seams like old times

by lboros on Mar 20, 2007 8:56 AM EDT in News Comment 68 comments

cards back in action tonight, vs the dodgers; here's the gameday link. game is on mlb.tv, our first chance to see anthony reyes pitch this year. after anthony's last start, i e-mailed derrick goold to ask for his opinion about why reyes is so much sharper this spring than last. "i'm not trying to stir the pot about the 2-seamer," i wrote;

it sounds like there's no pot to stir this year, frankly. but i do want to have a deeper understanding about what's different betw this year and last.

can imagine a variety of things that might explain it:

he's a year further along with the 2-seamer, so naturally he's better at it
his attitude has changed; he's trying harder [to master the 2-seamer], resisting less
he's deploying the pitch differently this year --- using it as an auxiliary or off-speed pitch, rather than a primary pitch; throwing it only in certain counts or to certain types of hitters

the answer, in essence, is "all of the above" --- reyes is more experienced with the pitch, more committed to mastering it, and choosier about when he throws it. to cite an example: in reyes' very first spring training inning, back on march 4, he had a man on third base with one out and miguel cabrera at the plate. the at-bat, goold wrote a few days later, "reveals how [reyes is] evolving as a pitcher. With a runner at third base, Reyes got Florida's Miguel Cabrera to foul off a series of well-placed four-seam fastballs -- good signs, Reyes said. He then fed Cabrera a sinker. The all-star grounded out to shortstop." in other words, reyes pitched off his trusted 4-seamer --- used it to get ahead in the count and establish control of the at-bat --- and then pulled out the 2-seamer to show the batter a different look. last year, he'd more likely have thrown 2-seamers from the very beginning of the confrontation --- and more likely have fallen behind in the count. the sequence he threw to cabrera represents the logical compromise between his predilections and tony/dave's preferences --- a blend of the two approaches.

after his last start, reyes told goold: "I feel comfortable throwing the two-seam now and getting a lot of called strikes with it. Just continue to get stronger and I'll be alright. I feel like I'm throwing the way I'm used to throwing." his increased faith in the pitch surely has a lot to do with his sharpness so far this spring --- but it's just as certain that the 4-seamer has regained its place as anthony's bread-n-butter fastball. how do we know? reyes' groundball / flyball ratio is as low as ever ---- 0.60 groundouts per flyout so far this spring. those are not the groundball-making numbers of a fully born-again 2-seamerist. apparently he's still pitching up in the zone and getting the lion's share of his outs there. but having a trustworthy sinker to go along with his deadly changeup and that slurvey thing of his can only make reyes a better pitcher. i'm looking forward to getting a look at him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

here's a little trade gossip, courtesy joe strauss:

Any February momentum toward adding a starter has been replaced by an intensifying search for a righthanded reliever to set up Isringhausen.

With Josh Kinney gone for the season following surgery on March 13, Brad Thompson appears the likely choice to work the eighth inning.

Several organization members remain interested in Arizona Diamondbacks righthanded reliever Jorge Julio, formerly a closer with the Baltimore Orioles. The Diamondbacks have a need for another lefthander in the bullpen, something the Cardinals can give them.

when i look at jorge julio's stat page, two things jump out at me --- home runs and wild pitches. over the last three seasons, in 207 aggregate innings, julio has given up 35 homers and 26 wild pitches. those are not the numbers of a guy i want pitching the 8th inning of a one-run game. his era over that span is 4.92; since his rookie year (2002), he hasn't had a single-season era lower than 4.23. he has issued 98 walks in the last three years, or 4.3 guys per 9.

he's on a one-year contract at $3.6 million; free agent at the end of the season.

julio does throw hard and strikes a lot of people out; so did jorge sosa. i'll take my chances with the guys we've got now.

speaking of which: if the search for help in the setup role has become this desperate, i gotta ask again --- and forgive me if you've heard this already --- why the hell do they not just put looper back into the pen and let him do the job he was hired to do? i am fully aware of looper's limitations, but compare him to julio over the last three years:

	g	ip	hr	bb	era	whip	praa	sv	wpa
looper	200	216	15	58	3.33	1.319	+26	57	+0.78
julio	194	206.2	35	98	4.92	1.379	-4	38	-0.27

i don't want to harp too much on julio, because we don't know how serious the cards' interest in him is; probably not very great. but the fact that there's any interest at all says a great deal about how desperate they are for an upgrade in th setup role. given the availability of an obvious upgrade right there on the roster . . . . well, leave it to me to make the obvious choice. being much lazier than tony and dave, i would simply take the easy way out: put looper back into the his usual role and let the guys who are actually starters --- franklin, keisler, and narveson --- fight it out for the #5 slot in the rotation.

not very imaginative, i'll concede. . . .

