Six St. Louis Cardinals file for Free Agency
TOWER GROVE — Six members of the 2008 St. Louis Cardinals were among the 65 players who filed for free agency on the first day they could, according to a release from the Major League Baseball Players Association. Filing is a formality that all players, even those pondering retirement or weighing an offer from their previous team, usually do just to be sure the appropriate paperwork is filed if necessary.
The six Cardinals who filed Thursday were: RHP Braden Looper, SS Cesar Izturis, INF Felipe Lopez, C Jason LaRue, LHP Ron Villone and veteran righthanded reliever Russ Springer. Springer, who threw the final pitch of the 2008 season, recently told senior baseball writer Joe Strauss that he is leaning toward pitching again in 2009 and would prefer to return to the Cardinals.
The Cardinals, especially manager Tony La Russa, have expressed interest in Lopez returning as a utility player with the chance of winning an everyday role at second base. The Cardinals are also open to Izturis’ return at shortstop if they can satisfy their offensive need at another position.
Looper, having been reinvented since his last turn as a free agent, will test his market value as a starter. The Cardinals have not closed the door on his return, though they already have five starters under contract (or, in the case of Todd Wellemeyer, under control) for 2009. Their interest in Looper’s return will hinge on Chris Carpenter’s checkups in the coming weeks.
The Cardinals have, in recent years, moved swiftly to sign their backup catcher, a role that LaRue said he is opening to returning to with the club.
These filings are hardly surprising, and even players with options file.
It’s part of the process.
General managers and many agents will converge on Dana Point, Calif., next week for the annual general manager meetings, which can be the tire-kicking prelude to the Winter Meetings.
In Detroit on Thursday, the Tigers officially severed ties with shortstop Edgar Renteria, buying out his option for the 2009 season. That makes him a free agent after a relatively disappointing season with the Tigers. His AL/NL splits are fascinating.
Other intriguing or familiar players who filed for free agency on Thursday included: SS David Eckstein, who will likely entertain offers to play second base; LHP Will Ohman; OF Jim Edmonds; RHP Ryan Dempster; RHP Bob Howry; and LHP Jeremy Affeldt … INF Mark Loretta; INF Mark Grudzielanek; RHP Derek Lowe; LHP Joe Beimel; OF Manny Ramirez; RHP Ben Sheets; LHP Eddie Guardado; LHP Oliver Perez; the previously mentioned outfielder Bobby Abreu … LHP Brian Shouse, an Illinois native who for Milwaukee last year held lefties to a .180 average and struck out 28 in 100 at-bats against; RHP Jason Jennings; and OF Raul Ibanez.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
I don’t see that there is room for Looper on this club as either a reliever or a starter. The bullpen is already packed with talented RHRP, and there are better options than Looper for the rotation.
I’d like to see Springer back. He is reliable, and would add some experience to a relatively young bullpen. I think most of the time experince is overrated, but an experinced veteran reliever among a group of young relievers is valuable.
Now here is where things get interesting: Lopez or Izturis?
Do you bring back Izturis…Lopez….or do you resign both?
Lopez is more of a threat than is Izturis offensively, but the concern for me with Lopez is will he play hard for 162 games. He has had issues in past seasons, because he hasn’t played hard for a full season. He is in a great evironment here in St. Louis. A place where players have come, and turned their careers around. He is in a posotive place, with good role models like AP and Yadi. Guys that work hard for 162 games a year.
Does somebody like Tyler Greene have a chance to make the roster coming out of spring training? I don’t think Brendan Ryan is much more than a utility infielder, but I like his energy. Thoughts, DG on the middle infield?
DG,
I thought the questions on the ‘Chat with Mo’ lacked all sense of decorum. How is the guy supposed to provide an answer to a rant? Having said that, he ought to time his availability a little better. It is obvious that the Cardinals are in a ‘wait and see’ period, so he really couldn’t comment on anything could he? Is that the best time to make yourself available to answer questions?
I’d like to see Lopez, LaRue and Springer back. LaRue started slow, understandable given his injuries etc, but was more than serviceable at the end of the season don’t you think?
Lowe seems like he would be Duncan’s kind of pitcher. The price tag might be too steep though.
Derrick, I know this never, ever happens, but what would happen if a player eligible for free agency didn’t file? I would assume that they remain the “property” of the team for which they played under their prior contract, but how are issues like salary, bonuses, etc., determined in that eventuality?
we MUST SIGN OHMAN! or Shouse. And Affeldt. Or maybe Ohman & Shouse? Am I being too optimistic here? Here you go–sign all three! Yeah! OK, you can put me in the loony bin now.
We need to go get Lowe. He is a very solid and reliable pitcher, which is exactly what the Cards need with their past injury problems. Having him take the mound every 5th day would be very nice. And imagine if we actually had a healthy Carp. A rotation of Lowe, Carpenter, Wainwright, Lohse and Wellemeyer would be pretty solid.
As for position players, how about an ex-Card middle infield of Renteria (SS) and Eckstein (2nd). Doesn’t add a lot of offense, but honestly I don’t know where we can find much offense from available middle infielders unless we get someone via trade.
The Cards biggest problem is the bullpen. Let’s get it strightened out first and then worry about utility players. They need 2 lefties right away. Our lefties last year weren’t very good. Even cut those 31 blown saves in half and the Cards win the division. Don’t spend any big bucks on Looper and they should be fine.
Joepa,
Sort of a Catch-22 for everyone. There isn’t a whole lot of down time during the year for baseball — if games aren’t being played, players are being signed, and so on. … Maybe Mozeliak had time to do the “chat” because the Cardinals (and most of baseball) are in a quiet period during the World Series. Not a whole lot of time during the, say, winter meetings to hop in and answer questions — even if that’s when there are a ton of questions.
Mike,
There are some triggers in place for a team to retain control of a player who is about to become a free agent. There is also the possibility that the player would be headed toward retirement … Though many still file — just in case.
dg
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any thought of moving schumacher to second base? outfield of mather/duncan ankiel, ludwick. lopez is lazy poorv defense. sidn isturis great fielder who can hit 250
Schumaker at second? Asked and answered. Many times. Most recently here:
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/postcards/2008/10/postcards-the-price-of-pitching/
dg
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DG, any guess at what sort of money it will take to sign Lowe?
Lowe is 35 years old, and I have feeling he will be wanting more than what he is really worth. His W-L records since becoming a Dodger in 2005:
2005: 12-15
2006:16-8
2007: 12-14
2008: 14-11
With the exception of his ‘05 season he has been really mediocre in his time with the Dodgers.
Why spend money on that sort of production when you have options that are either cheaper for equal production, or when there are young arms in the minor leagues? Before we give Lowe a big contract I’d rather see Boggs, Todd, or Mortensen give a shot.