About 49 percent of my rationale for posting this is to acknowledge the Cardinals' interest in a Korean first baseman. The other 51 percent is because of the accompanying photo of Bunghole Gunk's wife. Wow. And I'm not normally into Asian women.

http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2015/11/1/9653934/considering-byung-ho-park

forsberg_us wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

In all sincerity, $11.5 million for a left-handed starting pitcher who when healthy has top of the rotation stuff is a bargain in this era. Price could conceivably command an AAV of twice that, and I can't even fathom what Hamels will get if he has a good season.

Disregard this is my sarcasm detector failed, but Hamels is under contract through 2019. He gets something like $22M/year

No, no. My bad. I thought he was a FA after 2016.
 

Finally a manager to go with Bryce Harper!!!! Okay now I can really hate these clowns!

forsberg_us wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

He's baaaaaaaack ...

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/it-s-official--dusty-baker-is-the-new-manager-of-the-nationals-135121897.html

I think I just heard Max Scherzer's elbow scream.

Rec.

Glad to see the cards extend a qualifing offer to lackey.  It is a solid business decision and here is why.

1.  Baseball is business and it is a bad thing to start, doing favors for free agents.  Plus the cards added 2 million in incentives to his contract they didnt have to last year. 

2.  Id like to think the cards would entertain the idea of resigning lackey.  If tagging him with a qualifying offer roots teams out then good. 

3.  One yeat 15million would be good for both the cards and lackey.  Idk what lackeys market is but my guess is 2 years 24 million.  If he takes 15 million this year and pitches decent he can surely make up the difference.  I find the rotation currently boring personality wise

4. Of course they coukd get a draft pick

APIAD wrote:

Glad to see the cards extend a qualifing offer to lackey.  It is a solid business decision and here is why.

1.  Baseball is business and it is a bad thing to start, doing favors for free agents.  Plus the cards added 2 million in incentives to his contract they didnt have to last year. 

2.  Id like to think the cards would entertain the idea of resigning lackey.  If tagging him with a qualifying offer roots teams out then good. 

3.  One yeat 15million would be good for both the cards and lackey.  Idk what lackeys market is but my guess is 2 years 24 million.  If he takes 15 million this year and pitches decent he can surely make up the difference.  I find the rotation currently boring personality wise

4. Of course they coukd get a draft pick

Agreed on all points. I think the tender shrinks Lackey's market. Teams have been less and less willing to give up draft picks.

I'd also like to tell myself that the possibility of adding a draft pick through Lackey and/or Heyward increases the possibility the Cardinals would dive in the free agent pool. It hurts a lot less to give up your own draft pick if you get compensation from someone else.

Sounds like its the twins.  I think the price was 12 mill.  Idk, the cards got to take some risk.

Last edited by APIAD (11/09/2015 6:24 pm)

forsberg_us wrote:

APIAD wrote:

Sounds like its the twins.  I think the price was 12 mill.  Idk, the cards got to take some risk.

I don't disagree, but that's $12M just for the right to negotiate with him. That's not the whole contract.

Yeah i know that.  As the pirates found out it can be a financial decision that actually is cost effective. I suppose the cardinals didnt value his skills or thought it would take alot to sign him.

Lance Lynn
Tommy John
Out 2016

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/worst-free-agent-signings-of-the-dewitt-era/collection_1ca2258d-f751-51b7-87c9-5687431609e1.html

Looking at this list it is pretty clear one of the reasons the cards have had success is by not taking risk on long comtracts.  Most of these "worst" signings are throw away contracts.

Entertainment in St. Louis or death for Mark Buehrle:

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2015/11/15/mark-buehrle-will-either-retire-or-pitch-for-the-st-louis-cardinals/

Buehrle doesn't throw hard enough for his age to make a difference. I don't see the Cardinals making a play for a high end free agent pitcher. It's not their style. Buerhle is a perfect fit - a middle/end of the rotation guy who will keep Lynn's place until he's ready to pitch in 2017. It almost makes too much sense.