Carlos Beltran said Monday that he would like to remain with the Cardinals beyond this season and hopes to eventually talk with the team about their future plans.
The problem, of course, is that the Cards have top prospect Oscar Taveras, who will likely be ready to take over right field starting in 2014. So, while Beltran appears to have some good years left in the tank after batting .269/.346/.495 with 32 homers last season, his time in St. Louis is likely done after 2013.
Source: twitter.com
Tagged as: Cardinals, Carlos Beltran, news
Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said Adam Wainwright’s agent, Steve Hammond, has not informed him of a deadline regarding extension talks with his client.
“It’s a little more open-ended,” Mozeliak said. “It doesn?t look like we?ve had any dialogue to this point (with) any lines drawn in the sand. We?ll see the next four weeks and see where we go.” The two sides engaged in preliminary extension talks towards the end of the 2012 season, but Wainwright decided to table them because he didn’t want it to be a distraction. He did say, though, that he “liked where it was headed.” The 32-year-old seems likely to seek a deal in the range of Matt Cain’s five-year, $112.5 million contract.
Source: stltoday.com
Tagged as: Adam Wainwright, Cardinals, news
Shelby Miller is up to 223 pounds now after reporting to spring training at 204 pounds last year.
Miller irked the Cardinals last year when he slimmed down in search of “a beach bod,” and it probably contributed to his slow start to the season at Triple-A Memphis. The right-hander is bigger and stronger now, though, and will compete for a spot in the Cards’ rotation. Miller remains one of the better pitching prospects in the game.
Source: twitter.com
Tagged as: Cardinals, news, Shelby Miller
Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak views Lance Lynn as the “front-runner” in the competition for the No. 5 starter spot.
The Cards wanted Lynn to lose some weight over the offseason and aren’t guaranteeing him anything, but he’s got a leg up over Joe Kelly, Trevor Rosenthal and Shelby Miller. “I look at Lance Lynn as the front-runner of that,” Mozeliak said. “He deserves that. It’s not something that I would advise him to lay down and just think it’s his job.” It’s possible the Cards will have two spots up for grabs if Jaime Garcia’s shoulder proves to be unsound.
Source: stltoday.com
Tagged as: Cardinals, Lance Lynn, news
According to Jennifer Langosch of MLB.com, Rafael Furcal is on track to be fully recovered and ready by the start of spring training.
Furcal was shut down last August when he tore the UCL in his right elbow. The club remained confident all winter that Furcal would be ready to go, and chose not to hedge their bets by acquiring a middle infielder.
Source: mlb.com
Tagged as: Cardinals, news, Rafael Furcal
Chris Carpenter stated Saturday that his throwing is going well, his shoulder is strong, and that he’s anxious about testing his arm during spring training.
Carpenter noted that he’s had a normal offseason and that he hasn’t reported any issues or setbacks. It’s important to note however, that Carpenter felt fully healthy heading into the 2012 season before the shoulder issue arose. If healthy, he’ll represent a tremendous value in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts, but there is certainly a high risk of re-injury.
Source: mlb.com
Tagged as: Cardinals, Chris Carpenter, news
Adam Wainwright and his agent Steve Hammond engaged the Cardinals in extension talks during the 2012 season but ultimately called them off to avoid any possible distractions.
Both sides have expressed interest in working out a long-term deal before Wainwright hits free agency after the 2013 season. He’ll undoubtedly be seeking something similar to what Zack Greinke or Matt Cain got, and the Cardinals would be wise to oblige to keep the talented right-hander in town.
Source: twitter.com
Tagged as: Adam Wainwright, Cardinals, news
Jaime Garcia (shoulder) said he expects to be ready for the start of spring training.
Garcia was shut down on two occasions last season due to shoulder issues, but was able to avoid surgery and have a fairly normal offseason. While he’s declared himself ready for spring training, his health remains a concern going into 2013. He recently turned down an opportunity to play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, and will instead focus on getting medically cleared for Opening Day.
Source: stltoday.com
Tagged as: Cardinals, Jaime Garcia, news
Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said that Daniel Descalso is the leading candidate to start at second base.
Descalso is capable of playing third base and even shortstop, but will come into spring training with the second base job as his to lose. He batted just .227/.303/.324 with four home runs and 10 triples in 426 plate appearances last season, and will likely face heavy competition from Matt Carpenter and Kolten Wong.
Source: twitter.com
Tagged as: Cardinals, Daniel Descalso, news
Marc Rzepczynski requested $1.1 million and was offered $900,000 from the Cardinals when arbitration figures were exchanged Friday.
Rzepczynski is arbitration-eligible for the first time after posting a 4.24 ERA and 33/17 K/BB ratio over 46 2/3 innings last season. With such a small gap between the two sides, look for common ground to be found in the coming days.
Source: stltoday.com
Tagged as: Cardinals, Marc Rzepczynski, news