Looking Ahead to the Offseason Rebuilding Plans - Page 2

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 11:50 AM

GoCrazyFolks
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(10/20/06 10:11 am)

After the job that Weaver has done this off-season, I'm jumping on BrotherBri's bandwagon. Especially looking at Zito in comparison.

I still think we can keep Ankiel. If nothing else he could be a valuable bench player as a defensive replacement and pinch runner (although it's hard to justify this line of thought, since we rarely use them). As a caveat, I'm not very objective on this subject. I just can't stop rooting for Mr. Ankiel.

I can't see Izzy not being on the team, but only time will tell.

Edmonds is one of the biggest ?'s. I hope he really likes it here as much as he has said in the past.

Contract question; If we re-negotiate Edmonds' deal (for example sign him to a two year extension at $xxx, we do not have to pay his $3 million buyout, correct? Or do we have to buy him out to get next year's money to go away?

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 11:51 AM

BleacherBum593
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(10/20/06 12:08 pm)

On the question of Edmonds contract - it all depends on the terms of the new deal, if one is negotiated. Chances are if they re-negotiate, they'll extend the contract and the 3 mil option goes away or it'll be paid out in future years after he's retired.

Bullpen is shaping up nicely for next year. Wainwright will be the closer as Izzy won't be available till June/July.

We'll be able to draw from Looper, Kinney, T Johnson, R Flores, Hancock, Thompson, Sosa, Rincon and possibly Narveson or Anthony Reyes.

I'm throwing Reyes into the BP mix as a way to get him fully grounded in the bigs, much the same way Wainwright was handled this year (and that turned out pretty nicely).

The big off-season questions will be the starting rotation. And what are the White Sox going to do with Buerhle? He'd fit nicely into our starting rotation, replacing Mulder. And hopefully Walter will spend some of his savings on re-signing Soup and the "Dream" Weaver.

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 11:53 AM

KodiakSr
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(10/31/06 7:56 pm)
Buerhle will most likely be with the White Sox for at least this next year. While he didn't do so hot this past year, I think he'll rebound nicely for 2007. I'm looking for him to be in the Cards rotation by 2008 rolls around though...

I'm pretty positive a deal will be worked out with Edmonds.

We'll need at least one of Wainwright and Reyes in the rotation, if not both seeing as we have only have Carpenter signed up at the moment. My intuition tells me that Soup will be back and that Weaver will cash in on his postseason success...but I could be wrong.

I get the feeling that Walt is going to go hard after one of the upper tier pitchers for the rotation. I seriously doubt they'll sign Zito but you never know.

I think we need another big bat. Carlos Lee would be a nice addition, despite his crappy fielding...couldn't be worse than Duncan. Or do we stick with Duncan in the outfield and pray that Encarnacion puts up somewhat decent numbers and that Edmonds stays healthy along with Rolen?

How much is Dewitt willing to put up for payroll next season? They had to have made a killing off of the new stadium this year, not to mention the added playoff/world series revenue (btw- anybody know how much that is?). If payroll doesn't go up for next season I will be very annoyed (especially if they are raising ticket prices like Bleach said!).

Any thoughts on second base anyone? Do we bring Belliard back? I like him but I worry about his offense at times.

This team, despite being a World Champ, needs some work. I'm confident that Walt will find all the right pieces in time for 2007.
KodiakSr
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(10/31/06 7:58 pm)
What does everyone think about Jason Schmidt, good fit or no?

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 11:54 AM

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(11/1/06 11:51 am)
Free agent players are now applying for Free Agency. I'll update the list by Fri night. I've got an off day tomorrow and I'll work on it then.

I haven't seen a budget # yet from DeWitt. Has anyone? That'll be one of the main key's on who we get to go after.

Has CWS exercised their option on Buerhle?

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 11:56 AM

GoCrazyFolks
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Posts: 16
(11/1/06 1:30 pm)
CWS did exercise their option on Buerhle. I'll try to find the article and link it.

The only comment I have heard from DeWitt was very non-committtal. When asked if he would raise the budget he responded 'we will spend what we need to spend to be competitive' (may not be word for word). He would not go into any further detail.

