The McBrayer-Baseball Blog

Cardinals and Oswalt Agree to Contract

2012-01-28T01:30:00.000-06:00

It is now 1:25am Saturday and I finally got my story. ESPNBoston is reporting that Roy Oswalt signed with the Cardinals. At this time it is unknown the terms of his deal. I will update soon on salary and specifics. Welcome to the Cardinals Roy Oswalt!!!!

Reports Coming In: Oswalt close to Signing with Cards

2012-01-27T23:48:00.000-06:00

Reports coming in from Jim Duquette from MLB Network announced on Sirius XM that the Cardinals are close to a deal with Roy Oswalt. According to Joe Strauss the Cardinals made an offer of earlier in the winter of $5 million.
He says that the Astros and Boston are also still in the mix. The Rangers have been rumored to be the front runners, but they were not mentioned by Duquette. The Red Sox offered Oswalt a one year $5 million deal yesterday, and that has been the only reported offer.
Oswalt has reportedly wanted to stay near the south, where he is from. The Cardinals and Rangers had been in the lead for a bit, and the Astros seem to be a new team in the mix, where he had previously played before being dealt to the two years ago. I recall that the Cardinals where interested in Roy before he went to the Phillies. With Oswalt possibly in the mix what a starting five we would have.

Projected Numbers for 2012

1. Chris Carpenter 15-10     229 (IP)     3.42 ERA
2. Adam Wainwright     17-7     209.3 (IP)     2.64 ERA
3. Roy Oswalt     13-7     164.3(IP)     3.72 ERA
4. Kyle Lohse     10-9     4.29 ERA
5. Jaime Garcia     14-8     194(IP)     3.40 ERA

It looks like that Jake Westbrook would be moved to a long reliever. Would love to have Oswalt.
Please keep your eyes on my blog for more information on Oswalt.

Source: Jim Duquette/Sporting News Fantasy Report 2012

Yoenis Cespedes becomes a Free Agent

2012-01-26T13:55:00.000-06:00

I was just watching the Prince Fielder news conference when I read the news ticker that Cespedes had established residency in the Dominican Republic. Now that Prince Fielder is signed, the Tigers are no longer intrested in Cespedes. The teams that are now targeting him are the Cubs, Marlins, Whitesox, Indians, Yankees. Phillies, Bluejays and Rangers. It was reported that he has no interest with the Marlins. Too bad that I don't see the Cardinals on the list of potential suitors. I have a strong feeling it will come down to the Cubs or the Indians. Good luck!

Jason Motte Returns to the Cardinals

2012-01-25T21:41:00.000-06:00

Nice to see this happen. Pistol Pete returns. Motte became one of my favorite players during the 2011 Word Series. Loved seeing his intensity. Today he agreed to one year deal that is worth $1.95 million.
The 29-year-old reliever was 5-2 with a 2.25 ERA and nine saves last season, earning the closer’s role in late August and getting five saves in the postseason. Motte closed out the NL championship series and the World Series.

“Being out there, getting that last out, Yaddy (Molina) looking back at me, down on his knees — it’s one of those things I’ll never forget,” Motte said last week.
The Cardinals have no remaining arbitration-eligible players. St. Louis pitcher Kyle McClellan agreed to a one-year deal last week.
Motte made $435,000 last year. He asked for $2.4 million in arbitration and was offered $1.5 million.
He can earn an additional $75,000 in performance bonuses: $25,000 each for 50, 55 and 60 games finished.
Motte had 63 strikeouts in 68 innings last season and a 1.93 ERA after the All-Star break. He appeared in 78 games, a franchise record for a right-hander.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: AP

Fielder Signs with Tigers

2012-01-24T17:16:00.000-06:00

Today Prince Fielder hits pay dirt. He signed a contract of $214 million for nine years with the Detroit Tiogers today. Geez Albert Pujols got $240 Million for ten years. Looks like Prince got a better deal than Pujols. Less money with more at bats. Fielder will be more durable at first base and probably last longer in the bigs than Albert. Here is more information about the signing by Chris Snyder via CBS SPORTS.:

The Tigers were recently dealt what appeared to be a pretty severe blow, as Victor Martinez tore his ACL and could miss the entire 2012 season. So there went Miguel Cabrera's lineup protection, right? Think again. Owner Mike Ilitch really wants to win a World Series championship and this signing indicates one of the strongest reactions one can even imagine to news like that.

