So, what changes do we need to make for next year?

[Radbird]

I don't at all blame him for the loss, but I think I'm just ready for La Russa to go.

I'm kinda there too. But if it happens, I hope it's his decision as I'd hate to see him forced out.

[Centreville]

I don't at all blame him for the loss, but I think I'm just ready for La Russa to go.

++

[jagtrader]

I'm not sure there's a whole lot they can do to dramatically improve. Re-sign Holliday. Hope Rasmus puts it together. Hope Freese can be replacement level. The rest of the changes -- a starter, maybe a reliever -- will be middling.

[Spider John]

I think I would like to see AP have elbow surgery in the morning.

[Socnorb11]

I wouldn't mind adding a little team speed, although I don't know where you'd insert it. I'd really like to see a more dependable bullpen. McClellan and Franklin are decent, but not the type of shut-down arms that I feel confident with late in the game.

[PaintItRed]

To follow up on my dad's post, I would love to see Chone Figgins in a Cardinals uniform this year. We've got 40 million coming off the books. Figgins will probably be 10 million dollars a year but look at this guy. a .395 OBP hitting in front of Albert? That's deadly. He would be IMO the next Edgar Renteria in St.Louis. He can do everything. He can slap hits the other way, get on base, steal bases, hit a few homers, lay down the bunt and play great defense. He's totally worth it. I say we just let Dero walk and let him be our new 3rd baseman next year. And my next point (drum roll) Erik Bedard. This guy will come at a very cheap price. There were not any teams wanting to trade for him at the deadline. ESPN predicts he will be payed close to the Major League minimum. He would love to get out of Seattle and go to a competing team. He's never been with one. If this guy is healthy you're looking at a potential 3 ace rotation. And IMO Hawksworth is got a shot to be the next AW. This guy has finally figured himself out from being hurt all of his Minor League career. His ERA is a full 1.00 better than Wainwright's ERA in 2006. Seriously a Carp Waino Bedard rotation is just plain scary that is for the other team of course. But our biggest priority is Holliday who I think has a very good chance of being a cardinal next year. The standing ovation he got, you just don't get that in other parks. and he wants his kids to be happy. Would moving to New York or Boston really be best for his kids? And Chone Figgins is a must have switch hitter. A guy with a .395 OBP hitting in front of Albert and Holliday will produce alot of runs over the course of a season. You also may want to take a look at some others too.

[Mary1966]

To follow up on my dad's post, I would love to see Chone Figgins in a Cardinals uniform this year. We've got 40 million coming off the books. Figgins will probably be 10 million dollars a year but look at this guy. a .395 OBP hitting in front of Albert? That's deadly. He would be IMO the next Edgar Renteria in St.Louis. He can do everything. He can slap hits the other way, get on base, steal bases, hit a few homers, lay down the bunt and play great defense. He's totally worth it. I say we just let Dero walk and let him be our new 3rd baseman next year. And my next point (drum roll) Erik Bedard. This guy will come at a very cheap price. There were not any teams wanting to trade for him at the deadline. ESPN predicts he will be payed close to the Major League minimum. He would love to get out of Seattle and go to a competing team. He's never been with one. If this guy is healthy you're looking at a potential 3 ace rotation. And IMO Hawksworth is got a shot to be the next AW. This guy has finally figured himself out from being hurt all of his Minor League career. His ERA is a full 1.00 better than Wainwright's ERA in 2006. Seriously a Carp Waino Bedard rotation is just plain scary that is for the other team of course. But our biggest priority is Holliday who I think has a very good chance of being a cardinal next year. The standing ovation he got, you just don't get that in other parks. and he wants his kids to be happy. Would moving to New York or Boston really be best for his kids? And Chone Figgins is a must have switch hitter. A guy with a .395 OBP hitting in front of Albert and Holliday will produce alot of runs over the course of a season. You also may want to take a look at some others too.

Little Erik would love to see Big Erik in a Cards uniform, see sig.

[Jmodene]

Some early guesses:

Ankiel - gone. He'll sign, like Eduardo Perez and Craig Paquette before him, with a team that will install him as a fulltime starter, in hopes of having a good enough season to get that 5/100 deal he thought Boras thought he was gonna get him a year or two ago.

Pineiro - probably gone, unless he's willing to take, say, 3/25. If he wants Suppan money (4/40), he's gone.

Smoltz - probably will retire. The only way he comes back is if he is installed as our fourth starter next season and I don't think (as he demonstrated the last couple of weeks) he has anything left in the tank.

Glaus - gone.

Derosa - likely to be back. He'll sign a low-base deal for 2010 with a lot of incentives, with a kicker clause for 2011 at decent money ($8-10 million) if he stays healthy all year.

Holliday - he'll get his money, somewhere, on the basis of his good regular season stats - but he may have to play for some team that doesn't go to the postseason too often so nobody sees him as the gutless choker he turned out to be.

[Dillagii]

PaintItRed and I are already on it ... Chone Figgins and his lifetime 363 OBA hitting in front of Pujols and Holliday.

Skippy/Lugo
Figgins
Pujols
Holliday
Luddy
Rasmus
Molina
Ryan
AW/Carp/Lohse/Bedard??? (PIR's idea)/and an innings eater and add Soriano closing (except he was in 77 games and that worries me a bit). Maybe make a run at Jenks.

That's 95 wins and a world series winner right there.

This will happen if our payroll is 120 million.

[PaintItRed]

Well Dewitt has talked about bumping it up. But not really if you look at it closely. Bedard will be very cheap almost Major League minimum. Figgins will cost about 10 million a year, Holliday looking at a 4/70 deal a good closer maybe about 3 million and an average bullpen arm $500000. I think we can get this done. Mo has shown hes committed to now and if we get Figgins, he will want a 4 year deal, so that helps with future years too. When Pujols time comes Dewitt is going to be bumping the payroll up close to 120 mil. We have a chance for the next 4 years to go on a huge run and win a couple World Championships. I think we have to take some gambles. Bedard, cheap but not healthy and Figgins a very versatile player who can do just about everything but will cost us some money. I hope Mo can get this done.