The other comment that I found interesting was by either DeWitt or Lamping and they said that the Cardinals are more likely to fill their holes through trades than via free agency

Off the wall idea #1;

We obviously have an interest in Buerhle. I wonder if we could work a trade with the CWS. I know that we don't have a whole lot to offer that we would be willing to give up, but one guy I would think they would be interested in is Duncan. The only stumbling block would seem to be where he could play for them. I think all would agree that he is best suited as a DH. The Sox already have Thome and Konerko stacked up. Thome has played some LF and Duncan might be able to play OF for them.

I also wouldn't mind seeing Podsednik come our way. He was a bit off last year, but he is still a heck of a player.

I would think that Duncan and Juan Encarnacion for Buerhle and Podsednik would be a reasonable place to start. I'm sure the Sox would want a little more, but I'd throw it their way.

Let me know if you think I'm out to lunch on this one.

****Edited to spell Podsednik correctly

Edited by: GoCrazyFolks at: 11/1/06 1:46 pm

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 11:58 AM

KodiakSr
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(11/1/06 5:50 pm)

Podsednik doesn't really answer any of our problems, and trading Duncan and Encarnacion would really make a mess of the offense. I'm inclined to keep Duncan and see what he can do for an entire season now that he has some experience (the comparisons of Ryan Howard's first year stats to Duncans is enough to make one salivate at the possibilities). Juan doesn't have much trade value but I would sure like to see our outfield with another big bat in it for 2007 (if only Lee weren't so expensive.....not that we couldn't afford it but its probably best if we make sure the rotation is set up for next year).

As much as I'd like to have Buehrle in a Cardinals uni. as soon as possible, I think we might as well just wait till he is an unrestricted FA. I'm 95% positive that he'll be a Cardinal by 2008.

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 11:59 AM

GoCrazyFolks
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(11/2/06 10:04 am)
The primary differnce IMO between Howard and Duncan is that Howard is not a defensive liability. Duncan is just simply not a good enough outfielder to start 150 games. At least not for a team that prides itself on doing the little things right.

As for the other half of the trade, my thinking was both teams got rid of a guy they weren't high on (essentially Juan for Podsednik) with the CWS coming out ahead. Then we could go get a big bat for RF.

As for Podsednik, he is a quality outfielder. He is more of a table setter type, but his presence is felt. It gives us another guy with a high OBP. Plus I'd love to see us have a running threat again. Could you imagine him hitting in front of Eckstein. He could steal 70+ bases.

The more I thought about this last night the more unrealistic it looked. This would essentially give the CWS 4-5 outfielders. It just wouldn't answer their problems. (Could we work a blockbuster where we get Buehrle and Jermaine Dye????? Yeah, probably not.)

I'd much rather trade for Buehrle and sign him to an extension than risk him seeing dollar signs next summer.

**Edited for lack of proof reading**
Edited by: GoCrazyFolks at: 11/2/06 10:08 am

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 12:01 PM

KodiakSr
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(11/2/06 11:59 pm)

The problem with trading for Buehrle is that we have nothing of value (that we are willing to give up) to trade for him. Be patient...he'll be a Cardinal someday :-)

I would love to see some more speed in the lineup....but other than speed I don't see podsednik offering enough to this lineup. I'd like to see a guy that is more consistent in terms of average and with a little more pop in the bat.

If the Cards put Duncan into some kind of defensive training camp this offseason and then have him work in the outfield in spring training then his defense will improve dramatically. He's played very few games, relatively speaking, in the outfield in his pro career and it is reasonable to assume that he will improve defensively with time. Though I harbor no delusions of Duncan hitting close to 60 homers next year, I believe that he is capable of 30.

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 12:02 PM

KodiakSr
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(11/3/06 12:00 am)
I sure would like to see Vernon Wells wearing the birds on the bat next season....

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 12:03 PM

GoCrazyFolks
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(11/3/06 10:14 am)

I disagree on the idea that a guy like Podsednik does not have enough to offer other than speed. Not every position player has to be able to rake. Look at how disruptive guys like Reyes, Pierre, and Podsednik are when on base. They take the pitcher out of their comfort zone.

