How Do You Manage To Get Swept By This Royals Team?

Yikes.

It's not over yet (its 4-1 KC in the 9th), but it might as well be.

Come back Albert.

Did The Cards Take A Hostage?

This is something I'd missed on the rundown of Cards' draft picks:

Shane Boras, 2B, Junipero Serra Catholic HS: Yup, he's the son of Scott Boras. I guess it can't hurt to have the devil's kid on the payroll, huh?

I can hear the threats now: "Give us a 'hometown' discount or the kid gets sent to the Quad Cities!"

Irrational Exuberance?

Someone might need to sedate Jeff Gordon: Future looks even brighter for Cards

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa never wants to talk about 2009. Neither does general manager John Mozeliak.

Both men are convinced the ’08 team could contend. So far, the Cards are doing just that, despite suffering myriad injuries.

They are 11 games over .500 and they have staying power.

But projections for the ’09 season ARE intriguing. The Cards will have more payroll flexibility next year, due to several expiring contracts. With several key prospects developing at once, Mozeliak will move into an enviable position.

The Cards’ success with rookies this season makes the forecast for next season even better. Circumstances are forcing the team to test a lot of kids.

OK, fine. This season has been a pleasant surprise so far, but how good could next year look?

Infielder Brendan Ryan, Sunday’s hero, is a potential starter at second base or shortstop. Righthanded power hitter Joe Mather looks capable of balancing a left-centric outfield. Rule 5 addition Brian Barton has shown he can excel as a No. 4 or No. 5 outfielder.

Kyle McClellan, Chris Perez and Mark Worrell have bolstered the bullpen. It’s too early to assess pitcher Mitchell Boggs, but he ascended quickly through the Cards organization after arriving from the college ranks.

The Next One, outfielder Colby Rasmus, is finally hitting in Memphis. Good-hitting catcher Bryan Anderson is making great defensive strides. Both could become factors next year.

When we chatted Friday with Memphis manager Chris Maloney on KFNS, he raved about the potential of third baseman David Freese. The kid has big league defensive potential and a nice bat; when he becomes more selective at the plate, he will move to the front burner.

Maloney also raved about the professionalism of veterans Anthony Reyes and Chris Duncan. Reyes appears to be auditioning for other clubs looking for pitching help. Duncan, who is trying to relocate his power stroke, suffered a setback when he crashed into an outfield wall.

But both players remain assets. As a result, Mozeliak has options.

Sure, the kids have done surprisingly well, and its been a bonus to have Rasmus adjust at the AAA level instead of learning on the job in St. Louis. But, this is the Cardinals we are talking about here. We've never had a "pipeline" of young talent, as long as I can remember. You get one every other year or so, and sometimes they are named Joe Magrane.

Still...man, there are a lot of nice looking prospects down on the farm. However, I don't dare stare. It like looking at the sun.

OK, even if we get positive contributions from our young guys we have to have prohibitive payroll contraints, right?

Juan Encarnacion’s $6.5 million salary will be off the books after this season. Kyle Lohse ($4.25 million), Braden Looper ($5.5 million) and Jason Isringhausen ($8 million) will become free agents. Mark Mulder ($6.5 million) could also exit the payroll, unless the Cards exercise their $11 million option.

Hallelujah!

Pass me the Kool Aid. I'm drinking.

Don't Mess With Albert

The man's a wrecking ball:

It’s hard to imagine things getting worse for the hapless San Diego Padres.

They did.

One day after reigning NL Cy Young winner Jake Peavy was placed on the disabled list, pitcher Chris Young and catcher Josh Bard sustained injuries that knocked them out of Wednesday night’s 11-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Young and Bard were injured within a span of two batters in the third inning. Young had his nose broken and cut when Albert Pujols lined a shot off his face in the third inning that sent blood streaming down the front of his jersey. Bard sprained his left ankle on a play at the plate when Pujols slid into his leg.

“When I hit it, I thought it was going over his head,” Pujols said. “But it hit him right in the face. “There was blood all over the place and I began to pray about it and make sure it was all right.”

