Peavy still out there, but do Cardinals have a shot?
With the continued uncertainty of Chris Carpenter for next year, it appears many of you aren’t satisfied with the top of the Cardinals’ rotation, other than Adam Wainwright. Jake Peavy, former Cy Young Award winner from San Diego, has an injury history of his own but also possesses one of the top arms in the game. The Cardinals should take a look there, but the Atlanta Braves, presumed to be out of the running, now may be back in the lead for Peavy. .
We’ll know more about Carpenter in a couple of weeks but we shouldn’t assume that all will be well. Lefthanded relievers and middle infielders still are the Cardinals’ priorities as we speak. I will try to post on Thursday and then will be out of town until Sunday evening. But send your questions and I’ll get to them when I return.
Q: Commish,
In regards to acquiring another big-name starting pitcher, I am baffled every time I hear Mozeliak say that we need to wait and see how available Carpenter will be. Why is that?
If Carp ends up being available, what would it hurt to have more than one dominant starter in the rotation? Isnʼt that what builds a championship team? Letʼs have 4 or 5 dominate arms!!
If Carp isnʼt available, then we would have that strong arm to fall back on. Please let me know where Iʼm going wrong here. I’m particularly curious as to what the rationale for this line of thinking is. Thanks!
A: Ben, It would make me nervous, too, waiting to see how Carpenter is, assuming that all the news is not going to be good. Now, I do consider Wainwright a top-of-the-line starter, but another quality arm wouldn’t hurt.
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Q: What if the Cardinals offered SD Skip Schumaker, Jon Jay, Brian Barden, Jess Todd, Mark Worrell,@ one more minor league pitcher for Peavy @ Greene?? Would that not be a good trade for both teams?? Better offer than the Braves??
WHY are the Cards not talking about Brian Barden for shortstop next year?? He was on Team U.S.A. with Bryan Anderson ?? Is Tyler Greene a year away or not looked at as a starting shortstop in the majors??
Will Allen Craig, David Freese,or Skip Schumaker play second base in winter ball???
A: Bryan, I would try for Peavy and/or Greene but if Jess Todd is as good as he is said to be, that would be a tough name to include. Some of those others named (Worrell, Jay, Barden, even Schumaker) would seem to have little appeal to San Diego.
Barden is viewed as little more than a utility infielder — I can’t tell you exactly why - but that’s the thinking in the organization. Tyler Greene is at least a year away, barely having played Class AAA ball. As for the last mentioned players, I don’t think any of them is in winter ball.
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Q: Now that the Cubs have re-signed Dempster, leaving the market for Peavy pretty slim, is there a chance you think the Cards might look at him again, and that the Padres might be willing to accept less in trade since no one else seems to be interested?
A: Susan, acquiring Peavy helps on one front — a No. 1 starter — but it doesn’t do anything for the bullpen, which needs the most immediate help, and middle infield. Look for the discussions between the Padres and Braves to heat up again, with Atlanta SS Escobar at the top of the list of players San Diego would want. This then would free up SS Khalil Greene, in whom the Cardinals might have interest.
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Q: Let’s assume the Cardinals will want protection for Chris Carpenter as the No. 5 starter. Do you think they are more apt to add a free agent the caliber of Braden Looper/Randy Wolf or give the opportunity to Kyle McClellan/Mitchell Boggs? How many years and how much money do you think Looper will command?
Your hot stove questions are a welcome addition.
Larry Harnly, Springfield, Ill.
A: Larry, good to hear from you again. Wolf would be perfect as a lefthanded starter but the prevailing sentiment is that Houston will re-sign him. It might be that Looper still would be available but Lowe-Burnett have to shake out first before it gets to Looper and others like Odalis Perez. Looper is hopeful of getting three years, I assume, but the I don’t think the Cardinals want to go there. McClellan would get the nod over Boggs, probably, as a starter, if the Cardinals were comfortable with their righthanded setup situation. They have to decide on Springer, Isringhausen and whether they think Kinney can help them.
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(9 votes, average: 4.56 out of 5)
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If Cardinals fans want to watch Jake Peavy pitch next year, the solution is to get a dish and subscribe to MLB Extra Innings. Or move to Atlanta, New York, or some other more verdant venue. Truth is, Chris Carpenter is more valuable to the Cardinals with a gimpy arm than he would be if healthy. Now the boys from DeWitt can say “we have to wait and see what the deal’s gonna be with Chris,” implying that there some chance that the Cy Young-winner of 2005 will magically re-materialize next year. If they had the real flesh and blood Chris Carpenter healthy and ready to play, they’d have to admit that 2005 was a long time ago, and people change–and after a certain age, that change is not often for the better. If the Cardinals ever get another ace, it will be a fluke draft pick (the “can’t miss” variety go to those above-cited verdant venues), a lucky free-agent signing (like Carpenter himself) or a waiver-wire miracle (sorry, no example of that to point to, but we’ve done very well salvaging some servicable arms off the wire, going all the way back to Curt Simmons). Them’s the facts, and we gotta live with ‘em.