Podsednik's numbers are very similar to Eckstein's. Eckstein strikes out a lot less often, but Podsednik has more speed and walks more often.

This is more about a general philosophy than a specific player. I have made this argument previously and probably will continue to make it in the future. There is still room on MLB rosters for Willie McGee type players. (McGee's Career Stats)

BTW I agree completely on Wells. I was hoping the Twins wouldn't pick up Hunter's option.

Edited by: GoCrazyFolks at: 11/3/06 10:22 am

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 12:05 PM

GoCrazyFolks
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(11/3/06 10:21 am)
On Duncan; I can't remember the last time I saw a professional ballplayer look as uncomfortable defensively as Duncan did going back on that ball in RF. You may be right about him getting better, but I don't see it happening. (Duncan has been learning the OF for a couple years in the Minors, correct?)

FWIW I do see him being a 40+ HR guy. Especially if his new found knowledge of the strike zone is permanent. He can flat crush a fastball.

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 12:06 PM

KodiakSr
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Posts: 248
(11/5/06 9:12 pm)
Do we really need two Eckstein-like bats in the lineup? I like the idea of speed, but if you have a guy like Podsednik the lineup gets a little funky. Tony likes to have a little pop in the two spot so he would never place a guy like Pod' or Eck there which would result in one of the two being pushed way down in the lineup. And if we get stuck with another light hitting second baseman then then lineup really starts to look less and less appealing.

If we didn't have Eck on the team then I would be much more inclined to pick up a guy like Pods because you are absolutely right about the speed factor. It really adds another dimension to a team. Especially considering the Cardinals haven't had a solid base stealer in years....

On Dunc...well he did look really bad in the outfield this year but he did make a few really nice plays which leads me to believe that there is hope there.

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 12:07 PM

GoCrazyFolks
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(11/14/06 9:35 am)
Sorry it took so long for me to get back to this, I had a family thing come up and have been away from the computer.

I would gladly take two or more Eckstein-like bats in this line-up.

As for TLR's philosophy, I will have to conceed that you are correct in assessing what he would probably do, but I will not conceed that it is the correct strategy. I'd love to see a speedster leading off with a contact hitter following him.

As for Duncan, I again have to agree. He makes enough of the difficult catches to tease fans with his potential, but the three miscues in the playoffs IMO are closer to the real story. He has a ton of potential, but I don't think he can play the OF well enough for this team.

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 12:09 PM

KodiakSr
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Posts: 253
(11/14/06 7:58 pm)
Perhaps next year would be a good one to platoon Duncan so he has a chance to learn the MLB outfield for a full year.

I agree about the playoff misshaps...hopefully he spends some time in the offseason practicing.

While i'd love to have a contact guy in the 2-hole, I certainly understand TLR's thinking. Anybody hitting in front of Pujols is bound to get fastballs....the type that tend to go a long way if hit correctly.

BleacherBum593 · November 26th, 2006, 12:10 PM

GoCrazyFolks
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Posts: 25
(11/15/06 4:24 pm)

My answer would be to move Pujols out of the three hole.

Podsednik
Eckstein
Edmonds (I'm aware Edmonds dislikes the three hole. If our RF pick up is LH/SH they could swap with JE)
Pujols
Rolen
RF
Molina/2B
2B/Molina
Pitcher

Not too bad of a lineup. And that assumes that our replacement RF is RH. If LH or SH and a legitimate hitter you can move them to 5/3 and Rolen to 6. That puts you L-R through the first 6. If the 2b is LH or SH you go L-R all the way through your order.

I don't know that I would build a team around a managerial style. I think the manager needs to adapt his approach to the attributes of the team.

BTW, Kodiak, thanks for the good back and forth. I've really enjoyed the exchange of ideas.

