interesting fact…A.J. Burnett is second in MLB with 3286 pitches thrown (Sabathia jumped into the lead last night). Many of the ’07 leaders in pitches thrown came down with injuries this year.
Michael O’Keefe sits down with agent Scott Boras.
ESPN’s Buster Olney notes that the Blue Jays will pursue a shortstop this winter.
All you ever wanted to know about Dr. James Andrews.
Jed Hoyer explains where Curt Schilling learned his negotiating tactics.

Molony’s Latest: K-Rod, Helms, Valverde

By Tim Dierkes | September 9, 2008 at 12:54pm CDT

Let’s dig into the latest blog post from MLB.com’s Jim Molony.

Molony believes the Mets, Cardinals, Rays, Tigers, Indians, and Cubs are considering signing Francisco Rodriguez this winter. I think K-Rod’s demands could cause a nice ripple effect for Brian Fuentes, the second-best closer on the market. Regarding Molony’s six teams, a strong case can be made against several of them signing Rodriguez. The Rays and Indians will probably take a careful approach to free agency, while the Tigers may not have room in the budget. The Cubs seem likely to bring Kerry Wood back.
Also on the topic of K-Rod, ESPN’s Andrew Marchand (via MetsBlog) quotes the pitcher’s agent naming the Cardinals, Tigers, Dodgers, Angels, and Mets as the five likely serious suitors. They’re looking for 5/75.
Wes Helms would like to return to the Marlins next year. Molony believes the Marlins may want to retain Helms or Luis Gonzalez but perhaps not both.
The Astros would prefer an extension for closer Jose Valverde rather than a likely eight figure arbitration reward. Valverde, 29, could reasonably demand more than $50MM in a multiyear extension.

Odds and Ends: Pujols, Isringhausen, K-Rod

By Tim Dierkes | September 9, 2008 at 11:15am CDT

I am going to toss up some links as I come across them, so check back on this post.

ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick has an excellent piece on the Pedro Alvarez situation, including quotes from Scott Boras and Max Scherzer. The grievance will be heard tomorrow, but the entire process could take months.
The big news of the day is not hot stove related. Albert Pujols is considering offseason Tommy John surgery, which would require seven to nine months of recovery time. It could cause him to miss April of ’09. UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal’s sources say Pujols does not intend to have the surgery this offseason.
In the same article, reliever Jason Isringhausen says he hopes to be ready for spring training after elbow surgery. He spoke of getting "an incentive-based deal with someone."
Joel Sherman doesn’t buy into the speculation that the Mets will be aggressive in pursuing Francisco Rodriguez due to Billy Wagner’s injury. K-Rod has had 61 save opportunities this year, 14 more than anyone else. No other pitcher has reached 60 opps this decade. Rodriguez may pursue a five-year, $75MM deal.
SI.com’s Tom Verducci looks at the dumbing down of bullpen roles.
Andrew Baggarly offers a possible explanation for Conor Gillaspie’s call-up: a "predraft understanding." Gillaspie signed for slot as the 37th overall pick. Adding him to the 40-man roster now is less than ideal.
RotoWorld’s Matthew Pouliot predicts destinations and contracts for free agent pitchers. His article also includes non-tender candidates.
Cork Gaines gives a rundown of the Rays’ 2009 commitments.
This week’s chat has been moved to Wednesday at 2pm CST.

Odds and Ends: Alvarez, Orioles, K-Rod, Bradley

By Cork Gaines | September 8, 2008 at 5:09pm CDT

A few more notes from the MLBiverse…

Dejan Kovacevic is reporting the Pedro Alvarez case may not be settled until well after the season. While there is a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, some feel that the case is too complex for a single hearing.
P eter Schmuck feels the O’s will sign a "couple of Paul Byrd-type pitchers," rather than open the pocketbook for a front-of-the-rotation starter.
It is just speculation, but Nick Cafardo feels the Tigers and Cardinals will be the front-runners for Francisco Rodriguez…Of course this was written prior to the news that Billy Wagner will be out for the ’09 season.
Manager Ron Washington said he wants Milton Bradley back with the Rangers in ’09, adding that he is not worried about having too many outfielders.
Peter Abraham says the trades made by the Yankees prior to the deadline have backfired, with only Xavier Nady proving to be a valuable pickup.
The Phillies have designated RJ Swindle for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Swindle made three appearances for the Phillies earlier this season. In Triple A, Swindle had 51 strikeouts in 36.1 innings, with a 1.98 ERA in 27 appearances.
Athletics Nation takes a look at the outfield logjam the A’s have for ’09. While a trade or two seems like the obvious solution, Athletics Nation is worried the pieces are currently undervalued.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

Odds and Ends: Bass, Astros, Beltre, Marlins

By Joe Pawlikowski | September 5, 2008 at 11:53am CDT

A roundup of links for your afternoon reading:

Tadahito Iguchi, recently released by the Padres, has returned to the Phillies.
The Brewers have signed Mike Lamb, who had been DFA by the Twins.
Richard Justice praises Ed Wade’s bullpen construction.
El Lefty Malo discusses the Giants’ reported interest in Adrian Beltre. He doesn’t think a straight-up trade for Jonathan Sanchez makes sense for the Giants.
Tons of arbitration eligible players for the Marlins this off-season. Will they start selling off parts? It seems likely. To sign everyone would bring their payroll over $30MM. Tough to sustain when you’re drawing just 600 fans in September.
Tony LaRussa expects the Cardinals front office to work to improve the team this off-season. The have plenty of hefty contracts coming off the books.
In a minor move, the Twins have sent righty Brian Bass to the Orioles for a PTBNL.

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