Catching up with the Cardinals’ off-season

So I’ve been biding my time, waiting, watching, allowing the news to come to me. As I’m sure my loyal readers know (all three of you), it’s been eerily quiet.

Let’s catch up with the goings on…

The UCB Roundtable on Albert Pujols: El Hombre, El Extension?

So today is my turn in the esteemed United Cardinal Bloggers’ Roundtable discussions taking place this month of October.  I’ve had a great time going back and forth with this red bleeding bunch, no matter agreeing or disagreeing.  While most of the Cardinal fandom is focused on who the Redbirds can add this off-season, I wanted to know what the group thought of keeping (and taking care of) the current face of the Cardinals, Albert Pujols.

Albert Pujols is due to receive $16m for 2009 and another $16m for 2010.  2011 is a club option for $16m.  If you’re John Mozeliak, when do you start renegotiating El Hombre’s contract?  Albert’s never really seemed one to be greedy, but his current contract is clearly beginning to lag behind some arguably inferior hitters.  How much would you be willing to pay annually for his next deal, knowing that the Cards’ ownership seems stuck around the $100m payroll mark?

Most of the answers were not terribly surprising in general terms.  There was a good variety, however, of opinions on when and how much.

Don Daniel - The Redbird Blog

Albert is one of those unique players who means a lot more to a franchise than simply his statistics.  He has been, and will be, the face of the St. Louis Cardinals for an entire generation of Cardinal fans.  So, that being said, I believe the Cardinals’ front office has to do everything they can to ensure that Pujols is a Cardinal for his entire career.

First off, I’m assuming the Cardinals have every intention of exercising the 2011 club option.  So if I were John Mozeliak, I would seek authority from ownership to approach Albert after the 2009 season (or early in the 2010 season) regarding a contract extension. I would not wait until Albert reaches the final year of his deal.  I think approaching Albert early accomplishes two things:  (1) shows loyalty to the player on the part of ownership, and (2) allows the team to budget for its future (i.e., “cost certainty”).  I think, as part of that negotiation, the team should expect to perhaps offer a “raise” for the final two years of Albert’s current deal (even if the money is deferred).

In terms of dollars offered for Albert’s next contract, I think you’d have to use A-Rod as a guidepost.  It’s a crapload of money to be sure, but Albert will be in his early 30s when his current contract expires.  I’d expect he’d want at least a 7-8 year deal (maybe $150-$165M)?  One would hope he’d be willing to offer somce concessions to the Redbirds in order to allow them to remain competitive (e.g., backloading of the contract, deferring money over a 20-year period, etc.).

Scott Deaner - Cardinal Nation Globe

You’re right, Albert has never really seemed one to be greedy, however, he needs to be paid like one of the best hitters in the game and a franchise player. I say, pay him whatever will keep him in St. Louis for the rest of his (productive) career. Also, his personality and work ethic should not be overlooked - he is the epitome of a player to build a team around. I say give him a 7-8 year contract in the mid-$20 million range. Ownership might just have to get over the $100 million mark.

Mike Metzger - Stan Musial’s Stance

I have been a vocal fiscal responsibility voice (”$36 million for Fuentes?!  Are you crazy!?!) in these threads, but in AP’s case, I agree with Deaner.  Pay the man.  Future first-ballot Hall of Famers should play their entire careers for one team.

However, I’m not sure when the appropriate time is to start negotiating his next contract.  I wouldn’t start now; I’b probably wait until the next off-season to initiate discussions, and try to get something done in earnest after they pick up his 2011 option.

Haedar Abuirqeba - Redbird Ramblings

If I could, I’d give AP a blank check and blank number of years and let him fill it out as he wishes because I trust his judgement; he is el hombre after all. that, however, is not very realistic. you gotta have enough money left over to put a decent team on the field day in and day out.

so, I would let things play out for the next two seasons (09 and 10). then, I would start negotiating with AP on an extension late in the ‘10 season or that offseason. if nothing gets done, you pick up the option and negotiate during that final year until you reach a deal. with albert, nothing really concerns me except that elbow. in 2010, he will be 30 years old (only!). so, I would say the cards can give him a six to seven year deal to keep him in a cards uniform for the rest of his career.

now, how much cash are they gonna be dishing out? one has to think that it will be at least 20 million a year; probably around 25 million. if anyone in baseball is worth that money, albert is (when healthy of course).

