If I were GM:

1. Let Perez and Motte split the 9th inning duties. Just always go with the hot hand out of the two.

2. Give Trevor Hoffman a year at $6m if for no other reason than to mentor the young arms in the pen. He doesn’t have to close, he barely even has to pitch as far as I’m concerned, but have him around those young guys.

3. Ink Randy Wolf for a year at around $8m. Should be enough, unless someone is throwing a crazy multi-year offer at him. Avoids long-term commitment, but still maximizing the use of resources.

4. Sit back and wait, just like the Cards did with Lohse last season, and see who shakes loose at the end of the winter. There are sure to be bargains to be had in this market for the patient GM. If you can’t make a worthwhile add at that point, leave yourself around $6m wiggle room for a trade deadline acquisition (and this time actually make one).

Keith Law has called the Cardinals ‘sneaky-good for 2009′ – so there’s something there, they just need to be able to add the right part here and there when it’s necessary.

Why we won’t do it. Too much depth in the outfield. Tony is saying there are 6 outfielders right now, Ludwick, Ankiel, Schumaker, Duncan, Mather, and Rasmus. Sounds like if Rasmus isn’t playing great then he won’t be an everday player, and if he isn’t an everyday player then he goes back to AAA. In that interview on the birdhouse, Tony goes so far as to say Rasmus is still just a baby. Kind of hints at ‘management’ maybe is leaning on him to play Rasmus more than he would like. Also it sounds like we can expect to see Duncan back in the outfield. Don’t worry though, TLR assures us he will be terrific. I could get behind Duncan as a bench player backing up Pujols at 1B, but not in the OF, yet again. Seattle is looking for a left-handed first baseman and/or DH. Sounds like a perfect fit to me. There must be some pitcher there we could trade for.

Right now I would trade Rasmus + whoever for Peavy, sign Taveras to play CF, and sign Fuentes or some closer to keep Tony happy. I’d make some kind of offer to Smoltz too if the Braves don’t sign him. He was pitching great last year before he got hurt and he is tough and smart and won’t come back if he can’t pitch. At least that’s my read on him. Don’t get me wrong on Rasmus, I’d love to have the guy on the team, but I just don’t think he’s going to mesh with Tony. He wants to play and be the star and Tony wants him to do as he’s told. I’m almost thinking of Rasmus as a JD Drew now. Lots and lots of talent, but will he ever live up to all the hype? Guess I’m just getting frustrated. To me the holes are glaringly obvious and yet they go un-addressed.

Also in that interview it sounds like TLR isn’t about to turn the 9th inning over to Reyes or Motte either. Fuentes or find somebody else or maybe have Carpenter close.

In a perfect world, they’d have ponied up for Furcal to play SS – but I think his injury history is going to wind up making him a bad addition wherever he lands.

I wouldn’t mind seeing one of the outfielders they have now traded for a young, cheap starting pitcher – and then let Rasmus play CF and lead off.

I thought the lack of speed last year was a killer and now we don’t even have Izturis who stole the most bases for us.

This could be a guy to take a look at. He was drafted 10th overall in the 2001 draft by Houston and was a very higly rated prospect but was blocked by Biggio at 2B. He finally earned some playing time in the outfield but never really got a fair shot. He wound up in Arizona but not as an everyday player either. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Cards sign him to a one or two year deal, stick him at 2B and see what he can do in his natural position with an everyday role. If nothing else he could be a nice utility guy. Was supposed to be a 20/20 type player IIRC.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/burkech01.shtml

But, if Mo was offering Ankiel for Putz then I question if he knows what he is doing. You don’t offer an older player that will be a free agent the following year and that has Boras as his agent to a team that is rebuilding on the cheap. Putz is a stud closer and would easily be worth Ankiel. I never really considered the Cardinals contenders for Putz figuring they would have to give up too much in the way of young talent, ie not Ankiel, in order to get him, and that Mo is following his hardcore line of building from within. Maybe if Putz didn’t have the arm issues last year you could consider giving more for him. In reality penciling any closer in for even 3 years is risky at best. I still think he will be a stud and far better than Fuentes, who TLR likely wouldn’t use as the everday closer anyway being a lefty, but I would be, and I assume most Cardinal fans, be happy just to see the players we have been building from within, allowed the chance to step in and take on the role, ie Perez with Motte as a backup.

Right now, besides Fuentes, there is Hoffman still on the market. The Angels are interested in Fuentes, so his price probably just went back to the out of reach range for the Cardinals. I would give Hoffman a $4-5M contract, but not likely he would pitch for that.

Looking at the Cardinal roster you can pencil in 1B, 3B, SS, C as filled and Rasmus is going to be the CF unless he falls flat on his face. That leaves LF, RF, SP, RP as possible moves. I would argue that it will be hard to improve on Ludwick, Schumaker, and Ankiel as the 4 outfielders without having to trade young talent, which isn’t going to happen. It’s not like we are going after Abreu or Ramirez for instance. However, if we could trade for a Willy Taveras or maybe sign Podsednik, I’d be willing to give that a try. Barring that, if I were the GM, I’d be trying to sign Lowe as a SP. His sinker is perfect for Duncan and he’d be a great fit. Sign him while the focus is still on Burnett. Then I’d have to try to find a 2B. We probably don’t get Hudson if the Nationals are going to throw big money at him when they don’t sign Teixiera. Maybe I’d consider signing Ray Durham to a 1 year deal and platoon him with Miles. Kennedy would be traded for bullpen help or a minor leaguer to build the farm system. I think we missed out on a nice ‘project’ player in Ryan Freel. He is a hard nosed player that could play lots of positions. Maybe could have earned the 2B spot and batted leadoff.

Guess we’ll just wait and see what happens.

Don’t tell that CC and his monster deal with the Yankeees who are reportedly also now offering Burnett a mere 5 yr $80M.

Edwin Jackson has now also been traded so I doubt any of those Rays pitchers will be available now. Cameron was just traded to the Yankees for Melky Cabrera.

No way would I trade Ludwick for pitching, unless, somehow we were upgrading Ludwick. Ankiel can’t protect Pujols and really Ludwick can’t either as long as they both strike out so much. Really the Cards would be better off with Pujols protecting them.

I just got an email alert from AZ that Lopez signed a 1 year $3.5M deal to play 2nd base as well.