No reviews, no contract talk. Just a straight blog.

I love baseball but a big part of me really enjoys the hot stove league talk. It is fun to try to put together your team for next year. Remember as a kid when you made “fake” trades with your buddies? Jerry and I used to do that all the time. Like would you trade Jerry McNertney for _____? (We would’ve traded him for anyone.)

I want to be in the postseason. I am old enough to remember all the Cards WS games from 1964 to present. But now we can connect the dots and make a new team to win it next year.

You with me?

BTW: I will NOT watch the Cubs in the playoffs.

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Jim Edmonds of
2 years/$19M (2007-08)

• signed extension 11/06
• 07:$11M, 08:$8M
• $3M of 2007 salary deferred without interest, 2010-2019
• no-trade protection
• award bonuses: $0.2M for MVP ($0.1M for 2nd, $50,000 for 3rd-5th), $0.15M for WS MVP, $0.1M for LCS MVP, $50,000 each for Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, All Star ($25,000 for selection)
  
• 6 years/$57M (2001-06), plus $10M 2007 club option
  • $2M signing bonus
  • 01:$6M, 02:$7M, 03:$8M, 04:$9M, 05:$10M, 06:$12M,
    07:$10M club option ($3M buyout)
  • approximately $1M/year deferred at 0% interest
  • limited no-trade clause (23-team no-trade list each year)
  • $25,000 All Star incentive
  • Silver Slugger, MVP vote incentives
  • signed extension 5/2000
    
• 4 years/about $9.5M (1996-99), plus $4.5M 2000 club option
  • $0.1M signing bonus
  • 96:$0.6M, 97:$2M, 98:$3.15M, 99:$3.525M, 00:$4.5M club option (Angels exercised option 10/99)
    
• 1 year/$167,500 (1995)
• 1 year/$117,500 (1994)
• drafted 1988 (7-169)
  
• agent: Paul Cohen
• ML service: 13.027

Albatross? Why in the world did the Cardianls pay all that money to JimEd before this season? Yes, they wanted him for two years as a stop gap waiting for Rasmus, but that is way too much money for his aging body. When right, he can go get the ball but he was not what we are used to. In other words, we are OVERVALUING him…paying too much.

We have one more year then can shed this high priced veteran. He was good for us for many years…. but not this year.

Look at that salary? $11 mil for this year and $8 mil for next year. We can get a very decent starter with that and play a youngster to produce what Edmonds put up this year. Then he has a ZERO interest deferred payment…Hmmm

Oh yeah, I hate NO TRADE clauses!

Thoughts?

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We will be taking a look at the current contracts of most of the Cardinal players. We will dissect it and determine if we are at VALUE, UNDERVALUE, or OVERVALUE on the contract and then look at some of the perks the player has thrown in..

Today;s contract discussion: Scott Rolen

Scott Rolen 3b
8 years/$90M (2003-10)

• signed extension 9/02
• $5M signing bonus
• 03:$7M, 04:$8M, 05:$11M, 06:$11M, 07:$12M, 08:$12M, 09:$12M, 10:$12M
• $10M deferred ($2M/year from 2003 to 2007)
• full no-trade clause
• performance bonuses: $50,000 each for Gold Glove & All Star selection
• rejected Philadelphia’s 10 year/$140M offer 2/02, traded 7/02
• 1 year/$8.6M (2002), avoided arbitration 1/02
• 4 years/$10M (1998-2001) (Philadelphia) signed 3/98
• 1 year/$0.175M (1997)
• drafted 1993 (2-46)
  
• agents: Levinson brothers, ACES
• ML service: 10.060

DISCUSSION: At the time of the contract it appeared a good deal for the Cardinals. No one can predict injuries and such and with that time that Rolen has been on the DL I would have to say we are paying him OVER MARKET VALUE.

$12 million can buy a lot of #3-4-5 type pitchers. Scott is still the best defensive third baseman but doesn’t warrant that kind of contract.

The NO TRADE clause really hampers us. In other words, we are STUCK with him even if we don’t want him through 2010.

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Last week we looked in on whether we should keep Carpenter, Ludwick, Wilson, Miles and Wells. some very good conversation and if I interpreted the posters correctly, we keep Carpenter and Ludwick, a mixed bag on Miles and let Wilson and Wells take a hike (GO).

