for next season a couple days ago and was pleasently surprised to see what our financial situation would be. i don’t know exactly who all the free agent middle infielders will be, but no one really exciting comes to mind. what i do get excited about, however, are some potential free agent pitchers. i would really love to see us go after ben sheets. i know he is a huge injury concern, and my idea would be to offer a pretty big three year contract, with an incentive claus that triggers another three years if he pitches 160 innings, in each of the first three years of the contract. maybe that wouldn’t be enough, there might be someone throwing 5-6 years at him. i don’t know what his feelings towards st. louis are, but that would seem fairly enticing. if he stays healthy, he has a 6 year deal, for premium money, and also sheets, carpenter, and wainwright, could possibly form the best 1-2-3 combo in the league. that would leave piniero, wellemeyer, garcia, todd, et al, to round out the rotation. possibly setting up a pitcher or two as trade bait. if i’m the g.m., that is my plan for offseason, add another stud to the rotation (sheets being my example) then have piniero and duncan and maybe another spare part or two to package.

but Mulder and Clement have buyouts totaling about $2million, Franklin’s salary is $500k too low, and Ludwick and Duncan will be arb eligible, which will cost at least a few million and possibly more if we keep Dunc on the roster.

I would add $6-9 million to your $77 million figure.

One or more of our outfielders is going to get moved during this season or in the offseason. I highly doubt Colby will not be on the roster after spring training, meaning one of Ankiel, Ludwick, Duncan, or Schumaker needs to go. It would be nice if Duncan were still hitting at a 2007 1st half pace, then we could package him with someone in the offseason to a team that needs a corner OF bat or a DH—like Cleveland, who has middle infielders and some pitching (Sowers, Westbrook).

I think you’ve lowballed the amount that Ankiel will get in arbitration if he ever gets healthy this season - if he hits 30+ homers and plays as good a defense as he’s been playing, he’s probably going up to $4$5 million for next season. Ludwick will probably have a little bump in salary as well. I also think that Motte might make the team in the spring of ‘09 as well.

My top 5 moves if I’m Mo:

1. Look for a 2B who has some value with the bat but isn’t a butcher on defense (Hudson really fits the bill the best)
2. Ryan becomes the starting SS until Kozma is ready in late 2010 or early 2011.
3. Freese comes up to back-up 1B/3B and play occasionally when AP and Glaus need days off.
4. Kick the tires on every top of the rotation starter on the market and see what it would take to acquire them via trade or sign them as a free agent. I don’t see this as a major need if the kids keep pitching well.
5. Look for a new backup catcher, because our current one sucks and looks like he used to be a backup singer for the Village People.

Depending on the injury situation, the cards will need a top-of the rotation starter. They will also need to bring an impact middle infield bat.
1.If Carp returns then bring in a top starter like Zack Grienke or just tBring up ry and go for a middle starter like Jon Garland. Waino,Carp,Greinke/Garland, Garcia, Piniero
2. Plug Brendan Ryan at SS and bring in via FA or trade a big bat like Brian Roberts or maybe Michael Young.
3. Bring up Mather and Rasmus and keep Ludwick in the consistent starting role. Dump Duncan and realize that Ank’s spectacular defense does not compensate for his lackluster offensive production.
4.Finally bring in some LH bullpen help so we can have Perez,K-Mac,springer,franklin,motte, and couple lefties!

ankiel and lackluster offense in the same sentence?

But as always you can never have enough pitching.

so maybe a pitcher and one of those

Lackluster would be the word as of right now! Him hitting at a .250 clip isnt cutting it whatsoever. The league has figured him out, they are stoipping feeding him staight fastballs and are getting him out on soft breaking pitches.

And that’s Stavinoha who continues to play some solid ball in Memphis.

Our OF and SP has some serious glut going into ‘09.

Figuring that out will go a long ways to figuring out the rest of the puzzle.

Cincinatti are going to be sellers in the next few weeks: let’s get Brandon Phillips. He’s signed not that expensively through 2011 with a club option for 2012 (not like that will matter, with the world coming to a gruesome end in December of that year), plays solid defense, is 26, can steal bases, and hits for power. It’d be cheaper to get him now and keep his contract than it would be to sign Furcal or Hudson as free agents, and it’d leave the birds with more money to get an ace. With Lud/Phillips/Pujols/Glaus, we can afford to have Ryan/Miles at short, I think. Eh?

Actually, now that I look harder, he plays EXCELLENT defense. Do you think he’d even be available come deadline-time?