The Cubs finally pulled off the seemingly impossible today, trading Alfonso Soriano to the Yankees, along with a ton of money, for a minor league prospect to be named later.
Thus ends one of the longest sagas involving a bad contract in recent history.
To get the Yankees to take Soriano off their hands and get a halfway decent prospect in return, the Cubs will eat nearly $18 million of Soriano's remaining contract.
Yes, you heard that right, the Cubs will be paying the Yankees $17.7 million so that Soriano can play for them.
As a Cardinals fan living in Cubs territory, I've been able to witness the Soriano saga first hand. The Cubs grossly overspent on Soriano, signing him to a 8-year, $136 million contract, back when the Tribune Company was trying to win to increase the sales price of the team.
However, after a couple of division titles and zero playoff victories, the Cubs were left with a player who's skills (and knees) were deteriorating and who's play was of far less value than his contract.
Thus, when Albert Pujols became a free agent and was looking for a big contract, although my heart wanted him to stay in St. Louis and retire with the team, in the back of my mind I knew that a long-term contract, like the one he signed with the Angels, could come back to haunt us.
Now the Cardinals are facing a similar dilemma with Carlos Beltran.
Back around the All Star break, Beltran told Derrick Goold that he wanted to play three more years and recently Bernie Miklasz made the case for keeping Beltran.
For the most part I agree with Miklasz, the Cardinals could use Beltran for another year or two. Oscar Taveras has been limited this year due to an ankle injury and may not be ready to take over for Beltran next year. In addition, Jon Jay has not been producing at his usual level, so even if Taveras were ready to start in 2014, maybe it would make more sense to put him in center.
But, the crux of the issue with Beltran is this: How long do the Cardinals want to commit to Beltran and would Beltran be willing to accept a below-market deal to stay with the Cards?
I do not want to see the Cardinals offering Beltran a 3-year deal. My preference, and probably the team's as well, would be a one-year deal with an option for the second year.
If he continues to produce, then there's no problem. But, if his production drops, like it did during the second half of 2012, then the Cardinals will have limited their losses.
The worst thing to do from a team standpoint is to pull another Ty Wigginton move and sign an aging veteran to a 2 or 3 year deal at or (in the case of Wigginton) above market and be stuck with a bad contract.
Injuries happen more often to players as they get older. Look at Lance Berkman, after he signed an extension with the Cardinals. Chris Carpenter is another example.
So, as a team, you have to do everything in your power to limit your exposure to losses, which includes foregoing long-term contracts for shorter contracts for a bit more money per year.
It is a formula that has worked well for the Cardinals in the past and one that they should stick to moving forward.
Showing posts with label Ty Wigginton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ty Wigginton. Show all posts
Friday, July 26, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Who will replace Rob Johnson on Cardinals roster once Yadier Molina is healthy?
In a somewhat surprising move, but one that was long overdue, the Cardinals release Ty Wigginton and called up catcher Rob Johnson from AAA Memphis. Johnson is needed as Yadier Molina is banged up and the Cards need an extra catcher for insurance.
However, this is only a temporary assignment for Johnson, as once Molina is healthy, its likely that Johnson will be sent back to AAA. This begs the question as to who will replace him on the active roster?
Here are the two leading candidates:
Ryan Jackson
Jackson is currently hitting .301/.378/.399 at AAA Memphis and is probably a better defensive short stop than Pete Kozma. With Kozma's recent struggles at the plate the Cardinals could call upon Jackson to give Kozma some extra rest.
In addition, Jackson has some versatility, having played second, third and some outfield in the minors this year, as it appears the Cards are grooming him to be a utility player. Adding him to the roster would give the Cardinals a better defensive backup to Kozma at short than current backup Daniel Descalso, plus another right handed bat off the bench.
Brock Peterson
At age 29, Peterson is not a prospect anymore, but he is hitting .308/.381/.563 with 20 homers at AAA. He could give the Cardinals some extra pop off the bench and another right handed bat to help combat the team's struggles against lefties.