Heyman also notes that the finalists to land Fielder were the Nationals, Tigers and one other "mystery team." So it's entirely possible the Nationals would have come away with Fielder had Martinez not torn his ACL. It's funny how things work sometimes.

A Fielder-Cabrera combo in the middle of that order will dominate AL Central pitching. Throw Justin Verlander into the mix, and the Tigers have three of baseball's biggest stars.

Fielder, 27, hit .299/.415/.566 with 38 homers, 120 RBI, 95 runs and 36 doubles last season for the NL Central champion Brewers. He finished third in MVP voting and also took home the All-Star Game MVP. Though Fielder is a large man, he is as durable as they come. He hasn't played in less than 157 games in a season since becoming a regular. He played in all 162 last season, following up seasons where he appeared in 161 and 162 games, respectively.

The smart money with Fielder and Cabrera is a split at first base, with the other serving as the designated hitter. Then again, what if the Tigers got nuts and tried to shove Cabrera back across the diamond to play third base again -- where he began his career? That would mean the infield defense would be awful, but would also leave room for a better hitting DH than Brandon Inge (who, at this point, looks like the third baseman). And if Victor Martinez comes back healthy? It works even better.

The Tigers won the AL Central by 15 games last season. Even if Martinez misses all of the 2012 season, Fielder is a pretty sizeable upgrade to the offense. So it would appear the division is the Tigers' to lose.

For now, though, the only details that really matter are that Prince Fielder is heading to Detroit -- where his father once held down the middle of the order -- and he's going to make a whole lot of money.

Chris Snyder

David Eckstein Retires

2012-01-22T18:43:00.000-06:00

I just picked up this bit of news from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that David Eckstein has decided to call it quits from Major League Baseball. Being a Cardinal Fan Eckstein has become part of Cardinal lore. This gritty player has warmed up to Cardinal Nation as a fan favorite. With only three years with St.Louis he became an All Star short stop twice and a World Series MVP in 2006. I was hoping for a comeback but I guess he decided to hang it up for now. Maybe we will see him pop up again sometime soon.

Matt Adams On The Rise

2012-01-21T23:32:00.000-06:00

There are a few players in the Cardinals Farm System that I feel are truly legit enough to make the majors in a few years or less. One of the players I can't wait to see take his place as the Cardinals official first baseman is Matt Adams. This 6'3 hulking figure has only spent two in the Cardinals minor league system to amass 64 home runs and 241 RBIs while playing for Johnson City , Batavia, Quad Cities and Springfield from 2009 to 2011. Matt was also chosen for Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year (2011). Adams also finished his turn at the invitation-only Arizona Fall League this past month with a .250 average, four homers and 19 RBIs in 20 games. A scout with an opposing National League team calls Adams "the top position prospect they have" in the Cardinals' system. I believe that the Cardinals will make room for his bat. With one more year with Berkman at first base we should see this power hitter in 2013. I am hoping big things for this big man.

Cardinals Sign Kyle McClellan

2012-01-17T16:51:00.000-06:00

It was nice to find out that the Cardinals avoided salary arbitration with McClellan and signed him for a one year deal. No information in regards to salary has been released at this time. I thought that Kyle did a great job in 2011 splitting his time as a starting pitcher and a middle reliever. In 17 starts he 6-6 with a 4.61 era as a starter. McClellan was a part time starting pitcher till the Cardinals traded for Edwin Jackson.

