Cardinal Trade Chatter

Baseball’s official trade deadline is on Monday, July 31, 2017 at 4 p.m. EST, and what is going on with the Cardinals. The Fans would like to know who are the Cardinals are targeting, is it a reliever, starting pitcher, outfielder, first baseman or a third baseman?

Jon Morosi reports, “The Cardinals are emerging as an intriguing seller, and scouts from the Dodgers and Nationals were among those to attend Tuesday’s game in St. Louis — with trade candidate Lance Lynn on the mound, plus a Indians scout was in attendance on Tuesday, as well, with right-handed outfield bats the most likely focus. Cleveland pursued Martinez before he was dealt to Arizona, and the Cardinals are expected to listen to offers for Tommy Pham and/or Randal Grichuk in the coming days.”

I wonder if the Cardinals make a package of Pham, Grichuk and a minor league prospect what would the Indians give us, these are the players that come to my mind that would be of worth to the Cardinals and I don’t mean getting all of them …..OF Michael Brantley, 3B Jose Ramirez, 1B, Carlos Santana or SP Corey Kluber.

The Dodgers and The Nationals were also at Tuesday nights game, other Cardinal players that have been mention for possible trade bait……Trevor Rosenthal, Seung -hwan Oh and Lance Lynn.

I have a feeling the Cardinals will make a trade for a power hitter and a reliever. I also think that some of these Cardinal players will be split up in different trades, this is my prediction. So let the trades begin!!!!

Gyorko Wins Heart & Hustle Award

Colorado Springs, Colo. – The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) is pleased to announce Jedd Gyorko as the St. Louis Cardinals 2017 Heart and Hustle Award winner. This esteemed award honors active players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game. The Heart and Hustle Award is also the only award in Major League Baseball that is voted on by former players.

“We are proud to present Jedd with this award,” said MLBPAA chief executive officer Dan Foster. “He always has a great attitude and plays hard every day.”

The MLBPAA formed 30 committees, comprised of Alumni players with established relationships to each team. One player from each Major League team is chosen by the committees based on their passion, desire and work ethic demonstrated both on and off the field. These players will be recognized prior to an upcoming home game. As the season draws to a close, fans, all alumni and active players will vote to select the final winner from the 30 team winners. The previous overall winners are David Eckstein (2005), Craig Biggio (2006, 2007), Grady Sizemore (2008), Albert Pujols (2009), Roy Halladay (2010), Torii Hunter (2011), Mike Trout (2012), Dustin Pedroia (2013), Josh Harrison (2014), Anthony Rizzo (2015) and Todd Frazier (2016).

The final winner will be announced on November 14, 2017 at the 18^th Annual Legends for Youth Dinner in New York City. This event is the primary fundraiser for the series of free Legends for Youth Baseball Clinics. These clinics impact more than 16,000 children each year at 185 clinics, allowing them the unique opportunity to interact with and learn from players who have left a lasting impact on the game of baseball.

For more information regarding the Heart and Hustle Award, please contact Nikki Warner, Director of Communications, by e-mail at Nikki@MLBPAA.com or by calling (719) 477-1870, ext. 105.

To learn more about the MLBPAA, please visit www.baseballalumni.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@MLBPAA). The official hashtag for this award is #HeartandHustle

Source: St. Louis Cardinals

Royals Have Interest with Lynn

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Lance Lynn celebrates after ending the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers in Game 7 of MLB’s World Series baseball championship in St. Louis, Missouri, October 28, 2011. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

During tonight’s game versus the Mets Jimmy Hayes was discussing Lance Lynn’s situation with the Cardinals. Lance has mentioned that the Cardinals have not come to him to discussed a new contract with him as of yet. He is also not letting the rumors about him getting traded a distraction. Well early this afternoon Bob Nightengale tweeted this….The #Astros still favorites for #A‘s Sonny Gray, but #Royals very aggressive on him, #STLCards Lance Lynn,others https://usat.ly/2:43 PM – 17 Jul 2017

Kansas City Royals would be sellers at the trade deadline. Once upon a time, one would have thought that American League #Earned Run Average leader Jason Vargas would be on the trade block. Some thought others like Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, and Eric Hosmer would join him. The only player I see that may have some interest from the Cardinals would be Mike Moustakas. The only problem I see is that he is a free agent after this year and the Cardinals prefer someone that would be with the team for a long while but there is always that chance to sign him as a free agent since the new TV contract with FSMW will be kicking in. Just food for thought

Gilkey’s Diamondbacks Contract

I was thinking of writing a “Where are they Now” piece on Bernard Gilkey until I came across some information about Gilkey worth talking about.

The following article was written by Darren Rovell…..

Bernard Gilkey played his last game with the Arizona Diamondbacks more than nine years ago and yet, when the former Major League outfielder opens his mailbox these days, he still finds checks from the team.

In fact, Gilkey’s final payoff figures to be somewhere around his 51^stbirthday.

It’s one of those unique business stories rarely told, when teams defer salaries years into the future to save some money in the present.

The Arizona Diamondbacks payroll shows up at around $73 million this season, but in reality, the team that has likely deferred more money than any other in the history of sports, will cut checks totaling $90 million.

Those payments not only go to active players like Dan Haren and Mark Reynolds, but the team will also be paying off past players like Gilkey, Randy Johnson, Luis Gonzalez, Armando Reynoso, Curt Schilling, Matt Williams and Roberto Alomar.

The Diamondbacks past ownership was all about doing what they had to to win. It worked. In 2001, they agreed to pay its roster of players $85 million and beat the Yankees in the World Series that year. But doing what they had to do to win also meant deferring $244 million that they owed to players.