Daniel Shoptaw - C70 At The Bat

Of course, the longer you wait, the higher the market goes, and inferior hitters start pushing up the prices of the stars.

I’d start now, honestly.  It’s not like Carpenter, where if he does have surgery the whole extension bit is considered a dismal failure.  Even if AP missed all of ‘09, does anyone think management wouldn’t want to extend him anyway?  He is easily the face of the franchise and some days the only thing that keeps many in the fanbase from storming the gates.

How much?  I agree, I don’t think you have to set contract records with AP.  An average of $22-$25 million, though, would probably be reasonable.  He’d still be a bargain.

Scott Deaner - Cardinal Nation Globe (in response to Haedar)

I enjoyed reading your comment about the blank check and trusting Albert’s judgement. I read a biography of Honus Wagner a few years back and apparently the Pirates used to do that with him. Wagner would never ask for a raise, he always wanted, “same as last year.” Honus, like Albert, was a good, honorable man. FYI - That’s why Honus Wagner’s baseball card is so rare and valueable. The card was given out with tobacco products and Wagner didn’t want his name/picture associated with that because he knew that kids looked up to him, so he asked for them to be destroyed. I could see Albert doing something similar.

Mike West - Mike on the Cards

Albert is one of those rarest of rare baseball players.  One that puts up ridiculous numbers year in and year out, but is always striving to get better.  He’s a leader, both on and off the field, making everyone around him better in the process.  Alberts don’t grow on trees, so we should be thankful we get to see him play everyday.

So, I do think it’s very important to keep him around for the rest of his career, and for whatever kind of money it takes.  I’d guess close to $25 million a year, average.  I don’t, however, think it’s necessary to start extension talks with him anytime soon.  I’d say get a deal done before the start of the 2011 season.  I would hope that by then the Cards will have a few more minimum salary guys making major contributions to the club.

John Shelton - The Cardinal Virtue

Pujols = Legend. It is more fiscally responsible to pay him premium. The thing is: Albert is smart too. He knows that moving to another franchise does not help your status. It’s worth several million to stay where you are and be worshipped. I also think he is also aware that the no doubt Hall of Famers–the legends–tend to have spent almost all their career with one team. The team is also aware of the revenue of having a legend play for only them. There are two trains of thought regarding when to renegotiate. If you do it now, you avoid the general inflation and you show that you are appreciative of his top level talent and want to show him that you are willing to pay him accordingly. However, since he is having surgery, you could say that next year is the time to do that so that you can see how that all pans out. Personally, I believe he is more than worth the risk. In summary: It is fiscally MORE RESPONSIBLE to make him one of the highest paid players NOW than to mess around and low-ball.

Eric Ferguson - Bert Flex

I’m not going to get into specific dollars/years, but I agree with the general sentiment that you don’t let him hit the market. Do it quietly in the next 18 months — ideally, we won’t even know about the negotiations until they are already complete.

See you all in Cooperstown for the Albert induction.

Matthew Philip - Fungoes

I’m sure Albert appreciates all the love expressed in your sentiments so far, so I hope I don’t bring everyone down with a little dissent. Albert just finished his age-28 season; he’ll be 29 when the season starts. As amazing as his 2008 campaign was, it probably won’t get any better than that. Remember Bill James’s warning: “Ballplayers, as a group, reach their peak value much earlier and decline much more rapidly than people believe.” True, Albert is an individual and not a group, but he is still mortal and subject to the same laws as everyone else. So here’s what the Cardinals have at minimum: Albert signed at below-market cost for the next three years. He will have played his age-29 -30 and -31 seasons. One thing that I don’t think I’ve seen anyone address is how long an extension should be. One year? Five? At that point, the Cardinals will be dealing with Albert at age 32 onward. That’s not usually a good time to invest (it’s called “buying high”). On one hand, if anyone seems capable of still producing at high levels late in his career, it’s Pujols. On the other, it’s interesting how quickly we forget our lessons of history, namely of Chris Carpenter (extended for his age-34-37 seasons), Mark Mulder and Jim Edmonds (and, though it wasn’t an extension, Scott Rolen). The guy still has three years on his existing deal; I know that the Cardinals have lately tried to leverage their position with players under contract, but let’s let the guy play another year or two before we throw more guaranteed money his way. I’m not arguing that the team shouldn’t try to tack on three more years to Pujols’s present contract, but I don’t think that the Giants-Bonds model (losing team, one aging superstar) is what we want.

