2011 Payroll Breakdown and Discussion

[Fat Strat]

I'm not doing this for karma reasons now. After some hashing outs with jagtrader in another thread, I've decided to take an early but detailed look at what 2011 might bring. I've got a pretty good idea of our payroll status going into next season. You can look at our payroll obligations here.

The not-so-magic number is $68 million, but it's very deceptive. Here's how the $68 million breaks down:

1b - Pujols - $5 million buyout included already + $11 million option ($16 million total)
2b - Skip - $2.7 million
3b -
SS - Ryan - arb
C - Molina - $5.3 million
OF - Holliday - $17 million (some deferred)
OF - Rasmus - $450k
OF -

SP - Wainwright - $6.68
SP - Carpenter - $15 million
SP - Lohse - $12.18 million
SP - Garcia - $450k
SP -

CL - Franklin - $3.5 million
RH - McClellan - arb
LH - Miller - $2 million option
LH -
RH - Boggs - $450k
RH - Motte - $450k
RH - Salas/Hawk/Lynn - $450k

BC -
BN -
BN -
BN -
BN -

Add in Miller's option & Pujols' option and we're jumping from <$30 available to <$17 million available, assuming no jump in payroll. The arb cases I think are pretty cut and dried. Ryan and McClellan will both make about $1 million next year. Both are vital parts of the club, so run our total down to <$15 million available.

That's not so bad. Doable, since we only have a few holes, right? Well, not so fast. We have another serious problem. Even our "cheap" scrubs get paid well -- $400-$450 a pop. If we fill in every remaining hole that I've left (includes an SP, 3b, BC, etc.) with league minimum talent that's another $4.5 million.

That leaves us with <$10.5 million to use to improve upon the players we currently have in our system.

So, get creative boys. How do you use the players we have plus some small additions to turn this into a winning club with just $10 million to spend this offseason?

[New Pagodi]

I appreciate everything that Skip has done, but if he's the starting 2nd basemen next year, MO has failed as a GM.

[vinsanity]

So, get creative boys. How do you use the players we have plus some small additions to turn this into a winning club with just $10 million to spend this offseason?

I mentioned the name elsewhere, but I like Jerry Hairston Jr in the Lopez role for about $2M.
What are the chances of Westbrook taking 2/10, leaving Lynn and the others phinstd mentioned at AAA for emergency starts?
That's $7M. And I doubt Westbrook would come cheap.

I also like Hawpe, I think he'd be pretty cheap $4-5M range to start in RF, giving Jay the 4th OF spot.

There's just not [expletive] out there cheap and attractive at 3B.

[cards2468]

I appreciate everything that Skip has done, but if he's the starting 2nd basemen next year, MO has failed as a GM.

even if Mo sits on his hands all off season, I'd still rather see Danny Descalso at 2b with Skip moving back to 4th OF

[Fat Strat]

I appreciate everything that Skip has done, but if he's the starting 2nd basemen next year, MO has failed as a GM.

Possibly, but what alternatives does the club have? I think a couple factors are in play here. First, I think that one of the main reasons Skip was moved was because the Cards do budget projections years in advance and knew that they couldn't commit anything significant to 2nd. Greene wasn't ready at the time. Ryan was an unknown. So, they got creative. And it worked last year. Failed this year. Looking dim going forward.

I think it's telling that Skip has seen some time in RF lately. If I were Mo, I would strongly consider going into '11 with Greene and Skip in a virtual platoon at 2nd. Play the one who hits. If Greene works out, Skip is your OF depth -- something that looks preferable to what we have right now.

I still think that most of that $10 million available needs to go to Westbrook.

[Cronos]

I appreciate everything that Skip has done, but if he's the starting 2nd basemen next year, MO has failed as a GM.

even if Mo sits on his hands all off season, I'd still rather see Danny Descalso at 2b with Skip moving back to 4th OF

If they just can't find anyone else for 2b, Descalso better get a fair look in ST at the very least.

[Fat Strat]

So, get creative boys. How do you use the players we have plus some small additions to turn this into a winning club with just $10 million to spend this offseason?

I mentioned the name elsewhere, but I like Jerry Hairston Jr in the Lopez role for about $2M.
What are the chances of Westbrook taking 2/10, leaving Lynn and the others phinstd mentioned at AAA for emergency starts?
That's $7M. And I doubt Westbrook would come cheap.

I also like Hawpe, I think he'd be pretty cheap $4-5M range to start in RF, giving Jay the 4th OF spot.

There's just not [expletive] out there cheap and attractive at 3B.

I think that Westbrook is going to get something closer to what Pineiro got. Say 2/$15 million, considering he was hurt last year and wasn't particularly strong this season. If we can upgrade our infield defense -- and starting Pujols/Greene/Ryan/Freese would do that -- then he would be a strong asset for us.

I would pencil Westbrook in at $7.5 million, leaving us with $2.5 million -- and I would use that to get a LHRP. That's it though. You're done after that.

[mcgee51taguchi99]

There should almost be two versions of this, one with/without Tony coming back.

[cards2468]

I appreciate everything that Skip has done, but if he's the starting 2nd basemen next year, MO has failed as a GM.

Possibly, but what alternatives does the club have? I think a couple factors are in play here. First, I think that one of the main reasons Skip was moved was because the Cards do budget projections years in advance and knew that they couldn't commit anything significant to 2nd. Greene wasn't ready at the time. Ryan was an unknown. So, they got creative. And it worked last year. Failed this year. Looking dim going forward.

I think it's telling that Skip has seen some time in RF lately. If I were Mo, I would strongly consider going into '11 with Greene and Skip in a virtual platoon at 2nd. Play the one who hits. If Greene works out, Skip is your OF depth -- something that looks preferable to what we have right now.

I still think that most of that $10 million available needs to go to Westbrook.

You're probably right... looks like we'll have another season coming up where we pray David Freese plays a full effective season and Rasmus stays healthy.

[vinsanity]

I think that Westbrook is going to get something closer to what Pineiro got. Say 2/$15 million, considering he was hurt last year and wasn't particularly strong this season. If we can upgrade our infield defense -- and starting Pujols/Greene/Ryan/Freese would do that -- then he would be a strong asset for us.

I would pencil Westbrook in at $7.5 million, leaving us with $2.5 million -- and I would use that to get a LHRP. That's it though. You're done after that.

Then what, Miles, Descalso, Gotay/Carpenter backing up Greene/Freese?

Not having a backup 2B or 3B I'd feel comfortable starting every day in September scares me.