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re: Reyes

He then fed Cabrera a sinker. The all-star grounded out to shortstop." in other words, reyes pitched off his trusted 4-seamer --- used it to get ahead in the count and establish control of the at-bat --- and then pulled out the 2-seamer to show the batter a different look. last year, he'd more likely have thrown 2-seamers from the very beginning of the confrontation --- and more likely have fallen behind in the count. the sequence he threw to cabrera represents the logical compromise between his predilections and tony/dave's preferences --- a blend of the two approaches.

Hallelujah!

I was there for that AB, actually, it was nice to see.

by plh903 on Mar 20, 2007 9:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

question about reyes

does anyone know how hard reyes is throwing this spring?
i've heard his regular fourseam fastball was at 94-95 mph regularly in triple-A. when he pitched for the cards last season, he rarely threw it harder than 89-90 mph.

http://redbirdramblings.wordpress.com

this is the season when jimmy baseball returns to his old 2004 self!

by cards4life on Mar 20, 2007 9:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

the reports i've read

have him at 90-91

by lboros on Mar 20, 2007 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

do you think

he can get back to hitting 94 mph regularly with his fastball this season, because this concerns me. i mean, the kid likes to pitch up in the zone, and every mph counts to try and get a pitch past a good hitter.

http://redbirdramblings.wordpress.com

this is the season when jimmy baseball returns to his old 2004 self!

by cards4life on Mar 20, 2007 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He doesn't have to...

...throw it 95 mph. Hitters have to sit on his excellent change-up. This allow him to get away with throwing 90ish, timing-wise hitters are still behind the pitch. Also, I don't think there is a consistent radar gun set-up out there. Knowing the Cardinals brass, they probably have the readings set differently than what the actual speed is. This would make it tougher to scout pitchers.

by BigJawnMize on Mar 20, 2007 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Optimistic

I'm also very hopeful that Reyes' approach this year will be a successful synthesis of his own tendencies with the staff's wishes. Too much of either one, his love of high heat or sinker fascism, doesn't seem to produce great results for Iron Bill. I've often thought his mechanics and overall stuff are reminiscient of Jake Peavey's; why wouldn't the same sort of an approach work?

As far as the Cards acquiring a setup man from outside the organization, the only name that interests me is Akinori Otsuka. I've debated with several people on this blog whether or not the Cards have the right pieces to get him or not; at this point I really don't have any idea. But Julio, Benitez, and any of the other guys I've heard tossed around don't seem like real great upgrades. I say bullpen by commitee of whoever's going the best; hopefully that doesn't condemn the Cards to another summer like 2003.

On the Looper thing, I just don't see Tony or Duncan giving up on their idea at this point, regardless of how much sense it makes. Of all the things that make me a little crazy about Tony La Russa, the odd mental blindspot when it comes to his and Dunc's pet notions, whether sensible or not, is the most grating. They've decided Looper is going to be the 5th starter, and he will be, come hell, high water, or leads lost.

Although I still like Dove and/or Jimenez to help out. Really good arms on both of those guys.

by the red baron on Mar 20, 2007 9:32 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

5th starter

If Looper goes back to the 8th inning (which is preferable in my mind to starting), should Thompson be considered for the 5th starter spot too? Or is it too late in spring training to switch him around?

Personally, I think we got hosed on that call.

by TurdFerguson on Mar 20, 2007 9:44 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If we all, including me, shuddered

when Looper came in, why do we want him to go back to the 8th inning?