Tom Knuppel - Cardinals GM

Albert can and should write his own contract. I know that the money spent can be spread out over many players but none as special as  Pujols. I would give him $25 million a year for another 7-10 years.

Goodness that’s a lot to digest!  Some excellent points, most talking about Albert’s long-term value as a ‘Cardinal Legend’.

My take

While Pip tries to throw water on the fire, I’m going to agree with everyone else that you give this man many years, and you give him many dollars.

In a free agent class that will get Mark Teixeira at least a five year deal that will approach $200mm dollars total, imagine what Pujols would fetch.  Believe it or not, Mang and Tex are the same age, 28.  Anyone think Teixeira is the better player?  The better hitter?  The better fielder?  A better team leader?  Didn’t think so.

I believe that you give Pujols 2009 to see if this recent procedure on his elbow helped matters any.  If it didn’t, he still puts up another MVP-type season.  If it did, who knows what he could do?  Obviously the prospects of putting another fearsome hitter behind Albert in the lineup are slim, but if Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel and even muster cheap impressions of their 2008 seasons, Pujols should be no worse for wear in the protection department.

After the 2009 season, you quietly (I liked the suggestion above to get the deal done with no attention, then quietly announce it) re-up with Pujols, say - six years, $130-150mm.  We could only assume Albert will take it, while likely deferring most of it (as in his previous contract), and finishing his career as a Cardinal.  He is a major buyer of ‘The Cardinal Way’.

Concerned about early decline?  Pujols is a relentless worker, always trying to improve.  It is my opinion that he will last long into his thirties.  Still not convinced?  Structure his deal like the late years with Ozzie Smith.  Basically a lifetime deal, renegotiated year-in and year-out, ultimately ending with a personal services contract that will allow the club to gain some benefit from their paid-out cash on the back end of the deal.

Bottom line, I don’t think you can lose inking this guy to another long-term deal, and the sooner the more reasonable per year cost, I think.  The Cardinals are obviously looking to become more self-sufficient, perhaps even with an eye on what it is going to cost them to retain Pujols for the remainder of his career.  So why not try to cost-control that as soon as possible?

Thanks for reading folks!  Check out all the other great blogs in the United Cardinal Bloggers’ Roundtable, and stay tuned here for links to the rest of the questions and discussions!

UPDATE: Added another response from Tom over at Cardinals GM!

Kyle Lohse gets paid

Ok, save the “duh” comments.  I know I’m behind the news here.

Fact is, my tardiness was somewhat intentional.  I’ve set myself down at the keyboard several times since Sunday night/Monday afternoon, all set to unleash my true thoughts on the Kyle Lohse signing, only to think better of it and continue to read other opinions across the web.

At long last, I think I’ve done enough reading, and I’m here to offer my opinion to my loyal readers (all three of you).

I really like the Lohse signing.  More than I thought I would.  In fact, I think they got a pretty good deal on Lohse.  John Mozeliak should be praised for making a proactive move before Lohse hit the market.  Lohse deserves a lot of credit in this situation as well, supposedly having initiated the talks between his agent Scott Boras and the Cardinals to get to this point.

I’m not going to get too deeply statistical on this note - when probably I should - to prove my point.  What I will do, is offer anecdotal evidence (I suspect that it is all I have to support my argument in this situation) that can show that at worst, Lohse’s contract will not be a ‘collar around the neck’ of the Cardinals.

Here we go.

First off, Lohse’s performance for 2008.  Sure, he’s never produced as he did this past season, but who is anyone to say that he never will again?  Dave Duncan has surely made pitchers out of throwers and head cases in the past, and I suspect he may have found a live arm/weak head project again in Lohse.  Duncan made a very similar transformation in Todd Stottlemyre in Oakland and St Louis from 1995 through mid-1998.  Stottlemyre proved to be successful, at least successful enough to justify what they’ve paid Lohse in today’s market, for the four years between age 29 and 33, which happened to be his last year with the Cardinals.  Stottlemyre was consequently handed $8m per season for 1999-2002, which is more per season than Lohse will make in 2009.