This week we examine Mulder, Taguchi, Duncan, Isringhausen and Eckstein.

Mulder. I say GO. He was probably damaged goods when we got him. I wasn’t terribly upset when we traded for him but in hindsight it was an AWFUL trade. Now MM is having more surgery and with the information given out by the Cardinals medical staff you never know when or IF he will be back. The contract probably stifles us and we will have him again in 2008.

Eckstein. David tries hard and plays with 100%. He has shown a propensity for the disabled list this year and that is a concern. This is his walk year….. let him GO. We can try Brendan (doghouse) Ryan or someone via FA signing. Let’s cut the strings and bid him ADIOS.

IZZY….Pick up the option. I can think of any reason NOT to sign him or keep him. He has been VERY good this year…. KEEP

DUNCAN. Dave’s Kid. Being the coaches kid has no bearing on this decision. Chris has been good. But let’s attempt to TRADE him while he has hit well. some AL team could use a good DH. For that I say GO.

So-Man. Taguchi…. Easy one here. We have younger, cheaper outfielders that can do as well if not better. Been nice having you but Sayonara. GO.

Thoughts on that?

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Carpenter has surgery. He has more than one surgery after a one game comeback or so.

Rolen has multiple surgeries and even threaten lawsuit vs the Cardinals to get them to agree for him to have another.

Mulder. He is being shut down for the season AGAIN after being rushed back to pitching in a pennant race which proved to be unsuccessful. Now he needs time off and a MRI to check his arm slot.

Duncan has a sports hernia and I will be a bit nervous if I was him about having his September 20th surgery.

I’m sure there are others to chronicle here but frankly you get my point about the over and over and over again to get these guys healthy.

Is it such a financial boon to have them on the field that they are rushed?

I am not very fond of these sports doctors and their work.

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Should the Cards up their payroll with some big free agent signings?? Of course, it is not my money but I feel one really good free agent signing could put us as odds on favorites…. Of all the signings by the Cubs I feel Soriano was the most significant and division altering signing.

Here is this years salaries for the Central.

CUBS $99,670,332
CARDS $90,286,823
ASTROS $87,759,000
BREWERS $70,986,500
PIRATES $38,537,833

Give your thoughts!!

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Keep or go? Make a 25 man roster…..

Let’s do about 5 per week. Some may be obvious but let’s discuss them all

Chris Carpenter

Preston Wilson

Aaron Miles

Ryan Ludwick

Kip Wells

Carpenter: We have alot invested and quite simply he is our ace. If we had him at only half his potential this year we would have won it. KEEP.

Wilson: No reason to keep him around. We have a lot better options in the outfield at a cheaper rate. Cya Preston. GO

Miles: Not flashy but solid. Need him around for versatility. KEEP.

Ludwick: See Wilson. This is the better and more powerful, cheaper option. A must KEEP.

Wells: Ok, I think let him hang around for another year. If for some reason he becomes more expensive, then he must hit the road Jack. Overall, KEEP.

Let me know your thoughts on these five.

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I am so sick of the 2007 season.  This is all I have:

• Cardinals lose their 7th in a row.
• Rick Ankiel met with baseball officials.
• Pujols an MVP candidate?

Bring on the Cubs… I guess…

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So today we have a series of questions for you to ponder and hopefully comment about:

1. Do you want Larussa back in 2008?
2. Will Larussa be back in 2008?
3. How much has the HGH accusations affected Rick Ankiel’s performance?
4. Do the Cardinals still have a chance of making the playoffs this year?
5. Why can’t the Cardinals beat the Cubs? Ever?
6. Kip Wells or Mike Maroth – Pick your poison

We’ll make some comments with our answers later in the day but would love to hear from you!

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So sometimes I just wish this years Cardinal team woulda just folded like I thought they were going to way back in June/July.  They had to creep up and make it close – just to disappoint us all down the stretch.  Five losses in a row is inexcusable at this point in the season.  Mulder looks horrible and should have never been back for the last month.  Maroth is horrible.  We can’t beat the Reds!  I don’t even want to imagine what this weekend series with the Cubs is going to be like. Yikes!

Thats all for tonight!

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