I had always felt that McClellan had a lot of talent and had enough worth to help upgrade the Cardinal team if they needed to trade him. With McClellan now in place the Cardinals are now working with Jason Motte in regards to a deal

Cardinals Sign Koyie Hill

2012-01-10T18:03:00.000-06:00

The Cardinals has signed Koyie Hill to a minor league deal today. A light hitting back up catcher that has spent five years with the Cubs. Koyie had posted a .194/.268/.276 line in 153 plate appearances for the Cubs in 2011, he had a rate of 24% of stolen base attempts. Koyie a eight-year veteran had a career batting line of .211/.275/.298 and has stopped 28% of the stolen base attempts against him. Koyie will be competing with Tony Cruz and Bryan Anderson for the role of back up catcher for Yadi Molina for the 2012 roster. Good luck Koyie!

Dave Duncan Stepping Down

2012-01-05T20:23:00.000-06:00

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Dave Duncan is taking a leave of absence. Duncan, 66, is leaving the team so he can be with his wife, Jeanine, who underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor on Aug. 21, sources said.
The Cardinals intend to make a formal announcement Friday and leave open the possibility that Duncan can return to the organization at a later time.
Duncan missed more than a month after his wife’s surgery last season, but rejoined the team for the final day of the regular season and remained with the club through the Cardinals’ march to the World Series title.
Bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist served as pitching coach during Duncan’s absence. It is not known whether he will become pitching coach under new manager Mike Matheny.

Ken Rosenthal

Zambrano Traded to The Marlins

2012-01-04T21:50:00.000-06:00

I am looking forward to the Miami Marlins new season. There will be a lot of fireworks between Ozzie Guillen and Carlos Zambrano. These two fiery personalities will light up the Miami night skies. Here are the particulars to the trade:

Carlos Zambrano will get a much-needed fresh start with the Miami Marlins.
The Chicago Cubs traded their former ace Wednesday for Marlins right-hander Chris Volstad, pending physicals and approval by Major League Baseball, a person familiar with the negotiations said. The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced a deal.

Zambrano wore out his welcome in Chicago because of repeated meltdowns and tantrums. The most recent came when he cleaned out his locker and talked about retiring after giving up five homers and being ejected during a loss to Atlanta on Aug. 12. He was suspended without pay and then it was decided he would sit out the rest of the season.
In Miami he’ll be joining another former Chicagoan, Ozzie Guillen, who expressed interest in acquiring Zambrano when he was hired as the Marlins’ manager in October after stepping down as the White Sox’s skipper. Zambrano joins a franchise on the upswing after a winter spending spree resulted in the signings of All-Stars Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell.
Zambrano finished last year 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA. The Cubs expected more when he signed a $91.5 million deal over five seasons through 2012, including a $17,875,000 million salary last season and $18 million in 2012. As part of the trade, they’ll likely pay much of his salary.
Volstad went 5-13 last year with an ERA of 4.89, and his career record is 32-39. He has given up 69 homers over the past three seasons, which could mean trouble for him at Wrigley Field.
Zambrano is 125-81 with a 3.60 ERA after breaking in with the Cubs in 2001, and he threw a no-hitter against the Astros. But he had difficulty controlling his temper.
In 2007, he got into a fight with teammate Michael Barrett, first in the dugout and then in the locker room. Barrett ended up with a bruise under his eye and a cut lip.
In 2009, he went on tirade against an umpire, throwing a baseball into the outfield, pretending to eject the umpire and slamming his glove against the dugout fence, a tantrum that led to a suspension.
In 2010, Zambrano was placed on the restricted list for six weeks and sent to anger management after a verbal altercation with then-teammate Derrek Lee.

Bill Buckner Hired by Cubs Minor League Team

2012-01-04T21:37:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite Boston Redsox players Bill Buckner got hired with the Cubs minor league team Boise Hawks as a batting coach. The Hawks is a part of a short season Class A Northwest League.

Buckner played for the Cubs from 1977-84 and won the 1980 NL batting title. He was a career .289 hitter over 22 seasons.

The 62-year-old Buckner was a manager last year for Brockton, a Massachusetts team in the independent CanAm league. He previously was a hitting coach for the Chicago White Sox and held the same position in the minors for Toronto.