...

After a few minutes of sitting on the grass, Young walked off holding a bandage on his face with blood on the front of his jersey.

“It was a pretty tough night,” Pujols said. “After that, I couldn’t concentrate on my other at-bats. I kind of had flashbacks thinking about that at-bat.”

Pujols’ shot ricocheted to the left side of the infield for a single and loaded the bases with one out. After Cla Meredith replaced Young, Ludwick’s grounder knocked in one run and advanced the runners. Glaus then lined a single to right to score Miles to put St. Louis up 3-2.

Brian Giles’ throw arrived at the plate at the same time as Pujols, who slid and caught Bard’s left leg. Bard went down and stayed on the ground for a few minutes before he was helped off the field, dragging his leg.

“It’s a pretty tough night to take,” Giles said.

There was nothing dirty about the play at the plate. Bard got his foot in an awkward place and couldn't block the plate with the bulk of his body. Albert just slid over his outstretched foot which rolled pretty severely. I guess it isn't broken, but they are putting Bard on the DL anyway.

You don't like to see anyone get hurt, but if Albert was gonna have a night like this couldn't he have been playing the Cubs?

Ned Beatty Redux

Banjo hitters galore

It is almost as unbearable to look at the bottom of our lineup today as it is to watch that awful, iconic scene from Deliverance. LaRue .067, Miles .250, Lohse .111, Izturis .182. If the 6-9 slots get 10 ABs and muster a HBP, a sac bunt and a ground ball that advances a runner, it'll be a sterling offensive performance that will leave me squealing in delight....

...9th Inning Update: Well, smack my ass and call me Judy. The banjos are 6-15, 1 BB, 0K, 3R, 3 RBI and Izturis even added the ever crucial HBP I was hoping for.

Why I Remain Unconvinced

I don't understand it. The takeoff was beautiful.

The Cards have had a nice beginning to the season. The starting pitching has been exemplary; the insertion of Rick Ankiel as an everyday center fielder has proved to be a major upgrade over a hurting Jim Edmonds; the newcomers are contributing both offensively and defensively; we are winning without huge numbers being put up by Pujols; and the bullpen is showing that they can get the job done as long as they are not overworked.

Think that will last indefinitely? I don't. You can expect to get innings from Wainwright and Lohse, but who else can you really count on? You have pitchers who will be returning from various injuries, but I find it hard to believe Pineiro will be able to jump right in and be as effective as he was last year down the stretch. I also don't believe Mulder will be a plus pitcher...not this year at least.

Its true, the bullpen should improve by the return of Thompson to its ranks when he is no longer needed as a starter, but it seems likely he will be overworked as will the rest of the bullpen as we try to incorporate Mulder and Pineiro back into the mix.

Offensively, if Ankiel cools off will anyone have to pitch to Pujols at all? They have been avoiding him as it is. We have been winning but it isn't like we are knocking the cover off the ball. Overall I think we will hit okay, but cool periods will kill us.

The fast start has been nice, but this still looks like a .500 team to me.

Heaven On A Thursday

It's been a long cold lonely winter around these northerly climes. Cabin fever set in during early January and, because of God's piss poor placement of Wisconsin latitude wise, there was only 2 or 3 more months of cold and snow to look forward to...at best.

Yesterday, however, the sun came out, the thermometer hit 57 degrees, the seven inches of snow that fell on Monday was melted away, and I was able to sit on my back patio for the afternoon, with a six dollar cigar and a rocks glass of Jameson's 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey, and listen to the Cards out pitch the Rockies in faraway St. Louis.

I damn near wept.

Optimism I Wish I Could Share

Jeff Gordon is not approaching the Cardinals season with an air of impending doom. Why the Cards may not be as bad as feared

1. Against all odds, the temporary rotation is shaping up.

Adam Wainwright appears prepared for the lead role leaving Jupiter. Free agent pick-up Kyle Lohse showed up ready to pitch, which was a pleasant surprise.

Most mid-camp additions would need a couple of extra weeks to get ready. Lohse already has impressed his new team.