Are we assuming his better 2nd half performance last year will carry over?

by sdrone on Mar 20, 2007 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's a matter of context

in a context where jorge julio is considered an attractive option, looper looks pretty good.

as mediocre as he is, he's the best option available. not very good, but better than the alternatives.

at the very least looper can help hold things together until somebody like falkenborg / dove / jimenez is deemed ready to take over.

by lboros on Mar 20, 2007 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Julio does nothing for me

if we were to trade a lefty for him, we would be trading, presumably, our 3rd best lefty -- either Rincon or Johnson but probably Rincon. In any case, it's someone who otherwise wouldn't be on the roster. So Julio would be taking either Hancock's or Falkenborg's roster spot I suppose. Is he better than BOTH of those 2 guys? Not in my mind. I'd just as soon see what Falkenborg can do, to be supplemented by Jimenez and Dove. We'd be better off trading Rincon for an A ball prospect in my view.

by chuckb on Mar 20, 2007 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i'd leave thompson in the pen

between looper, thompson, and the lefties. they'd have the setup situation reasonably well covered --- and if somebody like falkenborg, jimenez, cavazos, or dove distinguishes himself at triple A, they'd have themselves a pretty solid bullpen.

by lboros on Mar 20, 2007 9:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

fixations of TLR/Dunc

It is hard to bitch given the success this franchise has enjoyed during the TLR/Dunc regime ... but I'll go ahead and do it anyway. When TLR/Dunc fixate upon a player in a roll, reason flies out the window: Ozzie Smith has to split time at SS with Royce Clayton (1996), Miguel Mejia holding a roster spot for an entire season (1996), Fat Sidney as the "winner" of the ST 5th starter competition (2006), Mark Mulder just has to pitch through whatever ails him (2006), So Taguchi is a must have bench player to backup CF (2007), it is necessary for the team to carry both So Taguchi and P. Wilson as bench OFers (2007), JRod can't play defense limiting his roll to PH (2005-2007).

Looper as the 5th starter just seems to be part of the progression. The only good I can see out of the situation is keeping Looper in ther rotation may force TLR/Dunc's hand to give Dove a shot on the big club much earlier than they otherwise would have. Dove just might turn out to be our future closer.

by jjray on Mar 20, 2007 9:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh, don't get me started on

weird LaRussa obsessions:

Dunston in CF
Marlon Anderson in the OF
Every other utility IF in the OF
Mike Gallego
Scott Rolen 2005, at the plate day after day despite obvious intense pain in the shoulder.
Einar Diaz at 1B (thankfully, only once)
Roger Cedeno
Aaron Miles

by MdRedbirdFreak on Mar 20, 2007 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

fixations

that's a good word for what they do - I might add "stubborn" - yeah, Tony is good but that Mejia thing was one of the most bizarre decisions I've seen in MLB - especially for a guy that neer did a thing

by Hinkster on Mar 20, 2007 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mulder

I think something that we may be forgetting is that Mulder will be back at some point this season, likely bumping somebody from the rotation (assuming no injuries). So, if Looper's a mediocre starter and the rest of the guys are going reasonably well, Looper may be back in the pen by midseason anyways. If we do have injuries, making Looper stay in the rotation, and the bullpen's a trainwreck, then they could re-evaluate midseason, maybe pick up another guy like Weaver or make a trade for bullpen help.

Either way, I think it may be too early to worry about this. Let's see how things play out, then start bitching when they don't work. But give it a chance to work first.

by CardFaninVA on Mar 20, 2007 10:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree about Mulder

Being high on Looper or just high in general seems to be a source for concern of the 07 Cards. I'm willing to wait and see, given the first month of the season doesn't have St. Louis five or more games back by May 1.

I was never sold on Blooper as the set-up guy, and I would much rather have Thompson or another young guy in that role. Last year's post-season proved that the 'established' arms aren't always the answer.

Sending Keisler down already surprised me, but it really shouldn't have. They had the rotation pegged pretty much from day one as long as they didn't fall apart. None of the options for trade are really that interesting, and the truth of the matter is someone needs to step up and claim the roll, ala Wainer from last year.

Until Mulder proves he is healthy, we will all probably be holding our breath most of this season. Enjoy!!

Opening Night 2007, here I come!

by gforce on Mar 20, 2007 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Julio....

The rumors that I've read have the Marlins very interested in him to fill the closer role. The Marlins have a very stacked minor league system, especially in the starting pitching department, so I think they would have options to deal from.

by Brock20 on Mar 20, 2007 10:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Does the 8th inning guy

have to be right-handed? There is a surplus of left-handers. I mean if ERA and the like are close, what the heck is the difference? Put Rincon or TJ or Flores as the 8th inning guy.