Cardinal fans were beside themselves when Walt Jocketty let Jeff Suppan walk, supposedly without so much as a phone call.  Suppan will make $5.375m more than Lohse ($7.125m) in 2009, and $3.625m more ($8.875m for Lohse) in 2010.  Suppan will be 34 next season, Lohse will be 30.  Suppan was 10-10 this season with a 4.96 ERA, in 177.7 IP.  Lohse was 15-6 with a 3.78 ERA in 200 IP.  Innings are obviously a valuable commodity, not only for the Cardinals, but in all of Major League Baseball.

Jason Marquis is due to make $9.875m next season.  This is not a club option or player option, this is guaranteed.  Cardinal fans couldn’t get rid of this guy fast enough two years ago.  Enough said.

Adam Eaton signed a big four-year contract with the Philadelphia Philles in 2007, when he was 29.  He will earn more than Lohse in 2009 and 2010 ($8.5m and $9m).  Eaton is 14-18 with an atrocious ERA and has only averaged around 140 IP per season, mostly because he was sent to triple-A midway through the 2008 season.

Obviously, as I’m writing, I realize these cases provide just as much of a cautionary tale as they do a reason to sign Lohse to this contract.  Lohse has been a consistent innings guy.  He’s been a healthy pitcher.  He hasn’t always produced statistics to match his 2008 effort, but the hope is that the Cardinals either found something in his mechanics or found something in his head that they have righted to produce the 2008 we all saw.

With all of that said, I have my complaints with the deal.  I don’t like the no-trade clause.  Why in the world would the Cardinals give in to this senseless demand from a pitcher who couldn’t even command a multi-year contract last season?  Why not give him a couple years no-trade with a couple years of limited no-trade?  The no-trade has a potential to really hamstring the Cardinals in years 2011 and 2012.  Here’s hoping that they won’t need to worry about trading him.

While it helps immediately, I’m not sure I agree with the back-loading of the deal.  Lohse is due to earn far more in the last two years of the contract than the first two - obviously this could well be a moot point if the Cardinals’ plan to build from within comes to fruition and they can get more production from less out of young players in those years.

I’m not sure what the Lohse deal means for the rest of the off-season and the Cardinals’ ability to sign more starting pitching.  Lots of folks would love to see Braden Looper brought back.  Still others are expecting a AJ Burnett or Ben Sheets type of signing (keep dreaming about CC Sabathia folks).  There just isn’t the money (or perhaps the availability) of those guys realistically in the Cardinals’ budget.  Burnett is likely to command $16-18m per season.  Sheets is far too injury prone, much less the fact that someone is bound to throw $15m at him regardless.  Looper might come back, but he’ll still ring up around $7-8m per season, if I had to guess.  I, for one, wouldn’t mind seeing Looper come back around $6-7m if it could get done.  I don’t advocate depending on Chris Carpenter for any amount of innings.  I think the Cardinals could reasonably get a pitcher or two from Memphis to throw some reasonable innings in the fifth rotation spot.  Who knows what is going on in Mozeliak’s wheelhouse.

I should add at this point that I realize I’m looking on the sunny side of life here.  For all of the positive comparables, there are also the Jose Lima’s, Ricky Bones’, Sidney Ponson’s, and (gasp) Joel Pineiro’s of the world.  Lohse is going to have to continue to work with Duncan, have to continue to concentrate during games, must continue to strengthen his mental approach to pitching in the National League.  For some reason I am confident.

I leave you with this:

Lohse’s most comparable pitcher at ages 25 and 26 (according to baseball-reference.com)?  None other than Chris Carpenter.  Carp was hurt at age 27, missed the season during age 28.  Lohse has pitched through those years, hopefully growing as he did.  Carp blossomed at age 29, 30, and 31 under the tutelage of Dave Duncan.  If the Cardinals could get anywhere near the production out of a 29, 30, and 31 year old Lohse, this contract will be a bargain.

Braden Looper: To sign or not to sign?

That is a question on many a Cards fan’s tongue as the season winds to a close.

As Braden Looper prepares to take the mound tonight, in the Cardinals’ final series of this wildly entertaining (and similarly frustrating) season, it could be his final appearance wearing the Birds-on-the-Bat.

