It does seem odd that the St. Louis Cardinals are willing to send do-everything pitcher Kyle McClellan somewhere else.  He’s a local boy.  He moved through the ranks as a starting pitcher but willingly switched to the bullpen to help the big club, becoming a dependable late-innings guy.  Last season, after Adam Wainwright went down, he willingly switched back to the rotation and was very effective as a starter before getting hurt.

In this day and age, selfless players are hard to come by.  So why give that up?  Maybe because he’s the most expensive pitcher in the bullpen, and other than JC Romero he’s the closest guy to free agency (McClellan’s last arbitration year is next year).  It’s hard to believe a team that saved $210 million this off-season would need to cut payroll, but here we are.

Reporting on interest in McClellan has named Baltimore, San Diego and Arizona as potential suitors.  Since the Cardinals reportedly are not looking to take on any salary in a trade for Kyle, he would have to be moved for prospects.  With that as the goal, St Louis should send him to San Diego for a minor-league catcher.

San Diego has Nick Hundley starting, and although he’s not Johnny Bench he’s not Bob Uecker either.  Hundley, coming off a breakout season in 2011, is not going anywhere other than behind the plate at Petco.  For the last few years the Padres have suffered from a dearth of catching depth in their system.  They have been aggressive in fixing that over the last 12 months.  They grabbed Austin Hedges, widely considered the best defensive catcher in last year’s draft, in the second round.  Hedges has some work to do at the plate but his defense is close to major league ready now.  The club also insisted Cincinnati include Yasmani Grandal in the Mat Latos trade.  Grandal, a Cuban emigre, has plus power behind the plate; he rose rapidly through the Cincinnati system in 2011.  Suddenly the Padres are very deep behind the plate; recently Fangraphs called Grandal and Hedges the #2 and #5 prospects, respectively, in the San Diego system.

Back to the Cardinals.  Who do they have behind Yadier Molina?  The depth chart currently lists Tony Cruz as his back-up, and Bryan Anderson shows up on the 40-man.  Anderson has been with the organization since the 2005 draft, but has only made a cup-of-coffee appearance with the big club (2010).  Why Anderson has spent the last 4 years in AAA can partially be explained by a perceived unwillingness on Tony LaRussa’s part to play him.  With Don Tony retired Anderson may get another chance.  Cruz has been in the St Louis organization two fewer years than Anderson and has almost twice as many plate appearances, all of which came last year.  He proved he can hit major league pitching down the stretch as the Cardinals charged into the playoffs.  However I don’t believe we can call either of them the long-term solution behind the plate; they may ultimately be a stop-gap to get the Cardinals to their next catcher.

Grandal is 23 and Hedges 18.  Either of them would be an excellent long-term replacement behind the plate for Molina, and neither one is expensive.  St Louis should trade McClellan to San Diego.

For many Cardinals fans, the thought of Albert Pujols wearing a Cub uniform is only okay as part of a bad Halloween gag. Could this nightmare actually come to pass?

Friday 18 Feb 2011 looms not as a happy day bringing the start of 2011 Spring Training activities, but as Armageddon. It is the deadline proposed by Albert Pujols for his reps and the Cardinal front office to conclude a new contract. If a deal is not done by that date, he has committed to not negotiating again until after the season. Free Agency for this generation’s greatest hitter looms ever larger on the horizon.

Many teams have been thrown about as potential suitors for Pujols should he reach the free agent market. The most prominent examples are the Yankees, Red Sox, and Angels. The Cubs are also mentioned, which beings varying levels of derision and apprehension to the Cardinal faithful.

• Fan 1: “Albert wouldn’t go to the CUBS, would he?”
• Fan 2: “No way he leaves St Louis. That’s just a negotiation tactic. He’s trying to scare the front office.”
• Fan 1: (not convinced) “I guess you’re right.”

Well, how about it – do the Cubs have the cash to make a run at Pujols?

Cot’s Baseball Contracts list the Cubs with a $126 million (M) payroll for 2011, and $65.6M already obligated for 2012. That 2012 money is owed to the following players.

• Alfonso Soriano $19M
• Carlos Zambrano $19M
• Aramis Ramirez $2M (buyout; if he comes back, it’s $16M)
• Ryan Dempster $14M
• Carlos Silva $2M (buyout; if he comes back, it’s $12M)
• Marlon Byrd $6.5M
• Sean Marshall $3.1M

I would expect the Cubs to buy out Silva; to make a run at Pujols, they’ll probably buy out Ramirez as well. Who would YOU rather pay $14M – 34 year old Ramirez or 32 year old Pujols?

There is still the majority of the roster to fill out. Starlin Castro (SS), Tyler Colvin (CF), Jeff Baker (2B), Blake DeWitt (3B), and either Koyie Hall or Geovany Soto (C) will hold down the rest of the everyday positions (for the sake of this discussion I’ve put DeWitt at third in place of Ramirez), and each of them is either not arbitration eligible (therefore making just above the ML minimum), or still in their arbitration years, so affordable for minimal cost.