Jimscobert Purolmonds - MV3

by OKCardsfan on Mar 20, 2007 10:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

rincon and flores

can't get right-handed hitters out. TJ didn't do it last year; he may yet establish that he can retire rhb, but you probably wouldn't want to make that plan A.

by lboros on Mar 20, 2007 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

and Looper

can't get lefthanded hitters out. At this stage, I'm partial to Thompson over Looper for the eighth because Brad won't be as vulnerable to the lefty pinch-hitters he'd see in the eighth.

Of course, Looper is going to see some heavily left-handed lineups as a starter.

by DCGreg on Mar 20, 2007 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Career splits:

LH OPS RH OPS
Looper .836 .603
Thompson .699 .681

by DCGreg on Mar 20, 2007 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I heard DG on 1380 this AM

talking about the possibility of taking 3 lefties in the pen up north. He said it is maybe 50/50 and they could use Flores as a guy who could get both lefties and righties out with the other 2 as specialists. I was mildly shocked, as I'm sure you would be Larry. The ineffectiveness of Flores and TJ against lefties was pretty evident all year last year. Rincon hasn't been too bad against LHB over the years; he had a bad year in '04 (>300 BA against).

Maybe he'll be the one who evolves out of the specialist role. I just don't see Flores doing it.

by silent_bob on Mar 20, 2007 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Um, correction

I meant against RHB - for all three pitchers I referenced. Sorry. I was posting quickly.

Hey Larry - as far as Dove goes...is his fastball straight (aka Farnsworth-esque) or does he have movement on it? I try not to get too jacked up over a flame-thrower, but when was the last time we had an effective strikeout guy in the pen?

by silent_bob on Mar 20, 2007 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

flores vs rhb

in 2006, rhb murdered flores: .329/.416/.566. in 2005, .304/.360/.443.

as for dove --- the fastball did not overpower anybody and did not appear to have great movement on it. beltran, wright, and alou all had it timed. but if dove can learn to get his curveball over for strikes consistently, the change of speeds (95 mph FB versus 75 mph curve) should make him plenty effective.

by lboros on Mar 20, 2007 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

dove

I expect Dove to start in Memphis. I read he throws a respectible straight change along with the plus fastball and big curve. Time in Memphis to get command of the secondary pitches is not a bad thing. If Looper is the setup guy, TLR/Dunc stick with him much longer despite ineffectiveness than say Thompson or Hancock. One of the right-handers is either going to be hurt (Springer) or ineffective. The door to STL will most likely open for Dove in the first half of the 2007 campaign. Let us pray he takes the opportunity and runs with it ala Josh Kinney.

by jjray on Mar 20, 2007 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've seen

several similar references to Flores as a guy who TLR and DD think can get righties out as well as lefties. Like you, I don't get it. For his career, righties have a .937 OPS against Flores. Lefties are .693.

by DCGreg on Mar 20, 2007 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't be shocked

if we kept 3 lefties. I could see Rincon being traded but it may be fairly difficult considering the fact that he didn't pitch last year. I can't see them trading Johnson or even sending him to AAA.

by chuckb on Mar 20, 2007 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No Hancock?

One other line from the Post story intrigued me, mainly for what it's missing -- Josh Hancock's name.

---

Barring injury, the Cardinals are almost certain to carry righthanders Thompson, Russ Springer and Ryan Franklin north. Interest in hard-throwing prospect Dennis Dove, 25, persists, but the Cardinals may prefer he begin the season at Class AAA Memphis before committing a spot to him.

by DCGreg on Mar 20, 2007 11:09 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

one more thing

Bernie has this little tidbit on his forum:

Strauss: Edmonds hopes to be ready by second week of April... there aren't any plans right now to put him in a spring training game.... Encarnacion is in worse shape; Strauss thinks he'll be out longer than what the team is saying.

by DCGreg on Mar 20, 2007 11:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ugh

If this team is going to do anything this year we really need Jimmy Ballgame to play at least 130 games or so. When he is out you are looking at a lineup of something like this, assuming Tony continues to freeze Jrod out:

Eckstein SS
Duncan LF
Pujols 1B
Rolen 3B
Juancion/Speez/Wilson RF
Kennedy 2B
Molina C
Schumaker/So CF

That lineup has too many out machines for my liking, especially when we go against lefties and Pdub comes in for Duncan. I've got a feeling that all these feel-good, let's-get-the-band-back-together signings like Speez/Wilson/So/Bennett are going to hurt us this year. I guess I'm violating the Simmons rule about not bitching for 5 years after your team wins it all, but it seems to me just a couple of marginal upgrades to the outfield (a leftie-masher to pair with Duncan and playing Jrod instead of Juancion against righties) could add a couple of wins that we might really need at the end of the year.

by mikedallas23 on Mar 20, 2007 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're Upset that Juan is Injured??!!

MikeDallas,

Your response really astonishes me. The news apparently is that Juan will be out for an extended period of time. Doesn't that necessarily mean more time for J-Rod/Wilson? And isn't that what folks on this blog have been clamoring for all Winter?

Your post seems to interpret that Edmonds, not Juan, is the player facing a prolonged stint on the DL. I don't know why you're assuming this.

The batting order we are most likely to see in most games in April is:

1 Eckstein SS

2 Duncan LF

3 Pujols 1B

4 Rolen 3B

5 Edmonds CF

6 J-Rod/Wilson RF

7 Kennedy 2B

8 Molina C

If this line-up doesn't put the collective best foot forward, I don't know what would.

So let's be positive. Juan's injury means more time for his successors to prove themselves!

So says, The Dude

by Titus Pullo on Mar 20, 2007 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Spiezio, RF

On second thought, Spiezio is the most likely choice for RF if Instant Breakfast is injured. The imperiale one had a good Spring, and he did the most to earn it last year.

So says, The Dude

by Titus Pullo on Mar 20, 2007 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd really like to see a regular lineup with

Duncan, Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, and Spiezio.

And, as a believer in the batting stance that Molina unveiled in October, I wouldn't mind seeing him up next.

by Don Zero on Mar 20, 2007 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

To clarify

I would love it if Juan's absence allowed Jrod some serious playing time, but I just don't see it happening given Tony's apparent low regard for him. I'm worried about Jed because

a) He's an older player, and he had injury problems last season. I was pretty much expecting him to make one DL stop this year, but starting off the season hurt just increases the chance that he will miss significant time this year.

b) There is a HUGE dropoff between Jed and his backups, enough of a dropoff to really kill the offense given the fact that we already have offensive mediocrity in RF, 2B, SS, and C.

by mikedallas23 on Mar 20, 2007 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How Do You Solve a Problem like J-Rod?

You can tell me if I'm wrong, but TLR's problem with J-Rod is simply that:

a. he's left-handed; and

b. he's not as powerful a hitter as Duncan or Edmonds.

If J-Rod were a righty, I think he'd have secured a spot on the team already.

So says, The Dude

by Titus Pullo on Mar 20, 2007 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think Molina will hit 7th this year

n/t

by sdrone on Mar 20, 2007 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

I imagine the usual lineup will have Yadi hitting 7th and Kennedy batting 8th.

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

by Mr Clean on Mar 20, 2007 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mulder

I also agree. Unless there is an injury/disaster that occurs before Mulder can make his return, he will bump somebody out of the rotation. At least for a while and we see what he can do.

If it was me, I would like to use Narveson in the rotation and see what the kid can do on a regular basis. I hope Tony and Duncan don't do him like they did Reyes last year by bringing him up and sending him down all the time. Let him make the regualar starts and leave Looper in the bullpen.

If you are correct in saying that Looper can't get lefties out, think of how many more lefties he will face through 5 or 6 innings as a starter compared to a setup role. Why force something that the guy has never done in his career?

Narvie has done fairly decent in AAA and his few major league call ups. I say give him a chance.

Play hard, play to win, but make it fun!

by Edmonds is baseball on Mar 20, 2007 12:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Does Narvie have an option to Memphis

or is he out of them? I can't see another team not plucking him at this point. He's not getting a chance to start here, period.

by silent_bob on Mar 20, 2007 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

out of options

P-D this morning intimated that they might look to trade him.

by DCGreg on Mar 20, 2007 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What else can they do with him?