November 26th, 2006, 11:50 AM	#16 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	GoCrazyFolks Rookie Posts: 6 (10/20/06 10:11 am) After the job that Weaver has done this off-season, I'm jumping on BrotherBri's bandwagon. Especially looking at Zito in comparison. I still think we can keep Ankiel. If nothing else he could be a valuable bench player as a defensive replacement and pinch runner (although it's hard to justify this line of thought, since we rarely use them). As a caveat, I'm not very objective on this subject. I just can't stop rooting for Mr. Ankiel. I can't see Izzy not being on the team, but only time will tell. Edmonds is one of the biggest ?'s. I hope he really likes it here as much as he has said in the past. Contract question; If we re-negotiate Edmonds' deal (for example sign him to a two year extension at $xxx, we do not have to pay his $3 million buyout, correct? Or do we have to buy him out to get next year's money to go away?

November 26th, 2006, 11:51 AM	#17 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	BleacherBum593 Chairman of the Board Posts: 1004 (10/20/06 12:08 pm) On the question of Edmonds contract - it all depends on the terms of the new deal, if one is negotiated. Chances are if they re-negotiate, they'll extend the contract and the 3 mil option goes away or it'll be paid out in future years after he's retired. Bullpen is shaping up nicely for next year. Wainwright will be the closer as Izzy won't be available till June/July. We'll be able to draw from Looper, Kinney, T Johnson, R Flores, Hancock, Thompson, Sosa, Rincon and possibly Narveson or Anthony Reyes. I'm throwing Reyes into the BP mix as a way to get him fully grounded in the bigs, much the same way Wainwright was handled this year (and that turned out pretty nicely). The big off-season questions will be the starting rotation. And what are the White Sox going to do with Buerhle? He'd fit nicely into our starting rotation, replacing Mulder. And hopefully Walter will spend some of his savings on re-signing Soup and the "Dream" Weaver.

November 26th, 2006, 11:53 AM	#18 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	KodiakSr Moderator Posts: 242 (10/31/06 7:56 pm) Buerhle will most likely be with the White Sox for at least this next year. While he didn't do so hot this past year, I think he'll rebound nicely for 2007. I'm looking for him to be in the Cards rotation by 2008 rolls around though... I'm pretty positive a deal will be worked out with Edmonds. We'll need at least one of Wainwright and Reyes in the rotation, if not both seeing as we have only have Carpenter signed up at the moment. My intuition tells me that Soup will be back and that Weaver will cash in on his postseason success...but I could be wrong. I get the feeling that Walt is going to go hard after one of the upper tier pitchers for the rotation. I seriously doubt they'll sign Zito but you never know. I think we need another big bat. Carlos Lee would be a nice addition, despite his crappy fielding...couldn't be worse than Duncan. Or do we stick with Duncan in the outfield and pray that Encarnacion puts up somewhat decent numbers and that Edmonds stays healthy along with Rolen? How much is Dewitt willing to put up for payroll next season? They had to have made a killing off of the new stadium this year, not to mention the added playoff/world series revenue (btw- anybody know how much that is?). If payroll doesn't go up for next season I will be very annoyed (especially if they are raising ticket prices like Bleach said!). Any thoughts on second base anyone? Do we bring Belliard back? I like him but I worry about his offense at times. This team, despite being a World Champ, needs some work. I'm confident that Walt will find all the right pieces in time for 2007. KodiakSr Moderator Posts: 243 (10/31/06 7:58 pm) What does everyone think about Jason Schmidt, good fit or no?

November 26th, 2006, 11:54 AM	#19 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	BleacherBum593 Chairman of the Board Posts: 1019 (11/1/06 11:51 am) Free agent players are now applying for Free Agency. I'll update the list by Fri night. I've got an off day tomorrow and I'll work on it then. I haven't seen a budget # yet from DeWitt. Has anyone? That'll be one of the main key's on who we get to go after. Has CWS exercised their option on Buerhle?