Yahoo Sports

Joe Torre to Become Dodgers Owner

2012-01-04T19:26:00.000-06:00

While on my way home from work today I was shocked and surprise to learn from ESPN101.1 that Joe Torre step down from his job with MLB to become a owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Here is the rest of the story:

Joe Torre stepped down Wednesday from his post as Major League Baseball's executive vice president for baseball operations, both sides announced, so that he could dedicate himself full-time to pursuing ownership of the Dodgers.
Torre, 71, the Yankees' manager from 1996-2007, officially has joined the group of real estate developer Rick Caruso. If the group succeeds in purchasing the Dodgers from beleaguered owner Frank McCourt, then Torre, who managed the team from 2008-10, would likely oversee its baseball operations.
"In Rick I found a partner who understands consumers and fully appreciates that the Dodgers are a treasured L.A. institution," Torre said in a statement. "Since moving to Los Angeles, I have seen firsthand Rick's dedication to business and the people of Los Angeles."
The idea of an ownership stake in the Dodgers has intrigued Torre since his days managing them, when McCourt's divorce cast doubt about his future viability as an owner. Initial bids are due Jan. 23, and according to the terms of an agreement that McCourt cut with MLB, McCourt must choose a winner of the sweepstakes by April 30. All franchise sales must be approved by 75 percent of the other 29 owners.
The Dodgers, despite the damage they have suffered under McCourt's watch, are expected to set a record for a baseball sale; the Cubs, sold to the Ricketts family in 2009 for $845 million, hold the mark. Although Torre's presence would appeal greatly to central baseball, there looks to be a fierce competition for ownership control.
Among those reported to be interested in purchasing the Dodgers are hedge fund magnate Steve Cohen (who also tried to buy the Mets); a group featuring basketball great Magic Johnson and former Braves and Nationals executive Stan Kasten; former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley; Dodgers greats Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser; former Dodgers general manager Fred Claire; and a group including White Sox executive Dennis Gilbert (who tried to purchase the Rangers last year) and former talk-show host Larry King.
Said Caruso, in a statement: "Joe has a proven track record of fielding winning teams, and I am looking forward to our group benefiting from his unique experience. I am a lifelong Angeleno; I love this city and have dedicated my career to creating world-class destinations that support this community and foster great customer experiences. Joe and I believe in the Dodgers and Dodger fans and know that together we will foster a winning culture."
The MLB post essentially served as a layover for Torre, who accepted the job in February 2011. In overseeing umpires and discipline for on-field matters, he gave the job star power it had not had. He also further solidified his once-broken relationship with the Yankees, attending his first Old-Timers' Day since his departure as manager.
His post will be filled on an interim basis by his three lieutenants: Joe Garagiola Jr., Kim Ng and Peter Woodfork.
In a statement, commissioner Bud Selig said: "Joe has been an invaluable resource for me and all of us at Major League Baseball this year and has splendidly communicated with our on-field personnel, general managers and the umpires. I understand his desire to pursue an opportunity in Los Angeles. Joe has been a lifelong friend and I know that will continue in the future."
Torre's new pursuit will allow him to spend the bulk of his time in Los Angeles, where he moved his family after taking the Dodgers' managing job. In his MLB post, Torre traveled significantly and spent much time at baseball's New York office.

Kevin Davidoff, Newsday

Cardinals Considering Oswalt?

2012-01-03T18:48:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I happen to come across some news about Lance Berkman trying to coax Roy Oswalt to become a St.Louis Cardinal. As much as I would love to have Oswalt, what would we do with the other starting pitchers? Could we used Westbrook as a middle relief guy but he would be a 8Mil relief guy. I would tend to think someone needs to move in order for Oswalt to work.

Today The Boston Globe reported: The St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees are reportedly interested in free-agent Roy Oswalt.
Oswalt has seen his stock rise in recent weeks after it became apparent that the 34-year-old starter would be willing to seek a one-year deal in order to prove his own health. He had been looking for a three-year contract, however some teams were wary of his back issues which forced him to miss several starts last season for Philadelphia.
Oswalt had his option declined by the Philadelphia Phillies in October, making him a free-agent. As a result, the three-time All-Star received a $2 million buyout instead of $16 million in salary over the course of 2012.
In 23 games started for Philadelphia last season, Oswalt posted a 9-10 record with a 3.69 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 139 innings pitched. For his career, Oswalt has posted a 159-93 record with a stellar 3.21 ERA in 11 seasons with the Houston Astros and the Phillies.