They obviously aren't high on him. But is anyone else that high on him that they will trade for him? Any smart GM would wait to pluck him off the waiver wire. He's not making the big club in StL. Then again, it seems he never had a chance.

by silent_bob on Mar 20, 2007 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What does the other team have to do?

Can another team that claims a guy off waivers just assign him to the minors? That wouldn't seem to make much sense, given that we'd be penalized for trying to assign him to the minors, but that may be how the rule works. Does anyone know about this?

If a team has to keep him on their big league roster, then I can see how he'd slip through. He's probably a marginal starter who hasn't been stretched out during camp, and nobody knows if he can be a decent reliever.

by CardFaninVA on Mar 20, 2007 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, he stays on the roster.

They're claiming his major league contract, so they have to keep him on the big league roster (40 man). If they try to move him down, he has to pass through waivers again.

The last time Narveson was traded, he brought BH Kim from the Red Sox, and the time before that, he brought us Larry Walker by the way. Then Boston tried to sneak him through and we stole him back.

Trading him for Church would be a good move, imo, as the Nats also have some kid named Snelling who's making a run for their left field job. Of course, Church is yet another left handed outfielder. Not sure if that matters, but it's something to take into consideration.

Link to ESPN's transaction primer:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/transanctionsprimer.html

Good info about Rule 5, DFA, Options, etc.

by Phyrkrakr on Mar 20, 2007 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Narveson and Boston

They didn't try to sneak him through waivers, they wouldn't have had to... He had options through last season. Boston cut him loose (outrighted him) after he injured his shoulder and we picked him back up and rehabbed him.

by liam on Mar 20, 2007 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ahhh...

I didn't realize last year was his injury season. I also thought that he was out of options before last season, because the Rockies tried to claim him on waivers and then we ended up trading him for Walker instead.

Thanks for clearing it up.

by Phyrkrakr on Mar 20, 2007 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

That site is extremely helpful. Thanks for the link

by CardFaninVA on Mar 20, 2007 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

if

there's a market for him, a team like the Nats might be willing to trade for him because they can't be sure they'd be the one to get him off waivers. Not sure how the nuts and bolts of this work -- whether, for example, a team claiming him off waivers could send him to the minors. If anyone knows, chime in.

by DCGreg on Mar 20, 2007 1:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

yeah, I'm starting to get on the

Narvie for Church bandwagon here. Big left handed pitchers are hard to come by but it is better than just giving him away.

Walk your dog, not Pujols.

by Hardcore Legend on Mar 20, 2007 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This trade

would be my favorite move of the off-season.

by DanUpBaby on Mar 20, 2007 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

that's

sort of like being the tallest skyscraper in Topeka, isn't it?

by DCGreg on Mar 20, 2007 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

but but but

It would also be my favorite move of the 2006 offsea--

... yeah, you're right.

by DanUpBaby on Mar 20, 2007 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Topeka has skyscrapers?! (n/t)

by Phyrkrakr on Mar 20, 2007 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

However

Prying an outfielder from Bowden (he's still there, right?) can be a difficult thing. He seems to have an outfielder fetish, going back to his days in Cincy.

by Cardinal70 on Mar 20, 2007 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ryan Church

Looking at his numbers, it looks like Ryan Church would be a big upgrade over what the Cards have on the bench, and in RF. As such, I can't imagine the Nats would trade him for just Chris Narveson. Juan's OPS last year was a respectable .760, but it looks like Ryan Church could easily do 50 or even 100 points higher than that.

The only knock I see is that he's another lefthanded outfielder, when we already have a surplus of those. So, any trade involving him coming our way would likely require at least one of our lefty outfielders (JRod, Schumaker) going the other way, plus probably a decent pitching prospect. Just my thoughts.

by CardFaninVA on Mar 20, 2007 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I could look into it

but I am almost positive that the player doesn't get fresh options once he is claimed off waivers.

