Quick Hits: Miller, Furcal sidelined
Well up to this point Spring Training has been rather uneventful, the Carpenter news aside. This is about the time when some injuries begin to surface. The pitchers began their second round of live batting practice today.
- Shelby Miller has been sidelined by a minor injury. He won’t play in the weekend’s games because of shoulder tightness, but manager Mike Matheny don’t see it as a major problem. “We’re not too concerned,” Matheny told the St. Louis Post Dispatch*. “It isn’t major so much as we’re trying to get ahead of something, that’s more preventative. We’re always extra cautious with young players.”
- This weekend’s games are expected to showcase the Cardinal’s surplus of young pitching with Trevor Rosenthal expected to start Saturday’s contest and Michael Wacha making an appearance as well.
- Rafael Furcal is still yet to throw at 100% and will miss this weekend’s game and probably next week’s games also. The problem in this case is again the elbow which forced the veteran to miss the month of September in 2012. It’s good to see they’re being cautious with this, but also troubling that his elbow issue just doesn’t seem to go away (more on this tomorrow)
- Just like last year there are positions up for grabs on the roster. I will be keeping track of these competitions all spring long.
-Zack
Quick Hits: Cedeno, offseason, and ballpark village
•The Ronny Cedeno signing by the Cardinals has not been short of criticism. I didn’t have a good opinion on it as soon as the news broke. Now, after mulling over the signing I have an opinion: It’s not a big deal. It really isn’t. The Cardinals were quite clear in their words and their actions that there wouldn’t be any huge signings this offseason. As much as I wanted them to go out and get an elite shortstop, they never had intentions of doing that. The club wanted a veteran bat that can spot start for Furcal. Was Cedeno the best option? Maybe, maybe not, but he isn’t going to be the shortstop of the future so I don’t see this as a huge deal. Put down the pitchforks and calm down.
•It is very crucial for the Cardinals to get Adam Wainwright signed long-term. They need to get it done before pitchers and catchers report and if not that, they HAVE to sign him before he jumps into the free agency pool and has big-market teams pursuing him. We’ve seen this scenario play out in the past and we don’t want to see it again. If the club thinks he’s going to be the ace and lead the rotation after the Carpenter era, then they need to get it done.
•It is truly nice to see that they will be breaking ground and starting the Ballpark Village. It’s been a long time coming.
That’s all I got for now, thanks for reading.
Cards bow out for Burnett, sign Randy Choate
The Cardinals’ extended search for a left-handed specialist to accompany Marc Rzepczynski has concluded today. They have signed reliever Randy Choate to supply a veteran presence and fill a much-needed role in the bullpen.
After pursuing Choate a couple of times in the past via trades, they’ve finally got their man by signing him to a three-year, $7.5 million contract. The official word is awaiting a physical that will take place in St. Louis on Friday. The deal was first reported by ESPN’s Jayson Stark and later confirmed by the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
He is a more true of a left-handed specialist in comparison with Rzepczynski, who can go two or more innings. Choate has his best success when facing strictly left-handed batters. He split time with the Dodgers and Marlins in 2012 and lefties only had a .158 batting average against the sidearmer. His 80 appearances led the league last year.
The Cardinals bowed out of the bidding for their reported main target Sean Burnett and the former National signed with the Los Angeles Angels. The Cardinals loosing a free agent to the Angels, sound familiar?
As the Winter Meetings conclude tomorrow anymore deals by the Cardinals is highly doubtful. They are not expected to make a pick in the Rule 5 Draft
Winter Meetings: Day 2 recap
The Winter Meetings are the premium time of the year for rumor-lovers like my self and boy do I love my me a juicy rumor. Yesterday was a slightly quiet day, but today had it’s fair share of activity. Here is a recap of the moves made and some nice rumors. Remember, rumors are just rumors, at least for now.
Major Moves Made:
- The Washington Nationals have signed free-agent starting pitcher Dan Haren (with the Angels last year) to a 1 year/$13 million dollar contract.
- The Texas Rangers have signed reliever Joakim Soria (with the Royals last year) to a two-year deal with an option for 2015.
- The Red Sox signed outfielder Shane Victorino (Dodgers last year) to a three-year $39 million dollar deal.
Cardinals Rumors:
- There are reports from credible sources that the Cardinals are trying to sign Marco Scutaro. ESPN’s Buster Olney said that it was “50-50″ chance between him signing back with the Giants or heading to St. Louis. He is reportedly looking for a two or three-year contract. A decision is expected soon.
- “Better than even $$ Cards make move Wednesday. #Developing,” tweeted the St. Louis Post Dispatch’s Joe Strauss Tuesday night.
- The Dodgers and the Cardinals have been together in rumors quite a bit. The Dodgers are reportedly interested in trading for Skip Schumaker and the Dodgers’ Dee Gordon has also been rumored to be involved in trade talks between the two teams.
