Mozeliak has been named GM.

More of the same, or a fresh approach to the rebuilding of the Cards? Lunhow now has the ear of DeWitt. Good thing or bad thing?

I say all is well. Let’s give him a chance.

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LaRussa is back. Make what you want of it but he signed a 2 yr deal worth about $8.5 million. He is the skipper. TLR comments that all the veterans are happy except Scott Rolen. Tony mentions this in his press conference.

    I like Rolen. I like his defense. I like his hitting when his shoulder is healthy. BUT, I don’t like or want him undermining the manager. Not sure he ever has or ever will but if it isn’t going to work, then WAIVE your no TRADE clause and let’s have harmony.

Read the article here.

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Last we’d heard, David Eckstein was expected to leave the Cardinals and sign with the White Sox, Tigers, or Mets. However, the Cards’ team spokesman said two days ago when Joel Pineiro was signed that John Mozeliak’s next order of business was to re-sign Eckstein.

Eckstein earned $4.5MM this season in the last year of his three-year deal. He turns 33 in January, and has averaged 120 games in the last two seasons. Eckstein has a solid career OBP of .351. There’s some great point-counterpoints about whether the Cards should re-sign him. Their best estimate is that he would earn about $6-7MM per year on a two or three-year deal. The Cards stand to net some solid draft picks if they let Eckstein walk in favor of Brendan Ryan or an external candidate.

I don’t think Ryan is ready to handle the everyday SS position. Can we spend $6-8 million for Renteria or Tejada?

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2 yrs $13 million. I like it. I love it. I wants some more of it.

If this was a comparable pitcher from another team we would not have signed him a this bargain price. It would have cost us more. At this time we have Wainwright, Looper and Piniero as our 1-2-3 guys with about $14 more million to spend.

Can we get a #1 pitcher for that? Nope. Let’s get a right handed bat.

Got any ideas?

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The Cardinals have agreed to a one-year deal with reliever Russ Springer.

this from RotoWorld:

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a note last week about Springer leaving if Tony La Russa did, but it seems that wasn’t such a big factor after all. Springer, who had a 2.18 ERA in 66 innings this year, wanted to stay in St. Louis because his autistic son is in a special school there. The deal is probably worth $3 million or so.

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Fukudome has doubles-power and will likely put up a high OBP in the Majors, but won’t slug a lot of home runs. Defensively, he’s best suited for right field, but could plug into center if need be.Mike Plugh, of Baseball Prospectus, says that “Fukudome is tailor-made for the Major Leagues. [...] He has patience as well as power to the gaps, a recipe for success, especially if he chooses to play in a ballpark with a spacious outfield.” Plugh warns that Fukudome won’t hit more than 20 homers, “but 50 doubles is not out of the question[, and] when compared to his [Japanese] peers, [...] his habitual .400+ OBP.

One projection system estimates that a 2007 version of Fukudome would put up a .300/.375/.500 line in the Majors.

I think this is a good player the Cardinals should pursue. Estimates have him as a rightfielders and sometimes centerfielder that will command about $10-12 mil.

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What did I do today? I haven’t gotten much advice yet. Send an EMAIL to tom@cardinalsgm.com with your GM advice.

I made a list of the players that I don’t expect to ask back. I will give you a tease. Here is a partial list.

Eckstein

Maroth

Wells

Wilson

Rodriguez

I am iffy on Kennedy.

More to come. Youth BABY, that is the way we are headed!

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Ok, if you have fan suggestions for me. I will listen and publish them here.

I have $83 million tied up in 12 players…. My first step is to decide what i think I am going to get out of Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, Chris Carpenter, Juan Encarnacion, and Mark Mulder.

I decided Pineiro is not a #5 guy but more like a 3 or 4 and therefore, we must pay him accordingly. Somebody is going to pay him and WE need pitchers so it might as well be us.

Manager- I am going to ask Tony LaRussa to step down so we can move forward with younger players. He has a propensity to play veterans and now is the time for new blood.

I am going to get to work. Any suggestions?

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Among the team’s major offseason decisions is whether to sign Russ Springer, who can become a free agent, and was part of the late-inning delegation that protected the leads into the ninth.

Russ Springer p
1 year/$1.75M (2007)

• signed as a free agent 12/06
• performance bonuses: $50,000 each for 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 g
• award bonuses: $0.1M for Rolaids award ($50,000 for 2nd place, $25,000 for 3rd), $50,000 each for All Star selection, Gold Glove, LDS, LCS or WS MVP
  
• 1 year/$0.75M (2006), re-signed as a free agent 11/05
• 1 year (2005)
  
  • contract purchased 4/05
  • re-signed as a free agent 12/04 (minor-league contract)
• ML service: 11.128

I would like to sign him to a respectable contract. But, if you remember at the trading deadline Russ was throwing around the thought that if the Cardinals traded him he would retire. It is his desire to stay in St. Louis due to the wonderful schooling his special needs child was receiving.

I don’t like the contradiction. I won’t take the hometown discount…..blah blah blah…. but don’t trade me or I will quit. Come on Russ, make up your mind…. Want to stay or not? Let’s find a contract we both can live with.

I liked your work for the Cardinals and I would love to see you stay. Let’s say 1 yr for $2.5 mil  ?

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