This looks like a good thread...





for me to poop on!

I know, I know.:huh:

I can wait, I guess. It's good for the team in the long run. You can rest Beltran later in the year when you can call up Taveras. It's the Christmas present I can't wait to open.;)

Unfortunately this. The only way we see him before June is with an injury problem. We may not see him at all this year if the outfield stays healthy.

Cardinals shut down Furcal. Inflamation continues. Can't throw. Okay Mo, better get off your ass and get us a SS.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseb...33e4b5776.html

VIERA, Fla. • Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal has had a significant setback in his recovery from a torn ligament in his right elbow and the club is now left to pursue options for treatment.

As Rick Hummel reported in this morning's Post-Dispatch, Furcal experienced ongoing and increasing pain in the right elbow as a result of a bone spur in the joint. The pain has also returned to the area around the ligament.
The latter is the greater concern for the club.

Furcal has been told to discontinue his baseball activities, manager Mike Matheny confirmed this morning at the Washington Nationals' ballpark before the teams' game there.
"It kind of went in a bad direction," Matheny said. "I don't know the severity of it, but it's not good news. ... He's done quite a bit of rehab and to go backward isn't a good sign."

Furcal had an MRI taken of the elbow Friday and the picture revealed inflammation in the ligament, general manager John Mozeliak confirmed. He said that "inflamed" was the best description for the ligament, not that it had seen further damage. Furcal has a slight tear of the ligament, but it had healed since the initial injury.
Furcal will go for a second opinion early this week, Mozeliak said. It's possible that review will be sought from Dr. James Andrews.

Always risky to sign players as oft-injured as Furcal.

Rumors were out there that the Cardinals were considering going after Tulowitzki, but he's also not a super healthy type and that is a massive contract for such a big guy who plays SS.

well now they are going to have to overpay. Playing with a average defensive SS hitting .200 for the season could take the whole season down.

I'd rather take a risk on JJ Hardy. I think he could be had for significantly less. I'd also like to wait a few months to see if we can weather part of the storm and thus pay a little less, especially if the O's drop off a cliff, as their record in one run games would suggest.

You can never have enough young pitching. But, we need at least an average SS or else it drags everything else down.

Looks like we got another stud in the pipeline for the Pujols pick.
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During his first time facing batters, Wacha’s pitches broke a few bats and third baseman David Freese later offered his take on Twitter: “Wow.”Manager Mike Matheny said he has confused Wacha from behind with Adam Wainwright because of their builds and poise.


On Wednesday, Wacha struck out five Mets in an exhibition game and Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who is not known for overstatement, said the 21-year-old righthander “could compete right now in the big leagues.”
He also has caught Wainwright’s eye.


“I’m trying to remember if I’ve heard Yadi speak out like that about someone before, and I can’t think of a time he has,” Wainwright said. “That’s the presence we’re all talking about. You feel that presence about him when he’s on the mound. I think he has the potential to be the kind of guy where the other team shows up and it’s, ‘Ewwww, uh-oh we have to face Wacha.’”

Oh, man, I would love to see the Orioles fans demands for JJ Hardy. The way they overrate their own players and underrate the value of others, I have no doubt they'd be mocking something like this:

JJ Hardy for Oscar Taveras

JJ Hardy and (insert AAAA player/bench player prospect here - LJ Hoes is a favorite) for Oscar Taveras AND Trevor Rosenthal.

Would be interesting.

I think Hardy would be a great fit for you guys, though. That would be a smart trade target once the O's inevitably return to earth happens.

Realistic target... I could see something that includes Matt Adams. They are short on power in their minor league system, and Adams' lefty pop would play pretty well in Camden Yards.

I'm sure Baltimore would want one of the pitching prospects included as the main piece of the deal. For 1.5 years of Hardy (Assuming you trade for him at the deadline), not sure how much else Baltimore would actually demand.

It would have been GM malpractice to not have at least kicked the tires on Hardy. But all the rumor mill has the O's asking for a Miller + level trade. No team is going to give that level up for Hardy's 1.5 years of service.

Adams is expendable but I don't think I want to give up Adams and Kelly/Lynn/Wacha/ etc. for Hardy.

Understand Lynn/Wacha. If you could get Hardy for Adams and Kelly, that seems like an incredible steal to me.

Don't think the Orioles would swing on that, and I wouldn't blame them.

But getting a premium defender at SS who is a lock for 20-30 HR? Would be a pretty valuable piece, even for a year and a half, especially considering how depleted St. Louis' options are at the moment.

I would do Wacha and another B- level prospect for Hardy.

Miller, Rosenthal, and Taveras should all be untouchable to me, with Martinez and Jenkins coming at a pretty steep price.

I'd have no problems getting rid of Adams, but we'd likely need to give up another arm in the process for them to bite.

Craig will be a Cardinal until age 32 and Cardinals have an additional option year. Very reasonable contract.

The Cardinals did something they rarely do when they reached agreement today with first baseman Allen Craig, who was not yet arbitration eligible, on a five-year contract taking him through 2017 with a club option for 2018.

Craig is guaranteed to earn $31 million over the course of the contract.


He will make $1.75 million this year, $2.75 million in 2014, $5.5 million in 2015, $9 million in 2016 and $11 million in 2017.


The Cardinals have a $13 million option for 2018 with a $1 million buyout.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseb...85841ff78.html

That is a great deal the way it looks now.