It can be argued that Looper’s conversion from reliever to starter has been a rousing success.  Braden has posted a 24-26 record over the last two seasons, sporting a 4.49 ERA.  Perhaps just as importantly, Looper has averaged 183.1 IP over two seasons, a number that is obviously certain to increase based upon tonight’s start.  Durability has become a very valuable commodity among starting pitchers, and Looper has been durable while at times showing flashes of brilliance.

Looper is 33 years old, not young by any stretch, but by today’s pitching standards certainly not ready to hang ‘em up either.  Again, even at age 33, Looper has shown no signs of serious arm trouble, fatigue, or losing his stuff.  In fact, it could reasonably be argued that Looper is still settling in to being a starter, still learning how to manage a game, etc.

The Cardinals find themselves in an all-too-familiar precarious position heading into 2009.  It is safe to say that most Cardinal fans have adopted Adam Wainwright as the de facto ace of this pitching staff, with Chris Carpenter’s status again up in the air, depending on his pitching shoulder.  That leaves Joel Pineiro and the arbitration-eligible Todd Wellemeyer as the only remaining holdovers from this year’s rotation.  That means there are two spots to fill, because I will go ahead and pretty much guarantee you that John Mozeliak is not going to pay what Scott Boras wants for Kyle Lohse after the Cards resurrected his career in 2008.

So what to make of Looper in the situation?  It would be foolish at this point, given history, for the Cardinals to count on Carpenter for any sort of contribution in 2009.  They were burned by that premise this season, and can ill afford to do so again.  So that leaves Waino, Pineiro, and Wellemeyer.  The Cardinals have indicated that a top-flight starting pitcher is atop their wish list this off-season, and with a lot of expiring salary to spend, one would hope they could accomplish that goal.

So assuming that they sign someone to fill a #2 or #3 slot in the rotation, that still leaves one more open slot.  Jaime Garcia seemed to have the inside track to the best shot at filling it, but he is now facing a long-term absence with a Tommy John elbow procedure.  Mike Parisi didn’t impress starting at the big-league level.  Mitchell Boggs could fill the spot in a stopgap role, but I’m not sure the Cards are ready to hand him the job full-time just yet.  Chances are that someone could impress at Spring Training a la Kyle McClellan, but by that time the ship will have sailed on most other available free agent starting pitchers.  (Notice that I’m not even giving any credence to the idea of McClellan starting?)

So again I ask, how does Looper potentially fill in?  I have to admit that I hated his deal when the Cardinals originally signed him.  I thought they were paying far too much to a guy who wasn’t going to be a closer, and for that matter hadn’t been 3 years/$13.5 million worth of impressive as a reliever period.  In hindsight, his deal (from Cot’s Baseball Contracts):

Braden Looper rhp
3 years/$13.5M (2006-08)

  • signed as a free agent 12/05
  • 06:$3.5M, 07:$4.5M, 08:$5.5M
  • $1M annually in performance bonuses (GF & other categories)

hasn’t been too bad.  Obviously, had Looper known he was going to be starting those last two seasons, he may have negotiated differently.  Therein lies a big part of the problem with resigning Looper, however.  Loop is bound to command far more than the $5.5M he’s earning this season as a starter next year.  He has professed his preference to remain a starter, and I’m sure some team, whether the Cardinals or not, is sure to oblige.

So what could Looper be looking at for a payday?  Given his age, I can only assume he’d be shooting for another three year contract.  Certainly within reason.  The money is a bit more cloudy.  He has, after all, only been a starter for two seasons.

One quick comparison that is easy to make is Pineiro.  Joel has struggled this season both with injuries and on the mound.  He has given the Cardinals far less than Looper at around the same payday ($5M for Pineiro).  The difference is that Pineiro has another year on his deal at $7.5M.  So let’s assume that’s at the very least a jumping off point for Looper.  Can the Cardinals afford to sink that much into a guy at the back end (maybe #3) of their rotation?  I’ve argued all season that the Cardinals have more needs to fix than just one or two arms or positions (please stop with this ridiculous ‘Cardinals should sign Francisco Rodriguez stuff).

So is it worth the Cardinals to give Loop somewhere from $7.5M-$9M for the next three years?  I’m not sure what I think, but I know Looper has earned my respect by how he has taken on this new challenge in his career.  It’s soon to make him a much more wealthy man.

Yes, Houston, we copy. We just lost the Wild Card.

