People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.

-Rogers Hornsby

…Austin Kearns was picked up by the Cardinals in the 09-10 offseason and has so far put together 3 monster years…

I can only hope it’s a good omen.

You know what you get in November? Jason LaRue. Jason LaRue is going to be offered a contract in November. Or not – which means that in 2010 we get to watch Matt Pagnozzi ground out weakly every 5 to 7 days while not looking like he has come to fix some young woman’s 1970’s-era cable box.

Beautiful.

There’s more to baseball than stats and roster moves. People tend to make posts that consist of wild predictions or baseless speculations for 2010, but I like this better.

I sense that most people don’t really value finality, but with a season as long as baseball’s, it’s important. I’m sure there’s still some end of year summaries in the works somewhere, but now’s a good a time to shut the door on 09.

And anytime you can squeeze Tom Waits and T.S. Eliot in you’re doing something right.

But other than that – great post. As y’all know, I’m on the Cameron bandwagon bigtime and have been beating that particular drum for quite a while.

It’s a strange off-season so far, slightly contradicting your idea that nothing much happens until December – by my count, there’s already been 6 trades or FA signings of meaningful players (i.e. ones that the Cards may in some way have been interested in), so perhaps teams are striking whilst the iron’s hot (or, at least, haven’t learnt from last year’s pre-economy-collapse disasters, Kyle Lohse et al).

I too am perplexed about Hardy – to me, it seemed a Hardy + Fielder blockbuster to the RedSox might make a lot of sense for both teams – the Brewers needed to sell on both whilst they still had significant value, the RedSox need a DH to replace Papi and a shortstop pretty clearly. With their cash, I don’t see how selling a pitching prospect or two would hurt them THAT much. If I’d been them, I’d have probably been happy to go maybe Buchholz plus a couple of other prospects (maybe Masterson if they hadn’t already shipped him) in a deal that would make sense for both parties. After all, the Crew have tailor-made replacements in Escobar and Gamel to step into their shoes, and they desperately need pitching.

I still like Kearns, but I feel he makes less sense now than he did in the middle of the season. He’s basically a lefty-masher with a very good OF glove, so he’s only useful if you can pick him up cheap (<$5m) and platoon him with, say, Rick Ankiel or Chris Duncan, neither of whom seem likely to be here next year. I’d pass, but I think he’s a good bounceback candidate.

Which leave us, behind the “no Holliday” door, Johnny Damon and Mike Cameron. Damon’s type-A status concerns me a bit, although that might depress his $ value somewhat. Also, he’s been a bit injury-prone in recent years. I love his bat in the 2 hole but I tend to feel that Cameron is almost as good with the stick, far, far better with the glove, potentially about the same price in $ and he isn’t a type A. He seems to me to be the clear choice.

To be honest, I’d love Holliday to come back, but if it costs similar (or even more) than the 6/96m rumours that Joe Strauss invented earlier in the week (and I suspect that it will – I can’t see Holliday wanting less than $100m, and I can see the Yankees taking an interest; the contract they readily dished out to Teixeira, who is basically the same player but 1B instead of LF, worries me), I wonder if we’re not better off spending that moolah on employing Smoltz, Cameron & a reliever in the short term, and dedicating the long-term dollars to the respective bank accounts of Albert Pujols, Colby Rasmus and perhaps Ryan Ludwick.

As long as John Smoltz is here next year, I’m happy. Roll on spring.

in yesterdays clothes, at work, watching a shitty movie where the cubs win the ws, today is going to be EPIC.

Which leave us, behind the "no Holliday" door, Johnny Damon and Mike Cameron. Damon’s type-A status concerns me a bit, although that might depress his $ value somewhat. Also, he’s been a bit injury-prone in recent years. I love his bat in the 2 hole but I tend to feel that Cameron is almost as good with the stick, far, far better with the glove, potentially about the same price in $ and he isn’t a type A. He seems to me to be the clear choice.

FM— Isn’t Godzilla a better option than these two?

you’re gonna be my witness, man.

Ludwick.

So I support a Ludwick approach. Anything more than a minor league invite and I pass.

Feb 20th pitchers and catchers report.

Last year when my mom picked me up for Christmas Break she was shocked to get out of the car and realize that it was 70 degrees. Even more shocked when I told her it had been for a week.
Good post though.

The initial speculation around Ludwick’s luggage is hilarity in hindsight.

chuck b. checked our batting splits

The bottom line – we’re an average offensive team…but only b/c we have Pujols.

Craig + 1 for Brandon Wood

before:
6 months later

I like this one better.

I pulled some data from espn about last off season. There were 190 Free Agents, including players who were non tendered (Aaron Miles). Of the 190, 107 signed new MLB contracts, 75 signed minor league contracts and 8 retired. Of the 107 siging MLB contracts, only 36 received multiple year contracts (including Aaron Miles).

This link is to a spreadsheet I created. The spreadsheet is sorted in descending order by average annual value of the new MLB contract. There are some totals of various information starting in row 198. The Rank column was ESPN’s ranking of the FA’s when last year’s off season started. The data might help in guessing this year’s hot stove action.

I forgot how boring last year was for the Cards. LaRue, Miller and Reyes for $4.450 mm. My heart be still; a back up Catcher and two LOOGYs.

The Brewers also declined a $3.7 million option on right-hander David Weathers(notes) on Friday, buying him out for $400,000. They likely will have to turn to the free agent market to help their struggling staff.
Melvin said he considers right-hander John Lackey "head and shoulders" above other available free agent pitchers, but wouldn’t say whether the Brewers would be serious bidders for the Los Angeles Angels ace.
Melvin said the Brewers might have to gamble on a pitcher with a history of injury problems, such as left-handed free agent Mark Mulder.
"We’ll still focus on pitching, and see if we can improve," Melvin said.

Here
Mark Mulder.
Well, good luck.

Helped my Dad do some yard work that he needed done. He had me digging ditches all day. I have office works hands. My hands got all cut up from shoveling all day.

become a clubhouse leader on the cubs → they let you go next season?

Remove- Stavinoha, Robinson, Pagz
Add-DJ tools, Craig, Salas, Jay, Sanchez,anderson,( not sure who else though)
Sign
Adrian Beltre 2yrs/14M (freese is still unproven and Beltre is a freaking genius with the glove) or Crede to 1/4.5
Mike Cameron 2/15+ incentives
Baldeli 1/1M
Washburn 2/13M or Ben Sheets 2/15 + incentive and vesting option
Smoltzy 1/3M with incentives

what is that about ~23-27M

Can I just bring up the argument for Beltre one last time, he’s 30 and has averaged 25Hr since his 48 Hr season. And even though last year was bad(offensively) his defense should merit consideration.Yes, I know freese is cheap and he’s a decent defender, but we still aren’t sure what he’ll do at the dish.

Bring on the criticism.

every. time. Yadier. picks him off.

6ly, how many times can one guy get picked off?

But really I just wanted an excuse to post this….