Boston Globe

Top Five St.Louis Cardinal Stories of 2011

2011-12-31T00:02:00.000-06:00

Number Five for me is the trade that sent Colby Rasmus along with Brian Tallett, Trever Miller, and P J Walters to the Toronto Bluejays for Mark Rzepczski, Corey Patterson, Octavio Dotel, and Edwin Jackson. At first I was upset with this trade, I believe we could of gotten better players. Little did I know the impact Jackson and Dotel had getting this team to the playoffs. I also feel that receiving Rzepczski is also a gem in the rough.

Number four was the signing of Lance Berkman. Taking a chance on this aging veteran was the spark plug this team needed to keep the Cardinals a contender. Lance got Comeback Player of the Year, what more can you say!

Number Three, Tony LaRussa Retires! He spent sixteen years as the manager and won two world series and one NL pennant but he began to stale in the last three years with the Cardinals. Was he gonna stay or go? Well he wanted to retire back in September but waited till after the World Series. What a way to go out on top.

Number Two, Albert bolt to Anaheim to become an Angel. Well more power to him as a DH.

Number One, Cardinals win World Series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

San Jose Athletics?

2011-12-27T17:20:00.000-06:00

The Oakland A's facility has needed a face lift for years. The Coliseum has been around since 1968. While other MLB teams gets state of the art stadiums, the Coliseum remains a rust bucket. The move for the A's make sense to me. Their new location is sensible and would attract more fans in that area. Here is more news on the possible move:

The Oakland Athletics—having traded two All-Star pitchers in a two-week period—reportedly have a reason behind a full-scale dismantling and rebuilding of the team’s roster: The A’s have received private assurances from Major League Baseball that they’ll be allowed to move to San Jose.
“All signs and top #MLB sources say that the #Athletics will be granted permission to move to San Jose,” CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman reported on his Twitter feed.

The Giants long have opposed such a move, claiming territorial rights over San Jose.
During a conference call Friday with reporters, Athletics GM Billy Beane said he was confident the team would be allowed to go forth with a San Jose ballpark and “any other information I have, I'd probably rather keep to myself.”
After trading RHPs Gio Gonzalez (to Washington in a deal completed Friday) and Trevor Cahill (to Arizona earlier this month), Beane said his team is trying to parlay established stars into a core of good young players for a potential new stadium, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“We have no chance but to operate under the possible illusion that we’ll get a new stadium,” Beane said, according to FOXSports.com. “It’s really the only answer for us.”
Until the A’s get approval to move, he added, they can’t succeed in the long term in the American League West, where the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers have distanced themselves from the A’s and Seattle Mariners, both in terms of talent and spending, because of huge local TV deals.
“There wasn't going be a move we could make to compete with Texas and Anaheim,” Beane said, noting that both will have payrolls in the $175 million range. “Just to come up to Seattle, we'd have to spend an extra 40-50 million dollars.”
The A's 2011 payroll was $70 million, and Beane told The Chronicle last month that the team lost money, largely because the payroll had gone up from $52 million in 2010. Two major league sources cited by the newspaper confirmed that the franchise did lose $1 million to $2 million, despite getting revenue-sharing checks of $30 million-plus.
Meantime, the dealing isn’t finished (another All-Star RHP, Andrew Bailey, is likely to follow Cahill and Gonzalez out of Oakland), which could only further frustrate the fan base.
But Beane says the organization has plotted a plan, presumably based on moving to San Jose, and will stick to it, unlike rebuilds in the past.
“I'd rather run a club that has a three- or four-year plan and implements it and see it getting better over time, than going on the patchwork basis of year-to-year,” Beane said. “We haven't been as successful when we go year-to-year.”
In mid-November, FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal reported that baseball was trying to accelerate a decision on whether to allow the A’s to relocate to San Jose and that a meeting between commissioner Bud Selig and Giants officials would take place within two weeks.
That meeting still has not happened, according to the Rosenthal’s major league sources.
The Giants remain adamantly opposed to relinquishing their territorial rights to San Jose and the South Bay region. And the Athletics’ situation will not be on the agenda at the next owners’ meetings in January, Rosenthal reported, citing unidentified sources.
If baseball continues to delay approval—and keep in mind, Rosenthal noted, Selig appointed a three-member committee to study the franchise’s situation in March 2009—then the Athletics would be forced to continue assembling one cheap, young team after another, operating in accordance with their sinking revenues.