Well, that’s really where it all began, isn’t it?

I apologize for my longer than anticipated absence, and in some ways, I’m not that sorry.  I barely got to see any Cardinal baseball while I’ve been on ‘hiatus’, and that’s seemingly been a good thing.  I hate to go down the path of pessimist, but it’s high time to face the music.

If only managing three of five from Atlanta and Pittsburgh didn’t do it…

If only managing a split with Milwaukee didn’t do it…

Then a sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros surely did this Cardinal post-season drive in.

As if that weren’t enough, the Cardinals wind up dropping two games to the D’Backs (I hate their jerseys and logos by the way) that they should’ve won.

The bullpen has reared its ugly head again.  Kyle McClellan has continued to impress and confound in equal and opposite amounts as the season drags on.  Rumors still abound that he should arrive at Spring Training 2009 prepared to take on a starting rotation spot.  And what if he fails?  Then will he be shuttled back to the bullpen, completely unprepared for a role that he should remain in?  Sounds eerily familiar for this organization.

Chris Perez suffered his first major failure tonight since taking over the ‘ninth inning pitcher’ role (he’s clearly still not the closer).  How will this leave the youngster’s standing in the mind of manager Tony LaRussa?  Tony’s obviously been prone to leaving guys to work their own issues out on the mound this season, but he’s also shown a real proclivity not to trust young pitchers in virtually any situation.  Will Perez be afforded the opportunity to learn on the job, and have the same ups-and-downs as his predecessors?

Rick Ankiel is still struggling with his oblique injury.  Why the team refuses to shut this guy down, I will never know.  This situation is dragging on eerily similar to Chris Duncan’s sports hernia last year.  We all know how that turned out.  Why not shut Ankiel down now, give him an extra month of off-season, and allow him to return to camp next season fully rested?  It’s not as if he’s playing full-time now, with the injury, so what’s the harm in shutting him down now?

Jaime Garcia’s elbow injury is seemingly going to make way for a more wide-open fifth starter competition next season.  Garcia is likely headed for a TJ, hopefully sooner than later.  His mechanics have kind of forecasted this type of injury to come, and naturally, the Cardinal staff did nothing about it.

Have I covered all of the negative issues this week?  Nope…

Chris Carpenter is returning to the big club as a reliever.  JUST SHUT HIM DOWN.  Do it.  It’s clear by the shoulder strain, by the front office’s “management” of the situation, and by Carp’s own reaction to being sent to the bullpen (he didn’t seem too happy about it) that he is not yet right.  Same deal as with Ankiel in my mind.  If Carp is not ready to be a starter (which the Cardinals are paying him handsomely to do), then he should be in rehab or on the shelf until he is ready to do so.  If that means he’s not back until Opening Day 2009, then so be it.  It is not worth the Cardinals’ entire investment in this guy to see him reinjure an elbow or shoulder throwing as hard as he can out of the ‘pen the rest of this season.

Finally, I don’t think the Brewers/Phillies/Mets can lose enough between now and the end of the season for the Cards to sneak in anymore.  I’d love to be proved wrong.

There.  I’ve said my pieces about the last few days/week.

Congrats to Jason Motte on a successful debut against Arizona.  Here’s hoping that the Motte-Perez combo is one we can enjoy for some time.

John Mozeliak dishes the dirt

Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak conducted a live chat via STLToday.com on Wednesday (it was apparently the second such appearance he’s made over there).

I just saw it for the first time yesterday, and I have to say that I was surprised.  Not by the typical Cardinal organization ‘non-answer/generalizations’ like this one:

Jason Winders: Greetings, JM. After watching the Cardinals’ big league talent slide every year since the final out of the 2004 World Series, I gotta ask what it will be this off season: “Market gone crazy” or “Keeping our powder dry” for that trade deadline 2009 pickup?

Be straight with us, JM, we won’t hate you.

But the fans are growing tired of these lines. Why does the Cardinals front office/ownership refuse to play it straight with fans regarding everything from injures to trades? We’re suckers, we’ll still buy tickets.

John Mozeliak: My hope is that I am straight with all of you (but specifically YOU) now saying that I look at this off-season as an opportunity to build on this year, we will have a stronger rotation and and our outfield will have a full year of experience. I do think we need to look for more offense from the middle infield and also add left-handed to strengthen our pen.

