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I don't understand all the harping about how the team is saving a few bucks. Why can't we spend a little more? The powerhouse teams spend the cash. We don't we?
Screw fiscal responsibility, let's get someone in there who can either hit well or field well. Instead we got a guy who is mediocre (at best) in both categories. What are we saving the cash for?

Oh, and regarding corner outfielders, we should have made an offer for Reggie Sanders. He always has better seasons in odd years.

Ankiel_Fan_66 wrote:Instead we got a guy who is mediocre (at best) in both categories. What are we saving the cash for?

Kennedy is an excellent fielding second baseman. Until last year (90) he's always been right around a 100 OPS+ from second base. He has the same career EqA as our starting right fielder (JuanE).

haltz wrote:

Ankiel_Fan_66 wrote:Instead we got a guy who is mediocre (at best) in both categories. What are we saving the cash for?

Kennedy is an excellent fielding second baseman. Until last year (90) he's always been right around a 100 OPS+ from second base. He has the same career EqA as our starting right fielder (JuanE).

And I want to point out again last year he was coming off of major knee surgery (ACL reconstruction). Not a scope, not a little cleanup, a complete rebuild of his ACL.

He's a solid player.

Ankiel_Fan_66 wrote:Oh, and regarding corner outfielders, we should have made an offer for Reggie Sanders. He always has better seasons in odd years.

Sanders is 39, oft-injured, and his defense is increasingly suspect. I don't think he's even starting for the Royals. The Cardinals need help in the outfield, but I think acquiring Reggie Sanders (he is available) would be a wash, even if the Royals ate most of his salary.

Hopefully Stavinoha will be ready to help by August. I still have high hopes for him.

greenback44 wrote:

Popeye_Card wrote: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.

Whatever boost Durham would have supplied offensively he would have given it back defensively.

I like Popeye's point, but I don't see Adam Kennedy as representative of that point. He's a decent player, a solid defender, an intelligent baserunner, and hopefully he can recover some of his early-career pop.

RC21 wrote:I like Popeye's point, but I don't see Adam Kennedy as representative of that point. He's a decent player, a solid defender, an intelligent baserunner, and hopefully he can recover some of his early-career pop.

Considering the fact there wasn't a stud second baseman available it really doesn't matter. The possible corner outfielders Soriano and Lee were way overpaid.

RC21 wrote:I like Popeye's point, but I don't see Adam Kennedy as representative of that point. He's a decent player, a solid defender, an intelligent baserunner, and hopefully he can recover some of his early-career pop.

I agree that he brings a lot of nice things to the table. And it's nice to fill your roster with as many "knowns" as possible.

But like I said, it's further constraining your roster that has already grown very inflexible.

C: Molina. Probably not going to trade him or otherwise replace him.
1B: Pujols. Won't trade him in a million years.
2B: Kennedy. Signed to an attractive deal. Probably not good trade bait due to his combination of age and mediocre skills.
SS: Eckstein. Will be free agent.
3B: Rolen. Could trade him, but then you would be looking for 2 impact bats.
LF: Duncan. Cheap OF who looks to provide some decent production for the next few years.
CF: Edmonds. Just locked him up for 2 more seasons, while not expecting impact-type performance anymore.
RF: Juan E. is still locked up through 2008.

So like I said, the lineup is really set in stone for at least the next two years outside of possibly Eckstein, who they are looking to extend. Nobody vacates their position unless they leave in a trade, yet none of the players look that attractive in a trade. To create a hole for a player to come in, you are likely to be out financially (i.e. releasing or trading Juan in a salary dump).

Kennedy himself doesn't make the roster this way. It's just tightening the bolt on another contraint.

--P--