MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

GAUGING THE MARKET: As many in Cardinals National have been screeching about the team’s relative inactivity in the free agent market this offseason, others have started to voice a dissenting viewpoint, pointing out there are still many good free agents out there that may be scooped up later at cheaper prices.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the market for free agents is shaping up in the dissenters’ favor. In a blog today, Olney says: “It is evident that a lot of veteran players are coming to grips with the reality that there isn’t a lot of cash available for the middle class of players this winter. CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe fared well, but the dropoff, after that, gets steeper by the day.” He cites former Cardinal David Eckstein as the latest example. Eckstein earned $4.5 million with the Blue Jays last season, but just Thursday signed an $850,000 contract to play for the Padres this season.

This is not a free pass for the Cardinals to sit on their wallets, but perhaps general manager John Mozeliak has a much better read on this than the average fan. Afterall, he is being paid to be a big league GM.

And in case you missed it, Derrick Goold put together a complete lineup of all-stars that are now available on the free agent market. Take a look at his team in the Birdland Blog and convince me there’s not still plenty of options available. With no one clammering to snatch up these guys now, why not wait awhile until the clearance sale begins?

ON THE OTHER HAND: The Chicago Cubs apparently are not subscribing to the wait-and-see approach in free agency. And while the Cards are working on developing homegrown talent, the Cubs seem to be going in the other direction. In fact, the Chicago Sun Times reported today that, “On Opening Day 2009, only shortstop Ryan Theriot and catcher Geovany Soto figure to be true homegrown players in the Cubs’ starting lineup. That’s not a bad thing, either. The Cubs are spending money the way a big-market team should be, sprinkling in a few of their own along the way.”

One of those that won’t be sprinkled in is former super-prospect Felix Pie. The Cubs have loaded up in the outfield and it looks like this once-can’t-miss prospect will be shipped out.

ASK HIM YOURSELF: You can ask Mozeliak about how this team is shaping up and why he’s doing things the way he is next week when we host a live chat with the Cardinals general manager. Check in with him at 1 p.m. next Wednesday at STLtoday.com.

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THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Do you think the Cardinals will top 3 million in attendance this summer?

JOE STRAUSS
While the economic angst is very appropriate, I believe the Cardinals will continue to receive strong support. I do think the economic climate makes them more vulnerable to a dramatic loss of walk-up sales should the team tank. Barring a meltdown season, I place the attendance over/under at 3.25 million.

DERRICK GOOLD
Selling 3 million tickets is different than drawing 3 million fans. I imagine the Cardinals will clear 3 million in tickets sales for the 11th time in 12 years, and they probably will inch past their budget-target of 3.2 million, even in this wicked economy. But the turnstile will have a different view. For the first time since the opening of the ballpark all of those tough sells — those Tuesday nights vs. Pittsburgh, for example — will really look the part. Empty seats. Empty boxes. No lines for garlic fries and red licorice. The same volunteers each night for the fifth-inning dance off. While the All-Star Game is a heck of an insurance policy for ticket sales, it won’t put red-clad butts in those red-painted seats when August comes unless the team is worth watching.

RICK HUMMEL
They’ll make three million if they start fast. If they’re not contending or interesting in April and early May, it won’t happen.

JEFF GORDON
Despite the terrible economy, I believe the Cards can still draw 3 million if they contend. And I believe they will contend in ’09, despite all the current naysaying. This team may have to do some ticket discounting on the fly, as the Blues have, but the team should get that number. It helps that the Rams have tanked and the Blues are struggling, too. More than ever, this is Cardinal Nation. Fans will quit a number of vices before they get to baseball.

TOM TIMMERMANN
I don’t think so. Even if the team was championship worthy, I think it would be a tough sell this summer. People are going to pull a DeWitt and play it close to the vest with their money. They’ll sit back, pop open a beer and listen to Dan and Al. Or Mike and John. Or read Joe and Derrick and Rick, though hopefully not drinking a beer over the morning paper.

MIKE SMITH
Signs of the times: The Smith family probably will have to dump its annual $5,500 contribution to DeWitt Care for two seats out in left field. And fan grousing seems to be at an unprecedented level for the 29 years I’ve worked in the P-D sports department. Still … if the Cards find a second baseman who at least looks like he wants to be on the field, then put their best lineup out there and ACTUALLY LEAVE IT OUT THERE more than one or two days a week (“Leading off and playing left field, Joe Thurston!”), you’ve got the makings of a season that could attract 3 million fans.

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THINGS TO PONDER

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO: USC coach Pete Carroll got blistered today by L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke for how he’s handled the news that QB Mark Sanchez will enter the NFL draft early. Sanchez has already received his bachelor’s degree, and even though he has one year of eligibility remaining, the fact that he is ranked among the 10 best players in this year’s draft made the lure of the NFL just too much. Plaschke says Carroll handled Sanchez’s decision “with all the decorum of a jilted lover.”

Is it about the kid or is it about winning, Pete?

OK, THIS IS ONLY A JOKE: It’s a well-known fact that former NFL quarterback Archie Manning sired the last two Super Bowl winning QBs — Peyton and Eli Manning. But according to the satirical magazine The Onion, Archie may not yet be out of the running for a third consecutive Super Bowl in his family, even though Peyton’s Colts and Eli’s Giants have been eliminated from the playoffs. “Donovan McNabb Is Also My Son,” reads the headline. Check it out.