November 26th, 2006, 11:56 AM	#20 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	GoCrazyFolks Rookie Posts: 16 (11/1/06 1:30 pm) CWS did exercise their option on Buerhle. I'll try to find the article and link it. The only comment I have heard from DeWitt was very non-committtal. When asked if he would raise the budget he responded 'we will spend what we need to spend to be competitive' (may not be word for word). He would not go into any further detail. The other comment that I found interesting was by either DeWitt or Lamping and they said that the Cardinals are more likely to fill their holes through trades than via free agency Off the wall idea #1; We obviously have an interest in Buerhle. I wonder if we could work a trade with the CWS. I know that we don't have a whole lot to offer that we would be willing to give up, but one guy I would think they would be interested in is Duncan. The only stumbling block would seem to be where he could play for them. I think all would agree that he is best suited as a DH. The Sox already have Thome and Konerko stacked up. Thome has played some LF and Duncan might be able to play OF for them. I also wouldn't mind seeing Podsednik come our way. He was a bit off last year, but he is still a heck of a player. I would think that Duncan and Juan Encarnacion for Buerhle and Podsednik would be a reasonable place to start. I'm sure the Sox would want a little more, but I'd throw it their way. Let me know if you think I'm out to lunch on this one. ***Edited to spell Podsednik correctly Edited by: GoCrazyFolks at: 11/1/06 1:46 pm*

November 26th, 2006, 11:58 AM	#21 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	KodiakSr Moderator Posts: 244 (11/1/06 5:50 pm) Podsednik doesn't really answer any of our problems, and trading Duncan and Encarnacion would really make a mess of the offense. I'm inclined to keep Duncan and see what he can do for an entire season now that he has some experience (the comparisons of Ryan Howard's first year stats to Duncans is enough to make one salivate at the possibilities). Juan doesn't have much trade value but I would sure like to see our outfield with another big bat in it for 2007 (if only Lee weren't so expensive.....not that we couldn't afford it but its probably best if we make sure the rotation is set up for next year). As much as I'd like to have Buehrle in a Cardinals uni. as soon as possible, I think we might as well just wait till he is an unrestricted FA. I'm 95% positive that he'll be a Cardinal by 2008.

November 26th, 2006, 11:59 AM	#22 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	GoCrazyFolks Rookie Posts: 18 (11/2/06 10:04 am) The primary differnce IMO between Howard and Duncan is that Howard is not a defensive liability. Duncan is just simply not a good enough outfielder to start 150 games. At least not for a team that prides itself on doing the little things right. As for the other half of the trade, my thinking was both teams got rid of a guy they weren't high on (essentially Juan for Podsednik) with the CWS coming out ahead. Then we could go get a big bat for RF. As for Podsednik, he is a quality outfielder. He is more of a table setter type, but his presence is felt. It gives us another guy with a high OBP. Plus I'd love to see us have a running threat again. Could you imagine him hitting in front of Eckstein. He could steal 70+ bases. The more I thought about this last night the more unrealistic it looked. This would essentially give the CWS 4-5 outfielders. It just wouldn't answer their problems. (Could we work a blockbuster where we get Buehrle and Jermaine Dye????? Yeah, probably not.) I'd much rather trade for Buehrle and sign him to an extension than risk him seeing dollar signs next summer. Edited for lack of proof reading Edited by: GoCrazyFolks at: 11/2/06 10:08 am

November 26th, 2006, 12:01 PM	#23 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	KodiakSr Moderator Posts: 246 (11/2/06 11:59 pm) The problem with trading for Buehrle is that we have nothing of value (that we are willing to give up) to trade for him. Be patient...he'll be a Cardinal someday :-) I would love to see some more speed in the lineup....but other than speed I don't see podsednik offering enough to this lineup. I'd like to see a guy that is more consistent in terms of average and with a little more pop in the bat. If the Cards put Duncan into some kind of defensive training camp this offseason and then have him work in the outfield in spring training then his defense will improve dramatically. He's played very few games, relatively speaking, in the outfield in his pro career and it is reasonable to assume that he will improve defensively with time. Though I harbor no delusions of Duncan hitting close to 60 homers next year, I believe that he is capable of 30.

November 26th, 2006, 12:02 PM	#24 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	KodiakSr Moderator Posts: 247 (11/3/06 12:00 am) I sure would like to see Vernon Wells wearing the birds on the bat next season....

