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Finally, the wait is over. John Mozeliak is now officially the general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s been serving as the interim GM for the last four weeks, and has already completed new contracts for Jason Isringhausen, Russ Springer, and Joel Pineiro. Mozeliak is very familiar with the Cardinals’ front office. He served as Jocketty’s right hand man for several years, joining the organization in ‘95, and has done quite a bit of his own negotiating in the past.
“You don’t necessarily dream about being a general manager, but as you work in the game you start to have aspirations,” Mozeliak said at the press conference. “I really welcome this opportunity.”
Over the weekend, it appeared that Chris Antonetti was the front runner for the position, and that perhaps it was only a matter of formality and waiting for the finish of the World Series. Apparently, Antonnetti was never offered the job. Some say he and others were turned off by the lack of control that the position offered.
Either way, at least the club can now try to continue a successful offseason. Tony La Russa, and his entire coaching staff from last season, will return for ‘08. I’m excited to see what Mozeliak can do. He has large shoes to fill, and hopefully can fill in the missing pieces of the roster, and return the Redbirds to contention.
So far, five Cardinals have filed for free agency. Most notably is shortstop David Eckstein, although teams have exclusive negotiating rights to their own free agents until Nov. 12. Eckstein is a Type B free agent. Others include Miguel Cairo, Russel Branyan, Kip Wells, and Troy Percival, also a Type B. No surprises here. I don’t expect any to remain with the club next season.
Read more on these stories from the Post Dispatch, and the team website.
Major League Baseball doesn’t allow major team announcements during the World Series. So, although the Cardinals say they are still considering a short list of potential general managers, they may have already decided.
Chris Antonetti, an executive from the Cleveland Indians’ organization, was in St. Louis on Friday for a meeting with Cardinals’ president Mark Lamping. He and his wife also took a tour of Busch Stadium, and drove through a few neighborhoods around the city. Antonetti is only 33 years old, and is widely recognized as a “moneyball” guy. He seems to fit the mold the Cards are looking for to transition the franchise for a turnaround in the draft and player development departments. Bill Dewitt has already guaranteed a job in the front office to interim GM, John Mozeliak, but it may end up being the job he already had under Walt Jocketty. I guess we’ll find out in a few days. The Post Dispatch has more on this story here.
Today is also the one year anniversary of the Cardinals winning their first World Championship in 24 years. If you’re having Redbird withdrawal like me, just pop in your ‘06 World Series DVD, and grab a couple of cold ones. If you don’t have the DVD, there’s a link at the end of this post.
Speaking of World Champions, the Cardinals still hold the title for at least a couple more days. I’m rooting for the Rockies, but it doesn’t look good for them, down two games to none. At least they’ll be playing in Colorado tonight.
Finally, pitcher Mike Maroth was released earlier this week. He was traded to the Cardinals mid-season, and after an impressive start against the Mets at Shea, never showed any signs of success the rest of the year. I’m happy with his dismissal, but unhappy that we gave up a former number one pick for him.
As the offseason trudges on, and the speculation on the Cardinals’ roster continues, we extend our discussion of the team’s needs and luxuries. This week I’ll take a look at the infield. If you missed the evaluation of the bullpen, check it out here.
Barring any trades, most of the infield from last season remains intact. The look of the everyday players, however, might not resemble the ‘07 squad much. The Cardinals suffered through a ton of injuries last year, and had only one player on the entire roster that appeared in more than 120 games.
That player was Albert Pujols. It was no surprise that Albert led the team last season in nearly every offensive category, as well as played a gold-glove caliber defense at first base. His first seven seasons in the league can only be compared to the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. Pujols played through a lot of pain late last year, and still put up amazing numbers. I expect much of the same consistency in ‘08, but wouldn’t be surprised if he had another MVP type season. As one of the best players in the game, he still makes a somewhat reasonable $16 million next year.
The everyday catcher will once again be Yadier Molina. Molina has quickly become one of the best defensive catchers in the game, and completely shuts down the opposition’s running game. Although any offense that he generates would be considered a bonus, Molina vastly improved last season, finishing with a .275 average, and 6 homers. More than likely, he’ll hit in the seven hole. I’d like to see him locked up long term, as he’s arbitration eligible, and still just 25 years old.
Second base, will be Adam Kennedy’s to lose. He had the worst season of his career in ‘07, hitting .219 in 279 at-bats. He was signed to a three year deal last offseason, and is still owed another $7.5 million, plus bonuses over the next two years. Kennedy should have every chance to regain his past form. He’s also the only left-handed hitting infielder. I imagine the Cardinals will have a back up plan in place come Spring Training, but I doubt Adam will be as bad in ‘08 as he was last season.
Seven time Gold Glove winner, Scott Rolen, will be back at third base, despite the issues that he and Tony La Russa have had. Derrick Goold, from the St. Louis Post Dispatch, has more insight on that situation here. Rolen has had some lingering shoulder injuries for the past few seasons, and had another clean-up surgery recently, in hopes to be ready again in the spring. I hope he can return to his previous form, and overcome the diminished power caused by the sore shoulder. Still, a less than 100% Scott Rolen is better than many third basemen out there. He needs to play up to his $12 million salary.
That leaves the shortstop position. David Eckstein is a free-agent, and the Cardinals don’t have a lot in-house to replace him. Aaron Miles and Brendan Ryan split most of the playing time at short during Eckstein’s time on the DL, but neither are considered everyday players. There has been some talk of re-signing David, as well as some chatter about going after former Redbird, Edgar Renteria. Without Eckstein, the Cards are also without a lead-off hitter, so the situation is further complicated. The guys at Viva El Birdos have done an excellent job at evaluating the pros and cons of an Eckstein return. Check it out here. Aside from starting pitching, I think SS is the most pressing need for the Cardinals this offseason.
Overall, I expect the team to have a good infield. Errors were a problem last season, on a normally strong defensive ball club. I imagine that will be addressed thoroughly in Spring Training, and we’ll see more of the slick fielding Cardinal infield that we’re used to. I’m also very intrigued about the opening at short, and can’t wait to hear the solution.
It’s official. Earlier today, in a press conference at Busch Stadium, the announcement was made. Tony La Russa will return as the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. The club and manager have agreed to a two year deal, which keeps Tony around at least through the ‘09 season.
“One (year) is the wrong message, because from spring training on it’s the same deal,” La Russa said. “Two (years) lets the players know I’m back for” a longer stay.
La Russa became the winningest manager in franchise history earlier this year, and has accumulated 1055 wins in his 12 seasons with the Cardinals. He also led the club to the postseason seven times, with two National League pennants, and it’s first World Championship in twenty-four years.
This deal lets me know what to expect from the Cards for the next couple of years. It means that the club will do everything it can to stay competitive. Tony needs to win, and is too old to suffer through a rebuilding season or two. The signing comes as no surprise. The team has signed three pitchers since the end of the season, all of which were coveted by La Russa. This also might indicate that John Mozeliak will keep the GM job. He’s already very familiar with Tony, and his preferences in the makeup of a roster.
The Post Dispatch has more on the La Russa signing here.
As we Cardinal fans keep playing the waiting game, likely without any news for another two weeks, other teams are proceeding with their agendas. It was announced today, that Jim Riggleman, the Cardinals minor league field coordinator, has accepted a bench coaching position with the Seattle Mariners. Riggleman had been considered an option for St. Louis, if La Russa was not returning.
“I would hope Mr. DeWitt and the new general manager would consider me a candidate if and when Tony leaves, but I can’t wait around for one position that I may or may not have a chance to get,” Riggleman said.
Joe Strauss has the full story here.
Elsewhere, unless you’ve been hiding in a cave, you’ve heard that Joe Torre has rejected the Yankees offer to return as manager. I applaud Torre for walking away. He has put up with George Stienbrenner’s unorthodox ways for a long time, while continuing to keep the Yankees playing baseball in October for twelve consecutive years. I’m not sure they’ll be as successful right away under the direction of a new skipper. Already, closer Mariano Rivera, and catcher Jorge Posada, have expressed their desire to leave town if Torre doesn’t return, and others may follow.
I’ve got one other thought. I’ll be watching game 6 of the ALCS very closely, hoping that Manny Ramirez gets beaned in every at-bat.
The Cardinals are still looking for a general manager, even with interim John Mozeliak waiting in the wings, and calling the shots. The Post Dispatch is reporting that the timetable for finding a suitable replacement to Walt Jocketty has been extended. Originally projected to last 2 to 3 weeks, the decision now might not come until November 6, when the general manager’s meetings begin in Orlando. While the front office continues to hold interviews, the status of manager Tony La Russa remains unclear. He has said that he isn’t ready to commit, without first having a GM in place. Dewitt has, however, been keeping La Russa informed on a daily basis.
“I think the key is for Tony to make sure he’s 100 percent sure he’s coming back,” DeWitt said. “I think the contract, if that’s the case, will take care of itself.”
Bernie Miklasz is almost certain of a La Russa return, and says that Tony has approved the moves that Mozeliak has made so far. He also gives a good explanation as to why the Pineiro signing was justified. Read Bernie’s story here.
Filed under: 08 outlook, Flores, Franklin, Isringhausen, Johnson, Springer
What do you do this time of year, when your favorite team isn’t in the playoffs? We Cardinal fans haven’t had this problem very often during the Tony La Russa era. When Colorado finished their sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks last night, and we all had to relinquish the title of National League Champions, the time to really start thinking about next season’s roster began. For me, it probably began before the ‘07 season even started. I’ll start taking a detailed look at the Cards’ roster, examine who is under the team’s control, and speculate possible options to fill the empty slots. I figure to keep this post from being too long, I’ll break it down into parts, examining only one component of the club at a time. Because of the two recent signings, let’s start with the bullpen.
In 2007, the Cardinals used a total of 25 pitchers, and only 4 of those were never used in relief. That stat really tells how terrible the starting staff was. At times the bullpen seemed to be the only bright spot on the team. Later, in the second half, the pen had a few troubles, due to being overworked, and fell back down to earth. They finished 30-12, with a 4.07 ERA, good enough for 17th in the majors.
The Cardinals generally prefer to carry 12 pitchers, which means 7 relievers. We know that closer Jason Isringhausen is returning. He had a stellar year, converting 32 of his 34 saves, while compiling a 2.48 ERA. Although he had limited save opportunities, he did appear in 63 games, and struck out 54 batters in 65 1/3 innings, while only walking 28. These numbers were far better than his pre-surgery ones of ‘06. Having Isringhausen back for next season was a no brainer, and he should continue to experience similar success.
Back in July, the Cardinals signed right-handed setup man, Ryan Franklin , to an extension. He too had a great 2007 season, pitching in 69 games, and finishing with a 3.04 earned run average. Although he was a former starter with Seattle, he hasn’t started a game since 2005. His career ERA is 4.25, much higher than last season’s performance. I’d have to think that’s closer to what we’ll see in ‘08.
Russ Springer, also a right-hander, will be back next season as well. The team just gave him a new, one-year deal worth $3.5 million to be a middle reliever. He and Franklin should bridge the gap to Isringhausen quite nicely. I’ve already discussed Springer further here.
The Cardinals already control two lefties. Randy Flores, threw 55 innings, and had an ERA of 4.25 last season, while Tyler Johnson threw only 38, due to some time spent on the disabled list. His ERA was 4.03. Barring a trade, I expect both will be in the pen again next season. The club doesn’t have any major league ready left-handers in the system. Both Troy Cate, and Randy Keisler pitched in limited action in ‘07, and have since been designated for assignment.
Here’s how it looks thus far:
1. Isringhausen R
2. Franklin R
3. Springer R
4. Flores L
5. Johnson L
6. ?
7. ?
That leaves several to compete for the final two spots. Under team control, Brad Thompson, Todd Wellemeyer, Kelvin Jimenez, Brian Falkenborg, Andy Cavazos, and Dennis Dove, all spent time in last year’s pen. Josh Kinney, didn’t pitch in ‘07 due to injury, but will be given every opportunity to earn a spot if healthy. He played an important role during the championship run last October. Mitchell Boggs, who is currently pitching in the Arizona Fall League, and Christopher Perez, the 22 year old closer out of the University of Miami, could also be considered, although neither is on the 40-man roster as of yet. Troy Percival is likely headed elsewhere to to be a closer, and I’d rather not see any more of Scott Spiezio or Aaron Miles on the mound next year.
I’d say at least one of the spots should be for a long-relief guy. One that could be used as an occasional spot starter if neccessary. That could be Thompson or Wellemeyer, or both.
If no relievers outside the organization are brought in, I’d assume the combined salaries of the seven to be somewhere around $16 million.
Overall, I expect the bullpen to be a strength again in ‘08. If the Cardinals can solve their rotation troubles, the pen will be less fatigued, and should be better than the group from ‘07.
Interim general manager John Mozeliak has kept busy so far this offseason. Starting pitcher, Joel Pineiro is the third potential free agent retained by the Cardinals since the dismissal of Walt Jocketty.
“We felt very strongly at the time of the trade that Joel had the ability to improve our starting rotation once he had time to condition himself for that role,” Mozeliak said. “We are extremely pleased to have re-signed Joel and project him to be a steady performer for us, much like he did down the stretch this past season.”
The deal is reportedly worth $13 million, over two years. Pending the completion of a physical, Pineiro will receive a $500,000 signing bonus, and salaries of $5 million in 2008, and $7.5 million in ‘09.
“The biggest key was they were really interested in me and I was interested in them,” Pineiro said. “My family loved it here, and now I think I can help this ballclub from the first day instead of the middle of the season.”
The signing places him alongside Adam Wainwright, and Braden Looper in next season’s starting rotation. Mark Mulder’s status and availability remains unclear, and staff ace, Chris Carpenter will be out at least through the All-Star break. Read more on this story here.
After going 1-1, with a 5.03 earned-run average in 31 appearances as a reliever for Boston, Pineiro started 11 games for the Cardinals, posting a 3.96 ERA, and a 6-4 record. View all of his stats here.
I’m pretty impressed. Mozeliak isn’t wasting any time, that’s for sure. The Redbirds’ starting rotation needs a lot of attention, and this signing adds an important piece to the puzzle. Pineiro’s performance as a Cardinal in ‘07 wasn’t bad, especially for a guy that had been in the bullpen for the entire first half of the season. The backloaded contract works out well too. It still leaves maybe $15 million to spend on another starter, and any other missing pieces (possibly a shortstop). Well done Interim.
There’s an excellent article in today’s Post Dispatch, written by Joe Strauss, covering some of the hardships that the new GM of the St. Louis Cardinals will face. It got me thinking whether or not the position really is “a premium job in baseball,” as Dewitt says it is. It raised a lot of questions.
First, what kind of control and authority will the new GM actually have, and for that matter, is it any different than what Walt Jocketty had this past season? It seems that the club’s scouting, drafting, and minor league farm system, will all be under the drection of Jeff Luhnow, the VP of player development, with little or no influence from the GM. Many general managers like to either oversee those departments themselves, or hire their own personnel to do so. Any candidate for the open position with the Cards, won’t be allowed to do that.
Secondly, we all know that Dewitt and company want Tony La Russa to return to manage the team. Tony will make a decision after a GM is in place. Assuming La Russa does return, with his preference for an experienced, veteran team, the new GM also won’t be able to hire his own manager, or control much of the roster.
Bernie Miklasz described it best:
“So: the new GM can’t be in charge of scouting and drafting and player development … and he can’t build the major-league team the way he’d like to. That doesn’t sound like a great situation to me.”
It sounds like a bad situation to me. Is it normal for clubs to have their general manager, or potential general manager, in this type of situation? From the quotes of some previous candidates in Strauss’ article, it doesn’t sound like it.
So, why are Dewitt and the Cardinals sticking with this model? Why the love affair with Luhnow? Although the resources for scouting and player development have increased, he has yet to put a player in the major leagues.
Strauss indicates that the new GM might never have run his own department before, and quite possibly could be younger than some of the veteran players on the roster. Hold on Cardinal fans. It could be a bumpy ride.
First, the Cardinals’ search for a general manager continues as Chairman Bill Dewitt, and President Mark Lamping met with another candidate yesterday at Roger Dean Stadium, in Jupiter, Fla. The interview was with Rick Hahn, the Chicago White Sox assistant general manager. Dewitt has also spoken to Arizona Diamondbacks assistant GM Peter Woodfork, and Cleveland Indians assistant Chris Antonetti. Dewitt hopes to have a decision before the World Series begins on Oct. 24. Personally, I’d just assume they give the job to Mozeliak.
Also, former general manager, Walt Jocketty, has apparently been contacted by the Cincinnati Reds. They’d like Jocketty to assume either CEO or president.
Next, the return of Juan Encarnacion doesn’t appear to be anytime soon, if ever. Since the injury to his left eye, on August 31, he has regained only 20/400 vision. I feel bad for Juan. He hasn’t been one of the fans’ favorites these last two seasons. Maybe his style of play wasn’t what the Cardinal faithful were used to, but he consistently put up numbers very similar to his career averages, with no surprises, and did it for a reasonable price. I’ve always been a fan of Encarnacion’s, and felt comfortable when he was in the game. Now he may never play in a ballgame again.
Well, the mid-season trades by the Cardinals that involved “players to be named later”, have all been fulfilled. Right-handed pitcher, and former number one draft pick, Chris Lambert, was selected by Detroit as the PTBNL in the Mike Maroth deal. That one was a bust, although I was ecstatic after his first performance against the Mets. The Russel Branyan trade involved only cash considerations (thank goodness), and outfielder Sean Danielson was selected by Boston as the player in the Joel Pineiro deal.
Speaking of Pineiro, the club hopes to sign him to a multi-year deal before he files for free agency. Pineiro insists that he only wants to start, and won’t go to a team as a relief pitcher. I hope they’ll sign him for two years, but nothing more, and while I’m playing GM, let’s not extend it to more than $4 million a year.
The one year contract extension for pitcher Russ Springer is for $3.5 million.
And finally, Cardinals pitcher Braden Looper has undergone surgery on his non-throwing shoulder, and expects to be fully recovered by spring.
Read more about these stories, and more, from Joe Strauss, here.
