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. 
According to ESPN.com’s free agent tracker database, Braden Looper is a Type B free agent and Russ Springer is a Type A free agent. How much of a risk would it be to offer either of them arbitration?
“These filings are hardly surprising, and even players with options file.”
Derrick,
Do you mean that players who have already waived their options for 2009 are filing for free agency? Surely club options by rule must have been decided by now, i.e., Isringhausen. Players can’t file for free agency until they waive their options, right?
Fuhrig,
Players who have team options still dangling out there can file before resolution of those options. They are marked by an asterisk on the list we get each day and are considered “provisional” filings.
dg
P.S. Isringhausen filed Saturday.
i would love to see renteria return to the cards lineup…he’s seems to fit much better in the nl..the proof after all, is in the pudding…
Baseball season has been over for a few weeks, but that doesn’t mean baseball action is. Since the Series is over, along with the ’08 season, fans turn to the “Hot Stove League” or the period of time when free agents vie for new contracts. Players fought for years to be able to be in charge of their own careers, when before they were completely at the mercy of their management. They could be bought, sold, or fired at will by management, regardless of the player’s desires or livelihood or family situation. This kept the player’s salaries low, and their careers and shelf life along with them. No competition between teams for player’s services went on for a long time. In a similar manner, you, as the consumer have the right to look for personal loans whenever you want, despite what you may be told. Personal loan companies should compete for your business like teams for player’s abilities. It keeps rates low and terms reasonable. Market forces self regulating for the best medium for both consumer and proprietor – it’s the American way. Click to read more on Personal Loans.