But if I fail to deliever it was not from being straight or candid…it was from not getting a deal done.

Now, I’m not completely naive - I know that he surely can’t dish out the Cards’ blueprint for the off-season, but I thought the question about being dodgy with injury reports, etc was a valid one, even if the seeming non-response was expected.

All of that aside, lots of Mo’s responses caught my eye.  At the risk of duplication, here are a few:

Steve Earp: Mr. Mo, who can we expect to see showcased from our increasingly, majestic farm system come September? Will you offer Cards fans a taste of the future with Rasmus, Wallace, Anderson, D. Jones, Freese, Barden, Greene, et al? BTW, thanks for being disciplined at the deadline.

John Mozeliak: I have a meeting scheduled for Friday to determine who we think deserves the call-ups. I have laid out certian criteria that I feel needs to be met before we begin the promotion process. I do think we will benefit from the expanded rosters. At this point I will wait until everyone has had a chance to weigh in before making any public annoucement. Our young players have had a strong year and that is good news for Cardinal fans.

Not terribly shocking, but refreshing to know that Cardinal management is on the same page with a lot of fans.  They have forty slots available come September 1.  I would hope that we will see, at the very least: Colby Rasmus, Brian Barden, and Jason Motte.  This is not to mention the guys who have already flip-flopped this season like Nick Stavinoha, Mark Worrell, Mitchell Boggs, and Brendan Ryan.  Hell, we may even see guys like Kelvin Jimenez and Josh Phelps get some love.

This one is interesting for a couple of reasons:

BDAx2: Mr. Mozaliak,

Thank you for doing these chats..it obviously goes above and beyond your duties.

3 REALLY quick questions

1. Where do you realistically envision Colby Rasmus April 1, 2009?
2. Assume Carp and Waino healthy to start 2009, do you see a need to try and go outside the organization to add to the major league starting rotation in the offseason?
3. Do you see the SS position as a position where you are willing to accept below league average offense in exhcange for above league average defense?

John Mozeliak: 1. Rasmus will likely find himself competing for a major league job next spring, where he starts will be based on how he performs.
2. Looking at our ‘09 rotation of Carp, Waino, Wellemeyer, and Pineiro it would make sense to add another arm. I do like what we have seen from Boggs but I do not want to rush him if we do not have to.
3. I would prefer above average offense and above average defense…that is much more desirable.

I’m glad to see the response to the first question.  Rasmus should get a shot, and I suspect he’ll wind up on the roster as the team heads north next spring.  Answer two is kind of another ‘duh’ answer - “we’ll add a pitcher if we see fit” - thanks for the insight.  And number three was another ‘duh’.  Great Mo, Cards fans would love to see that too, except there are only about three of those playing professional baseball right now.  Ok, so maybe only one of those answers was interesting for a good reason.

Finally, this was the one that spurred me to write this post.  This answer speaks volumes, in this scribe’s humble opinion:

Steve: Have you announced who will be replacing Izzy on the roster yet??

John Mozeliak: We have not made a roster as of today and with the off tomorrow it will likely wait until Friday.
Izzy had a great career with the Cardinals, he cared and wanted to compete at a high level. It is a disappointing ending but if he decides to pitch again, I only wish him the best.

Jason Isringhausen *had* a great career with the Cardinals?  I’m not saying I disagree, or that I’m upset at the implication that statement makes, but *had*?  That’s a major league slip of the tongue at this stage of the season and shortly after his injury, don’t you think Mo?  Especially with your manager apparently stumping for Izzy to rehab and pitch again next season?  You’re wishing him the best *if* he decides to pitch again, and wishing him the best?  Sounds like Mo has turned the page…

I’m not saying that Mo is wrong.  I suspect the Cardinal chapter has ended for Izzy’s career, regardless of whether his career has ended or not.  But it strikes me as unorthodox to make that statement now, with the guy, one who had a lot better career wearing the Birds-on-the-Bat than most fans will remember, perhaps riding off into the sunset.  It’s important for Cardinals fans to remember the good Izzy, the one who was dominant from 2002-2005.  Not the injury-plagued struggle it was for Izzy to even pitch, much less succeed in the last two or three seasons.

