Edmonds heading to San Diego

[TheoSqua]

How are we not certain that TLR didn't want to try an give Ryan a chance? Signing Eckstein for a year forces you to get playing time for him no matter what.

With them not resigning Miles, I think they viewed the Izturis signing as more of insurance than as our annointed starting SS. It also allowed us to ensure we didn't have to resign Eck.

None of this really reeks of conspiracy to me. I personally would rather have Izturis / Ryan over Eckstein / Miles. It's cheaper, younger, and could easily be more productive.

[Colbert Rasmols]

David Freese, of low-A Fort Wayne, is another former college third baseman who is drawing notice. After the Padres drafted him in the ninth round two months ago, Freese batted .379 in 18 games with short-season Eugene, Ore. He since has batted .342 with low-A Fort Wayne, and overall he has 11 homers in 167 at-bats.

Freese, 23, isn't as able defensively as Headley, but his left-handed bat came highly recommended by longtime coaches at the University of South Alabama who compared him favorably with fellow USA alum Luis Gonzalez, the Diamondbacks slugger and five-time All-Star drafted in 1988.

“Their coaches told our scout, Bobby Filotei, that Freese was the best hitter they ever had there, and that's pretty damn good,” Gayton said. “I don't know how the guy goes undrafted a year ago and then we get him where we did. You get lucky, really, but we did our homework.”

He's right-handed.

[jdk82]

Reyes was almost added to the deal

Enter the Padres, who, according to general manager Kevin Towers, have had some discussions with the Cardinals about Edmonds since the end of the season. At one point, the talks involved more players, rumored to be Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... &fext=.jsp

[planet planet]

Reyes was almost added to the deal

Enter the Padres, who, according to general manager Kevin Towers, have had some discussions with the Cardinals about Edmonds since the end of the season. At one point, the talks involved more players, rumored to be Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... &fext=.jsp

So I'm speculating the combination of missing out on Fukudome and talks breaking down with Cameron's agent Fri. afternoon allowed us to dodge the bullet of also including Reyes?

[Hungary Jack]

Reyes was almost added to the deal

Enter the Padres, who, according to general manager Kevin Towers, have had some discussions with the Cardinals about Edmonds since the end of the season. At one point, the talks involved more players, rumored to be Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... &fext=.jsp

So I'm speculating the combination of missing out on Fukudome and talks breaking down with Cameron's agent Fri. afternoon allowed us to dodge the bullet of also including Reyes?

So if Reyes is part of a package, who comes back in return? Headley?

[sighyoung]

Reyes was almost added to the deal

Enter the Padres, who, according to general manager Kevin Towers, have had some discussions with the Cardinals about Edmonds since the end of the season. At one point, the talks involved more players, rumored to be Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... &fext=.jsp

So I'm speculating the combination of missing out on Fukudome and talks breaking down with Cameron's agent Fri. afternoon allowed us to dodge the bullet of also including Reyes?

So if Reyes is part of a package, who comes back in return? Headley?

I remember Jack Cassels being mentioned in Edmonds rumors. I wonder if the organizations were contemplating swapping pitchers, as well.

[greenback44]

I don't view it as a conspiracy. Moz has committed to going young and seeing what has in his quiver at this point. Going young does not necessarily mean that TLR does not fit, though many here obviously believe that Tony trusts only veterans. I think Tony is more flexible with the roster than many here would believe.

TLR plays young players. The trusting only veterans is a myth. What I don't know, is if TLR is comfortable playing young players for the sake of development only. I do know he is fine playing them to help his team win.

Agreed. I would imagine that Moz vetted Izturis with Tony before signing him. At this point, I cannot imagine that TLR is completely comfortable with Ryan as the starting SS in 2008 (after he yanked him for ignoring a sign last September), but I imagine that Tony is at least open to seeing how Ryan competes in ST.

Along those same lines, getting somebody like Izturis pushes Ryan, and I think that TLR thinks that Ryan needs to be pushed. Of course that still leaves the question of why the Cardinals paid $3 million for a pace car.

[jim]

Reyes was almost added to the deal

Enter the Padres, who, according to general manager Kevin Towers, have had some discussions with the Cardinals about Edmonds since the end of the season. At one point, the talks involved more players, rumored to be Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... &fext=.jsp

So I'm speculating the combination of missing out on Fukudome and talks breaking down with Cameron's agent Fri. afternoon allowed us to dodge the bullet of also including Reyes?

But if we included Reyes we might have only had to pay $1M to them instead of $2M. Then we would have more saved money to get that pit.... uh, well you know, so that we could corner out.....

Hmmm.

Well you know. Get those guys. Those ones that cost money. And then would win more games.

See?

[ghostrunner]

Comments from Dewitt, per the PD:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports ... enDocument

It was largely at DeWitt's urging that the Cardinals signed Edmonds to a two-year, $19 million deal after the 2006 World Series. Yet it was DeWitt who signed off on a deal that cost him $2 million to send Edmonds away.

"I was a strong advocate of a two-year deal, I admit," DeWitt said. "I thought it would be a great transition.

"I think Rick Ankiel has since emerged as a force. (Ryan) Ludwick had a good year. (Skip) Schumaker played well. Rasmus got another year's experience. We're deep there. Right now we're trying to do everything we can to maintain flexibility and give some younger players a chance to play."

Yet DeWitt acknowledges the Cardinals are short on major league-ready prospects, a hindrance in their pursuit of an impact trade. The Cardinals hoped to acquire Baltimore Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada but quickly realized that they lacked the ammunition without putting Rasmus in play.

"Unfortunately, we had the financial resources but not the player resources to get a player like Tejada," DeWitt said. "Clubs aren't looking for prospects who are a year or two away. They want major league-ready players. We just don't have them right now. We don't. I think we will."

Insisting the club receive "value for value," DeWitt said it would not be trading young talent for "rental players."

"We have the resources to spend. That's not the issue," DeWitt said. "The issue is who's out there. If it's a trade, we have to get value for what we're giving up. If it's a signing, is it for someone who's truly going to help us or are we just picking up what's out there?

[Colbert Rasmols]

Comments from Dewitt, per the PD:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports ... enDocument

It was largely at DeWitt's urging that the Cardinals signed Edmonds to a two-year, $19 million deal after the 2006 World Series. Yet it was DeWitt who signed off on a deal that cost him $2 million to send Edmonds away.

"I was a strong advocate of a two-year deal, I admit," DeWitt said. "I thought it would be a great transition.

"I think Rick Ankiel has since emerged as a force. (Ryan) Ludwick had a good year. (Skip) Schumaker played well. Rasmus got another year's experience. We're deep there. Right now we're trying to do everything we can to maintain flexibility and give some younger players a chance to play."

Yet DeWitt acknowledges the Cardinals are short on major league-ready prospects, a hindrance in their pursuit of an impact trade. The Cardinals hoped to acquire Baltimore Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada but quickly realized that they lacked the ammunition without putting Rasmus in play.

"Unfortunately, we had the financial resources but not the player resources to get a player like Tejada," DeWitt said. "Clubs aren't looking for prospects who are a year or two away. They want major league-ready players. We just don't have them right now. We don't. I think we will."

Insisting the club receive "value for value," DeWitt said it would not be trading young talent for "rental players."

"We have the resources to spend. That's not the issue," DeWitt said. "The issue is who's out there. If it's a trade, we have to get value for what we're giving up. If it's a signing, is it for someone who's truly going to help us or are we just picking up what's out there?

I don't really have a problem with any of that, but it didn't seem to me like Baltimore got very much for Tejada. Were any of those players the equivalent of a Rasmus?