He is not quite as versatile as Jackson, but can play first, second, third and the corner outfield spots. He has spent 11 years in the minors, but has never reached the majors. He was also recently named to the PCL All Star team.
I think one of these two will be called up after the all star break to replace Johnson on the active roster. Of course, the Cardinals could always cross us up by calling up another reliever or someone like Adron Chambers, but my guess is that Jackson will get the call. He gives the Cardinals what Ty Wigginton should have, at a fraction of the cost.
However, this is only a temporary assignment for Johnson, as once Molina is healthy, its likely that Johnson will be sent back to AAA. This begs the question as to who will replace him on the active roster?
Here are the two leading candidates:
Ryan Jackson
Jackson is currently hitting .301/.378/.399 at AAA Memphis and is probably a better defensive short stop than Pete Kozma. With Kozma's recent struggles at the plate the Cardinals could call upon Jackson to give Kozma some extra rest.
In addition, Jackson has some versatility, having played second, third and some outfield in the minors this year, as it appears the Cards are grooming him to be a utility player. Adding him to the roster would give the Cardinals a better defensive backup to Kozma at short than current backup Daniel Descalso, plus another right handed bat off the bench.
Brock Peterson
At age 29, Peterson is not a prospect anymore, but he is hitting .308/.381/.563 with 20 homers at AAA. He could give the Cardinals some extra pop off the bench and another right handed bat to help combat the team's struggles against lefties.
He is not quite as versatile as Jackson, but can play first, second, third and the corner outfield spots. He has spent 11 years in the minors, but has never reached the majors. He was also recently named to the PCL All Star team.
I think one of these two will be called up after the all star break to replace Johnson on the active roster. Of course, the Cardinals could always cross us up by calling up another reliever or someone like Adron Chambers, but my guess is that Jackson will get the call. He gives the Cardinals what Ty Wigginton should have, at a fraction of the cost.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Cardinals sell low on Mitchell Boggs?
One year after leading the NL in holds with 34, the Cardinals appear to have sold low on Mitchell Boggs, trading him for cash, international signing bonus cash to be exact.
According to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com, the Cardinals traded Mitchell Boggs to the Colorado Rockies for their International Signing Bonus slot #4, which is worth only $206,400.
Doesn't seem like a lot for a pitcher who just last year was one of the best setup men in the NL, but there is more to this move than just the international money.
First, thanks to the success of their rookie relievers, Boggs had become expendable. As Rick Hummel points out, the rookie quintet of Trevor Rosenthal, Seth Maness, Keith Butler, Michael Blazek and Kevin Siegrist have been stellar. In 96 innings, they have a combined 1.88 ERA with 102 K's.
These guys have been a big part of the Cardinals bullpen resurgence. After having the worst team bullpen ERA in April, thanks in large part to Boggs, the Cards pen has shown steady improvement over the last couple months, moving all the way up to 7th in the NL with a 3.52 bullpen ERA.
Also, in addition to the international cash, the Cardinals rid themselves of Boggs' $1,475,000 salary for the rest of the year (about $737,500). This was a sunk cost for the Cards, as it was unlikely that Boggs would make it back to the majors with the team, so to be able to dump his salary on the Rockies as well as getting a little extra international cash on top of it was a win-win scenario.
So, after a day of cleaning house for the Cardinals, including releasing Ty Wigginton, it will be interesting to see what the team's next move is.
According to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com, the Cardinals traded Mitchell Boggs to the Colorado Rockies for their International Signing Bonus slot #4, which is worth only $206,400.
Doesn't seem like a lot for a pitcher who just last year was one of the best setup men in the NL, but there is more to this move than just the international money.
