The Reds signed a catcher today and the Pirates avoided arbitration with a pair of pitchers. Here are some more notes from the NL Central…
- Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said this weekend that his team must stay within certain financial limitations to put a competitive team on the field year after year, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The Cardinals would have liked to retain Albert Pujols, but keeping him wasn’t necessarily realistic. “It's how much can I afford to pay one player and put together a team that's going to be competitive? That's the whole jigsaw puzzle that all teams have,” DeWitt said.
- Carlos Beltran said the Indians, Rays and Giants were among the finalists for his services this offseason, MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports. Beltran said another team offered a three-year deal worth less money, B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com tweets.
- Cubs director of scouting and player development Jason McLeod said he's looking forward to meeting with his scouts this week to find ways of drafting more effectively under the new collective bargaining agreement, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.
- Tom Haudricourt on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that there's an expectation that the Brewers will sign outfielder Norichika Aoki. They have until 4pm CDT tomorrow to sign Aoki, or else he’ll be returned to the Yakult Swallows and the Brewers will get their $2.5MM posting fee back.
Everyone just ignore Josh B. He’s just a troll.
Brewers>Reds>Cards
No Fielder, no Braun but still best in the Central…interesting
The Crew will be better than people are giving them credit for. Gallardo, Marcum, Greinke is a great TOR. They are going to need their pitching to come up big early in the season to keep them in the hunt while Braun is out. Once Braun gets back, they still have a good offense. If they could be within about 4 or 5 games when Braun returns, I think they’ll make a run.
I’m convinced Marcum has some injury that hasn’t been diagnosed. he looked toast the last month of the season. and 50 games is a LOT to miss, especially when they are losing Fielder too. They may fall so far behind that by the time they get Braun back they won’t be able to catch up.
Could be Reds, Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs, Pirates, Astros…
I’d think the Pirates will be better than the Cubbies, but I could be wrong. They had a good first half last yr.
The Reds will be in the same place they where last year… watching the Cardinals win the world series (just like Nyjer Morgan)!
The Reds don’t impress me. Ignore everyone with a Reds picture or avatar. It’ll be a Milwaukee/St.Louis NL Central race.
Like you’d admit it even if they did impress you hahahahahaha!
Astros leave the NL in style and shock everyone in baseball by winning the division and losing in game 7 of the World Series. Really that’s just a movie plot I’m currently workshopping….
Cardinals
Reds
Brewers
Cubs
Pirates
Astros
Cards
Brewers
Reds
Pirates
Astros
Cubs
I don’t want to sound bitter, but I really think Dewitt made the right call. The Cardinals would no doubt be better the next couple years with Albert in the middle of the line-up. But years 4-10 of that contract would absolutely destroy any hopes for the Cardinals.
I just wish it didn’t end so ugly. I don’t mind that he is moving on. It’s the “personal services” contract or whatever at the end that bothers me. I would have liked to have him back around the ballpark as soon as he retires. It sounds like that won’t be happening though.
I still thank him for 11 awesome years and 2 World Championships. Great player that I’ll always be able to tell my kids/grandkids about.
“personal services” contract or whatever at the end that bothers me…”
Good point. It really makes me wonder which hat he’ll wear when he enters the HOF. I guess it’ll all depend on his numbers in LA?
Eh, I think it would take a pretty amazing 5 or 6 years with some World Series’ to even make it a discussion.
I’m an Angels homer who loves the Pujols signing, but even I’d be pretty upset if he went in as a Halo. Hopefully Vlad will, though.
Is Albert Pujols going to die at age 51? You should tell him about that if you have any insider info.
What in my post has anything to do with when Albert Pujols will die?
My favorite is how people act surprised that a clear homer picks their team first.
My second favorite is how there is no remote possibility on earth that he could be right. At least, not if you ask a Brewers or Cards fan.
I think it’s a pretty even race. Go look at the Dioner Navarro comments and you’ll see why he got the response he did. I would say he got the reaction he wanted.
I say the Brewers are completely out of the question. The Reds may put up a fight.. but they won’t get too far, I think they’re too young without much leadership in the dugout.. So with that said? Yeah go Cards.
PS: for all who said we got lucky? We swept the Braves in the last series with them. We beat the Phillies in the NLDS. Luck? How? Not to mention we also beat the Brewers in the NLCS. Then of course the World Series.. How was any of this luck? It was all the mind set of the Cards and the Rangers thought they just won it all…
the brewers lose braun for 50 games and cards get adam wainright back. latos will look a lot different in cincy bandbox than san diego’s huge park. i like what cincy has done on paper but st l> cincy> mil. cubs fan hoping the pirates make some noise this year
@stl_cards16:disqus, here I am. I was giving myself vertigo typing “down the side of a cliff” like that. :p
I really just want to say it’s refreshing having an actual decent discussion about a topic.
Got that right, buddy. Seems like a lost art these days. Too many fans come here to talk garbage, troll, or call attention to themselves in some way — instead of having a thoughtful exchange about this magnificent sport that has captured the hearts of the Americas, and places much farther away. I have little patience for that kind of stuff.
Yes, I am a Giants fan — but make no mistake: I do not kid myself that this makes me a “master of the universe” or something, as some of my fellow fans seem to want to believe. They’re just my team, that’s all (and as an aside, I actually do like the 9’ers; a first-rate defense without a doubt, and a very proud history).
I’d say you’re right about the reception the Cards got last season vs ’06. Perhaps it’s that twice is just a little too much for some fans to take. That would be my guess. Me, I had a lot more trouble with ’06, but that was less about of the Birds and more about that choking sound coming from Flushing. I’ll bet that not a few Mets fans checked themselves into the psych ward after that season…and beyond…
The reds were just a one year wonder. expect another below .500 year reds fans