I was actually torn between none and other, only because I don’t like any of the choices listed. However, I do think we need to add another starter, so… guess that leaves “other.”

Although looking around the free agent market, I’d prefer to wait and pick up someone Lohse-ish in late winter/early spring like last year. Give the market time to settle down some.

But honestly, my first preference would be to trade from our OF depth for a starting pitcher. Again, I’d prefer to wait until spring to do this, as it’d give some of our injured players a chance to show what they can bring to the table (Duncan in particular, but also Ankiel, even though I’d prefer to keep him). If healthy and hitting, I think a Duncan and Skip package would fetch a better than average youngish pitcher from somewhere. Or replace one of them with Craig or Freese, depending on who you’re trading with…

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3785901&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

Do the Nats and Orioles (!!) even have a prayer?

Jon Garland would not be the worst signing in the world if Mo waits til February and inks him for 1 year at ~5MM. I believe the guy could put up an ERA in the low 4’s in the NL.

If the Cards wait out the market and add Fuentes for 2 years 16-18MM and Garland for 1 year at under 5MM, they will have a solid group for ’09 without sacrificing the future.

pirates making no progress extending maholm. might make sense as either a starter and/or loogy

in any other year it would have been a good deal, but because of then economy we could have gotten a much better fa pitcher like lowe or sheets to a long term deal. However, we now have to find a more creative way to improve our rotation and our bullpen with only 15 mil.
-we could sign Johnson or sheets to a short term deal and then trade for a lefty closer like mike gonzolez. They have hole in the OF and we have a lit of outfielders, seems like a perfect fit.

-we could also sign Fuentes or ohman and then trade for a starter, preferably one who is undern teams control and is cheap like sonnastine.

Could Pettitte be the 2009 version for Lohse? The Yankees offered 10m and looks like they might pull that offer. I would rather have Pettitte than Randy Johnson, and Sheets will be looking to go long on a deal. Sheets’ injury history would worry be about a long term deal.

01-151 1/3
02-216 2/3
03-220 2/3
04-237
05-156 2/3 inner ear infection,torn latissimus dorsi right shoulder, offseason back surgery to correct herniated disc
06-106 shoulder tendinitis, back surgery after 05 season to correct herniated disc
07-141 1/3 torn tendon in right middle finger
08-198 1/3 forearm, groin, tricep, elbow

last year he was able to fight through them. I would love to have Sheets in the rotation, but there is a definite risk involved.

I hate this theory, Bernie was on MLB on Xm and said they’d wait the market out and see what falls into there lap. This apporach is not going to work every year. However I don’t want them to give huge money to someone whose not worth it either..so i guess we will wait and see.. but to think it will play out the same way every year is rediculous

Giants sign Randy Jonnson to one year deal with no terms. Guess he did want to stay on the west coast and train in AZ.

What kind of contract would it take to get him?

Willy Taveras just signed with the Reds for two years. Good move Walt!

I didnt bother posting the link bc it doesnt say anymore than that. OK i guess. Im just really confused right now. It looks more and more like we wont sign Fuentes, which Im good with. But were in the hell are we going to put that money? The IF is set now that Kennedy is manning the keystone. Fine, I can deal with that. The OF is set unless we make a trade that is really off the radar. Im good with that too. Rick, Ludwick and Colby sounds good to me with Barton, Mather, Skip combo filling in. After Fuentes there really isnt a closer to be had outside of a trade – again it wouild have to be off the radar. So the biggest remaing question would be the rotation. Innings eater? check in Lohse. Front end starter? Check in Waino. Back end guy? Wellemeyer. Craptastic 5th starter? Pineiro. And thats about all we can count on. Carpenter is a huge question mark so it seems…. WE NEED A GOOD STARTER.

Now if there were only some low hanging fruit that would fit our needs and have some upside potential. Like a power arm with front end potential that we could sign to a 2 or 3 year deal. Hmmmmm. And you know it would be even better to take a front line SP from a divisional competitor to weaken their staff. Let’s see…Oswalt – nope. Harden, Dempster, Z, nope. Oh yeah – Ben Sheets. He’s a power arm with grit and stuff. He probably wants about 5 or 6 years. Oh no? 2 years 30 million? Well thats just crazy. Why in the hell has this not happened yet? You eat a little this year but next year it gets better bc Pineiro’s 8 million and Glaus’ 12 or so million come off the books and can be replaced by cheap talent that already in the pipeline. So just get him here and if Carp comes back strong we have a chance to win a championship. I mean crap. Just get it done.

at least for our Cards. I realize we are in the middle of the holidays…but I don’t think I have seen a Cardinals hot stove “rumor” for weeks. We have a few holes to fill…I hope things pick up after New Year’s…

They might just let throw McClellan and Franklin in the starting rotation during ST and see if they can stick.

Not the best idea but, If they spent the savings on a two year deal for Fuentes I could see it working.

The other would go back to the bullpen.

Let’s take a flyer on both these guys. Pedro may be done, but I’m willing to bet if he can keep his legs healthy he has 2-3 more years of solid performance left in him. I definitely think he could do a nice job filling out a rotation at a not unreasonable price. If I had to choose Looper or Martinez, think I’d take upside.

Manny is a different kettle of fish. His problem is that he lays down when he is unhappy so as long as you can negotiate a contract that has club option to walk away for bad behavior, I’d give him three years and let him and Albert wreak havoc.

Package up the flotsam in the OF for a closer and a 2B and I think we have a nice team through the end of Albert’s contract for a price that doesn’t break the bank. If you need to unload a salary — we could always trade Glaus and/or Piniero and let one of the guys on the depth chart fill in until Wallace is ready.

YOU BROKE MY HEART, MILES! Time to change my fucking sig! WAAAAAAAAAAH

Link

Two year contract with an option for the third year. No word yet on the financials.

I really hope he doesn’t become a Cardinal killer.

So, does MO trust the MI situation we have right now? We’ve got Greene at SS, coming off of his worst professional season. We’ve got Kennedy, who wanted out at 2B, and to back them up we have Ryan, Tyler Greene, and Thurston. I don’t really trust those guys to be the backups for a couple of guys who are question marks and I doubt that MO does too. So, who gets added to the mix? There are still several utility candidates left: Chris Burke, Alex Cora, Alex Cintron, Craig Counsell, Damion Easley, Jerry Hairston, Rich Aurilia, Pablo Ozuna, Juan Uribe, an Ty Wigginton.

Quite the extensive list of mediocrity. Each has his strengths, and each his weaknesses. A few of these guys may still be considered starter material and will thus cost more than what the Cubs paid for Miles. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing Burke or Cora brought in.

then take the (modest) savings and get Sheets.

Is this possible?

BtB is a good thing to check every morning.
For a direct link

Moorad said Friday he heads a “small but significant” group of investors that has an exclusive right to complete the specifics of negotiations with Padres owner John Moores. Moorad said he hopes the transaction can be completed in the next three months.

Hopefully this takes Peavy off the market

Because I think it’s pretty clear that Carpenter will probably be better as a closer than either Motte or Perez unless he’s not healthy enough to be pitching in the bigs anyway. And I like bringing him back as a reliever so as to not tax his arm. I wish that Tony hadn’t tried to make him start in 2008.

or does anyone else think that we should offer Lowe just a bit more than the Mets’ 3/$36 offer? We could do 3/$40 and he may accept, or even 2/$30. It would be sad if somebody else landed him for so little if we didn’t even bite.

this year by the cubs, and then picked up by the Cards midseason?

I’m calling it now.

He was great last year, albeit in an injury shortened year, and the 3 years previous to that he was as durable as anyone in the game. This guy is one of the best pitchers in the history of the game and he if he is healthy there is no way we should sign him. He has less of an injury risk than Sheets and he is better and he would cost less than him.

by Tony & Dewitt. i have no idea where to put there so i’m putting them here

Tony

Dewitt

they cover everything & are pretty long. so get in a comfy chair with your favorite beverage & enjoy.

For Luis Vizcaino.