First, thanks to the success of their rookie relievers, Boggs had become expendable. As Rick Hummel points out, the rookie quintet of Trevor Rosenthal, Seth Maness, Keith Butler, Michael Blazek and Kevin Siegrist have been stellar. In 96 innings, they have a combined 1.88 ERA with 102 K's.
These guys have been a big part of the Cardinals bullpen resurgence. After having the worst team bullpen ERA in April, thanks in large part to Boggs, the Cards pen has shown steady improvement over the last couple months, moving all the way up to 7th in the NL with a 3.52 bullpen ERA.
Also, in addition to the international cash, the Cardinals rid themselves of Boggs' $1,475,000 salary for the rest of the year (about $737,500). This was a sunk cost for the Cards, as it was unlikely that Boggs would make it back to the majors with the team, so to be able to dump his salary on the Rockies as well as getting a little extra international cash on top of it was a win-win scenario.
So, after a day of cleaning house for the Cardinals, including releasing Ty Wigginton, it will be interesting to see what the team's next move is.
Cardinals release Ty Wigginton, promote catcher Rob Johnson
As an update to my article posted less than two hours ago, the Cardinals have given Ty Wigginton his unconditional release and called up catcher Rob Johnson according to Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter).
As I mentioned in my earlier post, Wigginton was rarely used and unproductive when he was used. By giving him his unconditional release, he is free to sign with another team for the league minimum. The Cardinals will be on the hook for the remainder of his 2-year, $5 million contract through next season.
With Yadier Molina banged up, the Cardinals needed to make a move to get a backup for Tony Cruz. Thus Wigginton became expendable. However, this raises a concern that Yadi's injury may be more serious than the team is letting on.
In any case, it was a rare bad signing for the Cardinals, who have done pretty well on the free agent market, with additions such as Carlos Beltran and Jake Westbrook over the last few years.
But, it is nice to see the team admit their mistake and cut their losses.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, Wigginton was rarely used and unproductive when he was used. By giving him his unconditional release, he is free to sign with another team for the league minimum. The Cardinals will be on the hook for the remainder of his 2-year, $5 million contract through next season.
With Yadier Molina banged up, the Cardinals needed to make a move to get a backup for Tony Cruz. Thus Wigginton became expendable. However, this raises a concern that Yadi's injury may be more serious than the team is letting on.
In any case, it was a rare bad signing for the Cardinals, who have done pretty well on the free agent market, with additions such as Carlos Beltran and Jake Westbrook over the last few years.
But, it is nice to see the team admit their mistake and cut their losses.
Cardinals looking to clear dead weight, aka Ty Wigginton, off their roster?
According to Derrick Goold, the Cardinals are exploring their options regarding the little used and highly unproductive Ty Wigginton.
Signed to a two-year, $5 million contract this offseason, Wigginton has posted a .158/.238/.193 line in just 57 at bats this season. He has the fewest starts (7) of any position player and the second fewest at bats (only backup catcher Tony Cruz has fewer).
Goold indicates that the Cardinals could make a move before tonight's game against the Astros. The Cardinals are on the hook for Wigginton's salary, but they have a few options, including a minor-league assignment, a trade (not that many teams would be interested) or just designating him for assignment and releasing him.
When he was first signed, I didn't think it was such a bad deal, as he could provide some right handed pop off the bench and a veteran presence for a relatively young team. However, with Matt Adams earning a bench spot and Daniel Descalso having a strong season at the plate, there has been little need for Wigginton.
So, the Cardinals may decide to demote Wigginton or just cut their losses in favor of bringing up someone who can help them at an area of need. My guess is that they will probably call up Ryan Jackson to help fill in for a slumping Pete Kozma.
Whatever the case, it appears that Wigginton will no longer be on the Cardinals major league roster after today.
Signed to a two-year, $5 million contract this offseason, Wigginton has posted a .158/.238/.193 line in just 57 at bats this season. He has the fewest starts (7) of any position player and the second fewest at bats (only backup catcher Tony Cruz has fewer).
Goold indicates that the Cardinals could make a move before tonight's game against the Astros. The Cardinals are on the hook for Wigginton's salary, but they have a few options, including a minor-league assignment, a trade (not that many teams would be interested) or just designating him for assignment and releasing him.
When he was first signed, I didn't think it was such a bad deal, as he could provide some right handed pop off the bench and a veteran presence for a relatively young team. However, with Matt Adams earning a bench spot and Daniel Descalso having a strong season at the plate, there has been little need for Wigginton.
So, the Cardinals may decide to demote Wigginton or just cut their losses in favor of bringing up someone who can help them at an area of need. My guess is that they will probably call up Ryan Jackson to help fill in for a slumping Pete Kozma.
Whatever the case, it appears that Wigginton will no longer be on the Cardinals major league roster after today.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Should the Cardinals trade David Freese? I don't think so.
After a slow start to the season, which included a stint on the D.L.,
and a hot start by Kolten Wong at AAA, many Cardinals fans were
thinking that the team should trade David Freese, put Matt Carpenter at
his natural position (third) and call up Wong.
It got so bad that even Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports picked up on it, saying that trading David Freese made sense financially, as Freese earns $3 million and will likely get a raise through arbitration during the offseason.
However, sometime its not always about the money.
Freese, a World Series hero and local kid made good would sorely be missed, not just by the Cardinals fans who love him, but also because he is an important cog in the Cardinals lineup.
Its no surprise that in April, when Freese was struggling with a .163/.255/.204 line, the Cardinals went 15-11 for a .577 winning percentage. However, in May, when Freese turned things around and hit .299/.365/.429, the Cardinals were 20-7 (.741). Put another way, in games that the Cardinals have won, Freese has hit .330/.416/.450 and in games that the Cards have lost he has only hit .194/.231/.258.
That's not to say that Freese is the most important piece of the Cardinals offense, but he is an important piece and the offense works best when everyone is clicking.
I think it doesn't have to be a case of Wong vs Freese. I think the Cardinals could carry both players next year (along with Carpenter) and make it work.
Here's the plan. The Cardinals rotate Freese, Wong and Carpenter at the second base and third base positions next year. On days that Carpenter starts at second, Wong can come in as a late inning defensive replacement. In addition, by rotating the players, it would help keep Freese, a notoriously injury prone player, fresh and (hopefully) healthy.
Its not a perfect plan, but it might allow the Cardinals to trade Daniel Descalso or, better yet, dump little used Ty Wigginton, while improving their bench as a whole. (In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing the Cardinals release Wigginton and call up Wong now, but that's a discussion for another day).
Overall, I think that by keeping Freese, Carpenter and Wong, the Cardinals will be a better team in the long run.
It got so bad that even Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports picked up on it, saying that trading David Freese made sense financially, as Freese earns $3 million and will likely get a raise through arbitration during the offseason.
However, sometime its not always about the money.
Freese, a World Series hero and local kid made good would sorely be missed, not just by the Cardinals fans who love him, but also because he is an important cog in the Cardinals lineup.
Its no surprise that in April, when Freese was struggling with a .163/.255/.204 line, the Cardinals went 15-11 for a .577 winning percentage. However, in May, when Freese turned things around and hit .299/.365/.429, the Cardinals were 20-7 (.741). Put another way, in games that the Cardinals have won, Freese has hit .330/.416/.450 and in games that the Cards have lost he has only hit .194/.231/.258.
That's not to say that Freese is the most important piece of the Cardinals offense, but he is an important piece and the offense works best when everyone is clicking.
I think it doesn't have to be a case of Wong vs Freese. I think the Cardinals could carry both players next year (along with Carpenter) and make it work.
Here's the plan. The Cardinals rotate Freese, Wong and Carpenter at the second base and third base positions next year. On days that Carpenter starts at second, Wong can come in as a late inning defensive replacement. In addition, by rotating the players, it would help keep Freese, a notoriously injury prone player, fresh and (hopefully) healthy.
