Written by Mike on March 22, 2008 – 11:21 pm -
The United Cardinal Bloggers Group is winding down the roundtable discussions, with one more debate to be posted on Monday. Yesterday I posted three questions to the group for open discussion. In addition to me, we had four other Cardinal bloggers participate:
Here are the questions, and everyone’s thoughts:
1.) Yesterday, there was some talk about who you’ve been impressed with up to this point in Spring Training. What about the opposite? Which players are you surprised to see having a disappointing spring? Do you think they’ll turn it around?
Daniel: There haven’t been a lot of disappointments. There’s disappointment in the same old same old with injuries, as noted with Tyler Johnson still not throwing. Izturis, to me, has been the biggest on-field disappointment, though. I know he’s not much of a hitter, so the average wasn’t that disappointing, but the fielding? He’s making an error a game, it seems like, and I know TLR is big on him, but right now, it’s not looking so good.
Haedar: Gotta agree with Daniel and say Izturis. He was never known for his offense, but he is supposed to be a high caliber defensive player and at least put up an average of .250, but he’s made tons of errors this spring and is hitting around .150. Tony is being stubborn and stating that he is the starting shortstop to avoid the “Spivey 2008″ tag. If Cesar keeps this up, he will be relegated to the bench in no time.
Bryan: Cesar Izturis has definitely been the most disappointing player this spring. And to add to it, Tony La Russa has been equally as disappointing with his rigid position that Izturis is still doing well defensively and should still start. I’m not sure Cesar has anything left in the tank anymore. Molina’s slow start is disconcerting, but I think he’ll turn it around at some point. Blake Hawksworth really disappointed me this spring, as this was a chance to make a good impression on the big league club. I’m not too optimistic about him.
Michael: Duncan’s horrible spring at the plate was a surprise to me. Also to see Molina regress at the plate, after the progress he showed during last season, has been disappointing. The other disappointment was Clement’s physical readiness not being what we expected/hoped it would be at the start of spring training. I hadn’t been aware of Izturis’ struggles with the glove until I saw your guys’ comments.
Daniel: I’d like to see Molina hit better in the spring, but I wouldn’t say I was worried enough to call it a disappointment. If it continues well into April, then that might be a different story.
Me: Of course Izturis is the big one. I was okay with the signing when it happened, and was willing to watch a sacrifice in offense for a defensive upgrade at short. Turns out Izturis sucks with the glove too. Tyler Johnson disappoints me too. Last year, despite changing his jersey number and his hairstyle, he still got knocked around a bit. I read that he had a baby, and was maturing quickly. To hear that a little more work in the off season might have prevented his injury was very disappointing.
Daniel: The only thing I’ll add is that I’m not sure that more work would have prevented his injury. It might have helped, but this seriously sounds like a surgery thing coming pretty soon, in which case more work might have blown it out earlier or at best delayed the problem.
2.) Opening Day is just ten days away. There are a lot of new faces on this year’s team. How would you grade John Mozeliak in his first off season as GM? What were his best and worst moves?
Daniel: Still a little hard to judge Mozeliak since a few moves were made while he was interim GM and some still haven’t really panned out. All in all, though, I think he’s doing a pretty good job. If he’s one of the reasons so many young guys are still in camp or got long looks this spring, he jumps up another notch. His next big test will be the amateur draft. If they can get a quality draft in, he’ll move even farther up.
Haedar: Can’t really grade him accurately at this point but he’s made some good and some bad moves. The two worst moves of the offseason were signing both Izturis and Miles to guaranteed deals instead of minor league deals with invitations to spring training. The best move came a day or so ago locking up Wainwright long term.
Bryan: I would give Mozeliak a B so far. It was probably a B- before the Lohse signing, but the signing was such a good deal that he has to get a B. On the other hand, the Miles re-signing was a very questionable move (and still is, considering Miles’ terrible spring so far). Trading Rolen was good for the team, trading Edmonds was neutral (although it opened up a position in our already crowded outfield), and the Izturis signing was just plain bad. Overall, however, I’m very satisfied with the direction this team is going.
Michael: Mozeliak: average or slightly better than average so far, but it’s still too early to tell. I’m not a big fan of Lohse after watching him get torched in Cincinnati for the past few years, but with our starters in disarray again Mozeliak didn’t have much choice but to sign another pitcher. He at least got Lohse on the relative cheap. Hell, he can’t be any worse than Kip Wells, right? Managing to move Rolen for more than a used glove and a bucket of baseballs was a victory. The Miles signing, I agree with all, is a head scratcher unless viewed through the “Tony wanted him” prism. Signing Wainwright yesterday was a great move.
Daniel: The middle infield situation definitely is Mozeliak’s biggest drawback. Especially when he himself admits he’d have signed Adam Everett if he had thought he’d been nontendered. (Though that wouldn’t have helped with the offense, it’d done wonders defensively.) Adding Miles to the mix was really unnecessary save to appease La Russa, I’d guess.
Me: Overall: B+. With the exception of Miles and Gonzalez, I think the Cards made all the right moves. The Molina and Wainwright deals are by far the best. Payroll flexibility is much better than it has been in recent years. We’ll see what they do come draft time.
3.) How much better (or worse depending on your answer to question 2) is this team compared to last year’s squad? How many wins will the Cards have at the end of the season, and where do they finish?
Daniel: I think this squad might be a little better than last year. I think the pitching will be better, at least on the whole. The offense is pretty intriguing. If Kennedy hits like he has this spring and Molina hits like he did last year, there’s only Izturis as a “OK, nothing is happening here” spot in the lineup. I’m still holding out hope for a .500 season.
Haedar: I think the starters are a little better, the offense is better, or at least has more potential to put up better power numbers, but the bullpen will not be as good because people will be moving in and out and therefore some integral parts will not know their main role. I think most bullpens can be decent as long as the guys in it know what their main role is and in what situation they are called upon to pitch. With a lot of injured players coming back from the DL, there is going to be a lot of shifting around and some pitchers will not get comfortable in their temporary role.
Bryan: I think the team is better than last year, but a few injuries could really turn this season into a disaster. I think 80-85 wins is a very optimistic prediction, but I’ll go ahead and make it. I’m confident in our outfield and returning pitchers. Still don’t think that’ll be good enough for anything but third.
Michael: Even with all the moves the team has tread water overall since last season ended. The bullpen is still a plus but didn’t improve; the starters overall are still a minus and didn’t improve; the lineup is a wash; the bench is slightly better. It seems all our eggs for a good team are in the respective rehab baskets of Carpenter, Mulder, and Clement. I expect they’ll finish within +0, -10 games of .500 with the team they have now.
Haedar: I think the Cardinals’ record will get worse before it gets better. That’s to the tune of 75 wins this season.
Me: I think it depends on how you look at it. Before Opening Day ‘07, the Cards looked good. The pitchers all had good springs (even Wells), and no one thought they’d finish under .500. A ton of injuries changed the outlook dramatically. I’m optimistic about the offense. I think the potential to score a lot more runs is there. The starting pitching may be a wash, and I agree that the bullpen could be worse this year. I’m also wondering if the clubhouse will miss Edmonds, Rolen, and Eck.
That’s it. Lots of good points from everyone, and I’m sure they’ll be a lot more in the next installment. I love talking baseball!
Posted in Carpenter, Clement, Duncan, Eckstein, Edmonds, Gonzalez, Hawksworth, Izturis, Johnson, Kennedy, La Russa, Lohse, Miles, Molina, Mozeliak, Mulder, Rolen, UCB | 3 Comments »
Written by Mike on February 24, 2008 – 12:28 am -
Short post today. I’ll point you in the right direction for a few good reads about our Birds. As usual, Derrick Goold is blogging from Cardinals camp, and gives some insight on today’s simulated game. Check it out here. Yesterday, Goold had a gem of a story about some of the pitchers taking a road trip to Daytona in an RV to see some NASCAR action. It’s a must read. If you missed it, find it here.
And if that gets you thinking about which Cardinals might be rednecks, Tim McKernan of InsideSTL.com has all the answers
here.
Next, more steroid news. Cards’ minor league pitcher Scott Vander Weg has tested positive for an unspecified performance enhancing drug. He’ll receive a 50 game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy effective at the start of the 2008 season. Here’s the full
press release.
Finally, Bob Elliot of the Toronto Sun was in Jupiter asking some of the Redbirds about their former teammates Scott Rolen and David Eckstein. His post is loaded with great quotes. Find it
here.
Posted in Eckstein, Rolen, Steroids | 1 Comment »
Written by Mike on February 11, 2008 – 2:03 am -
Pitchers and catchers will report to Jupiter, Fl for Spring Training in just over three days now. There are already a few members of the ball club in camp, including Chris Carpenter, Rick Ankiel, and Chris Duncan. The anticipation has been building all winter. As we wait just a few more days, I’ll direct you to a couple of good articles about our beloved Birds.
Three different journalists wrote about the Cardinals roster turnover this weekend. First, Tony La Russa believes the team is going to contend this season and shrugs off the “transition” label. Read all about it from Mathew Leach
here.
Next, a great story in the Post Dispatch by Joe Stauss answers all the big questions surrounding the club, including those about Albert’s elbow and who bats lead-off. Here’s the
link.
And then, Brian Walton compares the 2008 roster turnover to that of years past over at The Birdhouse. With the loss of fan favorites Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, and David Eckstein, it seems like the clubhouse will be full of unfamiliar faces, but it’s easy to forget how many more players were lost before other seasons, including the two National League Championship years. Check out the full story
here.
We’ll have to acquaint ourselves with some new faces this spring, but one that is most familiar, Rick Ankiel, is now the only player on the roster that was playing in St. Louis in 2000. Bizarre.
Posted in Ankiel, Carpenter, Duncan, Eckstein, Edmonds, La Russa, Pujols, Rolen | 1 Comment »
Written by Mike on January 1, 2008 – 11:29 pm -
So, it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything new. What the hell? Well, it’s been a crazy couple of months. Here’s the short version:
The second biggest Card’s fan and I recently broke up, and although I haven’t stopped following the team’s day to day happenings, lately I haven’t had the energy or drive to do anything with this blog. So, after a few weeks of burying my head in the sand (I still live in South Florida), trying to get my mind right, and with the advice of family and friends, I’m back to give it another go.
Meanwhile, instead of trying to recap on everything that’s been going on in Cardinal Country over the last two months I think it’s best to direct you to a few others around the Cardinal’s blogosphere for their insights on all the latest Redbird’s news. The biggest stories include the Jim Edmonds trade, the signings of
Cesar Izturis and
Jason LaRue, the non-signings of David Eckstein and So Taguchi, the Rule 5 pickup of
Brian Barton, and the minor league deals for an infielder and a few pitchers. Catch all of the news from
C70,
Cardinals GM, and
Cardinal Nation Globe. Also, I stumbled across a video that really got me excited for the ‘08 season, and you can check it out
here.
Well, let’s hope the Cardinals continue to improve the squad before Spring Training. Also, I’ve got a couple of other interesting fill-in stories, so check back tomorrow. In the meantime, Go Cards!
Posted in Barton, Eckstein, Edmonds, Izturis, Larue, Taguchi | 1 Comment »
Written by Mike on November 1, 2007 – 3:07 am -
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.
Posted in Eckstein, Mozeliak | 2 Comments »
Written by Mike on October 23, 2007 – 11:49 pm -
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.
Posted in 08 outlook, Eckstein, Kennedy, Molina, Pujols, Rolen | 4 Comments »
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.
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.
