St. Louis Cardinals' Cash Flow Not As Fluid As Many Thought

[Phil Lilley]

St. Louis Cardinals' cash flow not as fluid as many thought

By Rick Hummel

http://preview.tinyurl.com/9qz3z6

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

Wednesday, Jan. 07 2009

Not that the Cardinals have spent that much this offseason, but they might have

less to spend than many have surmised.

After a couple of minutes of calculations at his Busch Stadium desk Tuesday,

Cardinals vice president and general manager John Mozeliak came up with a

figure, probably conservative, that his team would owe at least $10 million

more this season to its five arbitration-eligible players. Those players are

outfielders Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan and pitchers Todd

Wellemeyer and Brad Thompson.

Collectively, that fivesome made just more than $3 million in 2008, but as

players with three years' big-league service, (nearly three in Duncan's case)

you would be lucky to get any more than one or two of them for $3 million now.

"Everybody talks about how much money we had come off (the books), but there's

the realities of the arbitration cases," said Mozeliak, "and then there's

players entering their second years of multiyear contracts, like your

Wainwrights and your Molinas, that are going to see bumps as well."

For instance, righthander Adam Wainwright will go from $500,000 to $2.6 million

and catcher Yadier Molina from $1.75 million to $3.25 million as part of the

escalation in their tiered multi-year deals.

"So there isn't as much freedom as people felt we had with guys like (Mark)

Mulder coming off the books," Mozeliak said. "There's definitely some internal

increases (outfielder Skip Schumaker among others) that we're dealing with. All

in, it's probably close to $20 million."

Ludwick, coming off a 37-homer, 113-RBI season, made $411,000 and could get 10

times as much this time. Wellemeyer, who has five years' service and is one

year from free agency, could go from $1 million to $4 million after a 13-9

season in his first season as a big-league starter.

Given this backdrop then, is it possible, or even likely, that the Cardinals

will trade an outfielder to get pitching that they need? Mozeliak ruled out

nothing but also said that the Cardinals' opening day roster might include all

of the aforementioned outfielders plus rookie Colby Rasmus and Joe Mather, who

last year filled a utility role, a role that might be expanded to third base

and perhaps even second base this spring.

Mozeliak said a trade of an outfielder wouldn't be made because of payroll but

rather the potential overload at the position, which encompasses minor-league

prospects Jon Jay, Shane Robinson and Daryl Jones.

But he added, "I do think there's a way that all these guys (the six at the

big-league level) make it. There is a scenario."

The Cardinals seem to have upgraded at shortstop with Khalil Greene and have

three different lefthanders in their bullpen from the year before. But that

basically has been the extent of the offseason wheeling and dealing, which, of

course, leaves many fans in a tizzy although the season is 90 days away.

Early in the offseason, Mozeliak spoke of being "aggressive" and also said the

Cardinals would try to garner some "low-hanging fruit."

"If I read the papers and if I go online to read the blogs, I'd probably be

more aware of (the discontent)," said Mozeliak, who agreed that St. Louis fans

hold the Cardinals to a high standard. "I can't ignore that, but that can't be

the basis of the direction we go in.

"I have to do what's best long-range and not make mistakes just to appease the

headines tomorrow."

That having been said, Mozeliak said he might use different terminology for

public consumption from here on out.

"When I said we were going to plan on being aggressive, I thought we were,"

Mozeliak said. "I'm not a wordsmith. Maybe I shouldn't use words like that."

And low-hanging fruit?

"I've been getting killed on that," said Mozeliak, smiling. "To me, that's

defined as getting things done quickly — like getting (Jason) LaRue done and

obviously (Kyle) Lohse.

"I guess I just need to choose my words a little better — or talk less."

Mozeliak said his pitching priority now probably would be starting pitching —

which might not happen until he sees his club play this spring — rather than

relieving because he believes in youngster Chris Perez as his potential closer,

with Jason Motte coming fast.

"I know it's not optimal the way Tony (manager Tony La Russa) looks at it,"

Mozeliak said. "But we went with a very young outfield last year that got the

same type of scrutiny and questions that now our bullpen is getting. I'm using

that as a barometer that it works.

"We had the same type of faith in Ludwick and Ankiel and that group as we do

with Perez and Motte and (Kyle) McClellan."

rhummel@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8196

[mark hedger]

Makes you wonder what they are looking for...besides bargains.