Sporting News

Cardinals Land Beltran

2011-12-22T20:50:00.000-06:00

Guess what the Cardinal Fans got for Christmas this year, Carlos Beltran! The deal is for two years at $26mil, there is also a no trade clause in his contract. The contract is pending on the results of a physical. I really like this signing. Fills the void of Pujols being gone. With his bat in the line up the Cardinals become favorites in the NL Central.

Here is more information about the deal according to MLB.com

A switch-hitting outfielder, Beltran has one of baseball's most well-rounded offensive games. He is a lifetime .283 hitter with both on-base ability (a career .361 average) and power (.496 slugging percentage). He's one of the most efficient base-stealers in Major League history, with 293 steals in 334 attempts for an 87.7 percent success rate. In 2011, he put up a combined .300/.385/.525 line in 142 games with the Mets and Giants.
The 34-year-old native of Puerto Rico will add depth to a Cardinals lineup that will be without Albert Pujols in 2012. Pujols signed with the Angels as a free agent earlier in December.
Beltran, a three-time Gold Glove winner in center field, moved to right field in 2011 as he made his way back to full strength from knee surgery. He will likely start the 2011 season in right field, with Lance Berkman moving to first base, while Allen Craig is out due to his own offseason knee operation.
Once Craig comes back, Beltran would probably still play plenty of right field. But he also could get more time in center field, spelling Jon Jay against left-handed pitchers and allowing new manager Mike Matheny a great deal of flexibility in making out his lineup.
Best known in St. Louis as the victim of Adam Wainwright's strikeout that ended the 2006 National League Championship Series, Beltran has an extensive history with the Redbirds. He also starred in the 2004 NLCS in which the Cards edged the Astros in seven games, and faced them both as an NL player as well as in Interleague Play, when he was with Kansas City.

source: Matthew Leach

Cardinals Looking at Coco Crisp

2011-12-20T00:48:00.000-06:00

One time St.Louis Cardinals Draftee CoCo Crisp is having discussions with the Cardinals. It is being reported by Steve Henson of Yahoo Sports. If the Cardinals and Crisp make a deal he will become the Cardinals new center fielder.

The switch-hitting Crisp led the American League with 49 stolen bases in 2011, hitting .264/.314/.379 with 27 doubles as Oakland's center fielder. The California native seems to prefer West Coast teams, but he is also looking to play on a winning team. This would move Jon Jay over to right field. Allen Craig would become depth in the outfield. This would also mean that the Cardinals would drop out of the Carlos Beltran race.

Schumaker Signs 2yr Deal

2011-12-13T18:27:00.000-06:00

Skippy's back! I had a feeling the Cardinals were letting him go but they proved me wrong. Here's the story:
Second baseman Skip Schumaker has agreed to a $3 million, two-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, who did not tender a contract offer to infielder Ryan Theriot before Monday night's deadline.
The 31-year-old Schumaker batted .283 in 117 games for the Cardinals this year and hit .381 in the postseason. He had the lone RBI in a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia in Game 5 of the NL Division Series. He made 89 starts at second base and five in the outfield.
He gets $1.5 million in each of the next two seasons and can make $200,000 more annually in performance bonuses. He made $2.75 million last season, completing a $4.8 million, two-year deal.
Theriot hit .271 with one homer and 47 RBIs. He was the starting shortstop until St. Louis acquired Rafael Furcal at the trade deadline. Furcal and the Cardinals have agreed to a $14 million, two-year contract.
Theriot now becomes a free agent.