But, within 3 business days, or whatever it is, any team can put in a claim. The Cardinals can then withdraw waivers if they'd like. If there is more than one organization that claims the player, then the preference goes to the team with the worse record the previous year. Unless you are more than 30 days into the season, then it goes to the current standings. Also, teams in the same league get first dibs regardless of record.

by plh903 on Mar 20, 2007 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sosa vs. Julio

Not a good comp. Sosa's BP-translated K rate hovers just above 5.0, while Julio's last year was north of 9.0 and is consistently above 7.0. I'm not saying we should trade forJulio--4+ BB/9 is a worry--but he'd instantly be the best strikeout pitcher on the team. Throw in Duncan's ability to help young veterans improve their control, and you could really have something, particularly if the asking price is one of our LOOGY mistakes, like Randy Flores.

"Enamored" takes the preposition "of," not "with."

by MKDCardinal on Mar 20, 2007 2:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Looper

i still think they want to try looper in the rotation to increase his value. Nobody wanted looper as a marginal reliever but his value would be significantly higher as a starter as we've all seen.

i think they're hoping to get looper to mid-season with a few wins and a decent era and then ship him out. i mean, even if he matches marquis' numbers from last year he's still worth 7 mil.

by FutureMan on Mar 20, 2007 2:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What teams

if any, need outfielders?

Jimscobert Purolmonds - MV3

by OKCardsfan on Mar 20, 2007 2:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The Cardinals?

by plh903 on Mar 20, 2007 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Funny

We have a surplus of is outfielders. We have a surplus of lefthanded relief/starter. I was thinking of a package of some people we have in excess for somebody from a team that needs outfielders, not some snide remark.

Jimscobert Purolmonds - MV3

by OKCardsfan on Mar 20, 2007 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Couple of comments down

it looks like Walt is looking for OF help.

None of our "surplus" outfielders are attractive in a trade. Sub-800 OPS corner guys are a dime a dozen. Maybe JRod, but we need him, at the very least until Encarnacion comes back. Whenever that actually is.

Anyway, it's just a joke dude.

by plh903 on Mar 20, 2007 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well...

I certainly found it amusing.

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

by Mr Clean on Mar 20, 2007 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fantasy Prospects

Can someone direct me to where I can find positional breakdown on fantasy baseball that's been mentioned on this site? Was it at Baseball Prospectus?

Thanks.

by Vince Coleman Firecrackers on Mar 20, 2007 3:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

From Bernie - Walt's comments from his radio show

Looking for OF help, bullpen help. Thinks the asking price for some OFs is excessive, and the price will drop.
Not sure about Bernie Williams;doesn't think it's good that BW sat out spring training; doesn't rule it out (but I think he was just trying to be polite).
Schumaker -- thinks he'll play a lot if Edmonds is unable to go early. He's up on Skip.
Thinks Ankiel took a step forward this spring ... he told Rick that if he goes to Memphis and plays a lot and is productive, he'll have a long career as a Major League outfielder.
Thinks they'll open the season with 3 LHP, but with a 4th (Narveson), he says it's correct to speculate that he'd be willing to trade one to fill a need.
Very pleased with the rotation, thrilled with Wells. Says Wells has fit right in, and become part of the group, thinking like a Cardinal, thanks in large part to Carpenter's leadership.
Chris Duncan's defense: "I think he's doing well. This is a very difficult place to play the OF, with the high sun and the wind. He's worked very hard with Larry Walker and I'm confident he'll be better. But it's hard to judge him down here because of the weather conditions."
Young guys who made a real positive impression: SP Blake Hawksworth, catcher Bryan Anderson, RP Dennis Dove.

by Carps on Mar 20, 2007 5:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

RE: Duncan's defense

Am I remembering correctly that new Busch is supposed to be a hard place to play OF defense too, because of strange winds and I think something weird about the sod? I seem to remember Edmonds complaining about it last year. If the sod was a problem last year, hopefully it's a little better this year.

by BTown Birds fan on Mar 20, 2007 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, something about

flags blow one way, the ball goes another.

Walk your dog, not Pujols.

by Hardcore Legend on Mar 20, 2007 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

what's reyes pitch count up to?

how many has he thrown so far?

by tnek5 on Mar 20, 2007 7:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Jimenez and Dove

Found this in a article on stlcardinals.com

"I think both of them have thrown the ball well enough, shown us enough that we're going to continue to try to get them in games. They're going to have to eliminate themselves." -- Pitching coach Dave Duncan, on Jimenez and Dove.

for what it is worth

by Stan and Slaughter on Mar 21, 2007 9:35 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs