Arbitration Day for Cardinals

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday weekend.  Now the calendar has turned, the weather has chilled, and the hot stove is starting to be warmed.

Before too many logs get thrown on that fire, though, the Cardinals have to make their decisions on who to offer arbitration to.  We can play our own version of that home game this morning and see if we are right in our predictions.

Matt Holliday.  No brainer, of course you offer him arbitration.  Absolutely no way he's going to accept it and, even if he did, it wouldn't kill the Cards to have him for one year at a high salary.  Either you resign him and it's moot or he goes somewhere else and you get the picks.  A definite yes.

Troy Glaus.  Just as obvious, if the other way.  Glaus isn't likely to have a lot of offers, is coming back from major injury, and could cost the Cardinals a huge chunk of change in arbitration.  There's absolutely no way you even think about arbitration with Glaus in the room, ni case he is a telepath and accepts on the spot.

Mark DeRosa.  The next two are interesting, starting with DeRosa.  Last month, there was a report that up to eight teams had contacted his agent expressing interest. Assuming that level is interest is there, I don't see how you don't offer him arbitration.  The odds of him accepting a one-year deal at a level set by an arbitrator seem pretty low in that case.  You have to figure at least one of those teams is offering a multi-year deal.  Plus, even if he accepts, you have him back and he's a very intriguing trade chip if you really didn't want him.  I go with yes on this one.

Joel Pineiro. Pineiro might be the trickiest one of the bunch, because his arbitration salary is probably going to overvalue 2009 and not pay much attention to 2008.  That said, his 2009 was pretty impressive and, the way clubs are always looking for pitching, you'd really have to think that he'd be getting some other offers.  I think I'd take the risk and go ahead and offer him, figuring that he'll go elsewhere.

With the depletion of the minors with all the trades of last year, I think you have to take on some risk to get the chance to replenish your stock.  We'll see today if the Cardinals agree with that theory.

There was actually a little news made yesterday as well.  The backup catcher role, something St. Louis always looks to fill early, will have a familiar face in Jason LaRue.  This'll likely be LaRue's last go around with the Cards, with Matt Pagnozzi and Bryan Anderson both close to ready to sit on the bench 5 days a week behind Yadier Molina.

Also, middle infielder Ruben Gotay was signed as well, though his was a minor league contract with an invite to spring training.  He's a young guy, got a decent walk rate, and will get the chance to back up Skip Schumaker and Brendan Ryan if he has a good spring.  Not a big signing by any means, but the details have to be filled out sometime.  I mean, it's not like it's time for the hot stove to be really cranked up by any means.

The other news in Redbird circles is, of course, the continued focus on Albert Pujols and his extension that both sides aren't worried about yet.  Bernie Mikalsz wonders what AP is waiting for, that it's pretty obvious he's on a contender and ownership wants to win.  I don't think that Albert doubts that, really.  I think one of the reasons he is waiting is to make sure he can fit his salary into whatever plans the team has.  I think it's possible another reason is to make sure the team can't say, "Oh, well, we signed Albert, we can't do anything else."  Once he's locked in, he's locked in.

All that said, I still think a spring training signing is quite believable.  No worries on my part, at least not yet.

What does concern me, and that concern grows daily, is the Mark McGwire hiring.  Not the hiring per se, but the longer the club waits to get him in front of the media, the worse things look.  I felt much better about it when it looked like Mac was going to get up in front of the press quickly and get it behind him.  I understood the delays for the Series and the awards, though I wasn't real fond of them.  Now, though, there is little reason to push it back.

However, I'd expect that it won't happen this week, then can't next week because John Mozeliak is at the GM meetings, then we get into the holidays.  By now, I'd be pretty surprised if it happened before January--but I don't think that serves McGwire or the organization well if that's the case.

UCB Radio Hour tomorrow night with Dustin from Whiteyball and Travis from Fredbird Follys.  Give a listen and see what they have to say!

Also, check this out over at The Hardball Times.  It's an interesting excerpt from an upcoming book examining managers, and this part is about Charles Comiskey, who has St. Louis ties.  It's pretty intriguing, so click over there and read through it.

And, on a personal note, I want to point out that the Baseball Bloggers Alliance has reached 100 members in mainly three months.  I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do in the coming year!


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