When Ken Kendrick took over the team in 2004, the Diamondbacks started paying back. The payment schedule was sped up when baseball changed the debt rules a couple years ago.

Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said that the team paid off $16 million this year and will pay off $15 million in 2010, $14 million in 2011 and $13 million in 2012. By 2013, the Diamondbacks will have less than $1.5 million to pay off. Matt Williams’ payments come off in 2014 and Gilkey, whose annual checks go up to as much as $1 million, will be the last one to come off the books in 2017.

“When fans look at our payroll, they don’t realize that we’re also paying former players,” Hall said.

Gilkey, who played 12 seasons in the league, played 161 games with the Diamondbacks from 1998-2000, earned about $12 million for his work. By deferring it, he obviously gets paid in installments and gets a bit more since the team pays between 2 and 7 percent interest on the owed money.

The most interesting salary deferral story could be the one of Bobby Bonilla. The Mets will reportedly pay from 2011 to 2035 for the $5.9 million salary they owe him from 2000, a season in which he didn’t even play for the team.

The team supposedly invested the money so that they’d actually make more than they’d have to pay out, even after interest payments were calculated. A Mets spokesman only said that Bonilla’s contract was deferred, but would not say the amount or comment on the payment schedule.

Cardinals need to make Stanton a Priority

In 1998 the Cardinals traded Braden Looper, Armando Almanza, and shortstop Pablo Ozuna for 1997 World Series hero Edgar Renteria. It wasn’t a fire sale from the Marlins but a way to open up a spot for Marlins young shortstop Alex Gonzalez. As we move forward in time to July of 2017 the Cardinals might or maybe not get involved with the possibility of attaining Giancarlo Stanton. The Cardinals need a power hitting bat desperately. The rumor of the week is Josh Donaldson might be the Cardinals target, I say please Cardinals, NO! Stanton will likely hit 40 home runs this summer. He already has been to four All- Star games. He stands 6-6 and weighs 245 pounds. He also draws walks and has an impressive .356 on-base percentage. The Cardinals can afford Giancarlo Stanton and here is why. The Cardinals at this point in the season is mediocre but it is heading to draw 3.4 million this season plus they are close to begin  a billion dollar tv deal with FOX Sports Midwest. If its prospects the Marlins want the Cardinals  can use the likes of Alex Reyes, Delvin Perez, Luke Weaver and Jack Flaherty to offset the hefty contract. The way I look at it Stanton will be well worth the money and the players the Cardinals would move to make it happen. He would be the missing piece of the puzzle for the Cardinals. The last time we had a huge power hitter is when Albert Pujols was in his prime. Stanton would step in as that one player that will make a difference for the Cardinals for this season. I just hope the Cardinals will step up and bring Stanton to St. Louis.

Cardinals International Signings

The St. Louis Cardinals announced today the signing of 10 free-agent players representing the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela from the first day of Major League Baseball’s international signing period for 2017-18.   Four outfielders, three catchers, two shortstops and a right-handed pitcher were among the signees.

A complete listing of the Cardinals international player signings is below:

Last, First Name	Pos.	B/T	HT	WT	Season	DOB	Age	Hometown
Cruz, Adanson	OF	R/R	6-1	172	2018	10/6/2000	16	Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Cruz, Jesus	RHP	RHP	6-2	225	2017	4/15/1995	22	San Luis de Potosi, Mexico
De Los Santos, Joerlin	CF	R/R	5-11	175	2018	9/16/2000	16	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Del Villar, Darlyn	SS	R/R	6-0	180	2018	11/8/2000	16	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Mora, Sander	SS	R/R	5-8	162	2018	2/23/2001	16	San Felipe, Venezuela
Orecchia, Jesus	C	R/R	6-1	186	2018	4/22/2001	16	Maracay, Venezuela
Pena, Leudy	OF	L/R	6-3	197	2018	11/17/2000	16	Nigua, Dominican Republic
Rodriguez, Gustavo	OF	R/R	6-1	182	2018	1/24/2000	17	Mao, Dominican Republic
Rodriguez, Luis	C	R/R	5-11	167	2018	2/26/2000	17	Punto Fijo, Venezuela
Zapata, Jose	C	R/R	5-11	195	2018	2/14/2001	16	Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela

All of the announced player signings are final and each of the players has passed their physical and the required MLB background checks.

Source: St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Make Minor Trades

 The St. Louis Cardinals announced a pair of trades today, sending international cap space to the Boston Red Sox for minor league infielders Stanley Espinal and Imeldo Diaz and doing the same with the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league outfielder Lane Thomas.

Espinal, 20, was signed by Boston as an international free-agent on February 3, 2015 out of Santiago, D.R. and has compiled a .251 career batting mark with 8 HR’s & 82 RBI in 132 games in the minors, including seven this season with the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League (short-A).  The 6-2, 190-pound right-handed hitting third baseman led the Dominican Summer League in RBI (59) in 2015.

Diaz, 19, is a right-handed hitting shortstop who was an international free agent signee by the Red Sox on July 2, 2014 out of Villa de Cura, Venezuela.   The 6-0, 175-pound Diaz owns a career .222 batting average in his 123 games played in the minors, including seven this season for Lowell.

Thomas, 21, was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 5^th round of the 2014 amateur draft out of Bearden High School in Knoxville, Tenn.  The right-handed hitting centerfielder has produced a career .242 batting average, 18 HR’s, 123 RBI and 42 stolen bases in his 264 games in the minors.   The 6-1, 210-pound Thomas was batting .252 with 4 HR’s and 38 RBI in 73 games this season for the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League (high-A).

 Source: St. Louis Cardinals