Braden Looper just threw an encouraging 5 1/3 innings, relocating his sinking stuff while getting eight groundball outs. Prior to that, he got hammered.

I'll believe nothing until the season has cycled through the rotation a couple of times. As I read them we have a number 2 starter in Wainwright as our stopper, and four other guys who are all #4 or #5 starters in every other role. It is the sort of situation every team can go through because of injuries, and you certainly hope you can get by until reinforcements arrive, but try as I might I don't see Mulder coming back into his pre-St. Louis form; I worry that Pineiro will discover he has something seriously wrong with him; and I worry that Carpenter will not be at 100% until late August at the earliest.

The worst case scenario has our bullpen worn thin by the time mid-June arrives. And if that happens I'm not sure prospects from Memphis will offer much support.

2. Adam Kennedy can hit!

He was a black hole in the lineup last season, batting .219. He came to camp on a short leash, since the club re-signed reliable Aaron Miles and had slick-hitting Jarret Hoffpauir in the wings.

But Kennedy seems to have relocated the stroke he had throughout his time with the Angels. After a slow start this spring, he pushed his batting average up to .349.

Alright, this is a positive, and he has the resume to make me believe he can put last year behind him. It will help, but lets not over sell this.

3. Rick Ankiel is going crazy.

This team has many X-factors, but none is greater than this guy. Will Ankiel post solid, Ryan Ludwick-type numbers (.267, 14 homers, 52 RBIs in 303 at-bats) in his first full season as a big league outfielder?

Or will he add an impact bat to a lineup needing all the offense it can find? Chris Duncan’s spring struggle underscored this team’s need for another strong hitter.

Ankiel’s spring training performance (.397, three homers, nine RBIs) has raised expectations.

If Ankiel shows he can fill that spot between Pujols and Glaus than we may be able to score some runs. But we will only win games if the rotation holds up. Even with a productive Ankiel we will not be out-slugging many.

4. Ron Villone is viable.

This is notable, because would-be lefty specialist Tyler Johnson faces an uncertain ’08 season after developing shoulder trouble. And holdover Randy Flores didn’t dominate the lefty-lefty matchups last season.

In past springs, the Cards have seen an assortment of veteran lefties fail to impress Duncan. But Villone has posted a 1.17 ERA in six appearances, generating hope he could become a key bullpen component.

This would help. But does anyone really believe Villone will offer that much of a boost?

Really?

5. The organization finally has depth.

This is a "proof is in the pudding" sort of thing. It will be great if a lot of our young kids are ready and able to contribute at the major league level, and this would include not only those at AAA like Rasmus, McClellan and Hoffpauir, but also someone like Brian Barton who will be with the big club from day one.

Besides, the ebb and flow in the fortunes of prospects can turn what looks like a verdant field into a dry lifeless desert in no time flat.

Lohse

From the PD:

The Cardinals addressed an innings-short starting rotation Thursday by reaching agreement with durable free agent righthander Kyle Lohse on a one-year, $4.25 million contract, pending Lohse's passing a team physical this morning.

The move occurred three days after the Cardinals said four of the five pitchers projected as starters during the season could be unavailable for the March 31 opener.

Loshe is a poor man's Jeff Suppan. (Just allow that to sink in for a moment.)

Adding Lohse will improve this rotation. (Just allow that to sink in for a moment.)

Digested that? I'll wait while you attempt to choke down some Pepto Bismol.

Lohse, 29, amassed a 9-12 record and 4.62 ERA while splitting last season between the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies. Just as important, he made 34 starts and worked 192 2/3 innings. The Cardinals investigated trading for him in 2006 before the Minnesota Twins shipped him to the Reds.

"He's got a really good arsenal of weapons," manager Tony La Russa said. "He's gotten our attention before."

Lohse's best seasons came with the Twins in 2002-03, when he won 27 games combined. Just as significant, Lohse worked 201 innings in 2003 and 194 in 2004. He has made at least 30 starts in five of the past six seasons.

The club expects Lohse to report this morning.

Mozeliak took issue with describing the agreement as a panic move.

Would the word "desperation" really improve matters?

UPDATE:

From Cardinals Diaspora:

It’s not a bad move, especially on a one year deal. At this point, warm bodies capable of pitching for 150+ innings are exactly what the Cardinals need. Win now? Pfft. Compete now? Pish posh. We need pitchers to make it through the season, and that’s exactly what this is.

I can't argue with that at all.

But it leaves me wondering as to when exactly we became the Kansas City Royals.

Sidney Ponson?

I'll ask it again: Sidney Ponson?

Really?

Scouts for the Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals clustered behind a chain-link fence to watch Ponson's latest reincarnation. A pitcher who once huffed and puffed to muster an 88 mph fastball threw with little obvious effort and significantly more velocity.

"I'm throwing nice and free again. I don't have to force anything," Ponson said.

Weighing about 20 pounds less than when the Cardinals released him 20 months earlier, Ponson exhibited a 93-94 mph fastball, a slider that touched 88 and a changeup that hit 84. An animal with bite replaced the rolling curveball seen two years ago.

"I'm here to rock and roll," Ponson said afterward.

Someone is pulling my leg.

It Had To Happen

After last year, there was no other way to go with this: Cards cut Spiezio over DUI case

JUPITER, FLA. — The Cardinals abruptly released utility infielder Scott Spiezio on Wednesday afternoon, after learning that a California court had issued a warrant for his arrest on six misdemeanor counts ranging from aggravated assault to driving under the influence.

Orange County Superior Court issued a warrant on Tuesday charging Spiezio with driving under the influence; driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more; hit and run; aggravated assault; assault; and battery.

Blindsided, the club acted swiftly after learning details that included Spiezio's alleged use of alcohol. Spiezio left the team last August to get outpatient treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. He returned to the club before season's end, and team officials had described Spiezio as doing well in the offseason. They apparently held to that belief until Wednesday's report.

The matter assumed added urgency for the organization, which dealt with several alcohol-related issues in 2007.

"When you look at the past year, it becomes the sum of the parts," general manager John Mozeliak said. "We were at a crossroads. We felt it was in the best interest of our organization and Scott to go our separate ways. I think it would be irresponsible of us to ignore what happened last year."

Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., President Mark Lamping, Mozeliak and assistant general manager John Abbamondi met for about two hours before notifying Spiezio. The club agreed to assume Spiezio's $2.3 million salary plus a $100,000 buyout of next season's option.

From a pure baseball standpoint, I think this solidifies Brendan Ryan's roster spot barring another move by the Cards. Is there a free agent still left out there to plug in? I can't think of one off the top of my head. Of the non-roster invitees Josh Phelps would seem to be in the best position to stick. He can't play third but he can provide a little pop off the bench.

Too Damned Busy

Southlandish doing his own Spring Training.

I don't think I've read 10 lines of Spring Training coverage. I hate it when I am too busy to keep track of all the worn out clichés and phrases that carefully mask what is really being said. All of the 700 hundred word columns that say fuck all. The forums chock full of tedious back and forths over whether the hang nail suffered by the 42 year old has-been in camp on a minor league contract has doomed the season. I mock because I love. I feel empty right now. I have got to get back into the game.

The upside of my schedule has been that I've been spared the horror that is the Illini basketball season. All is not lost in Illini Country. I was enjoying a happy hour beer Friday when the Kelvin Sampson news broke and a brew has never tasted so fine. Now if Bruce Pearl would just find the grill of a speeding bus, I might be able to call the season a modest success.

On the plus side I do have front row seats for the Cards game against the Twinkies when they travel to Fort Myers on March 24. Most fans down here hope that all the big names travel. As for me, they can stay in Jupiter. Pujols and, uh, lemme see, ok he is the only big name.....Glaus! Yeah, him. I would like to see Glaus live since it would be a first. Other than that, I am looking forward to seeing a bunch of young guys trying to make their closing arguments the last week of camp.

So if you are watching the ESPN highlights, that will my sweet delicious beer sitting on the center of the Cards dugout. And the guy shoveling peanuts and hot dogs down his throat like a starving refugee? C'est moi.

A Pre-Spring Check-Up

Here is how I see my sporting life shaping up at the moment:

Blues: Well, now I don't know what to think. A truly dreadful run of games is quickly followed by a run of six games getting at lest a point (4-0-2). The power play, which has been absent all season, goes on a 6 for 13 binge, and the Blues win back to back games by 5-1 scorelines. Hell, even Matt Walker gets into the scoring column.

So, the Blues sit in 10th place, three points out of a playoff spot with games in hand over almost everyone in front of them. That's not a great position to be in, especially since the Blues have a lot of road games in front of them including a beast of a road trip in March...but they have a shot. Is it enough of a shot to be active buyers at the trade deadline? I haven't the foggiest. My instinct is to be patient, and only make a move on your own terms. This team is not set up for any lengthy playoff run anyway...so why panic buy?

Cards: Well, now I don't know what to think. I was committed in my heart to a .500 season with uneven pitching and anemic outfield play, but the bug of spring training optimism has bitten me again. Juan Gonzalez shows up to camp and immediately looks pretty good...and I start thinking of a lineup with Juan Gone instead of Preston Wilson. Hmm..that sounds pretty good. Yes, our entire pitching staff seems to be rehabbing from injury, we have an entirely new left side of the infield to take stock of, Adam Kennedy is still slotted in at second, Pujols elbow has everyone spooked, and a solid portion of Cardinals nation seems to think Jeff Weaver would improve our starting rotation.

However, all I can think about is how nice it is NOT to be counting on Brian Barton to supply an offensive lift.

There is also this other part of me that thinks if we can stay around .500 until the All-Star break and we start to get pitchers back...

Somebody stop me.

Billikens: OK, here I know what to think. The transition to Majerus has been about what I expected. The Bills have a couple of nice pieces, but there simply is no depth of talent in the squad. Luckily, in this years version of the Atlantic 10, talent isn't really all that necessary. So a 18 or 19 wins season looks doable, and the Bills can take their shot in the A-10 tourney. Really, they have as good a chance as anyone to take the thing, so the NCAA's are not out of the question. They certainly have been playing better of late, although it is difficult to imagine how much worse a team could play than the one that only managed 20 points against a truly bad GW team.

Given where they were starting from, I'm pleased. Hopefully, recruiting will be improved.

DC United: I think I know what to expect here as well. There have been drastic changes to the roster, and injuries are cropping up already during pre-season training. Also, I have no idea what to expect from the goaltending. I think it is safe to assume, with all the new aquisitions who are expected to play key roles, that United will need some time to really round into form. Play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup might actually be a benefit in getting the team up to speed, although how much we will learn to a two-leg matchup with Jamaican side Harbour View FC is debatable. Still, it is better to kick the ball in anger than not.

All that being said, I expect DC to be a .500 team going into August. What happens after August will be the interesting thing. If the signings work out as expected and the goal keeping is good, there might be some good soccer to watch.

Missouri Tigers: It will be interesting to see how the Tigers fare in the preseason rankings this summer. I'll guess they will be between 10-15 nationally. It looks like recruiting went pretty well, and Mizzou is keeping lots more in-state talent at home which bodes well for the future. I'd count myself as "wildly optimistic."

Was This Really Only 15 Months Ago

Crap. I don't think I enjoyed this as much as I should have. Can't imagine when it will happen again.

Time To Spit Out Some Random Garbage

Been too busy to post lately, so here are a few riffs about what has been on my mind:

* Something is missing in your sports life when you are reading dispatches from the African Cup of Nations.

* There isn't a chance in hell I can stomach the absurd hype that will soon reach a fever pitch over a NE/NY Super Bowl. I've tuned out. The Patriots run at history holds all the interest for me that Bonds' HR chase did, though in this case I imagine I will tune in for some of the actual game. As for #756, I'm pleased to say I still have no idea what the count was, where the pitch was, what it was or where the ball landed. I've never seen the AB or heard the call and only seen the first part of the swing peripherally because media saturation has made it impossible to avoid. To date, I've always managed to turn away. It's the gay porn of sports to me.

* Non-League Havant & Waterlooville get to make a trip to Anfield to play Liverpool in the FA Cup's 4th Round ties on Saturday and I believe Sky is broadcasting it in the UK, though there is no indication their sister station FSC is picking it up here in the States. C'mon, this is great stuff. A bunch of semi-pro guys up against the Champions League runner up and one of the Premiership Big Four. Sure one of Havant's big scalps to date is Notts County and this match has blood bath written all over it, but it's easily the most compelling match being played on Saturday. Genuine David and Goliath always is and it's being played at a storied venue. It's the guys from Hickory showing up to play at the Butler Fieldhouse. It's why I canceled office hours as a teaching assistant to go to Assembly Hall in Champaign on Friday afternoons to watch Illinois' Class A tourney. There is something magical about watching a bunch of kids from a town of 1,200 (like where I grew up) walk on to the court of a major arena for the first time while someone in the crowd holds up the tried and true sign, WILL THE LAST PERSON TO LEAVE TOWN, PLEASE TURN OUT THE LIGHTS. Chelsea v. Wigan in another FA Cup tie instead? Blah.

* The Illini basketball team is beyond redemption. Truly embarrassing to watch. No fire in the belly. No leadership. Nothing worth wasting any more time on. It is absolutely gutting to see a team whose veterans cut their Big Ten teeth with the purposeful and focused early Weber teams, just roll over. This quote after the Michigan win says it all:

"Really, the Indiana game gave everyone some motivation and definitely picked the guys up,'' (Brian) Randle said. "Me and Shaun (Pruitt) ... gained a better understanding of what we need to do. We were lacking as leaders and role models in how we played. But that game got us going for tonight.''

Huh?!?! This came from the mouth of a fifth year senior half way through the season. Jesus, I've heard of steep learning curves but this takes the cake. And apparently those leadership skills are highly perishable as they had clearly passed their sell-by date before the Purdue loss on Saturday.

* Things are little better on the Cardinal front. With quotes like this, I think we can safely say La Russa is simply phoning in what little 2008 optimism he can muster:

La Russa: "I think we're going to have a competitive lineup one way or another. You have to pitch to win. And we have a chance to pitch it."

Translation: Wow. In the 2008 race to the bottom of the toilet, bet the Trifecta: Cards to win, Turd to place, TP to show.


* On the plus side, I have to give Mo credit for pulling off the Glaus/Rolen deal. I think it helps the Cards. I still haven't seen the details of the Molina deal yet. That motherfucking Mardi Gras pop-up ad on the P-D website infuriates me so much I just close the window every time I see it so I don't know if I'll ever read about it. I still think we are 200 mediocre starting rotation innings short of playing .500 ball.

* I see that La Russa kicked Adam Kennedy in the balls for being a no-show at the Winter Warm Up. Normally, I couldn't be bothered to give a shit who shows up for these idiotic things but if anyone deserves a kick in the balls it's Kennedy. So, well played Tony.


* That brings me to a couple of new BCTP entries for deciphering mediocre signings speak:

Manager: "He brings a great work ethic to our team."

Translation: Not much talent, but we need something good to say about him.


Manager: "He will be great for our team's chemistry."

Translation: Not much talent, but we need something good to say about him...and we can't say he works hard.

Speechless

I never thought this was gonna happen: Players pass physicals; Rolen-for-Glaus all but done

Scott Rolen and Troy Glaus each passed his physical today, according to a major league source, and the paperwork needed to complete the swap of All-Star third basemen will be submitted to the commissioner's office.

The trade, which will send Rolen to the Toronto Blue Jays and bring Glaus to the Cardinals, could be completed as early as this afternoon.

In one sense this could be viewed as treading water. Whatever Glaus provides could have been provided by Rolen (at least theoretically.)

However, the reality of this is far bigger and better for the Cardinals. The Cards will not have enough hitting or pitching this year to compete for any titles, but the Rolen situation threatened to hang over the entire season like the morning bathroom stench after a night of Michelob and LaBamba Super Burritos.

In addition to waiving his no-trade clause, the Cardinals also wanted Glaus to trigger his $11.25 million player option for 2009. According to sources, the Cardinals would not make the deal if they were getting Glaus for one season.

Glaus agreed to do so, several sources confirmed.

The four-time All-Star will be owed $24 million over the next two seasons. Rolen has three years and $36 million remaining on an eight-year, $90 million deal he signed shortly after coming to the Cardinals in 2002. It's not clear whether the trade also involves an exchange of cash to offset the additional weight of Rolen's contract.

Glaus, 31, has missed at least 45 games in three of the previous five seasons. During spring training last year, Glaus began having trouble with his foot. That landed him on the disabled list in April and caused him to miss games throughout the season. He played in 115, hitting 20 home runs and driving in 62 while hitting .262 with a .473 slugging percentage.

In September, he yielded to the pain in his heel and had surgery to ease the pressure on a nerve in his foot.

"He battled it," Nicotera said. "He battled it and tried to manage it because he didn't want to stop playing. It got to the point where it was clear he just had to get it fixed."

Glaus will be a bit of a gamble, but you were never going to do better in a swap for a banged up and questionable Rolen. In fact, I never thought the Mozeliak could get this much for Rolen.

.500 now seems doable. Its not much, but its improvement.

Cardinals Prospects For 2008 = Bleak

Got this assessment on the Cardinals position from the PD:

In the wake of the organization's four-week search before naming Mozeliak as successor to Walt Jocketty, and Mozeliak's four-week search for an assistant general manager, the Cardinals appear to be playing catch-up.

Any hopes of acquiring a front-line pitcher through trade have been replaced by scouring the free-agent market for a short-term acquisition such as Kris Benson, Bartolo Colon or Josh Fogg. The situation has yet to become bleak enough for La Russa or Mozeliak to suggest Anthony Reyes' possible return as a No. 5 starter, perhaps because Reyes is being shopped widely to teams such as the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies.

Club sources indicated by week's end that Rasmus could lose his "untouchable" label in a potential deal for Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Erik Bedard. Such a deal would have to include at least another prominent Cardinals prospect such as Bryan Anderson or Chris Perez. Of course, the Cardinals envision Perez as a potential heir to closer Jason Isringhausen next season. Rasmus is being groomed to take over for center fielder Jim Edmonds. Isringhausen and Edmonds are owed a combined $16 million in 2008.

Unable to decide whether Rolen is coming or going, the Cardinals are unable to deal either of their power-hitting, lefthanded-hitting outfielders, Chris Duncan or Rick Ankiel. Open to dealing Edmonds to a West Coast team, the Cardinals found his value is diminished by three consecutive injury-scarred seasons. Many within the organization admit Edmonds and Rolen offer more value to their current team than logical trading partners.

So far the Cardinals have signed free-agent catcher Jason LaRue and shortstop Cesar Izturis and drafted Cleveland Indians outfield prospect Brian Barton. They continue to offer assurances about lefthanded starter Mark Mulder's recovery from rotator cuff repair in September. His return to health, according to Mozeliak and La Russa, would answer many of the questions raised by a 78-84 season that never achieved consistency within the starting rotation.

A team that signed Chris Carpenter for the major-league minimum at the 2002 meetings and that once used 11 victories from a former tow truck operator named Jason Simontacchi to save itself five years ago again seeks to "catch lightning in bottle."

That is the long way of saying, "We're screwed."

The key will be if the organization will notice that we are screwed and look more to 2009 and beyond. If they try to salvage 2008 that could just be courting disaster, and dooming us all to a long run of futility. We don't have the prospects in our system to generate trade offers with value. The free agent market is uninspiring at best. The starting rotation and the everyday lineup are best described as representing "a wing and a prayer." And, as of right now, the Brewers, Cubs and Reds are simply better than we are. There is nothing the Cardinals could do between today and the start of Spring Training that can alter all of that. So they shouldn't try.

The impulse is for the Cards to do something...anything. But that impulse is dead wrong in this case. It doesn't even make sense to trade Rolen or Edmonds. Maybe, if they can be productive during the season they could rehabilitate some of their value by the time the trade deadline comes up, and that would represent the best-case scenario for the Cards (and for my mental health.)

As much as it pains me to say it, I think it would be a mistake to trade Rasmus in a package for Bedard. I like Bedard a lot, but he cannot save the Cards 2008 season. (He can make it suck less, but that is not the same thing.) Rasmus could be an important piece for years to come, or he may not. But that is a risk the Cards have to take, especially if they are really going to commit to the player development model.

So, were I advising Mozeliak I'd say, "Try to sign Colon for a year, and sit tight. Don't be pressured into making a dumb move just because you are new to the job. We probably won't be very good this year, and that is okay."

Half of me thinks that is exactly what Mozeliak will do, and the other half of me is waiting for something incredibly stupid that will doom the Cards to a decade of mediocrity.

God Makes A Reappearance

Just when I thought Cardinals fans would forever be forsaken....

The Cardinals have decided to release So Taguchi, ending the outfielder's six-year tenure as a member of the St. Louis organization.

Taguchi was let go in order to clear space on the 40-man roster, which had been at full capacity. By opening up a spot, the Cardinals are now able to make a selection in the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday morning at baseball's annual Winter Meetings.

And with that pick in the Rule 5 draft we selected Brian Barton. Here is Get Up, Baby's take on Barton:

As a late-blooming, fast outfielder with not-insignificant power and a good on-base percentage, Barton reminds me the most of Matt Lawton, with the optimistic projection being some kind of right-handed poor-man’s Ray Lankford. Ah, the Ray Lankford stamp of approval–that lets you know that I am optimistic about Brian Barton. The main concern, besides his gimp knee, is that that on-base percentage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be–take a look at those hit by pitch totals! But even if you cut them in half he gets on base plenty.

Barton’s not a star in the making, but he’s got the potential to be an extremely useful player, even a starter, and with the current makeup of this team he gives the Cardinals different “looks”, as sportswriters are so fond of saying. As a fast outfielder who isn’t afraid to get plunked, one thing is certain: Busch Stadium will make this man a cult hero.

A hero of any sort would be nice, but Barton is already a hero to me since his arrival meant the departure of Taguchi.

Isn't It About Time For Rolen To Man Up?

Or is he just gonna continue to be the world's biggest pussy?

Let's face it, it is an open question if he will ever get over his shoulder problems. His bat looked slow all last season, and he was even a little erratic in the field trying to compensate for something. As is he seems to be an average number seven hitter, someone who can get a hold of the occasional mistake made by a pitcher, and not in any way, shape or form "protection" for Pujols.

Given that, what more can Rolen expect from this organization? They have got a shit load of money invested in this player who will never, dollar for dollar, deliver the production one would expect. So La Russa sits him after he looks like utter crap at the plate, so what? Lots of players who look like utter crap at the plate find themselves left off of the lineup card. Scott Rolen gets all the respect he should need every time he cashes a paycheck.

So, shut up and play ball...if you still can.

What Am I Missing Here?

Got this from the PD today discussing a potential trade of Scott Rolen to Florida:

The Cardinals may wait until the Florida Marlins resolve the status of third baseman Miguel Cabrera before acting.

...

Cabrera would fit the Cardinals’ need for Rolen’s replacement. However, all discussions have begun and ended with center field prospect Colby Rasmus, whom the Cardinals so far have deemed untouchable.

This makes it sound like Florida might accept a Rolen/Rasmus for Cabrera deal. It that is true.....

JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PULL THE FUCKING TRIGGER ALREADY!!!!!WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!ARE YOU MORONS!!!!!!!!!!!

And I'd add:

AUGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It especially hurts when the only other deal mentioned is one for the Brewer's Chris Capuano. Don't we already have 6 or 7 Capuano's in our organization. Do we really need yet another lefty with 15+ loss potential?