One way or another, this organization is clearly poised to move on with young players coming up through the system.  The self-sustaining program is likely going to be a must for the Cardinal organization going forward, and they have a great start on it.  I think it’s important though, not to forget those who have gotten the franchise to such an elite status in the Major League Baseball annals.  Let’s celebrate the Izzy’s of this team’s last decade.

Cheers Izzy - I hope you do pitch again.

Izzy Injured

You’ve probably all heard by now that Jason Isringhausen’s tenure as a Cardinal is likely coming to an end with the announcement of a torn flexor muscle and inflammation in his elbow.

I had previously speculated that Izzy had an undisclosed injury so this announcement comes as no surprise. The question is again one of disclosure. Was Izzy hiding this injury from the Cardinals in an attempt to achieve the 300 save milestone, or was the Cardinal organization hiding it? And how long has this been a lingering concern? Certainly Izzy was feeling discomfort and making a game effort to contribute to the club and pitch through the pain.

I for one applaud all that Izzy has done for the Cardinals. He has had a tremendous impact and despite a few injury plagued seasons where he wasn’t effective, he has been the reliable stopper that a team needs to have winning seasons.

Izzy left Oakland as a free agent and was signed by the Cardinals prior to the 2002 season. From 2002 through 2005 Izzy accumulated 140 Saves, 8W, 7L, 231K, 86BB, 175HA, in 241.2IP. Despite recent memory suggesting he would walk runners or always seem to have men on base, his W+H/IP ratio was around 1 except for the injury plagued year of 2006 and of course this year, seemingly another injury plagued year.

During his post season career Izzy pitched in 23 games earning 1 win and 11 saves with a 2.36 ERA. He pitched in 26 2/3 innings allowing 17 hits and 12 walks while striking out 23.

2006 seemed to be the turning point for Izzy and Cardinal Nation. We didn’t realize the extent of the injury that Izzy was dealing with and all we saw was one terrible performance after another. Hiding the injury hurt the relationship with the fans and did nothing to make him more effective against the opponents. Last year he rebounded nicely, but you had to wonder whether the hip would hold up. Turns out the elbow dealt the final blow. Yes, Izzy may still pitch again, but hard to imagine any scenario where he returns to the Cardinals next year given his huge salary.

So I guess it’s time to turn all of our attention to Mr. Chris Perez and see how he meaures up to the closer role. He will have big shoes to fill. I will conclude by saying that this recent announcement of Izzy’s injury has me a bit more concerned with the status of Chris Carpenter and even Adam Wainwright. How often did we hear the positive news about Mark Mulder and Matt Clement just to be frustrated when learning how far away they really were from joining any major league rotation.

Quick observations

Chris Perez is starting to get ‘that look’ when he pitches.  Tonight, he seemed really pissed off that Brandon Phillips got that hit to left, and he took it out on Javier Valentin and Edwin Encarnacion.  The slider was working, the heater was working, the control seemed to be working.  CP63 has got it going on right now, just at the right time.

Is it just me, or is the bullpen starting to take their performance up a notch?

The starting pitchers definitely have taken their performance to a higher level (probably mostly spurred on by trying to keep their spots, with guys returning from the DL - well, at least until today - heal quickly Chris Carpenter.

For those who haven’t been keeping tabs, Felipe Lopez is now hitting .357 since being signed off of waivers.  I’m still not sold, and I’m not convinced he’s the savior - but he’s doing a lot of good things.  He has two triples since coming into the fold.

Brad Thompson scuffled a bit tonight, but pitched admirably in a spot start role.  He was victimized by both a bad throw and a weak defensive play at the plate tonight by Jason LaRue.

Kudos as well to Jaime Garcia - this kid is showing a lot of moxie in an ever-changing role with the Cardinals.  I think I’m going to enjoy seeing him in a full-time rotation spot with the 2009 version of this club.

The damned Cubs appeared to be done in tonight by the Marlins.  Carlos Zambrano got touched up pretty badly again, and the Fish were on their way.  Then Daryle (don’t forget the ‘e’) Ward hit a pinch-hit three-run homer.  This Cubs team reminds me of the ‘06 Cards in the playoffs right now - everything going their way…

Ryan Ludwick appears to have adjusted nicely to a lineup shuffle - he has hit the ball really hard in the two spot the last couple of nights.

Albert Pujols continues his ‘power slump’ - Mang was only three for five tonight with two doubles.  This guy is sick.

Next Page →