we really need another starter imo… unfortunately, I don’t think the cards management thinks they need one. which means there must be some awfully encouraging signs with Carpenter’s health.

Oehara?

I am pleased with most of the moves made the past couple of off-seasons. The FO has positioned itself to land a pretty good baseball player from the remaining names left as free agents, Fuentes being one of them. There is no doubt in my mind, if the Birds sign the lefty, that he will make an impact (easy for me to say because it couldn’t get worse right??). A closer, no matter how proven or lights out, still does not improve this club enough to match up with the top teams in the NL.

In my mind, throwing the whole “chunk” of cash left in the budget at one of the top remaining starters makes more sense if you are serious about returning to late October play.

My inclination has been that starting pitching is way more of a weakness for the Cards than relief pitching. Your last couple of posts have confirmed that suspicion. And let’s face it… who’s to say that Wellemeyer and Lohse will even match their respective performances from last year? These numbers may not predict 2009… but isn’t it reasonable to suggest that things could be worse considering that both of them had career years?

Everyone (including TLR, Duncan, Mo, and the casual fan base) seems to be over reacting to the ninth inning circus that was 2008. We have young guys who are likely ready to step into meaningful bullpen roles. But all of our most promising SP’s are at least a year or two away from all indications.

Where did you find each pitcher’s stat for tRA?

Hallelujiah. Go get Ben Sheets.

just wanted to say that you’ve really been knocking these posts out of the park lately. This is a great look at why the Cardinals should be concerned about their rotation moving forward and what their starters actually did in retrospect. High quality, kudos.

while they need a starter, any starter they can afford really isn’t worth the money. I don’t see why people think Sheets or even Johnson can be had for the same price as Fuentes

CC – 150+(MIL) 127 (CLE) (1)
AJ – 124 (1)
Wang – 100+ (3)
Joba – 131+ (1)
Pettite – 108+ (2)

this year let’s dive for a Sheets instead of a Wells, mkay?

…I’m a HS teacher, and I have to grade a LOT of stuff from time to time (you would think I’d just assign less work…hmm), and I’m also a diagnosed insomniac w/ sleep apnea, so sometimes I peruse this site at early hours of the morning and at other weird times. As a consequence, I am sometimes “late to the post game” or post at times outside of the “main disccusion” periods. That means that this post is awfully late to the game…but I feel I have to post it anyway.

I agree with Azru’s earlier comment, chuck. This was a great post and, at least to me, reinforces an idea that I’ve had since about halfway through the season last year. The Cardinals rotation is a deck of cards. It’s built out of an ace (Wagonmaker, obviously) and a bunch of mid-back rotation types. Wellemeyer has the tools to be a very good arm, in my mind at least. But this is a guy who just finished his first year starting, and it wore on him in the middle of the season from what I could tell (the injury and the short starts for about a month and a half or so afterwards). Lohse had a career year, and he started coming back down to earth towards the end of the season and wearing down too. Pineiro is and always was a sunk-cost situation…yeah, he’s not without ability, but he’s so erratic and unpredicatble, and when he’s bad he’s throwing BP, and that is most of the time unfortunately. Looper was a solid 4/5…you could do a lot worse really. But this rotation, outside of Wagonmaker, simply did not have anyone who guaranteed a well pitched-game and who will predictably provide them from here on out. Add in a massive 6’5 inch New Hampshire native with a Cy Young Award and a dysfunctional throwing arm, and you have a rotation that could just as easily thrive as epicly tank…

So: the priority HAS to be finding a good starter somewhere, somehow. Peavy? Well, if somehow Rasmus stays out, that’s a possibility. Sheets or Johnson? Damn good place to start, and if they don’t want to come here than so be it…but at least try (and they may have, I don’t know…I’m just saying they should try). Derek Lowe? Well…he’s going to cost a lot and for a lot of years, but if I’m a GM I’d certainly kick the tires. A trade? A miracle from the sky? All of the above? YES!!! As constituted, I doubt that this rotation can cut it. Period. There are just way too many what-ifs. Are Sheets/Peavy/Johnson injury risks? Damn right…But they are the kind of guys who would be a huge part of a division championship if they were healthy, and they’re much more likely to be healthy at this point than that aforementioned New Hampshire native.

So, out of one bleary eye I say again…very good post, Mr. chuck. Keep up the good work.

Per MLB trade rumors:

Aside from cautious interest from the Rangers, it’s been quiet on the Sheets front.

Let’s start getting loud about it then. I would love to hear Mr. Mozeliak come out openly and talk about us being interested in him (using whatever coded GM-speak is appropriate).

Also, I’ll add to the chorus of thank yous for today’s post, Chuck!