Let’s assign some notional 2012 salaries to the arbitration players. Suppose Soto gets a $1M raise (from $3M to $4M), Baker gets a $1M raise (from $1.175 to $2.175), DeWitt gets a $600K bump (to $1.1M), and Hill $250K (from $850K to $1.1M). That takes the roter to $74M. With the modest increase for the non-arbitration eligible players, let’s further suppose the roster sits at $77M.

There will be three arbitration eligible pitchers on the 2011 Cub roster – Matt Garza, Randy Wells, and Carlos Marmol. Based on past performance they would all be due for a hefty raise during next winter’ s negotiations. So, let’s further suppose Garza makes $9M in 2012 (up from $5.9M), Wells $3.1M (up from $427K), and Marmol $7.5M (up from $5.5M in 2011, the high arbitration value submitted). Now the roster sits at $96.6M for 14 players.

Ten years, $300M has been bandied about informally as what Pujols is seeking. Truthfully we have no idea what his contract demands are, as both his negotiating team and the Cardinals agreed to a media blackout about the discussions and have stuck to it. But assuming he is really looking for $30M per, and the Cubs decide to pay him just that, it would push the Cub payroll to $126.6M with 10 more players needed to fill out the team. Note the Cubs spent $144M-plus on the 2010 team. If our final supposition is they will leave the roster at 2010 levels (like the federal government is currently doing with defense spending) at $126.6M they are still $18M short of that. And considering they could sign a couple of modest free-agents to fill out the bench or bullpen, and use their farm system to supply the rest, that’s an easily achievable for Chicago.

Not only have we shown the Cubs could sign Pujols, but do so and save money when compared to their 2010 payroll. Signing Carlos Pena to a one-year deal gave them the roster flexibility to try, and they clearly have the cash.

Could the Cubs make a run at Pujols? You bet they could.

GM Dayton Moore made multiple moves during this week’s Winter Meetings, but is deferring his biggest decision until a bow is wrapped on Cliff Lee and put under the Christmas tree of one of his many suitors. Zack Greinke survived the hectic week, but his future as a Royal is still in jeopardy. It has been reported Moore won’t trade Greinke until Lee signs, hoping some desperation sets in consequently pushing the price up a tad higher.

Instead, Moore addressed what many baseball execs felt was the worst outfield heading into the Winter Meetings. With a collection of Mitch Maier, Gregor Blanco, Jarrod Dyson, and Alex Gordon, it is difficult to argue otherwise.

Moore reached into his Atlanta Braves’ roots and signed two former Braves, Jeff Francoeur and Melky Cabrera. Neither is considered an impact signing, but for $2.5 million (Francoeur) and $1.25 million (Cabrera) were deemed cost effective stop gaps on a barren MLB roster.

Since the day Moore took over as GM for the Royals, it was speculated Francoeur would end up in a Royals uniform. Moore’s quasi ‘bromance’ with Francoeur took four years to facilitate, but he finally landed him in a one year deal which comes along with a mutual option for 2012.

“In a win or a loss, he’s going to give effort, energy, focus, intensity and competitiveness every day,” Moore said in an interview with Dick Kaegel of MLB.com.

Francoeur, an Atlanta native, was drafted by the Braves in the first round of the 2002 MLB Draft. At the time Moore was Atlanta’s director of player personnel.

“Dayton was in my house when I signed my first contract when I was 18, so I’ve always respected him and the way he’s building with young guys,” Francoeur said.

By 2005, Francoeur had made the big league squad finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting. In 2006, Francoeur, 22, played in every game for the Braves and crushed, .260, 24 2B, 29 HR, and 103 RBI.

2007 marked continue success for the rising star. ‘Frenchy’ hit .293, 40 2B, 19 HR, and 105 RBI, to go along with a Gold Glove in right field. Francoeur spurred by his home run drop, decided to beef up and try to turn those doubles into dingers.

“I bulked up to 242 going into spring, and it just never was the same,” he said.

In 2008 his offensive numbers plummeted, hitting only .239 with 11 homers. Since 2007, Francoeur has posted a -2.1 WAR in the three seasons. Despite being regarded as a competent defender, with a cannon for an arm, Francoeur has managed a career OBP of only .310. It seems this is a trending theme with recent roster transactions.

Even though the Royals finished second in MLB in batting average, they were in the middle of the pack when it came to getting on base.

Matt Klaassen of FanGraphs put the meager output into perspective using wOBA and WAR.

‘The four worst hitters (by wOBA) among qualified from 2008-10’

127. Pedro Feliz – .284 wOBA

126. Jason Kendall – .288 wOBA

125. Yuniesky Betancourt – .291 wOBA

124. Jeff Francoeur – .298 wOBA

‘The three least valuable (qualified) position players from FanGraphs WAR 2008-10’

127. Jose Guillen/ -1.1 WAR

126. Yuniesky Betancourt/ -0.8 WAR

125. Jeff Francoeur/ 0.0 WAR

Despite his lack of recent productivity, Francoeur still brings solid defense, along with veteran and postseason experience. Most recently he was traded to help with the Rangers’ World Series push. Francoeur also adds a right handed bat, which has performed much better against lefties, posting numbers nearly 50 points or higher in every category. Since the departure of Guillen, the Royals lineup has lacked any right handed thump.

