The 2009 Cardinals: Treading Water Fast!
The story of the 2009 Cardinals is a lot like the story of the 2008 Cardinals. That's because we didn't do much of anything this offseason, despite assurances from management that the team would "Be Aggressive" on the free agent and trade market. After making failed runs at Rockies outcasts Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes, the aggression seems to have vanished.
At least the team made one good deal before giving up for the winter, citing "economic concerns" as justification for a payroll that will actually shrink by $5 million from last year. A minor league reliever and a player to be named were sent to the Padres for Reggie Cleveland All-Star shortstop Khalil Greene. Greene is a power hitting shortstop who fields at least average and has 25 HR power. The question is: was his .213 average (and more worrisome, .260 OBP) last season a product of injury and frustration on an awful team, or a sign of decline? It's tough to imagine the Cardinals with a shortstop who posts a worse OPS+ than Cezar Izturis (67), but last season Greene was 3 points woefully lower.
Otherwise, the team is the same. Isringhausen and his blown saves are gone, replaced by...nobody. Braden Looper and his total averageness in the 5th rotation spot is gone, replaced by....nobody. Aaron Miles was thankfully overpaid by the Cubs. And most notably, a week before spring trianing, the team cut its underperforming but fairly highly paid starting second basemen, Adam Kennedy, in order to replace him with absolutely nobody. Light hitting career outfielder Skip Schumaker (the namesake of the "maker" in this blog's name!) was handed an infielder's glove this week and told to try to figure out second base. Now that's a plan! It's either him or a magical assbag of rotating career-minor leaguer second baselets.
the good news for this team: The core of the lineup, which produced a 111 OPS+, tops in the NL, is unchanged and could be improved with the addition of Greene and possibly top dog center field prospect Colby Rasmus. Pujols is the reigning mvp and best player in baseball, regardless of A-Rod's current wisterol cycle. Ludwick and Ankiel should combine for 55 or more home runs again. Glaus is hurt, but in his wake are two of the team's best prospects - third basemen Freese and Wallace.
Really, despite the inaction and lack of substantive improvement, this team can compete under one very specific and fairly unlikely scenario: Chris Carpenter is healthy for all or most of the year. The former Cy Young has made something like 5 starts over the past 2 seasons, having had tommy john and some sort of nerve relocation surgery in his $55 million right arm. If Carpenter and Wainwright combine for 50 or more starts, that's a potent top of the rotation, which can be adequately rounded out by Kyle Lohse, Todd Wellemeyer, and a fifth guy like Piniero, Brad Thompson, or Mitch Boggs, whomever is working out. Without Carpenter, or if a fluke injury befalls Wainwright like the finger injury that cut half his season last year, suddenly those #5 guys are taking up the majority of the rotation, and doom abounds.
It'll be a fun season. The Cubs are still the team to beat in the NL Central, with a solid rotation and the offensive talents of Soriano, ARam, Derrek Lee, Soto, and now Milton Bradley (who should get along with Pineilla in a highly entertaining manner). Mike will probably preview the Astros, with comedic results. I can't even make fun of that team anymore. It's just too sad to watch.
In conclusion, thank Jesus, Yahweh, Vishnu, Buddha, Allah, and Hamuran that baseball is finally on its way back.
At least the team made one good deal before giving up for the winter, citing "economic concerns" as justification for a payroll that will actually shrink by $5 million from last year. A minor league reliever and a player to be named were sent to the Padres for Reggie Cleveland All-Star shortstop Khalil Greene. Greene is a power hitting shortstop who fields at least average and has 25 HR power. The question is: was his .213 average (and more worrisome, .260 OBP) last season a product of injury and frustration on an awful team, or a sign of decline? It's tough to imagine the Cardinals with a shortstop who posts a worse OPS+ than Cezar Izturis (67), but last season Greene was 3 points woefully lower.
Otherwise, the team is the same. Isringhausen and his blown saves are gone, replaced by...nobody. Braden Looper and his total averageness in the 5th rotation spot is gone, replaced by....nobody. Aaron Miles was thankfully overpaid by the Cubs. And most notably, a week before spring trianing, the team cut its underperforming but fairly highly paid starting second basemen, Adam Kennedy, in order to replace him with absolutely nobody. Light hitting career outfielder Skip Schumaker (the namesake of the "maker" in this blog's name!) was handed an infielder's glove this week and told to try to figure out second base. Now that's a plan! It's either him or a magical assbag of rotating career-minor leaguer second baselets.
the good news for this team: The core of the lineup, which produced a 111 OPS+, tops in the NL, is unchanged and could be improved with the addition of Greene and possibly top dog center field prospect Colby Rasmus. Pujols is the reigning mvp and best player in baseball, regardless of A-Rod's current wisterol cycle. Ludwick and Ankiel should combine for 55 or more home runs again. Glaus is hurt, but in his wake are two of the team's best prospects - third basemen Freese and Wallace.
Really, despite the inaction and lack of substantive improvement, this team can compete under one very specific and fairly unlikely scenario: Chris Carpenter is healthy for all or most of the year. The former Cy Young has made something like 5 starts over the past 2 seasons, having had tommy john and some sort of nerve relocation surgery in his $55 million right arm. If Carpenter and Wainwright combine for 50 or more starts, that's a potent top of the rotation, which can be adequately rounded out by Kyle Lohse, Todd Wellemeyer, and a fifth guy like Piniero, Brad Thompson, or Mitch Boggs, whomever is working out. Without Carpenter, or if a fluke injury befalls Wainwright like the finger injury that cut half his season last year, suddenly those #5 guys are taking up the majority of the rotation, and doom abounds.
It'll be a fun season. The Cubs are still the team to beat in the NL Central, with a solid rotation and the offensive talents of Soriano, ARam, Derrek Lee, Soto, and now Milton Bradley (who should get along with Pineilla in a highly entertaining manner). Mike will probably preview the Astros, with comedic results. I can't even make fun of that team anymore. It's just too sad to watch.
In conclusion, thank Jesus, Yahweh, Vishnu, Buddha, Allah, and Hamuran that baseball is finally on its way back.
posted by Josh Katz at
11:51 AM
2 Comments:
Sometimes not making any move is the best move a team can make. At least the Cards have some "prospects" to fill in the gaps left by Izzy and AA-Miles.
someone told me that piniero is going to have a breakout year
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