Source: ESPN

Cardinals Sign Furcal

2011-12-10T17:52:00.000-06:00

I had a feeling that Furcal would not be back due to Pujols signing with the Angels. I am glad Furcal proved me wrong. I am a fan of this guy, love his energy and defense. Welcome back home Rafael Furcal. Well here is the rest of the story:

The St. Louis Cardinals have reached agreement with shortstop Rafael Furcal on a two-year deal worth about $14 million, a baseball source told ESPN.com.The deal is pending completion of a physical exam this week.

Furcal, 34, is a .282 career hitter with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cardinals. He hit .255 in 50 games with St. Louis after coming over from Los Angeles in a July trade deadline deal for minor leaguer Alex Castellanos.
Furcal is a former Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star with 302 career stolen bases, but injuries have limited him to 97 and 87 games played in the past two seasons, respectively. He struggled with the Cardinals in October, hitting .194 (15-for-77) in the playoffs and the World Series.
Furcal recently underwent an appendectomy, according to reports, but he is recovering in Florida and expects to be ready in time for spring training.
Furcal is the third free agent shortstop to go off the board this week. Jose Reyes signed a six-year, $106 million deal with the Miami Marlins this week, and Alex Gonzalez reached agreement with the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.
The Furcal signing officially removes St. Louis as a potential destination for free agent Jimmy Rollins. Rollins' agent, Dan Lozano, was scheduled to talk by phone Saturday with Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.

ESPN

So Long Albert, oh and Good Riddance

2011-12-09T00:13:00.000-06:00

I didn't expect it to happen but it did. Albert Pujols signed a 10 year deal worth $250mm with the Los Angeles Angels. I don't have a problem with Albert leaving but I would have to say he is a big fake. For someone that wanted to be a Cardinal for life he sure bolted for the best offer. The smart thing he did was to go to a AL team where he can last 10 years. I really think he wanted to go anyway. The Cardinals did approach him before a few years ago to offer an extension but he said he wanted to wait. Last year before Spring Training the Cardinals approached again but told the team to wait till the end of the season. When it came to free agency this season he still did not want to talk with the Cardinals. Letting Albert walk is the best thing the Cardinals could of done. With that money they can find a shortstop and an outfielder, better yet wouldn't it be great if the Cards sign Prince Fielder. He is 27 years old and can still hit. This team can win without Pujols. Mozeliak did say he will fill the void left by Pujols. It will be fun to see who they Cards will find in order to build the team up once again. Since Pujols is a type A player the Cards will get a first round pick #19 and a round one sandwhich pick.

According to a source familiar with the conversation, the Cardinals have explored what the market is for outfielder Carlos Beltran, who fits the profile of the team's needs with Craig on the mend.
Beltran, who will turn 35 in April, hit .300 with 22 homers and 84 RBIs in 2011, a season he split between the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. Coming back from knee surgery, Beltran played right field last season after a career in center. The Cardinals would like to find a righthanded-hitting center fielder to complement Jon Jay and that could be the outfielder who fills in for Craig early in the season. A switch-hitter with a career on-base percentage of .361 and slugging percentage of .496, Beltran fits that description. The Cardinals have also re engaged talks with Raphael Furcal.

I feel that Pujols leaving has made the Cardinals a much better team.

Cards Grab Erik Komatsu in Rule 5 Draft

2011-12-08T23:27:00.000-06:00

The St. Louis Cardinals selected outfielder Erik Komatsu from the Washington Nationals’ Syracuse affiliate in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 draft today.

Komatsu (ko-MAHT-su), 24, split the 2011 season between Double-A affiliates of the Milwaukee Brewers and Washington Nationals batting .277 with seven home runs, 48 RBI and 21 stolen bases.

The 5-foot-10, 175 lb., right-handed hitting prospect was originally drafted by the Brewers in the eighth round of the 2008 first-year player draft out of Cal-State Fullerton. He has a career minor league batting average of .302 compiled over four seasons covering 348 games and 1298 at bats.

