Eduardo sanchez

[Vidor]

My thoughts on McClellan.

1. He should not make the team over pitcher like Sanchez, Salas, Boggs, Lynn. Send him to AAA if you have to. Depth is a good thing, and he's proven that he can perform in any bullpen role minus closer, which he would be like 8th in line for anyways.
2. Don't trade him just to trade him. Only trade him if getting rid of him is necessary to sign someone, like Oswalt.
3. He will be the whipping boy, because the way the media portrayed the Cardinals having to get rid of him before they can sign Oswalt, and also because he is likely the highest paid reliever, but also amongst the worst on our club.

Agreed with 1 and 3 completely--dunno about #2, he's replaceable, the Cardinals really wouldn't miss a beat if he were unloaded for some AAA filler.

[cpebbles]

Strauss, btw, says the Cardinals are willing to pretty much give him away in order to free up some money to sign a starting pitcher.

[cards2468]

Strauss, btw, says the Cardinals are willing to pretty much give him away in order to free up some money to sign a starting pitcher.

I'm kinda over Oswalt. I still would prefer we send KMac somewhere else, but I'd be fine with Lynn as a long term starting option if need be, and Shelby right behind him if we need another, or maybe Scrabble. Eitherway, I think we have plenty of good in-house options.

[vinsanity]

They knew that amount was close to the amount they had left to spend.

Here it is again, the notion that they really only had five million left in some 2012 piggy bank.

But you're making the exact same assertion in the opposite direction! Do you know they have more than $5M left in the piggy bank? Do you know what the costs to the team and ownership would be financially if they spend more than $5M more? Why are you criticizing others for admitting they are speculating, but speculating yourself?

I'm not sure what you want from me? I speculate that the team has a budget of $110M this year to spend on players. They've chosen to not exceed that budget for Oswalt. If McClellan were gone, it'd be possible to sign Oswalt without exceeding that budget. You're speculating they have more. So what's your point?

Actually I think there might be one way to tell.

If they trade McClellan and sign Oswalt?

[cpebbles]

We have some usable options. Oswalt has steadily been an approximately 4 WAR per 200 inning pitcher even during his decline. If Carpenter's nerve problems impact his pitching and Wainwright doesn't have a better first year back than most TJ survivors do, that probably puts Oswalt as a better per-inning starter than anyone currently on the roster.

[Vidor]

They knew that amount was close to the amount they had left to spend.

Here it is again, the notion that they really only had five million left in some 2012 piggy bank.

But you're making the exact same assertion in the opposite direction! Do you know they have more than $5M left in the piggy bank? Do you know what the costs to the team and ownership would be financially if they spend more than $5M more? Why are you criticizing others for admitting they are speculating, but speculating yourself?

I'm not sure what you want from me? I speculate that the team has a budget of $110M this year to spend on players. They've chosen to not exceed that budget for Oswalt. If McClellan were gone, it'd be possible to sign Oswalt without exceeding that budget. You're speculating they have more. So what's your point?

Actually I think there might be one way to tell.

If they trade McClellan and sign Oswalt?

No, that would prove nothing. If, as I noted above, they add eight million in payroll during the year--or, if in your scenario above, they dump KMac, sign Oswalt, but then during the year add an additional $2.5M in payroll obligation, equaling the KMac money they dumped--it would prove that the Cardinals did in fact have the money to sign Oswalt regardless of KMac but just refused to do so.

[cards2468]

We have some usable options. Oswalt has steadily been an approximately 4 WAR per 200 inning pitcher even during his decline. If Carpenter's nerve problems impact his pitching and Wainwright doesn't have a better first year back than most TJ survivors do, that probably puts Oswalt as a better per-inning starter than anyone currently on the roster.

Oswalt is probably at the same point as Carp in terms of conditioning, so he wouldn't be ready at the start of the season anyway. I was really on board for getting Oswalt, but as we progress, I've been pretty happy with how the staff has been coming together and Lynn looking good, I'd prefer to just hold onto the money to have at midseason if we end up with a glaring hole (like maybe Berkman's or Beltran's knees go, or Freese's ankle, etc.)

[Vidor]

We have some usable options. Oswalt has steadily been an approximately 4 WAR per 200 inning pitcher even during his decline. If Carpenter's nerve problems impact his pitching and Wainwright doesn't have a better first year back than most TJ survivors do, that probably puts Oswalt as a better per-inning starter than anyone currently on the roster.

Oswalt is probably at the same point as Carp in terms of conditioning, so he wouldn't be ready at the start of the season anyway. I was really on board for getting Oswalt, but as we progress, I've been pretty happy with how the staff has been coming together and Lynn looking good, I'd prefer to just hold onto the money to have at midseason if we end up with a glaring hole (like maybe Berkman's or Beltran's knees go, or Freese's ankle, etc.)

This is true. Maybe that's what they're thinking.

[Jmodene]

Given how Ottavino and Sanchez did today, maybe we shouldn't be so quick to jettison McClellan.

[Vidor]

Ottavino is terrible.