Cardinals (Finally) Get Their Man

After a sometimes tortuous off-season, when it seemed like there were no other option for each side and would they just make it final already, the Cardinals signed Matt Holliday to a seven-year deal yesterday.

(Mindboggling stat of the day: only three teams in baseball have two $100 million players.  The New York Yankees, the New York Mets....and the Cardinals?  I hope never to hear the "Bill DeWitt is cheap" refrain again.)

There are plenty of interesting and informative articles in both the Post-Dispatch and the Globe-Democrat.  You've got the main news story in both, of course, but lots of opinion and analysis as well.

Jeff Gordon points out that there are a lot of things we can learn about this signing, starting with the commitment of ownership but also that John Mozeliak is a worthy successor to Walt Jocketty, as if we hadn't already figured that out this summer.  Brian Burwell gives all credit in this to Mo.

This is an expensive contract, no doubt about it, but the numbers still work, at least for 2010.  While there are still a few holes to fill, the team and the fans are excited about the return of Holliday and there's a lot to look forward to.  In my opinion, this team has to be considered, along with Philadelphia, the favorites to represent the NL in the World Series next year.  The Phillies have a stronger offense, but the rotation and bullpen edge would seem to go to St. Louis.

This is a situation basically unprecedented in St. Louis.  When was the last time the Cardinals got the big free agent on the market?  They were able to resign players like Jim Edmonds, Mark McGwire, and Scott Rolen before they hit the FA scene.

How are fans going to react?  Are they going to love Holliday because he picked the Cardinals?  Are they going to consider him a "money guy" and "not a true Cardinal" because he took so long to sign and got so much to do so?  If Albert Pujols leaves after 2011, will there be venom directed at Holliday because the contract kept us from keeping AP?  If Holliday struggles, will he become the new whipping boy?  I've always held that Tino Martinez wasn't so bad, it was that he was getting paid way too much to produce the way he was.  However, you saw the fan reaction to him during his tenure here.

I think things will be fine with Holliday, honestly.  I look forward to seeing him patrol the outfield for years to come.  I've not been one that has been completely enamored with him, but he definitely proved that he could hit during his time in St. Louis and I'm hoping that this means we'll have a lot less of those low-hitting games this season.  Whether we will or not, we'll have to wait and see.

Talk about Holliday, what it all means, and where the Cards go from there on tonight's UCB Radio Hour!  Listen or call in!






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