Cards Sign Jason LaRue

for a backup catcher.  If he gets paid more than 900 k for him, they should have just stuck with SnoCones.

Such optimism around here. At least LaRue can actually throw someone out. Doubt the Cards are going to open up the coffers to sign someone to a big contract so who cares if they overspend a bit on the backup catcher. I really think this management team understands that big money spent this offseason is probably a waste of money. I think they are pointing towards 2009.

at least they didn't settle for the second-worst hitting backup catcher* on the market...

(assuming kelly stinnett, sandy alomar jr and sal fasano stay retired)

a backup catcher who can throw people out > a backup catcher who can hit.

LaRue was tied with Pudge last year in the AL for throwing people out.

almost completely incapable of hitting the baseball at this point

laRue's 2007 makes gary bennet look like an all-star

http://www.royalsreview.com/story/2007/11/19/171737/71

he didn't try to set fire to a stripper. Like what's his name, one of the backup gems that Walt signed in years past.

(It's funny how the first move of the off-season for the Cardinals is almost always signing a backup catcher who can't hit his weight)

Talk about your poster boy for too-much, too-soon.

(Looking at his stats.)

Be a bit more careful with David Price, Rays, eh?

An unhealthy, poor defending, lousy hitting backup catcher for a healthy, great defending, lousy hitting backup catcher.  Fine by me.

The money is technically the same as if we'd kept Bennett.  Bennett's option was 900,000 but there was a 50,000 buyout, so exercising the buyout and paying LaRue 850,000 = 900,000 for a backup catcher.

While I normally meet minor league contracts with a shrug, and it's no different in this case.  As far as I can figure Parisi is the only starter on Memphis's roster, so Boggs and Garcia should be getting AAA starts even with the addition of these two trash heap pickups.

the Cardinals now have spent $99 M on payroll and still need a SS/backup SS.  Unless they plan to use Barden.

DeWitt said that payroll could push $110-115 M.  Wonder who they are planing on dropping $10 M on?

Current Roster Matrix:

Yes, LaRue does throw better than Bennett (14 of 40 base stealers caught with one pickoff compared to 4 out of 28 with 6 pickoffs); but, pitchers' #s with LaRue behind the plate were somewhat depressing.

The Royals allowed .277/.339/.445/.784 last year.
When LaRue caught the line was: .280/.346/.461/.807.

When I looked closer, though, I found that he only caught Gil Meche for seven at bats in one inning all season long.  That might have been a part of why the numbers look pretty poor.

Bennett, on the Cardinals last year had a line that looked like this:
.280/.342/.444/.786
The Cardinals pitchers allowed this:
.271/.336/.431/.767

Bennett's numbers look much worse in comparison to the Cardinals' pitchers' overall #s.  On closer look, our closest pitcher was Waino and Bennett caught him in 10 games and over 275 plate appearances.  That is a large amount of time with the top pitcher on the team and the numbers were still much worse.

Anyway, that's my research for the day.  Out of time.  Happy Thanksgiving!

stlfan

when he was with the reds. i'm betting tony thinks if you cant beat him, sign him up.