St. Louis makes their big move

by Jeff Sackmann on Dec 14, 2007 11:13 PM CST in Transactions

It's Jim Edmonds to the Padres for a prospect. The Cards get some salary relief (though I gather they are sending some money to SD), and a big hole in center field.

The Cards do have a solid CF prospect in Colby Rasmus, but he hasn't played above Double-A, so it's hard to imagine he'll make much of an impact before 2009. That means there's got to be another move coming. I would be surprised if the Cards got in on Mike Cameron...that wouldn't be much of an improvement, and it would likely mean multiple years, blocking Rasmus. Maybe Kenny Lofton as a rental? Corey Patterson?

Unless the Reds pull off something big, this is increasingly looking like another year of Cubs-Brewers, and not much else. The Astros might have made themselves worse even in the short term by acquiring Tejada, and while Edmonds isn't the player he once was, he's probably better in '08 than whoever replaces him. Prepare yourselves, folks: it'll be another year of the word "weak" attaching itself to "NL Central."

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Tweedle dee dee

If only they had some spare part-time outfielder that wasn't recently non-tendered. Maybe they'll go with Duncan, Ankiel and Ludwick/Schumaker?

Is it wrong to hope the Brewers win the division with 80 wins just so the media gets all crazy about them being in the playoffs? That or the Cubs implode and the Brewers get 100 wins playing against weak competition and the media stumbles over themselves in a rush to say how meaningless those 100 wins are.

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by TheJay on Dec 14, 2007 11:55 PM CST reply actions

Non-tendered, waived

Like there's a difference? :)

Anyway, they picked up a guy in the Rule 5 draft, too.

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by TheJay on Dec 14, 2007 11:57 PM CST up reply actions

I'm thinking the Reds are neck and neck with us

Please tell me why we are even. I would like to sleep easier! = /

by MunichBrats on Dec 15, 2007 1:37 AM CST reply actions

Me too.

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Dec 15, 2007 4:34 AM CST up reply actions

The Reds?

They couldn't pitch their way out of a paper bag, for one. Last year, they only had two starters with an ERA under 4.5 (Harang and Arroyo), and as far as I know, they haven't done much to improve their pitching, other than CoCo. They had a team ERA of 4.94 last season.

(They're still in the running for Bedard, I guess, though that's far from a lock. It sounds like the Cards and Mariners are also in on that action. Even if the Reds get him, they'll have to give up some pretty good prospects to do so. Come 2009 or 2010, they may find that such a deal would have them hoisted by their own Bedard.)

In fact, given that they're being coached by Dusty Baker, I would say their starting pitching is about to get much, much worse.

Also, last year they finished 18 games under .500.

I guess it's had to say which teams will be good, bad, etc., especially this early in the offseason. But the Reds don't really scare me that much yet.

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Dec 15, 2007 6:43 AM CST up reply actions

Dusty is no help

I agree and Dusty is not going to help this team get better and has the opportunity if history is a good teacher to make them worse.

by 80badger on Dec 15, 2007 12:48 PM CST up reply actions

Dusty has an overall good winning percentage

His mark won't be felt until later. Granted that will help us out down the line, but not next year. I worry about the Reds because we had almost the same records in June-September and they are adding four top A grade prospects.

by MunichBrats on Dec 15, 2007 5:07 PM CST up reply actions

I wouldn't worry

Dusty may be partially responsible for the winning percentages of his teams (though that's debatable, itself), but the Reds have to make up an awful lot of ground. And while the prospects are nice, not every prospect turns into Braun or Tulo right away ... think of Delmon Young last year, who was a below average regular.

For me, it's enough to say that the Reds need to make up 11 games just to be even with the Crew's record last year. That's HUGE, and they aren't making the moves/adding the prospects to do that. And that's even assuming the Crew won't win more than 83 games, and I'm optimistic that they will.

Weird, but not weird.

by Jeff Sackmann on Dec 15, 2007 7:31 PM CST up reply actions

pretty much sums up everything i was going to say

just not buying the reds hype at all

by SunglassesAtNight on Dec 15, 2007 11:31 AM CST reply actions

What's weird

Is the Reds' biggest shortcoming (IMHO) is starting pitching, and that they had a pretty serviceable closer in Weathers.

Blowing a big wad on Cordero while (so far) not addressing their starting pitching doesn't make much sense to me. I believe as far as available payroll goes, the Reds are more like us than the Yankees and Cubs of the world.

Although $10 mil for Gagne was a lot, it addressed a need. The CoCo signing isn't addressing a need per se. (Granted, they can move Weathers to the 8th inning --- it's not a totally useless signing.) Still, unless they pull off a trade, like for Bedard, I'm not sure they'll be able to improve their pitching that much.

Unless they want Sheets... :O

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Dec 15, 2007 4:10 PM CST up reply actions

They must have a lot of stock in Bailey and Cueto

by MunichBrats on Dec 15, 2007 5:03 PM CST up reply actions

They do.

I think they can be good enough (league average or better) to give the Reds a major boost and put them in the mix. They don't have to be studs to make the Reds a threat with their offense.

by Braunstalker on Dec 17, 2007 12:13 PM CST up reply actions

yeah...

talk about giving a player away for nothing...

the cardinals are going to go through a hardcore rebuilding year next year. they still have Pujols though, and he's a beast.

the reds are getting better...but not THAT much better. if they acquire bedard, however, we'll be talking about something different. harang-bedard would be absolutely NASTY!

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by jimmyb1799 on Dec 15, 2007 3:59 PM CST reply actions

Tejada

The Brewers were interested in acquiring Miguel Tejada during the Winter Meetings. That is completely novel news to me...

That would have been a terrible idea. The Astros had to give up FIVE high-quality prospects to get him. The Brewers should not do that...ever.

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by jimmyb1799 on Dec 15, 2007 6:12 PM CST reply actions

Miguel

Do you guys think that the acquisition of Tejada gives the Astros a fighting chance to compete with the Cubs and Brewers for the division this year?

I don't see five starters even listed on this teams depth chart.... The Astros might want to conisder luring Nolan Ryan out of retirement to pitch...if hes unavailable, I pitched a little bit in junior college, even touched 88 once. Think I could get a spring training invite...?

by ChicagoFever08 on Dec 15, 2007 8:55 PM CST reply actions

If you're a lefty and have a pulse

Someone will probably give you an invite.

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by TheJay on Dec 15, 2007 10:15 PM CST up reply actions

Using their current strategy

The Astros would use a time machine to get Nolan Ryan at the beginning of his rookie year, and then trade him and a few other prospects for one year of Scott Rolen.

Breaking News: Upcoming Hostess Report rumored to implicate Prince Fielder, Ray King, CC Sabathia, among others.

by stevie ray Braun on Dec 16, 2007 1:17 AM CST up reply actions

No

Even though Tejada is still a very good hitter, his defense has gotten horrible. Adam Everett can't hit but he was probably the best defensive SS in the major leagues. It isn't as big an upgrade as you might think. Now if they had moved Tejada to 3rd, you might have had to worry.

by kingcharlesxii on Dec 17, 2007 10:46 AM CST up reply actions

Are we getting too cocky?

I am starting to wonder if Brewer fans are getting too cocky. Remember, that St. Louis played without Chris Carpenter last year and he will likely be back. St. Louis has Carpenter and Wainwright at the top of their rotation and a good closer in Isringhausen -- those positions are comparable to our combination of Sheets, Suppan and Gagne. And the rest of our rotation is only impressive if you assume Gallardo and Villanueva can stay healthy and avoid a setback; I agree they look promising, but I'm sure Cards fans thought Anthony Reyes' 2007 looked promising last offseason as well. It's also unlikely the Cards are done making moves and they have exhibited a propensity to spend in the past. I guess I am not counting them as also-rans just yet. The Astros have one reliabls starter, Valverde closing and a lineup that may not age well in some places, but is probably the most formidable in the division at present. That may not be the formula for a division title, but they too, seem like a possible contender at least for the short-term. Don't get me wrong, I am as excited as ever about the Brewers -- I am just not convinced we are good enough to make the claim that it's a 2-team race just yet.

Brewers in the post-season? "no doubt about it"....

by TrueBlueBrewCrew on Dec 17, 2007 1:16 PM CST reply actions

Big Hole in CF?

Rasmus is ready. Schumaker is fine. And Ankiel looks legit. That's going to be a very good OF, very very soon.

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by scoutingbook on Dec 19, 2007 1:39 AM CST reply actions

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NL Central Standings

	PCT	STRK
Chicago Bleed Cubbie Blue	.000	Lost 0
Cincinnati Red Reporter	.000	Lost 0
Houston The Crawfish Boxes	.000	Lost 0
Milwaukee Brew Crew Ball	.000	Lost 0
Pittsburgh Bucs Dugout	.000	Lost 0
St. Louis Viva El Birdos	.000	Lost 0