That sounds about right, although 2016 for Jenkins is very much on the high end. He'll be pitching in QC by the end of the year.

Bernie talks about how the Cardinals have been outdone by teams with smaller payrolls:

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/article_819d1525-22d5-5ec6-9079-f12226e87fc9.html

Here's where the problem lies:

Kyle Lohse - $11.875M
Jake Westbrook - $8M
Ryan Theriot - $3.3M
Schumaker - $2.7M
Brian Tallet - $750K
Ryan Franklin - $3.5M
Miguel Batista - $750K
Trever Miller - $2M

That's over $32 million tied up in two pitchers who are gone, two pitchers who the manager is scared to use, a second baseman playing shortstop, a marginally-useful outfielder playing second base and two mediocre starters.

Gee, it's hard to imagine how this team struggles when one-third of its payroll is tied up in garbage. If the Cardinals fail, it will be on the brain trust in the dugout (they wanted Batista, Franklin, Theriot and Schumaker) and the goofy general manager who acquiesced to some of these moves.

Injuries are to blame, too, but for the past few seasons the Cardinals have badly mismanaged their roster and 2011 is no different.

That's all true, but the Cardinals have eight of them sitting on their payroll through the end of the year. You can't whiff eight times. Not when you're committed to an approach that emphasizes an expensive core supported by cheaper guys. At some point, you have to move on from guys.

I agree with the idea that at some point you have to move on from people, but it's much easier to evaluate in hindsight.

Miller was probably worth picking up his option.  He was fairly effective against lefties last season and they didn't have better options to choose from.  The same can probably be said for Franklin when they signed that deal.

I agree with Max that contracts like Tallet's and Batista's should not hamstring this team.  It's certainly fair to take issue with how long Larussa continued to run Batista out there, but this team isn't paralyzed by a $750K contract.

If you're going to analyze the roster on a performance basis, don't forget to add Wainwright's $6.5M to the list.  That's been dead money since before the season started.

Miller was probably worth picking up his option.  He was fairly effective against lefties last season and they didn't have better options to choose from.  The same can probably be said for Franklin when they signed that deal.

I'll politely disagree.

My take is that relievers (unless they are Mo Rivera) should rarely be extended, especially if they are guys like Franklin who struggle to miss bats and are already in their late 30s. To me, the Franklin extension was a reward for being Ryan Franklin and I think the front office/La Russa too often make personnel decisions based on emotion.

What I'm saying is that I want a little more Gordon Gekko.

I agree with Max that contracts like Tallet's and Batista's should not hamstring this team.  It's certainly fair to take issue with how long Larussa continued to run Batista out there, but this team isn't paralyzed by a $750K contract.

It's not that they are paralyzed, but that they have $1.5 million tied up in two guys who actually lost you games and were a pretty good bet to perform like they did.

It's tying up $6 million in two players who wipe out their meager offense with horrible defense.

It's committing $8 million to a sinkerball pitcher then giving him that horrible defense.

It's committing money to past-their-prime pitchers. Taken in a vacuum, none of these moves by themselves are terrible (except for Schumaker); it's just that this team compounds their mistakes by stacking them on top of each other.

That's where the problem lies, IMO. They are on track to miss the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, so I think some real soul-searching needs to be done about the way this organization evaluates talent.

TK, how do you fix SS and come up with somehting better then Theriot?

Descalso/Punto looked very slick at SS/2B compared to what we have been seeing. 

Speaking of Greene, I had forgotten, but I believe he is our back-up CF if Rasmus and Jay are both unavailable.

Beltran doesn't play center field anymore. He's no longer a good defender. Too many injuries.

He played 140 games between 2009 and 2010, including micro-fracture knee surgery in January 2010 that kept him out until July. He's not a center fielder. If he could play there, he'd already be there.

"Speaking of Greene, I had forgotten, but I believe he is our back-up CF if Rasmus and Jay are both unavailable."

Greene is going to have to have a lot of range to track down fly balls since he's in Memphis. Skippy is probably the emergency centerfielder, as much as a team ever needs an emergency centerfielder in a 9-inning game.
I'm still not sold on Descalso as a shortstop. His arm is a little erratic. And offensively he still looks overmatched occasionally at the plate.

tkihshbt wrote:

He played 140 games between 2009 and 2010, including micro-fracture knee surgery in January 2010 that kept him out until July. He's not a center fielder. If he could play there, he'd already be there.

I wouldnt go as far as to say that he cant play center anymore.  They said on the radio that he offered to move after the surgery.  I am sure at this point in his career Pagan is a better center fielder then Beltran and I think it was smart of Beltran to offer to move after having his knee cut.  However he is playin RF fine and could likely still man center for a few months.  It doesnt really matter.  He isnt even on the Cardinals radar.  I dont think they are looking at any position players.

artie_fufkin wrote:

"Speaking of Greene, I had forgotten, but I believe he is our back-up CF if Rasmus and Jay are both unavailable."

Greene is going to have to have a lot of range to track down fly balls since he's in Memphis. Skippy is probably the emergency centerfielder, as much as a team ever needs an emergency centerfielder in a 9-inning game.
I'm still not sold on Descalso as a shortstop. His arm is a little erratic. And offensively he still looks overmatched occasionally at the plate.

I agree on Descalso.  He is a nice player to have on the roster but SS isnt a position he has played alot.  I think in a full season as an everyday player he will become over-exposed.  They might get away with Craig/Delscalso combo at second next year but SS is a huge question mark.

forsberg_us wrote:

Here's a completely off the wall idea

Artie, you're on the East Coast, any chance the Yankees would part with the Nunez kid who filled in when Jeter was hurt?  They're stuck with Jeter's contract for another two years.  Both players are 24, although Rasmus is further along toward free agency.  I admit, I know nothing about Nunez other than he seemed to fill in admirably when Jeter was out.

I'm sure Rasmus would fit in well in NY.  (shocked)

Have the Cardinals/Yankees made a trade since McGee for Sykes?

I dont know enough to offer my opinion but it says he had 9 errors in 30 games at SS this year.

artie_fufkin wrote:

"even after being switched to RF he's still probably better than Rasmus"

That's just not true.
And what would you be willing to give up to rent Beltran for two months? The Mets' radio announcers were practically drooling today over the haul they expect to get from whichever team trades for him. They supposedly want a young major league ready starting pitcher and two prospects. Do you want the Cardinals to give up Garcia and say, Miller and Cox for two months of Carlos Beltran coming off the bench to pinch-hit?
Except for catcher and first base, outfield is the least of their priorities. The Cardinals need pitching.

Max wrote:

(if money and prospects were not the issue)