November 26th, 2006, 12:03 PM	#25 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	GoCrazyFolks Rookie Posts: 19 (11/3/06 10:14 am) I disagree on the idea that a guy like Podsednik does not have enough to offer other than speed. Not every position player has to be able to rake. Look at how disruptive guys like Reyes, Pierre, and Podsednik are when on base. They take the pitcher out of their comfort zone. Podsednik's numbers are very similar to Eckstein's. Eckstein strikes out a lot less often, but Podsednik has more speed and walks more often. This is more about a general philosophy than a specific player. I have made this argument previously and probably will continue to make it in the future. There is still room on MLB rosters for Willie McGee type players. (McGee's Career Stats) BTW I agree completely on Wells. I was hoping the Twins wouldn't pick up Hunter's option. Edited by: GoCrazyFolks at: 11/3/06 10:22 am

November 26th, 2006, 12:05 PM	#26 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	GoCrazyFolks Rookie Posts: 20 (11/3/06 10:21 am) On Duncan; I can't remember the last time I saw a professional ballplayer look as uncomfortable defensively as Duncan did going back on that ball in RF. You may be right about him getting better, but I don't see it happening. (Duncan has been learning the OF for a couple years in the Minors, correct?) FWIW I do see him being a 40+ HR guy. Especially if his new found knowledge of the strike zone is permanent. He can flat crush a fastball.

November 26th, 2006, 12:06 PM	#27 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	KodiakSr Moderator Posts: 248 (11/5/06 9:12 pm) Do we really need two Eckstein-like bats in the lineup? I like the idea of speed, but if you have a guy like Podsednik the lineup gets a little funky. Tony likes to have a little pop in the two spot so he would never place a guy like Pod' or Eck there which would result in one of the two being pushed way down in the lineup. And if we get stuck with another light hitting second baseman then then lineup really starts to look less and less appealing. If we didn't have Eck on the team then I would be much more inclined to pick up a guy like Pods because you are absolutely right about the speed factor. It really adds another dimension to a team. Especially considering the Cardinals haven't had a solid base stealer in years.... On Dunc...well he did look really bad in the outfield this year but he did make a few really nice plays which leads me to believe that there is hope there.

November 26th, 2006, 12:07 PM	#28 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	GoCrazyFolks Rookie Posts: 23 (11/14/06 9:35 am) Sorry it took so long for me to get back to this, I had a family thing come up and have been away from the computer. I would gladly take two or more Eckstein-like bats in this line-up. As for TLR's philosophy, I will have to conceed that you are correct in assessing what he would probably do, but I will not conceed that it is the correct strategy. I'd love to see a speedster leading off with a contact hitter following him. As for Duncan, I again have to agree. He makes enough of the difficult catches to tease fans with his potential, but the three miscues in the playoffs IMO are closer to the real story. He has a ton of potential, but I don't think he can play the OF well enough for this team.

November 26th, 2006, 12:09 PM	#29 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	KodiakSr Moderator Posts: 253 (11/14/06 7:58 pm) Perhaps next year would be a good one to platoon Duncan so he has a chance to learn the MLB outfield for a full year. I agree about the playoff misshaps...hopefully he spends some time in the offseason practicing. While i'd love to have a contact guy in the 2-hole, I certainly understand TLR's thinking. Anybody hitting in front of Pujols is bound to get fastballs....the type that tend to go a long way if hit correctly.

November 26th, 2006, 12:10 PM	#30 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	GoCrazyFolks Rookie Posts: 25 (11/15/06 4:24 pm) My answer would be to move Pujols out of the three hole. Podsednik Eckstein Edmonds (I'm aware Edmonds dislikes the three hole. If our RF pick up is LH/SH they could swap with JE) Pujols Rolen RF Molina/2B 2B/Molina Pitcher Not too bad of a lineup. And that assumes that our replacement RF is RH. If LH or SH and a legitimate hitter you can move them to 5/3 and Rolen to 6. That puts you L-R through the first 6. If the 2b is LH or SH you go L-R all the way through your order. I don't know that I would build a team around a managerial style. I think the manager needs to adapt his approach to the attributes of the team. BTW, Kodiak, thanks for the good back and forth. I've really enjoyed the exchange of ideas.