Its not a perfect plan, but it might allow the Cardinals to trade Daniel Descalso or, better yet, dump little used Ty Wigginton, while improving their bench as a whole. (In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing the Cardinals release Wigginton and call up Wong now, but that's a discussion for another day).
Overall, I think that by keeping Freese, Carpenter and Wong, the Cardinals will be a better team in the long run.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Did the Cardinals make a mistake in signing Ty Wigginton
With a batting line of .105/.205/.128 this spring, Ty Wigginton has been drawing the ire of Cardinals fans everywhere who believe his signing is blocking more deserving players, such as Matt Adams, from making the opening day roster. Believe me, it had me scratching my head too.
However, when you look more closely at the construction of the Cardinals roster, it makes more sense.
Assuming the Cardinals go with an opening day lineup of Yadier Molina (C), Allen Craig (1B), Matt Carpenter (2B), Pete Kozma (SS), David Freese (3B), Matt Holliday (LF), John Jay (RF) and Carlos Beltran (RF), that leaves them with a bench woefully short of right handed pop.
Consider the following bench:
Tony Cruz (R)
Daniel Descalso (L)
Shane Robinson (R)
Ronny Cedeno (R)
Matt Adams (L)
The right handed trio of Cruz, Robinson and Cedeno have combined for just 41 homers in 2,681 at bats, with Cedeno hitting 37 of those in his 8 year career.
In contrast, Wigginton has hit 169 homers in 4,422 at bats in his career, including 11 last year in 315 at bats. He may not strike the fear of God in pitchers, but he at least makes them think twice about grooving one down the middle, plus he keeps opposing managers from throwing a bunch of LOOGY's (left handed one out guys) at us.
If anyone should be dropped from that bench, its Cedeno. Assuming that Descalso is capable of backing up at short, Cedeno is unnecessary. If the Cardinals were to give his spot to Adams, they would have a nice lefty/righty one-two punch off the bench.
Adams has certainly done his part to earn a major league job this spring. He leads the Cards with 12 Rbi's and is hitting .304/.333/.565 this spring.
In any case, don't blame Wigginton for the Cardinals roster crunch, the Cardinals actually needed him. What they didn't need was another light-hitting short stop.
However, when you look more closely at the construction of the Cardinals roster, it makes more sense.
Assuming the Cardinals go with an opening day lineup of Yadier Molina (C), Allen Craig (1B), Matt Carpenter (2B), Pete Kozma (SS), David Freese (3B), Matt Holliday (LF), John Jay (RF) and Carlos Beltran (RF), that leaves them with a bench woefully short of right handed pop.
Consider the following bench:
Tony Cruz (R)
Daniel Descalso (L)
Shane Robinson (R)
Ronny Cedeno (R)
Matt Adams (L)
The right handed trio of Cruz, Robinson and Cedeno have combined for just 41 homers in 2,681 at bats, with Cedeno hitting 37 of those in his 8 year career.
In contrast, Wigginton has hit 169 homers in 4,422 at bats in his career, including 11 last year in 315 at bats. He may not strike the fear of God in pitchers, but he at least makes them think twice about grooving one down the middle, plus he keeps opposing managers from throwing a bunch of LOOGY's (left handed one out guys) at us.
If anyone should be dropped from that bench, its Cedeno. Assuming that Descalso is capable of backing up at short, Cedeno is unnecessary. If the Cardinals were to give his spot to Adams, they would have a nice lefty/righty one-two punch off the bench.
Adams has certainly done his part to earn a major league job this spring. He leads the Cards with 12 Rbi's and is hitting .304/.333/.565 this spring.