Career vs. RHP – .256/.296/.403/.699

Career vs. LHP – .299/.343/.481/.824

Manager Ned Yost has already said Francoeur will be the Royals right fielder and bat in the middle of the lineup.

“I do want to play every day,” Francoeur said. “If you get to know me, I’m not the greatest guy to sit on the bench. I’ve always got ants in pants wanting to play.”

Cabrera, 25, brings postseason experience of his own to the Royals. In his six major league seasons, Cabrera has been on a squad which reached the playoffs every season. Cabrera posted four solid years of production in New York, before his star faded and he was dealt in the Javier Vazquez deal.

Last season, the switch hitter, managed .255, 27 2B, 4 HR, and 42 RBI in his 147 games with the Braves. Cabrera has played all three outfield positions in his career. He will compete for time in centerfield along with Blanco, Dyson, and Maier. Cabrera could also be used as a platoon in left field with Gordon.

Moore rounded out the week of action by selecting 22 year old RHP Nathan Adcock in the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday. Adcock went 11-7 with a 3.38 ERA, 113 SO, in 141.1 innings pitched for the Pirates advanced A minor league squad in 2010. To retain Adcock’s rights, he must stick with the big league club throughout 2011.

This move backs Moore’s previous statements about letting some of the youngsters earn a spot in a rotation with more question marks than names penciled in. Moore has been adamant about giving the likes of Mike Montgomery and Everett Teaford a legitimate shot of making the 2011 roster. Moore has chosen to see if any of the home grown talent is ready, instead of seeking affordable free agent options such as Jeff Francis or Kevin Millwood.

In a move that the team themselves broke on Twitter, the Cardinals have announced an agreement on a one year deal with Lance Berkman.

Cards announce the signing of OF/1B Lance Berkman to a 1yr deal. #stlcards

December 4, 2010 4:09 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@CardsInsider

St. Louis Cardinals

Berkman has not played the outfield since 2008, nor has he played there consistently since 2007, but identified the Cardinals as possible suitors earlier this week, most likely because of the ability to play the outfield. He has been very vocal about not feeling that his career has reached a point that he should be a designated hitter on a regular basis. During the 2007 season, his UZR/150 was an abysmal -48.4 as a right fielder for the Houston Astros.

Moments after the signing was announced, General Manager John Mozeliak was quoted on local radio station KMOX 1120 AM:

Mozeliak on Berkman: “He’s an impact player who not only helps solidify our everyday lineup, but he also brings a wealth of experience."

December 4, 2010 4:15 pm via ÜberSocialOrigReplyRetweetFavorite

@Ackerman1120

Tom Ackerman

It appears that Berkman will assume the role of of starting left fielder and most likely provide some additional help at first base for superstar Albert Pujols. Matt Holliday will make the move from left to right field, a move that he was attributed to offering to make last season if the team need him.

Berkman, once part of the “Killer B’s” in Houston, has been a solid bat that maintains an acceptable strikeout rate. Berkman has averaged more than 27 home runs and 91 runs batted in over the course of his 12 year career. His numbers dipped last year as he played in his fewest games in a season since 2000. He would post all time lows in home runs (14), runs batted in (58), and batting average (.248) in 2010.

A switch hitter, Berkman’s career numbers suggest that he has much more power when hitting from the left side of the plate, going deep at a pace almost twice as good as his rate from the right side of the plate. Of his career home run total of 327, he has hit 285 of them from the left side of the plate. In addition, he has hit a home run in every 15 at bats from the left side of the plate, while only hitting a home run in every 32 from the right side of the plate.

There is no reason to think Berkman cannot rebound to his previous form. He is a lifetime .296 hitter with a lifetime .409 on base percentage. Consistency from the lineup was one of the largest complaints in 2010 and a healthy Berkman that returns to form could help solidfy that problem.

He provide a solid, power bat, most likely in the number five slot behind Matt Holliday. His high on base percentage may make him a prototypical number two hitter in a LaRussa lineup. The manager likes some pop from the number two spot and the ability to have someone consistently on base in front of Albert Pujols and Holliday might be the grand scheme of this signing.

Berkman’s signing may make young outfielder Jon Jay available at next week’s winter meetings. Jay, a left handed hitter, was rumored to be entering 2011 to be involved in a platoon situation with Allen Craig in right field. With Berkman’s splits favoring him hitting from the left side, it would make sense that Allen Craig is retained to play against left handed pitching and Jay will be expendable.

Early reports from Sports Illustrated writer Jon Heyman say that the deal is worth $8 million for the single season.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
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