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NOW THAT’S SAYING SOMETHING

“During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball.”
— Mickey Mantle

THE WATERCOOLER
(Post-Dispatch columnists and beat writers share their thoughts on a question of the day.)

Question: What are your expectations for Khalil Greene at shortstop for the Cardinals next season?

JOE STRAUSS
Greene is a lesser defensive player than Cesar Izturis who will probably benefit from exiting what had become a toxic situation in San Diego. Significant questions persist over his offensive approach, unwieldy strikeout totals and low on-base percentage. The Cardinals now project four 100-strikeout bats (Greene, Ankiel, Glaus, Ludwick). It’s a Band-Aid that leaves the Cardinals seeking their fifth shortstop in seven seasons for 2010. Greene is regarded as an introspective, spiritual person … a good guy. But there are many who now wonder if overanalysis contributed to last season’s dramatic offensive tumble. For now, it may be best to describe the move as “neutral” with decent upside.

RICK HUMMEL
I’m a big Khalil Greene fan, despite his awful season last year. If he hadn’t been so bad, the Cardinals might not have been able to get him so cheaply, seemingly. He should hit 20 home runs and drive in 75 and make the plays that need to be made. He will strike out, but so does everybody but Pujols, Molina and Schumaker.

DERRICK GOOLD
Greene fits the change-of-scenery label — a talent who after a power surge and 97 RBIs in 2007 was thought to be a charter member of the National League’s group of wunderkind shortstops, only to collapse into a disastrous 2008. He needs a fresh start. He has a one-year engagement with the Cardinals to do so. Getting out of Petco Park and away from the rapidly bailing San Diego franchise should engage and revive Greene’s interest and ability. He’s a career .270 hitter and a .484 slugger outside of Petco Park, and at his best he’s an athletic defensive player with reliable gap power. The Cardinals will get that Greene, not the 27-homer breakout of 2007, with the good glove, 30-plus doubles and an on-base percentage that makes it difficult to bat him near the top of the order.

BRYAN BURWELL
If Greene returns to his 2007 form, this is a good deal. His glove will be reliable, but the Cards have to get the 27-homer production for this to be considered a success.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

CARDS GET SHORTSTOP, BUT AT WHAT COST: Obviously the big news of the day is the Cardinals trade for Padres shortstop Khalil Greene. The move comes on the heels of the Cards signing lefty reliever Trever Miller to a one-year deal Wednesday. That means the Cards have addressed two of the areas they deemed most important before even arriving at the Winter Meetings this weekend. Next up: a second baseman, an impact bat and perhaps a starting pitcher (pending news on Chris Carpenter, of course.)

What’s not yet known is what the Cardinals are giving up for Greene, though Joe Strauss has reported the move will cost the Cardinals organization two pitchers, neither of whom was on the major-league roster at the end of last season.

Bernie Miklasz says that manager Tony La Russa might want to consider Greene in the No. 6 hole. That’s been Greene’s best lineup spot during his career. In 636 ABs as a No. 6 hitter Greene has 31 homers, 110 RBIs and a .489 SLG.

Meanwhile, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Greene’s frustration over a season-long hitting slump last year boiled over July 30, when Greene punched a storage chest in a clubhouse tunnel at Petco Park, fracturing his left hand (insert Julian Tavarez joke here). Greene missed the final two months of 2008 because of the injury. You can read about that and what Padres fans are saying about the deal on the Union-Tribune link above.

SPEAKING OF SHORTSTOPS: The San Francisco Giants are expected to announce today that they’ve signed former Cardinal Edgar Renteria, who some locals had hoped would return to the Redbirds. Renteria will replace 11-time Gold Glove shortstop Omar Vizquel. It is reported that Renteria will receive an $18.5 million, two-year contract. That’s a lot of cake for a 33-year-old shortstop who’s range has diminished and who just finished a season batting .270 with 10 homers and 55 RBIs. I guess the economy doesn’t suck for everybody.

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A FEW THINGS TO PONDER

A RULEBOOK REFRESHER: Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was ridiculed mercilessly a few weeks back for not knowing that an overtime game can end in a tie in the NFL. But is he the only player in the league who would be baffled by some of the game’s rules? ESPN.com’s Rick Reilly put a number of players to the test. I found the results hilarious. Check it out.

PACKERS, OK. BUT THE SPURS? According to a consumer survey released this week, the Green Bay Packers have the strongest brand in its local market of any North American team in the major sports leagues. “What this is saying is the following the Packers have is more intensely loyal to supporting the Packers than any other team,” Len Perna, president of New Jersey-based Turnkey Sports & Entertainment, told the Associated Press. “What this basically says is that all other things being equal, a sponsor gets more value in sponsoring the Packers than any other team.”

The Packers ranked first among 122 team brands in the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball. That’s got to be a tough pill to swallow for the Best Fans in Baseball. But fear not, Cardinal Nation. According to the survey, Cards fan at least showed up in the top ten, barely. Biggest surprise omissions here for me were the Cowboys and the Cubs. Oh well, in the words of Richard Dawson: And the survey says …

1. Green Bay Packers
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. New England Patriots
5. Indianapolis Colts
6. Detroit Red Wings
7. San Antonio Spurs
8. Pittsburgh Penguins
9. Boston Celtics
10. St. Louis Cardinals

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STATS OF THE DAY

38 … 623 … 6 — Those are the receptions, yards and touchdowns for Isaac Bruce this season.

45 … 526 … 2 — Those are the receptions, yards and touchdowns for Torry Holt this season.

Did the Rams cut ties with the wrong receiver? You make the call.