In any case, don't blame Wigginton for the Cardinals roster crunch, the Cardinals actually needed him. What they didn't need was another light-hitting short stop.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Projecting the Cardinals opening day 25-man roster
With a little over 2 weeks left until opening day, the Cardinals are still trying to decide on a 5th starter. Despite my speculation that Joe Kelly won the job with his performance yesterday, Mike Matheny stated after the game that no decision had been made, adding that the team could allow both Kelly and Shelby Miller to pitch again before reaching a decision.
Even with that job still unsettled, the rest of the roster is beginning to take shape, with only a couple spots still in doubt.
Here is my projected opening day roster:
Starting Lineup
C - Yadier Molina
1B - Allen Craig
2B - Matt Carpenter
SS - Pete Kozma
3B - David Freese
LF - Matt Holliday
CF - John Jay
RF - Carlos Beltran
Bench
Daniel Descalso
Ty Wigginton
Tony Cruz
Shane Robinson
Ronny Cedeno
Starting Rotation
1. Adam Wainwright
2. Jake Westbrook
3. Jaime Garcia
4. Lance Lynn
5. Joe Kelly/Shelby Miller
Bullpen
Jason Motte
Mitch Boggs
Edward Mujica
Trevor Rosenthal
Fernando Salas
Randy Choate
Marc Rzepcynski
Notes
The "on the bubble" guy, in my opinion, is Ronny Cedeno, who does not have a guaranteed contract and has not been very impressive this spring. If the Cardinals decide to go with 13 pitchers to start the season, I could see them release Cedeno and carry the loser of the 5th starter battle as a long reliever.
Ty Wigginton has not hit at all this spring (just 4 for 32), but with a 2-year, $5 million deal, he's not going anywhere.
Adron Chambers has played fairly well this spring, but Shane Robinson's insane hitting (.516/.571/.968) this spring has pretty much locked up the 4th outfielder spot. The only thing Chambers has going for him is that he is a left handed hitter and the Cardinals may need another lefty on their bench.
There was some speculation that Michael Wacha's strong spring could earn him a spot on the opening day roster, but alas he was reassigned to minor league camp yesterday.
Oscar Taveras is still in play for a roster spot, but he has cooled off a bit since his hot start to the spring and is likely ticketed for AAA as well.
Even with that job still unsettled, the rest of the roster is beginning to take shape, with only a couple spots still in doubt.
Here is my projected opening day roster:
Starting Lineup
C - Yadier Molina
1B - Allen Craig
2B - Matt Carpenter
SS - Pete Kozma
3B - David Freese
LF - Matt Holliday
CF - John Jay
RF - Carlos Beltran
Bench
Daniel Descalso
Ty Wigginton
Tony Cruz
Shane Robinson
Ronny Cedeno
Starting Rotation
1. Adam Wainwright
2. Jake Westbrook
3. Jaime Garcia
4. Lance Lynn
5. Joe Kelly/Shelby Miller
Bullpen
Jason Motte
Mitch Boggs
Edward Mujica
Trevor Rosenthal
Fernando Salas
Randy Choate
Marc Rzepcynski
Notes
The "on the bubble" guy, in my opinion, is Ronny Cedeno, who does not have a guaranteed contract and has not been very impressive this spring. If the Cardinals decide to go with 13 pitchers to start the season, I could see them release Cedeno and carry the loser of the 5th starter battle as a long reliever.
Ty Wigginton has not hit at all this spring (just 4 for 32), but with a 2-year, $5 million deal, he's not going anywhere.
Adron Chambers has played fairly well this spring, but Shane Robinson's insane hitting (.516/.571/.968) this spring has pretty much locked up the 4th outfielder spot. The only thing Chambers has going for him is that he is a left handed hitter and the Cardinals may need another lefty on their bench.
There was some speculation that Michael Wacha's strong spring could earn him a spot on the opening day roster, but alas he was reassigned to minor league camp yesterday.
Oscar Taveras is still in play for a roster spot, but he has cooled off a bit since his hot start to the spring and is likely ticketed for AAA as well.
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