Fuentes to Angels

by Ghosty on Dec 31, 2008 3:18 PM EST Comment 40 comments

Well the Angels signed Fuentes. Did anyone else see this coming? I'm sure both sides of that equation are overjoyed. Meanwhile the Cardinals are left at the altar. Oh well. It's not like he would have made much of a difference over Perez/Motte/Kinney.

I just hope we don't get desperate and re-sign Izzy.

Kinney's my choice, by the way. I was at the NLCS game 3 in 2006 vs. the Mets when Kinney closed out the game perfectly. And after his practically flawless comeback at the end of last year (which no one seemed to notice) I am convinced that if given a chance Josh Kinney could be our man for the 9th.

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dodged a bullet

no thanks on fuentes when we’ve already got the above-mentioned trio (though kinney would be third on my list in terms of "closing").

can we please sign ben sheets now?

actually e'contending mang

by nycbirdo on Dec 31, 2008 3:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Wasn't that the same deal that we offered him?

by vivaelpujols on Dec 31, 2008 3:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

no

he has a vesting option based on IP. So if he pitches his innings he gets a third year.

We stopped at 2 years guaranteed and he wanted 3 years guaranteed. Angels met in the middle, but he past our ‘value point’ threshold.

One Century down, next on its way. Cardinals '09 : Preserving the Cubs tradition.

by AdjustedExpectations on Jan 1, 2009 8:37 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

nitpicking but,

the vesting options is based on games finished per mlbtraderumors. he needs 55 games finished in 2010 for the 3rd year to vest.

by mopack on Jan 1, 2009 8:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

oh, darn

no fuentes…

this line is dedicated to '09

by Cards Fan in Chitown on Dec 31, 2008 4:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

well handled Mozeliak

appease TLR by sending an offer to Fuentes, but avoid signing him by making the offer just a little bit lower than it should be.

this line is dedicated to '09

by Cards Fan in Chitown on Dec 31, 2008 5:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

you can argue that Fuentes could be worth it on a two year deal, even around that price. 3 years is insane.

I don’t think it had anything to do with TLR. I think that Mo and Co. decided what his max worth was, and that vesting option wasn’t worth it.

One Century down, next on its way. Cardinals '09 : Preserving the Cubs tradition.

by AdjustedExpectations on Jan 1, 2009 8:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yr probably right

but TLR did say that he wanted fuentes, so it’s possible that’s what happened to some extent

this line is dedicated to '09

by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 1, 2009 7:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm wih you...

I think Josh Kinney deserves a shot at the closer role. He was awesome at the end of the year.

by rva on Dec 31, 2008 5:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

8 innings really doesn't show how good he can be

But I agree that either Perez, Motte, Kinney or even Franklin would be good closers next year if given the shot. Right now the number 1 priority is to get a good starter, so hopefully we will use the savings for Lowe or Sheets.

by vivaelpujols on Dec 31, 2008 6:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I have seen Franklin in the closer role

and I don’t want to see it again. I doubt he does either. Otherwise, that would have deserved a rec, or at least one of those +1s

* sarcasm might be involved in this comment

by mattyfrommo on Dec 31, 2008 6:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

please please please

no Franklin as closer, my liver can’t take it!

this line is dedicated to '09

by Cards Fan in Chitown on Dec 31, 2008 7:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

mine either

but i guarantee you TLR will try it just to prove he knows best

I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!

by gdm426 on Dec 31, 2008 8:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

As long as Duncan in the pitching coach...

I don’t trust Perez or Motte to close. Pitch to contact just doesn’t work with 94+ mph fastballs

Felipe Lopez - next year's Joel Pineiro (on another team, thank you Mo!)

by DiscoJer on Dec 31, 2008 8:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

you sir are a wise man

i don’t either & i dread watching The Grand Wizard screw them up

I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!

by gdm426 on Dec 31, 2008 8:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

anyone deserves a shot at it

as long as they are effective… but that might confuse Tony, he needs his closer hero

this line is dedicated to '09

by Cards Fan in Chitown on Dec 31, 2008 7:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I know the pen totally tanked last year

but this year will have a mostly new and interesting cast. Perez, Motte and Kinney for a full season has to help, and on top of that you are subtracting Flores, Villone and Izzy. I don’t think the bullpen is as big of a problem as some fans are making it out to be.