Komatsu had a breakout season in 2010 as the Brewers’ Minor League Player of the Year, batting .323 with five home runs, 63 RBI and 28 stolen bases in 130 games at Class-A Brevard County of the Florida State League. He led the FSL in runs scored (90), on base percentage (.413) and walks (68); and ranked second in the league in batting average (.323) and hits (157). Komatsu was rated by Baseball America as having the “Best Strike Zone Discipline” and “Best Hitter for Average” in the Brewers system.

The Cardinals paid the Nationals $50,000 to acquire Komatsu and must keep him on their Major League roster or disabled list for the entire season or have to offer him back to the Nationals for $25,000.

During the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft, the Cardinals selected right-handed pitcher Steven “Shooter” Hunt (2-0, 7.38 ERA in 2011, Fort Myers-A) off the Minnesota Twins’ New Britain roster and left-handed pitcher Barret Browning (2-1, 4.61 ERA in 2011, Salt Lake-AAA) from the Los Angeles Angels’ Arkansas roster. Both pitchers will be added to the Memphis (AAA) roster for the 2012 season.

source:St.Louis Cardinals

Mark Buehrle Signs with Marlins

2011-12-07T18:57:00.000-06:00

Well I thought there was a chance we could of signed Buehrle but the Marlins pulled the offer back from Pujols and signed Mark to a four year $58 million dollar deal. All i can say is, wow! I think thats too much money for Buehrle and I do know that the Marlins do not offer no trade clauses in their contracts. I was really hoping to see Buehrle become a Cardinal, but my dreams have been shot down by the Marlins.

Originally a 38th-round draft pick out of Jefferson Community College in Missouri, Buehrle was more or less the face of the Whitesox franchise over the past decade. He racked up 161 victories for the Pale Hose, made four All-Star appearances, started a World Series game (and saved one), threw a no-hitter in 2007 and followed it up with a perfect game in 2009. He did this all while becoming one of the South Side's all-time favorites, doing the little things like starting an organization for homeless animals or catching the ceremonial first pitch on his off days, even if the hurler wasn't a famous singer or movie star. Buehrle achieved everything he could achieve with the White Sox and so perhaps it would have made sense for him to ride off into a retirement full of deer stands and monster trucks. But with pitchers like Justin Verlander,Felix Hernandez and Jered Weaver) removing themselves from this offseason's market with early club-friendly deals, it provided a huge opportunity for Buehrle and his agent to clear out the cash register a little more cleanly than when they gave the White Sox a hometown discount in '08.

And clean it out they did. While a market more crowded with talent may have only produced a two- or three-year deal for a pitcher of his age and skillset, Buehrle was able to garner four full seasons from a free-spending Marlins team that has grown tired of waiting to hear an answer from Albert Pujols. Buerhle will be reunited with his old manager Ozzie Guillen in south Florida and will provide the type of pitching depth that the Marlins need. Josh Johnson will be the ace, of course, but Buehrle can provide the type of No. 2 consistency that Sanchez and Nolasco have never produced.

Is this an overpay for the Marlins? Perhaps. But considering they've shelled out a combined $191 million for Buehrle, Jose Reyes and Heath Bell.

'Duk from Yahoo Sports

Cardinals Very Intrested in Mark Buehrle

2011-12-06T18:16:00.000-06:00

As the Albert Pujols follies continue another situation comes to the fore front. A few hours ago or more Ken Rosenthal reported that the Cardinals are dangling both Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook for a trade. They are trying to move one or the other to make room for Mark Buehrle. For some time Buehrle has been wanting to end his career with the Cardinals. Kyle Lohse has a no trade clause but Westbrook doesn't. Westbrook will make 8.5 Million next year. If the Cards are trying to move both pitchers I tend to think its not only for Buehrle but for more money for Pujols. Lohse will make 12mil in his final season with the Cards. He has been quoted to say he will use his full no trade clause. I think he may not block it if the deal is right. Looks like all eyes on the Cardinals now.

Cardinals Intrested in J C Romero

2011-12-04T20:51:00.000-06:00

Cardinals contacted Romero's agent and is very interested in this lefty middle reliever. I have a feeling we will land him later this week.