Adam Kennedy Fan Club

[greenback44]

It didn't look quite as bright when Todd Walker was released and Ronnie Belliard was signed to a minor league deal.

With the money being passed around for marginal players, I don't see how you can't look at the Kennedy signing and feel pretty good about it.

I don't think it's that hard to see how the Kennedy signing could look mediocre.

[jim]

It didn't look quite as bright when Todd Walker was released and Ronnie Belliard was signed to a minor league deal.

With the money being passed around for marginal players, I don't see how you can't look at the Kennedy signing and feel pretty good about it.

I don't think it's that hard to see how the Kennedy signing could look mediocre.

I don't see it, can you explain your reasoning?

[Rolencarnacion]

I'm in it will just be nice to not fill the rvolving door at second next season.
I actually wanted Kennedy Last season just didn't work out.

Peace Ver

[Popeye_Card]

It didn't look quite as bright when Todd Walker was released and Ronnie Belliard was signed to a minor league deal.

With the money being passed around for marginal players, I don't see how you can't look at the Kennedy signing and feel pretty good about it.

I don't think it's that hard to see how the Kennedy signing could look mediocre.

I think it's a great signing if you have the right team for it. Adding Kennedy to the '03, '04, or '05 Cardinals would have looked like a great move.

But the current Cardinals lineup has too many players who resemble Kennedy and not enough that represent players who have left since '03-'04 (Renteria, Walker, Drew, Edmonds of that era). The team keeps making these moves where we see a slightly-lesser player than the one before come in at a good price, and we think "good move". But as we keep making these slight steps downward, we've also lost that third impact bat, and we've never replaced it.

So overall, he was a "good" signing. Didn't really address the real problem with the offense though, so it's hard to call it "great".

--P--

[jim]

It didn't look quite as bright when Todd Walker was released and Ronnie Belliard was signed to a minor league deal.

With the money being passed around for marginal players, I don't see how you can't look at the Kennedy signing and feel pretty good about it.

I don't think it's that hard to see how the Kennedy signing could look mediocre.

I think it's a great signing if you have the right team for it. Adding Kennedy to the '03, '04, or '05 Cardinals would have looked like a great move.

But the current Cardinals lineup has too many players who resemble Kennedy and not enough that represent players who have left since '03-'04 (Renteria, Walker, Drew, Edmonds of that era). The team keeps making these moves where we see a slightly-lesser player than the one before come in at a good price, and we think "good move". But as we keep making these slight steps downward, we've also lost that third impact bat, and we've never replaced it.

So overall, he was a "good" signing. Didn't really address the real problem with the offense though, so it's hard to call it "great".

--P--

I don't follow you. Because the corner outfield situation is a shambles our 2B signing gets knocked down a couple of pegs? We needed a 2B, we got a 2B. We needed two corner OF'ers, we got 0 corner OF'ers.

[Popeye_Card]

I don't follow you. Because the corner outfield situation is a shambles our 2B signing gets knocked down a couple of pegs? We needed a 2B, we got a 2B. We needed two corner OF'ers, we got 0 corner OF'ers.

We need an impact player. Doesn't matter where he plays, but we have to replace Edmonds' '00-'04 production. That is the clear need for the offense.

Kennedy is a nice player. It's a great price for him over the next 3 years. So it's a good signing. But at the same time, you've now "locked-up" one more position for the next 3 years. We have free agency looming at SS, but other than that we are locked in for '08 already at every position. Who do we jestition to get that impact player into the lineup?

--P--

[jim]

I don't follow you. Because the corner outfield situation is a shambles our 2B signing gets knocked down a couple of pegs? We needed a 2B, we got a 2B. We needed two corner OF'ers, we got 0 corner OF'ers.

We need an impact player. Doesn't matter where he plays, but we have to replace Edmonds' '00-'04 production. That is the clear need for the offense.

Kennedy is a nice player. It's a great price for him over the next 3 years. So it's a good signing. But at the same time, you've now "locked-up" one more position for the next 3 years. We have free agency looming at SS, but other than that we are locked in for '08 already at every position. Who do we jestition to get that impact player into the lineup?

--P--

I agree in principal, it doesn't matter where your production comes from, but for that type of player the pool of 2B is alot thinner than a corner OF'er. We needed a 2B, did you have someone in mind that was an impact player?

[jagtrader]

All the Cardinals really need is an impact corner outfielder. The problem is decent ones cost $100 million in free agency these days.

[Popeye_Card]

I agree in principal, it doesn't matter where your production comes from, but for that type of player the pool of 2B is alot thinner than a corner OF'er. We needed a 2B, did you have someone in mind that was an impact player?

It's a tough situation, which is why somebody as bright as Jocketty is even having trouble solving the puzzle.

Yes, the talent pool at 2B is a bit thin. What would I have preffered there? Well, Kennedy is OK, but maybe it would have been nice to pick up a Barfield-type player in a deal. It would have been nice to get some cheap youth in there with some speed on the bases. But you never know what the asking price would have been.

--P--

[greenback44]

I think it's a great signing if you have the right team for it. Adding Kennedy to the '03, '04, or '05 Cardinals would have looked like a great move.

While this isn't what I intended, I agree here. Somebody like Ray Durham was riskier, but if the Cardinals have pretensions of being the best team in NL in 2007, he made more sense than a mediocre ballplayer like Kennedy.

Jim, what I'm getting at is that it just isn't obvious to me that Kennedy is worth $2 or $3 million more per year than Belliard or Walker. The revolving door approach is annoying but it's also been cost effective with second basemen. Yeah, Kennedy is a better deal than Gil Meche. But mediocre (and not quite mediocre) starting pitchers are harder to find than mediocre 2b's, and their salaries recognize that.