Hyperventilating prospect geek/Overrated Faberge eggs lover
Future Redbirds

by erik on Jan 1, 2009 12:38 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

I am really looking forward to seeing what Kinney, Motte and Perez can do over a full season. It would be a complete shock for them not be better than Izzy was last year. I’d like another lefty in the pen too please.

by nmstar on Jan 1, 2009 7:36 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm ok on the left side

if Kmac is still in the pen, his splits were fine, if he’s not I agree.

Otherwise another pen fillin would be nice, disregarding pitching side.

One Century down, next on its way. Cardinals '09 : Preserving the Cubs tradition.

by AdjustedExpectations on Jan 1, 2009 8:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

what, no Charlie Manning

he is my long, lost left-handed twin.

Hyperventilating prospect geek/Overrated Faberge egg lover
Future Redbirds

by erik on Jan 1, 2009 1:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

you look alike?

this line is dedicated to '09

by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 1, 2009 7:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

DC newspapers

hate you?

by spants on Jan 1, 2009 10:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I woud't mind resigning Izzy

With the exceptions of last year and in 06, he was an exceptional closer. If we end up moving McClellan to the rotation, which we should do, than signing Izzy to 1 year deal could have a ton of upside. He would only cost maybe 2 million with incentives, if he is able to return to 07 form than we would have one of the better closers in the game, if not than we would let one of the trio close.

by vivaelpujols on Jan 1, 2009 8:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

i've been a fan of this move ever since i learned his arm injury could be & was fixed

i think the old man still has one year left in the tank & he’s probably the best vet out there to help show the kids what it takes to be a closer for a championship quality team.

I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!

by gdm426 on Jan 1, 2009 9:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd be

okay with the Cardinals re-signing Izzy to be the closer. But they need to have a zero-tolerance policy with his performance, and I’m not sure LaRussa would do that.

by spants on Jan 1, 2009 10:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He wouldn't.

He’s been shown twice (2006 and 2008) that he can’t be trusted to make that decision.

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Jan 1, 2009 10:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

this is a different situation

in 07, he was great so you couldn’t expect TLR to take him out when he started to strugge. Now Izzy would have to win the job and pitch well to keep it.

by vivaelpujols on Jan 1, 2009 10:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

he was so terrible in 06

that Tony should have seen the obvious parallels in 08

Getting pissed off when people use stats on a extremely stat friendly sight makes since, alot of cents

* sarcasm might be involved in this comment

by mattyfrommo on Jan 1, 2009 11:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

maybe we can put someone else in charge of pulling IZZY?

i volunteer to do it. its not like i got anything else to do.

I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!

by gdm426 on Jan 2, 2009 12:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Can I be your assistant?

I’d gladly do that on commission…like everytime one of us yank Izzy we get a fee or something…God knows if he’s not healthy it could be a big wad of cash considering La Russa’s Jason Isringhausen man crush.

"Your Holiness, I'm Joseph Medwick. I, too, used to be a Cardinal."-Joe Medwick, to Pope Pius XII.

by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 2, 2009 3:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

as long as it doesn't require you going anywhere near the ballpark

* sarcasm might be involved in this comment

by mattyfrommo on Jan 2, 2009 12:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

they do have phones in ohio, so were good

I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!

by gdm426 on Jan 2, 2009 4:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

technically, I suppose that Mo could just DFA him if he starts to suck.

by tom s. on Jan 2, 2009 9:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

re: kinney

and “(which no one seemed to notice)”. for the love of god, check out his B-R page. Lol.

he’s been completely flawless for going on 3 years now ;)

they can't play baseball, they don't wear sweaters, they're not good dancers, they don't play drums

by SleepyCA on Jan 2, 2009 1:39 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, true...

…But he throws a bajillion breaking balls (which is very very muy bad for your arm)and has pitched 32 major league innings in THREE seasons. The guy has some nasty stuff, but for god’s sakes Chris Perez has thrown more regular season innings than he has and isn’t far behind even if you add in Kinney’s postseason numbers. I think Kinney is filthy and all, but I’m not going to dub the guy savior of the bullpen quite yet. He has to stay healthy AND pitch a full ML season at a high level first.

"Your Holiness, I'm Joseph Medwick. I, too, used to be a Cardinal."-Joe Medwick, to Pope Pius XII.

by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 2, 2009 3:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs