A New Approach: Real-Time

[OOTPRealTime]

Originally Posted by fromtheline

@fromtheline @dgold Hearing rumours of Cruz being a possible signing for the #Cards. Jay being shopped? Tavares starting in AAA? Cruz as backup?

@dgold @fromtheline Doubtful Cruz accepts backup job. Jay could be on the move...team does want Tavares to break camp in Bigs.

[OOTPRealTime]

Originally Posted by Watson

@Watson @Rangers Ogando was one of my favs!!! Now I have to see him in a jersey for the HATED Cards.

@Rangers @Watson We were sorry to see him go also. We think you'll like what we got in return! #gorangers

[OOTPRealTime]

@JohnHayman Kinsler to #Cubs. Haven't heard terms yet. 2B was a major upgrade area for Theo/Hoyer. #MLB #hotstove

@KenRosenhaus Ian Kinsler has in fact signed with the @Cubs. Will be primary 2Bman. Numbers have slipped but at 31, still plenty left in the tank.

@Cubs The team has officially signed second baseman Ian Kinsler to a 3-year, $30.8 Million contract.

@MLBDepthCharts Updated the #Cubs off-season projected lineups after Kinsler signing bit.mlbdc.com/34233
Preview:


I did an evening drive-time radio interview with a local station last night and here’s the transcript of that chat:

Kevin (Radio Host 1): We’re now joined by new GM of the Cardinals, Parker Campbell...Parker, welcome to the show, thanks for taking some time with us tonight…

Me: Thanks for having me guys.

Randy (Radio Host 2): Real quick, Mr. Campbell, we need to come up with a cool nickname for you, “Mo” was obvious and easy and it made it really quick and easy to refer to him...so, what can we call you? I was thinking maybe something like “PC” or “Camp”, whaddya think?

Me: Well, what you just called me isn’t on the table, that’s my father and his father so no Mr. Campbell...and only my close friends call me “PC”, but I’m sure you guys will qualify for that because you’ll have nothing negative to say about me or this club...so, sure, PC it is.

Randy: Nice! Well, we’ll earn that first. My first question is, how you liking your first off-season in charge?

Me: It’s been nice. Though, it’s a lot more work. Sure, I’m doing some more delegating to our staff, but there sure is a lot more to do and a ton more responsibility. But, I asked for it. I’m really happy with the way the club is shaping up. We still have some work to do, but things have been good.

Kevin: Talk a little about the trade and some of the reasons behind settling on Leury Garcia when there were so many options out there to choose from as the Cardinals next shortstop.

Me: To say there were “a lot” of options may not be 100 percent accurate, but there were some in both the free agent market and then on some other rosters. After looking at just about every single one of these options in depth with Dan Kantrovitz, who, by the way, I give you permission to call “DK”, everybody does, we just figured that if we could get a guy that has the chance to be our shortstop for many years to come, we’d like to do that. We think Leury can be that player in time. We have the luxury of having Pete around to take some pressure off and also put a little on him as he develops. He’s green and doesn’t have much Major League experience at all, but we think he’ll be ready after a full Spring slate. We like that he hits from both sides of the plate and that he is a plus defender and has plus-plus speed. All of these factors played in to it...and, finally, we didn’t have to give up our entire minor league slate to get our guy.

Randy: That makes sense, is the front office standpoint still that this is a competition for the starting job at the position between Pete Kozma and Garcia?

Me: Yes. Pete will have every opportunity to win the job. Again, Leury is unproven at the highest level, that was one of the risks. We feel his skills translate but Pete has been doing it for a couple of years now and while we’d like to see his bat come around, he still gives us great defense up the middle and Pete’s a gamer. He’s a valuable member of this club, no doubt.

Kevin: Without tipping your hand too much - and we know you wouldn’t - we assume that you aren’t done this off-season making moves, is there anything we can expect in the near future?

Me: You are right, we aren’t done improving this roster...we are keeping a close eye on the market and if I were to handicap it, I’d say we’d add two more new faces to the mix before we report. I can’t say if they are starter caliber or where exactly they will fit in, but we are definitely interested in a couple of names that are out there. And, we’re always open to ideas from other clubs if it presents itself.

Randy: Talk about a recent hot topic that is Jon Jay and his role on this club. There have been some rumors of him being unhappy and worried that the team is moving on from him since there is no long-term deal there for him at this time….can you address that?

Me: We can’t emphasize enough how much we like Jon Jay as a player, and as a clubhouse guy. He is top-notch. He does a lot well and while he isn’t going to put up All-Star caliber numbers, he’s a guy that every team needs to win. This organization won a World Championship with him as the every day center fielder. He’s a .300 career hitter through four seasons. Jon...and his representatives, are doing what they should do - set themselves up for the long term. We just aren’t in a position to do that right now. We aren’t closing the door on it - we just feel that with the way things shape up right now, it wouldn’t be prudent. But, again, we like Jon and he knows that.

Kevin: What about the Shelby Miller situation? Starter? Reliever? We know what he wants to do, what are the teams immediate and long-term plans for Shelby?

Me: Shelby Miller is a starting pitcher and he will be that for us very soon. We aren’t guaranteeing anything because it has to be earned but we full anticipate him taking the ball this Spring and winning a job and never looking back.

Kevin: So who is the odd-man out then?

Me: You can never have enough starting pitching, right?

Kevin: Yea, I hear you, but that’s six starters with Wacha, Wain-o, Kelly, Garcia, Lynn and Miller…

Me: Definitely, and we like all six of them. As you well know, there are injuries that occur plenty, especially to arms so right now we like having that depth in the rotation. If all six make it through camp feeling good, we’ll make a decision. Miller, Kelly and Lynn all have experience in the bullpen - so we can feel it out and make the best decision for the team. Heck, with a couple young arms in there, I wouldn’t completely rule out a possible six-man rotation...obviously, that would be something we evaluate after we see all six of these guys in Jupiter.

Randy: Is a trade of one of them out of the realm of possiblity? Focusing on Garcia and/or Lynn, obviously

Me: Like I said before, we aren’t close-minded on anything. We’ll listen. If you are asking if we are actively shopping them and planning on dealing either one, I’d have to say ‘no’ to that.

Kevin: Is there anything we missed? Can you fill us in on anything we had no idea about?

Me: You guys are on top of things...nothing I can think of now.

Kevin: Parker, thanks for your time today, we certainly appreciate you shedding some light on the Cardinals plans going forward this off-season and we’ll look forward to talking with you soon…

Me: Thanks for having me guys.

[OOTPRealTime]

As we approach the Holidays, we are entering a relatively dead period for the industry. The initial rush to sign the top free agents and the teams' jockeying for position in the trade market is past us. Now, we enter a whole new realm and it may be the most intense part as Spring Training is just around the corner. The remaining free agents are waiting for multiple teams to show interest to create bidding wars. Teams are trying to wait out the free agents to get discounts both on AAV and years as we approach report dates. This is a good time to have friends you know and trust. There is a lot of false information changing hands both from teams, agents and players themselves as everybody is trying to land what they want.

A good example is the call we just received from Coco Crisp's agent. He tells me that they have a buyer and are ready to sign. But, he wants to play in St. Louis and it would take two years at $5.85 Million each to get it done. Is this true? Possibly. Probably? Who knows. It still remains that if we value him at that amount, we should offer it. If not, let him go and see if they were being truthful. That, also could get us in a bidding war that we don't want to do. Also, having an outstanding offer would tie our hands if we decided to go another direction.

Keeping in mind that we have offers to both Joba Chamberlain and Juan Lagares we are ready to jump in on one of the three outfielders we have been discussing. Either Crisp, Corey Hart or Nelson Cruz. If it's Crisp, we need to act now or he could be gone.

The reason I am leaning towards making an official offer to Crisp is that he plays left field very well and can also play center field. That means we would have a starter and backup in all three outfield positions with Crisp in the fold:

LF: Matt Holliday / Coco Crisp
CF: Jon Jay / Oscar Taveras / Coco Crisp
RF: Oscar Tavares / Jon Jay

That means Crisp can be a defensive replacement for Holliday on the days that we go with Holliday-Jay-Tavares in the starting lineup. Other starting combinations now include Crisp-Jay-Tavares / Holliday-Crisp-Tavares / Crisp-Tavares-Jay or even in rare instances ask Craig to play right field.

The downside to Crisp is that we still aren't making up for the power lost by losing Beltran. The argument can be made that a bounce back from Craig, Holliday and then the added projected value from Tavares can make up for it and the added speed can also help off-set that loss. I'm really leaning this way.

I wanted to call in DK to give him the heads up that we would be offering Crisp. He was sure I was all in on Cruz after our discussions on Tuesday. He agreed that it makes sense and doesn't break the bank. Hart just wants too frickin' much to warrant making an offer to him.

I sent the official offer at two years, $5.5 Million ($11 total). The second year would have a team option with a buyout of $250k and he gets $100,000 bonus if he gets to 500 at-bats in either year.

His agent told me that they would be back in touch with me soon.

It wasn't five minutes after I made the offer to Crisp that Derek text me asking "You have anything for me here? Trying to feed my kids..."

I must have felt in the Christmas giving spirit and simply wrote back: "In on Crisp. No details. Merry Christmas."

@dgold #Cardinals are in on outfielder Coco Crisp. 34 years old - still has great foot speed and provides outfield depth. No word on exact offer. #mlb

[DatCloserKid]

@DatCloserKid #Cards in on Crisp, but where is the replacement for Beltran's power? Then what happens to Hart? #mlb

[OOTPRealTime]

Originally Posted by DatCloserKid

@DatCloserKid #Cards in on Crisp, but where is the replacement for Beltran's power? Then what happens to Hart? #mlb

@TheCardinalWay @DatCloserKid #Cards must be banking on Holliday, Craig bounce back & Tavares emergence to combine to replace Beltran's power?

[OOTPRealTime]

Getting caught up…

GIANTS SIGN RICKY NOLASCO
Team bolsters rotation with 7-year deal for former Marlin.
SFGiants.com - by: Henry Shukman

The Giants organization is taking every step to ensure their every other year World Championship streak continues with a win in 2014. The latest move is the mega-deal commitment to Ricky Nolasco, arguable the top free agent arm of the lot. He played for a contract last year and after the Marlins were unable to trade him for what they thought he was worth at the deadline, he leaves for the Bay Area.

His 17 wins and 2.94 ERA and 1.05 WHIP a year ago in Miami were all career-highs and tabbed him as the prized free agent on the market. He wasn't going just anywhere - he wants to win and he can do that in San Francisco. So, the now 31 year old will pack his bags and travel cross-country to continue his career in a spacious ballpark on the Bay.

The deal is for 7-years and $125.6 Million.

Nolasco joins Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain at the front end of the San Francisco rotation. A rotation that is in flux after letting Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong walk to free agency - none of which have found homes for 2014 to this point. Still, the Giants have two rotation spots to fill. It appears Chris Heston and Vin Mazzaro (acquired in Rule 5 Draft from Pirates) are the front-runners for those spots.

Rumors are circulating the the Giants aren't done making a splash in free agency as they are closing in on a potential deal with slugging first baseman Mike Napoli. GM Brian Sabean is being tight-lipped, but one thing is for sure, the Giants aren't resting on their laurels this off-season.

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@JoseSantos Cards 40-man currently stands at 35. Expected to add 3 more in free agency. Leaves breathing room come ST. #stlcards

@bzlamick Confirmed reports that #Cardinals have offer in to Coco Crisp. Original farmhand has had nice career, willing to take a platoon role?

@KenRosenhaus Roy Halladay decides to play close to home rather than retire. Will sign with #Rockies per source.

@JohnHayman Confirmed the Halladay to #Rockies news originally reported by @KenRosenhaus. Also hearing Haren headed to Denver… #breaking

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ROCKIES SIGN A PAIR OF ACES
The Colorado Rockies have signed pitchers Roy Halladay and Dan Haren
MLB.com - By: Matthew Lurch

It is rare that a team will complete two separate signings on the same day, but the Rockies did just that today. They have agreed to terms with two starting pitchers to even the balance on their roster between offense and pitching. Last year, under first-year manager Walt Weiss, the Rockies managed 89 wins and a spot in the NL wild-card game. They ranked at the top of the league in runs, batting average and on-base percentage. However, they were 14th of 15 in starting pitching ERA. That should change now.

Roy Halladay was contemplating retirement. The only team that could convince him is his hometown Rockies. Halladay was born in Denver and still lives there. Being close to his family is important to him and Colorado will make special arrangements to make sure he gets to spend as much time as possible at home during the season. The surprising part is the length of the deal - three years. Halladay will earn $13.7 Million each of those three seasons for a $41.1 Million total. He went 15-12 with a 4.56 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in his age 36 season.

Dan Haren will also brave the altitude in the mountains, signing a two-year, $31.2 Million contract. At 33 years old, Haren is coming off an amazing season with the Nationals, despite winning just 11 games, he posted a 2.68 ERA (5th in the National League), 1.06 BB/9 (1st in NL) and 6.56 K/BB (1st in NL). His control was impeccable and will need to continue to be in Colorado.

The Rockies are putting the arms with the already established bats to keep pace with the active division-rivals Giants.

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@MLBDepthCharts Updated off-season #Rockies rotation with signings of Dan Haren and Roy Halladay htp://bit.mlbdc.com/d332df
Preview:


@MattLurchMLB I love what the #Rockies are doing. Instead of hoping they can slug their way to W’s - they add arms to balance it out.

@BubbaOlney Hearing the #Rays are in on the Hanrahan sweeps. Multiple teams bidding now as price rises. #hotstove

@KenRosenhaus Teams in on Corey Hart include, in order of likelihood: DET, KC, ATL, STL. Seeing six years - will likely get it.

Man, the Rockies and Giants are quite active this off-season to get better. I like what both clubs are doing. I haven’t heard back from Coco’s camp yet regarding the offer. I’m interested to see how quickly they will move to accept an offer after they reached out to us saying they had a deal in place if we didn’t offer. Hart and Cruz are still options. Hart is apparently getting a lot of love and his price isn’t likely to come down to where we’d like for it to be. I don’t think Cruz is getting as much attention at this point. I hope to get an update soon. With the Holidays in full swing, I’m not expecting much the next couple of days.

[OOTPRealTime]

@KenRosenhaus The #Athletics are close on Chase Utley. Aging stars leaving the Phillies each day now...

@Athletics Happy to announce the signing of second baseman Chase Utley to a 3-year deal! #As

@AsForEver 35-year old Utley will take over at second base and likely hit anywhere/everywhere between 2-hole and 6th in lineup.

@CotsContracts Utley deal with #Athletics is 3 years: '14: $14.1 '15: $15.6 - '16: $17.4 -- '16 is a vesting option that kicks in w/ 130 games played in '15.

@MLBDepthCharts Updated #Athletics off-season projected lineups with the signing of Chase Utley. LINK
Preview:


@BubbaOlmey A's busy off-season continues w/ Utley. Have signed Morneau & Utley and are very left-handed in the lineup.

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I'm starting my own tradition of sorts in the off-season just after Christmas to meet with the staff of each of the minor league affiliates (and Dan) to go over their plans for the upcoming season. I want their take on each and every player in this organization. I also want Dan to hear their takes on players at the field level. He can't see each and every one and the numbers can only tell us so much. It's a valuable exercise to learn the players throughout the organization and to make sure the minor league managers and staff know their opinion is valued. Some of our new guys who don't particularly know much about the guys they will be coaching (Milt Thompson and Mark Riggins) will have a chance to hear from their bosses and DK on each player as well.

I plan on going right down the list from Triple-A to Rookie level ball. I've tasked my wonderful assistant Debbie to schedule flights and times to meet here in St. Louis. We will plan on two full days for each level.

We are also going to make some cuts based on suggestions from the managers and come up with a projection for what each roster will look like coming out of Spring Training in Jupiter. This will obviously be very fluid and will change based on how everybody performs and which injuries strike where. That said, it gives us an outline to work with and can shift players and roles as we go along. DK and I are going to sit down and project our Opening Day roster (with some ghost players as potential signings) and then DK and our Farm Director, John Vuch will do the rest.

[OOTPRealTime]

Quick question for the followers of this report. Do any of you know an easy way that I could make this an "online league" and post the reports to a server so that I could easily link to relevant pages as I go along? Or is that something that I'd have to have more than one human owner to do? Sorry, just don't know much about it and was wondering if anybody could shed some light on it. I think it could add a lot to this report if available.

Thanks in advance.

[beachbomer]

Originally Posted by OOTPRealTime

Quick question for the followers of this report. Do any of you know an easy way that I could make this an "online league" and post the reports to a server so that I could easily link to relevant pages as I go along? Or is that something that I'd have to have more than one human owner to do? Sorry, just don't know much about it and was wondering if anybody could shed some light on it. I think it could add a lot to this report if available.

Thanks in advance.

Not sure what the question is, but I have been telling the guys over at the Mlb-Pro league we are in, that you should be invited in...... We do what your doing. One day at a time just like your doing. Your type of story would only enhance our league.

[OOTPRealTime]

Originally Posted by beachbomer

Not sure what the question is, but I have been telling the guys over at the Mlb-Pro league we are in, that you should be invited in...... We do what your doing. One day at a time just like your doing. Your type of story would only enhance our league.

The question is whether I can produce the reports from this league as if it were an online league so that followers could see more and delve deeper into the universe.

Your league sounds cool - this is definitely how I want to play the game moving forward. How is the participation with other GM's?

[beachbomer]

Originally Posted by OOTPRealTime

The question is whether I can produce the reports from this league as if it were an online league so that followers could see more and delve deeper into the universe.

Your league sounds cool - this is definitely how I want to play the game moving forward. How is the participation with other GM's?

Participation is awesome, 7-8 of the 30 in the chatroom all the time, 20 or so during the key offseason time and during the season. Something you should look into!

As far as your question goes, I believe you should be able to do it since some online leagues have some computer owned teams also. I just am not savy enough to help, sorry.

[OOTPRealTime]

I hope everybody had a good Christmas, back at it!


I had a voicemail from Coco Crisp's agent saying that he likes the offer and they are going to sit on it for a few days but that it's the front-runner at this point. It is most likely going to get it done. But, that if another team jumps in, they'll let us know. At this point, our stance is that we've offered the max we can for him and would probably go in another direction (like Cruz) if Crisp gets a better offer. Though, we'll evaluate and cross that bridge when/if we get there.

I had my first meeting with our minor league staff starting today with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds staff. We'll meet today and tomorrow to go over the roster and organizational strategy for them this year. Manager Pop Warner has two new assistants just recently hired this off-season in hitting coach Milt Thompson and pitching coach Mark Riggins.

We met in our upstairs conference room and we decided that we'd talk mainly about the hitters in today's session. We included Double-A Springfield manager Mike Shildt to weigh in on the guys he had last year. I had an intern take notes throughout all of our discussions and send us all a recap on the meeting in general and each player...

C Audry Perez - 25 years old.
Good, not great defensively. Not much with the stick either. Played well at AA-Springfield in '13 hitting 19 homers, driving in 84 and posting a .279 BA, .802 OPS. He is on a minor-league deal but is on the 40-man roster. He still has some room to grow. Assuming Tony Cruz doesn't make the big league roster (with both Molina's ahead of him) the plan is for these two to split time. Warner agrees with that strategy.

C Cody Stanley - 25 years old
4th round pick in 2010 draft. Also, good, not great behind the dish. Even less with the bat than Perez. Struggled at HiA-Palm Beach to a .211 BA with 8 HR, 52 RBI and just a .614 OPS in 436 AB's there. Likely will be pushed down to AA-Springfield, though would be the call-up if/when injury strikes. Warner mentioned not liking his work ethic. Has more growth potential than Perez but is behind in current levels. Because he has a brighter future, we will need to get him AB's so he'll likely find them at AA-Springfield this year. At 25 years old though, we'll really need to see something quickly.

1B Xavier Scruggs - 26 years old
Schildt says that he really likes Scruggs for his leadership ability and work ethic. The skills just may not quite be there. At 26 years old, he hit just .258-11-53 with a slash line of 334/395/729 in 329 AA at-bats. With the stick, DK still really thinks there is room to grow and Shildt agrees. He will hit some gaps. Defensively, he profiles as an OK player with minus-range but decent skills at first base. Warner is looking forward to having him and we feel he should get plenty of AB's at Memphis this year. Could be a September call-up guy this year.

2B/SS Greg Garcia - 24 years old
First thing that Warner mentions about Garcia is that he is unhappy in his role and doesn't want to be stuck behind Wong/Leury Garcia and second base is his only ticket to the show. He hit .286 with 6 homes and 45 RBI in 339 AAA at-bats last year. He was a 7th round pick in the 2010 Draft out of a JUCO in Hawaii. Shildt said he should worry more about playing better than his status on the organizational depth chart. Says he hasn't shown a great work ethic. DK says that he has pretty much grown as much as he will. Decent speed, not going to steal many bases and limited power other than gaps. He is a plus second baseman defensively. He should be the starter at second base unless something changes drastically. Can play shortstop if called upon.

2B Starlin Rodriguez - 24 years old
Not much to speak of here, mainly a depth guy. Only managed 146 AB's at AA last year. Hit .240 with seven homers and 22 RBI in that span. Shildt mentioned that he just goes through the motions and is pretty uninspiring as an all-around player and person. DK thinks he can grow a bit with the bat and says the homer every 20.8 at-bats last year was a fluke - no real power to speak of. He doesn't have a great batting eye and it's not going to get any easier. Good straight line speed but not a base-stealing threat. Again, a depth guy.

2B/SS/3B Vance Albitz - 25 years old
Depth guy here also. Played last year with Shildt in Springfield. Hit .289-4-35 with a .744 OPS in 246 AB's there. Played mainly second base but can play shortstop or third base as well. That may be his biggest plus. Shildt hinted towards his baseball IQ being below average and doesn't make up for it with a great work ethic. Another "motions" guy. He can handle the bat. Doesn't have much power to speak of. Will put the ball in play. Another decent speed guy but no stolen base threat. Good defensively at second base, decent at shortstop and below average at third base. More likely will end up back a AA-Springfield to start the season.

3B/2B/LF Jermaine Curtis - 26 years old
Curtis was a mainstay in Warner's Memphis lineup last year, hitting .299 with 9 homers and 56 RBI (.775 OPS). Plays mainly third base but can play second or left field if called upon. 5th rounder in the 2008 Draft out of UCLA. Had a couple of nice moments in 2013, hitting for the cycle against the Iowa Cubs and winning the PCL Gold Glove at third base. DK doesn't have him as a plus-plus defender there still. Warner likes his work ethic but keeps to himself and doesn't rub off on anybody else. He can handle the bat but doesn't have enough power to be a corner infielder in the Bigs. No real speed to speak of either. Fringe big league player who could be called upon this year at some point to fill in when injuries strike. Warner has him penciled in as the everyday third baseman and likely to hit second.

3B Matt Cerda - 23 years old
Mainstay in Shildt’s Springfield lineup last year, hitting .264 with 14 homers and 67 RBI to go with a .779 OPS. Drew 80 walks to 77 K’s. Made the Texas League All-Star team. Shildt speaks very highly of him and his leadership and work ethic. Really likes this kid. Thinks he should get some AB’s. Can only play third base though. May spend more time at AA for that reason. Handles the bat well and manages the zone. Doesn’t produce much pop though - not good for a third baseman. Decent foot speed on the basepaths and just average defensively. At 23, we’ll need to find him AB’s either at AA or AAA this year to see if there is growth.

SS Jake Lemmerman - 24 years old
Played most of 2013 at AA - hit .271 with .811 OPS (21 homers, 22 doubles) in 462 AB’s there. Shildt thinks there is more there to come. Hit .316 in 38 AB’s at AAA. Strikes out a lot. Has nice pop for middle infielder though and could be a big leaguer. Projects as the starting shortstop at Memphis due to Ryan Jackson being traded and Kozma expected to be in St. Louis. He’ll really need to show something and we’re excited to see it. He is decent defensively and can play second base too if needed. May be a 40-man addition and invite to big league camp if things play out that way.

LF/CF Mike O’Neill - 25 years old
Posted an uninspiring .671 OPS in 496 AB’s in Springfield last year. He plays plus defense in left and has the ability to play center if needed but there is just no power to speak of. That is going to limit his ability to make the show. He does have some good speed and can swipe a bag or two (23 steals in 33 attempts last year). He handles the bat well and can put it in play. He has an average arm but nothing special. A solid player and he could lead off and play either left or center (if no other CF option) at Memphis this year. However, it is expected that Shane Robinson and Justin Christian may be making their way down and could push him back to AA-Springfield this year. Campbell also informs all that there is an offer to Juan Lagares, who, if he doesn’t make it would be in Memphis also.

LF Jake Shaffer - 26 years old
More likely a AA guy, he played most of last season at HiA Palm Beach, hitting .305 with 10 homers, 82 RBI and .835 OPS there. Only on this radar because of his advanced age (26). Decent power, but a plus defensive player in left field. Has decent pop but not the greatest of plate discipline. Plus-plus arm in left field. Again, he will more than likely be pushed to AA-Springfield after final cuts. Solid player but needs to really show something if he wants to stick around.

RF/LF Chris Swauger - 27 years old
Decent player. Hit .282-13-63 (.667 OPS) for Shildt last year in AA. At 27, there isn’t much to get excited about other than plus-plus defense at both corner outfield positions. Decent hitter all the way around but doesn’t do anything particularly well. Again, he’s probably looking like a AA player this year and at 27, if there isn’t a lot there - his days are numbered.

LF/RF Kyle Conley - 26 years old
Another older player (26) who was stuck at Hi-A ball last year. He hit .266 with 10 homers, 52 RBI and 104 K’s in 364 at-bats. That profile doesn’t project well at the higher levels. Like Swauger, he’ll more likely be at AA and only has one more year to show us that he belongs.

It was a positive meeting today. We’ll talk about the arms tomorrow and then come up with our goals for the 2014 season in Memphis.

[OOTPRealTime]

@BubbaOlmey #Cubs bolster bullpen in trade for Bobby Parnell with the #Mets; NY gets two prospects in return. #hotstove

@BleacherNation Love trading prospects to get bullpen help for a team destined to win 60 games. #sarcasm

CUBS TRADE FOR BOBBY PARNELL
MLB.com - by Matthew Lurch

The Cubs agreed to trade two minor-leaguers to the Mets in exchange for veteran right-handed reliever Bobby Parnell potentially to fill the open closer’s role in Chicago. Parnell, 29, posted a 3.29 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and a 10.54 K/9 last year with the Mets. He is believe to have closer-worthy “stuff” and the Cubs appear willing to give him that chance.

The Mets are sticking with Scott Atchison in the closer’s role. Atchison closed out 32 games a season ago, despite an inflated (4.79) ERA on the season.

In return, the Mets get two prospects. 21-year old third baseman Ronald Torreyes spent most of 2013 at Hi-A Dayton, hitting .264 with seven homers and 57 RBI. Scouting reports show him as a minus defensively at the hot corner and that’s supported by his .909 fielding percentage and -5.5 zone rating at the position last year. Torreyes came to the Cubs from the Reds in the 2011 trade for Sean Marshall.

The other player involved is 23-year old catcher Chadd Krist, a light-hitting defensive-minded catcher who split time between both A-level clubs in the Cubs organization in 2013.

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We continued our meeting with the Triple-A Memphis staff today to focus on the arms and then overall team goals for the season.

Here is what we had typed up after the session today:

RH SP Carlos E. Martinez - 22 years old
Martinez is one of the reasons Riggins wanted to come to work in our organization. He has a very bright future and a live arm. He throws 95-97 consistently with his fastball and compliments it will with a curveball and change piece. He basically split last year between AA-Springfield with Shildt where he went 7-3 with a 2.95/1.23, 62 K’s in 64 IP spanning 11 starts. He struggled after his promotion to AAA-Memphis, going 6-8/5.84/1.63 - allowing too many free passes (41) and home runs (11). He did have an inflated .344 BABIP against and the PCL is an offensive league. His control is the only thing keeping him from the big leagues - Riggins has been tasked with corralling it and making him a complete pitcher. The only other knock is that he struggles to go deep into games and once he gets to the upper-90’s in his pitch count, he begins to labor. It may just be a phase. Regardless, he is Memphis’ clear-cut No. 1 pitcher. Martinez is on the 40-man roster and will be a big league camp.

RH SP Maikel Cleto - 24 years old
Speaking of live arms - Cleto has one of the best in the minor leagues. He throws 97-99 consistently - but doesn’t have much of a clue where it is going. His biggest problem is that his fastball is his best pitch (by far) and it lacks much movement. He walks too many also. He posted a 6.05 ERA with 126 K’s in 169 IP at AAA-Memphis in 29 starts. He just really lacks that put-away pitch. He throws a below average curveball and changeup. His slider is about where it needs to be. Riggins is tasked with working on those two pitches to give him an arsenal to work with and become a big league starting pitcher. Cleto is on the 40-man roster and will be at big league camp.

RH RP Eric Fornataro - 25 years old
Fornataro is a middle reliever. He is on the 40-man roster and will be invited to big league camp. He spent most of ‘13 in AA-Springfield and while his numbers were good enough to earn a spot in the Texas League All-Star Game, he has a ways to go - especially with his control. He did strike out more than a batter an inning and has good stuff/movement on his pitches, but issues too many free passes. At 25 years old, he’ll need to show something quickly this year.

RH RP Eduardo Sanchez - 24 years old
Another guy with plus-stuff and velocity - but just hasn’t quite reined it all in yet. He will need to quickly. He pitched briefly in St. Louis in ‘13 and struggled (6.60/1.60) in his 15 innings. He didn’t fare much better in the PCL, posting a 6.39 ERA and 1.58 WHIP despite a below-average .274 BABIP against. The organization wanted him in the closer’s role and he did manage 23 saves. Campbell tells Warner that they are lifting that title and he is free to do what he wishes to close out games. Warner is thankful and doesn’t seem to think he could have taken another season of that frustration. DK chimes in saying that he still has room to grow and doesn’t think we should write him off just yet. Riggins mentioned Sanchez as another guy that intrigued him when it came time to make a decision.

Those four pitchers on the only arms on the 40-man roster heading into the season.

RH SP Boone Whiting - 24 years old
Just a guy. Basically doesn’t impress you with anything, but is good enough to be a professional pitcher. Made 29 starts in AA-Springfield in ‘13 and went 7-13 with a 5.92 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. Had an inflated OppBABIP at .354 and gave up 20 homers. Lives on his changeup as his best pitch. He’ll likely make the AAA rotation to see how he fares. DK says he has likely reached his peak in terms of development. Shildt agrees.

LH SP John Gast - 24 years old
This lefty is on our roster because he is a lefty - and possibly for no other reason. He was downright bad last year, posting a 7.19 ERA in 29 starts for Memphis. He does a decent job of getting ground balls, but that’s if we’re searching for compliments. Nothing more than a left-handed roster filler but does project to be in the rotation for Memphis once again.

RH SP Seth Maness - 25 years old
Like Gast, he just doesn’t do anything especially well. He has decent movement on the ball but doesn’t wow you with any stuff or even control (69 BB/99 K in 172 IP at AAA-Memphis). Another roster filler who won’t see St. Louis without a minor miracle.

RH RP Keith Butler - 24 years old
Butler was the closer in Springfield last year for Shildt and he liked him a lot. His final numbers weren’t where he’d of liked them (4.25 ERA/1.57 WHIP) but he’s a good pitcher. DK thinks he still has room to grow as well. Warner mentioned that he’d likely be his ninth inning guy instead of Sanchez - at least to start. He’s a 92-94 fastball guy with a good changeup and slider complimenting it. He just needs to control each of those a bit better to become a big league relief pitcher. Again, DK thinks this is coming. Right now, he’s penciled in as the closer in Memphis.

LH RP/SP Tyler Lyons - 25 years old
Lyons is an interesting case. He can be a starter but fits well in a bullpen because he is left-handed and it allows him to go max effort with minimal “stuff”. He has good control of his three pitches, they just don’t have much life. He throws 86-88 with his fastball and he lives or dies with his changeup (a plus pitch). He’ll go back and forth between the bullpen and rotation, and if St. Louis purchases him, it will be in a bullpen role most likely.

RH RP Victor Marte - 33 years old
The elder statesman of the group, Marte brings a live arm and a veteran presence to the table - but not much else. He pitched in 48 games in the big leagues in 2012 and then settled back into his AAA lifestyle, posting a 5.29 ERA in 68.0 IP for Memphis. He isn’t likely to get another cup of coffee, but still has some innings left in that wing.

LH RP Nick Greenwood - 26 years old
Another roster-filler left-handed option. Had a nice start to ‘13 with AA-Springfield, posting a 3.50/1.00 with 15 K’s in 18 innings. Then the PCL got him to the tune of a 6.16/1.76 in 38 IP spanning 19 appearances. Just another guy with nothing special. Not likely to ever make it to the Bigs.

LH RP Sam Freeman - 26 years old
Freeman is the fourth LHP on the staff and third in the current bullpen. Another player with a less-than exciting profile at an advanced age. Likely his last shot. Did pitch very well with Shildt, who likes the kid, posting a 2.05/0.90 in 61.1 IP with a K an inning. His BABIP was ungodly at .207 - he then followed that up with a 1.17/0.91 in 15.1 IP at Memphis. So, the numbers are there and maybe he turned a corner? DK doesn’t seem convinced. Regardless, he’s a left-handed option, who, if he shows something, can become a contributor in St. Louis.

Last year, the Memphis Redbirds finished 73-71, winning the weak PCL North Division. They will potentially be without three of their top producers last year in Jamie Romak (released), Adron Chambers (traded) and Kolten Wong (expected to be in St. Louis). Here are the written goals for the Redbirds this year:

*Win the PCL North Division
*Finish with a record at least five games above .500 (76 wins)
*Remain in the top three in the PCL American Conference in batting average, on-base percentage and runs scored.
*Lower the starters’ ERA to 5.50 or below (5.92 a year ago)
*Lower the bullpen ERA to 4.75 or below (4.91 a year ago)

Here is a look at the projected depth chart for Memphis to start the season:

C: Tony Cruz -- Audry Perez -- Cody Stanley
1B: Xavier Scruggs -- Starlin Rodriguez
2B: Daniel Descalso -- Greg Garcia -- Vance Albitz
3B: Jermaine Curtis -- Starlin Rodriguez
SS: Jake Lemmerman -- Daniel Descalso -- Greg Garcia
LF: Mike O’Neill -- Juan Lagares -- Shane Robinson
CF: Juan Lagares -- Mike O’Neill
RF: Shane Robinson -- Juan Lagares -- Justin Christian
DH: Justin Christian

Rotation
1. RHP Carlos Martinez
2. RHP Maikel Cleto
3. RHP Boone Whiting
4. LHP John Gast
5. RHP Seth Maness

Bullpen
CL: RHP Keith Butler
SU1: RHP Fernando Salas
SU2: RHP Eduardo Sanchez
MR: RHP Eric Fornataro
MR/Spot Starter: LHP Tyler Lyons
MR: RHP Victor Marte
MR: LHP Sam Freeman

Possible/Likely cuts or demotions: Nick Greenwood; Matt Cerda; Chris Swauger; Kyle Conley

We are looking forward to picking up these meetings on Monday with Shildt and his staff from Double-A Springfield.

[OOTPRealTime]

We met with the Springfield staff today to discuss their potential roster and goals for the 2014 season. After going through this roster, I am beginning to realize that we aren’t as deep as we may be getting credit for in the minor league system. Most (if not all) of our true top prospects are either in or on the brink of the big leagues - Taveras, Wong and Carlos Martinez. The jury is still very much out on last year’s top draft pick, outfielder Hollis Jackson - who is just 19 and playing in rookie ball. DK thinks that second round pick Jordan Sheffield, an 18-year old starting pitcher, has the best chance to be a top prospect in time - despite a debut ERA of over 7.00 in rookie ball. He has a lot of room to grow. We need to start reloading in the lower minors. Regardless, we met with DK, John Vuch, Springfield manager Mike Shildt, hitting coach Phillip Wellman and pitching coach Randy Niemann. We also conferenced in both Pop Warner (AAA-Memphis manager) and Johnny Rodriguez (Hi-A Palm Beach manager). Here is the report on the meeting:

Overall, as far as the hitters go, the glaring omission is the lack of a first baseman. It is possible that Jonathan Rodriguez, currently ticketed for Palm Beach, could emerge as that player. It might also be prudent to sign somebody to fill this role. Campbell tasks Kantrovitz to search for a possible minor league free agent with upside to sign (by the end of the day, we have offered a minor league contract to 22-year old Aderlin Rodriguez, who was released by the Mets in August despite being a SALLY League (Lo-A) All-Star (13 homers). He can hit, but strikes out way too much. He’ll most likely project for either A-ball level and would mean Jonathan Rodriguez now projects as the first baseman in Springfield.

C Travis Tartamella - 26 years old
“Tarts” is an organizational depth player (shortened to ODP from now on) who handles himself well behind the plate and doesn’t do much with the bat. With our catcher position settled for a while with Yadi - we like to have guys who can help our young pitchers progress. He’ll find time behind the plate in Springfield for that ability but most likely Cody Stanley will get the majority of the playing time if things fall the way we expect.

C/1B Geoffrey Klein - 25 years old
Much like Tartamella, he is an advanced age, doesn’t do much with the bat (hit. 213 in 118 AB’s in Palm Beach last year) and unlike Tarts, he isn’t good behind the plate. He can play first base in a pinch. Probably has one more year as an ODP and then his career will end.

1B Jonathan Rodriguez - 24 years old
Most likely to get the first base job, almost by default. Hit .238 with 13 homers (.673 OPS) in HiA-Palm Beach last year. Like many his age/level he strikes out too much. DK seems to think he needs the AB’s and we’ve tasked Wellman with is progression in plate discipline. He will get his chance to show us something and possible advance.

2B Colin Walsh - 24 years old
13th rounder in the 2010 draft, Walsh is a solid player. Won’t wow you with anything, but hes a “gamer” according to J-Rod (Johnny Rodriguez, Palm Beach manager). Walsh will be the main second baseman as DK and Vuch each agree is he has the bigger upside (over Mateo).

2B/SS Luis Mateo - 23 years old
The first thing J-Rod had to say about Mateo is that he is a second baseman, not a shortstop. He was forced into playing short last year in Palm Beach and he struggled (.919 fielding percentage). 20th round pick in 2008 Draft. Mateo will back up Walsh for now and could find himself back at Palm Beach to get playing time. He’ll start every other game against left-handed pitching and could be a defensive replacement, as he is better with the glove at second base than Walsh.

3B/2B Tyler Rahmatulla - 23 years old
The former 34th round pick in the 2010 draft out of UCLA has been a short-term success story. He was a Florida State League All-Star last year and won the gold glove at 3B in that league also. He hit .253 with 13 homers, 64 RBI and a 3.1 resulting WAR. We do expect him to make the jump to Springfield in ‘14 and start at third. J-Rod likes his work ethic and says he’ll do just about anything to improve. DK thinks he is limited, especially in the power area and if he makes the big leagues, that would limit him to play second base.

SS Ronny Gil - 24 years old
Another solid but unspectacular player. Played last year with J-Rod at Palm Beach, playing shortstop exclusively, hitting .273 with seven homers, 43 RBI in limited AB’s (260). He’s an above average shortstop defensively. DK is not a fan of his overall profile, especially at the plate. He’s likely the starting shortstop by default.

2B/3B/SS Anthony Melchionda - 23 years old
This guy plays three infield positions equally mediocre defensively, but gives some position flexibility for the manager. He spent most of last year in Lo-A Peoria and played second base, third base and shortstop. Upon his promotion to J-Rod’s Palm Beach squad, he hit .303 in 66 AB’s. Another ODP, he just doesn’t have the skill set to make it much past this point. Shildt plans to give him spot starts at all three positions when resting the starters during the season.

After getting to this point, Shildt asks Campbell and DK to get him a better, defensive, every-day shortstop if at all possible. He likes Gil but thinks there has to be better options with upside. It’s one position he really likes to plug in every day. DK and Vuch immediately tasked some minor league scouts to take a look at the minor league free agents and give some options. Shildt told that we would do our best - but no promises made.

By the end of the day, the organization reached out and offered a minor-league deal to 21-year old Freddy Pagan, a Cuban defector who plays SS, 2B, 3B and LF - and all at a plus level. He projects as plus-plus at short. He can also run. Being 21, he has more of a shot to develop into his body. Still, a long shot to ever make an impact past Triple-A.

On to the outfielders…

LF/RF/CF Adam Melker - 25 years old
This guy might as well have ODP tattooed on his chest. He actually was demoted after playing ‘12 at AA and couldn’t get out of Hi-A last year. Hit .265-10-60 and played OK defense for J-Rod. He’s a candidate to be cut considering we have two outfielders likely coming from AAA down to Springfield (Swauger and Conley). He can play all three outfield positions but only left field is he truly comfortable. He struggles more against lefties (being left-handed) so, he’ll start only against RHP.

LF/RF/C Anthony Garcia - 22 years old
Finally, somebody to get at least a little excited about. At 21, he still has room to grow. An 18th round pick in 2010 - he hit 19 homers in LoA and followed up with 15 jacks in Palm Beach last year. J-Rod really likes his skill set and says he’s a leader and a hard worker. He can play both corner outfield positions (left field better) and is an emergency catcher as well. He will strike out quite a bit. Shildt should find plenty of AB’s for Garcia to see how he responds at AA at the age of 22 - we’ll have a better idea of what we have. DK agrees that he has a Major League profile and could eventually make it up as a bench player.

LF Aaron Luna - 26 years old
Near the end of his ballplaying days, he is an ODP. Does nothing to excite you, but can play at this level as a bench player/spot starter. Another possible cut. 9th round pick in 2008 just hasn’t developed much. J-Rod says he is a “rah-rah” guy with a great attitude and work ethic despite his shortcomings. There is always room for those types of players in our organization. Maybe it can rub off on some of the younger more gifted players.

CF Thomas Pham - 26 years old
Once a really exciting prospect with a couple seasons displaying a good power/speed combo but has seemed to have plateaued. Did hit .243 with 15 homers, 66 RBI (.714 OPS) last year with Shildt in Springfield. He is a plus defender in center field. The biggest problem - and it’s a big one - is the strikeouts (142 in 490 AB’s). Shildt and J-Rod both say he is a really hard worker and really badly wants to take the next step in his development. DK thinks he has gone about as far as he’ll go. Though, get him in that offensive PCL and his numbers could soar. Regardless, he needs another season as the every day center fielder in Springfield and Shildt has no problems with that. However, until he figures out the K’s - he’ll never see St. Louis.

RF Stephen Piscotty - 23 years old
The first round pick in 2012 has yet to full break out. DK is wondering if it’s ever going to happen. Regardless, he has a cannon for an arm in right field and can handle the bat. He just doesn’t have much pop. He split last year between Peoria and Palm Beach, hittting a total of 18 homers and 22 doubles (.729 OPS). Many, including Vuch and DK think he’s ready for AA but may have to head back to J-Rod for a while if he struggles. While he has a plus big league arm, he isn’t fleet of foot and therefore not great overall defensively. He’ll do some DH’ing in the minors. This would be a big growth year for him at 23 years old. He’s known for a great work ethic so hopefully that will propel him this year.

RF/CF James Ramsey - 24 years old
He was a first-rounder in 2012 like Piscotty. Also like Piscotty, he just hasn’t quite shown enough to warrant a big league prospect tag. Hit .320 in Peoria (LoA) before a promotion to Palm Beach. There he hit .242 while drawing a .368 OBP and a total of an .861 OPS between the two levels. Another huge growth year for him. Not great defensively, which is depressing. Shildt and the St. Louis brass agree that Ramsey and Piscotty should split time between right field and DH - making sure each gets the AB’s.

With Pham/Piscotty/Ramsey all needing AB’s, it could spell the end for Melker/Luna and/or Swauger/Conley. We’ll obviously wait to see how camp goes with injuries before making any decisions.

Here is a look at our best guess for a depth chart in Springfield come April 1st:

C: Cody Stanley / Travis Tartamella / Geoffrey Klein
1B: Aderlin Rodriguez (if signs) / Jonathan Rodriguez
2B: Colin Walsh / Luis Mateo
3B: Matt Cerda / Tyler Rahmatulla / Anthony Melchionda
SS: Freddy Pagan (if signs) / Ronny Gil / Anthony Melchionda
LF: Kyle Conley / Adam Melker / Aaron Luna
CF: Thomas Pham / James Ramsey / Adam Melker
RF: James Ramsey / Stephen Piscotty
DH: Stephen Piscotty / James Ramsey

After looking at this more closely, it’s becoming more and more apparent that Chris Swauger is going to be the odd man out when the time comes. Other possible cuts/demotions to HiA-Palm Beach: Luis Mateo, Anthony Melchionda.

It was a good meeting with a lot of participation and suggestions. We’ll look at the Double-A arms tomorrow and go over the overall goals for the Springfield Cardinals in 2014.

[OOTPRealTime]

@KenRosenhaus #Phillies to resign C Carlos Ruiz to 3-year deal worth $10 Million per season. Coming off .246-8-48 (.691 OPS). Popular clubhouse fixture.

@JohnHaman Part of the reasoning behind Ruiz signing is already losing fan favs Utley and Halladay.

@CotsContracts Ruiz deal breakdown with #Phillies: '14: $9.5M '15: $10M '16: $10.5 (player option)

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@BubbaOlmey #Cubs sign Joel Hanrahan as they continue to revamp bullpen. 4-years, $26.6 Million for the 32 year old coming off solid season in Boston.

@BleacherNation Now, that's more like it! #Hanrahan

@jasonstarch Hanrahan heads back to NL Central as he signs with #Cubs on a four-year pact. #MLB

@MLBDepthCharts Looks like Bobby Parnell was the closer for the #Cubs for a whole two days. Signing of Hanrahan shifts him to set-up. Bullpen preview:



@CotsContracts Breakdown of Hanrahan's deal w/ #Cubs: '14: $6.0M '15: $6.2M '16:$6.4M '17: $8M (team option)

Not happy to see a top target of ours sneak out of our price range and then sign in the division. They did not give much of an indication that they were leaning toward the Cubs, but, what can we do? I like that Theo/Jed are doing in Chicago with their bullpen. They have many holes to fill but are shoring up a very important part of their club.

[OOTPRealTime]

Before we get into detail on the continued meetings with the Springfield staff, I wanted to update on the evolving outfield dynamic. First of all, we heard back from Juan Lagares and he is signed. So, we'll have him in the mix when we report to spring training. Again, his value is that he makes consistent contact and can play each outfield position - and plays them all well. That moves the 40-man roster size to 36.

We also heard back from Coco Crisp's reps and they are telling me now that they may be waiting it out a while. This is disappointing but we have what we feel is just as good of an option sitting out there for half the money and may give us the pop that we would be missing. That's Nelson Cruz. They are telling me that Cincinnati and Houston are both in the mix at this point. I don't want to see him in Cincy - but we need to do what's best for our club.

So, I called up the Cruz camp and their demands have actually come down to more around $2.8/year for two years. They understand that we have Taveras waiting in the wings and they aren't deterred by that. Cruz can play left field and right field (when needed). Bringing in a veteran Latino player to help groom Taveras may even be a better scenario for us.

So, that's what we're going to do. I gave Crisp's camp a call and told them that we're going to shift our focus elsewhere. They weren't thrilled with this, but we need to move. We aren't interested in a bidding war or dragging this out when we have other means. It won't surprise me if he signs in Cincy now.

We then made an offer to Cruz. Two years, $5.6 Million ($2.8 Mil per). We expect/hope for a quick resolution.

Another offer we made today is to relief pitcher Rafael Dolis, formerly of the Cubs. He hasn't amounted to much but has a live arm and we want to take a closer look at him in Spring Training. We offer 1-year, $550,000 on a big league deal. If we get both Cruz and Dolis, that would put our 40-man at 38. Then Joba Chamberlain (who we offered to on 12/11 and are still awaiting word from him) would put us at 39. We'll try to keep one spot open for flexibility.

@dgold The @Cardinals have signed OF Juan Lagares to a one-year MLB deal. He'll compete for a spot in ST. Plus defender at all 3 OF positions. Can hit and run too.

@TheCardinalWay We don't expect Lagares to make the opening day roster but he has 3 option years left. Can provide nice OF depth if needed.

@bzlamic This Lagares move doesn't replace Crisp. Um...right?

@TheCardinalWay @bzlamic Didn't think about that. Maybe they hit an impasse and now Crisp is off the radar?

[OOTPRealTime]

We continued our meetings to discuss the pitching staff at Double-A Springfield today…

For argument’s sake, we’re assuming that Nick Greenwood will begin the season in Springfield. One glaring problem, as brought up by Shildt is that we don’t have five capable starting pitchers currently. That gives DK and Vuch a good reason to go out and make an offer to some guys they like currently looking for one last shot. Shildt says that we need to look at totally rebuilding the starting rotation. We will go through them all but he suggests getting some fresh faces in here as the guys they have are just nothing. Campbell tasks DK, Vuch and the scouting staff to find three new starting pitchers to make minor-league offers to. Those players are:

Dellin Betances, a former Yankees farmhand, who has great stuff but just hasn’t been able to reign it in. He’s 25 and has a career minor league ERA of 4.87. His last two seasons at AAA-Scranton/WB, he’s posted a 6.39 (16 starts) and a 7.36 (29 starts). He has high WHIP numbers too but when you watch him pitch - it makes you salivate - for some reason. So, we’ll see if our organizational pitching philosophy can turn his career around.

Daniel Bibona is a guy that we used to have in the organization but took 2013 off for personal reasons. DK still really likes him and we extend an offer for him to come back and give it another try. He has just ten professional starts and has a 2.70 ERA, 1.86 WHIP. We’ll see if he wants another shot.

Jonathan (J.C.) Casey played collegiately at nearby Missouri State (Springfield, MO) and had a great college career. He was signed by the White Sox and played one season for their rookie ball affiliate - posted OK numbers and then missed the 2013 season with an arm injury. Also, 25 years old, the White Sox declined to extend a contract. We’ll see if he wants another shot with us. DK still loves his upside and he may even get an uptick in velo after surgery.

So, for this exercise, we’ll assume we get these three players. That spells the end for a few also:

RH SP Kevin Thomas - 27 years old
A 27-year old ODP with lackluster numbers in the lower minors. He made 17 starts at Palm Beach (7.92/1.89) and just doesn’t really do anything well. He will be cut after the first player listed above signs on.

RH SP Scott Gorgen - 26 years old
Gorgen made eight starts in AAA-Memphis in 2012 but was relegated to Springfield last year where he was not good. He went 7-10 with a 7.48 ERA, 1.88 WHIP and allowed 17 homers in 25 starts. Shildt didnt have too many flattering things to say about him either. He will be cut when the second player signs.

RH SP Scott McGregor - 27 years old
Posted identical 6.86 ERA’s the past two seasons in Springfield and now at 27 years old. He’s just not cutting it. So, we’ll be cutting him after the third pitcher signs.

The lone player in our organization right now that we anticipate being in the Springfield rotation is…

LH SP Kyle Hald - 24 years old
Posted a solid 4-4 record with a 4.47 ERA in 49 relief appearances (nine starts). DK says he is a starter and J-Rod agrees. And, with our current situation, he’ll have to be in Springfield. Had an unlucky 3.40 oppBABIP. He was the 18th round pick in 2011 out of Old Dominion.

We’ll likely have to find one more starter to get to five if we do in fact release all three of Thomas/Gorgen/McGregor. However, we may just hold on to McGregor as an ODP to eat innings for one more year.

On to the bullpen…
Shildt did say that they don’t have a shut down closer, especially if Keith Butler heads to Memphis. DK said he’d love an excuse to get Jhan Marinez’s ridiculous arm in our system and see if we can fix him. The guy has incredible stuff, but at 25 years old he has failed at every level. Campbell grants the wish and they call to offer Marinez.

Here is the outlook for the rest of the bullpen...

RH RP Jorge Rondon - 25 years old
A 2006 signing and in six professional seasons, he just hasn’t been able to quite turn that corner. A career 5.15 minor-league ERA and a questionable work ethic have buried him. He still has a live arm with good movement enough to keep him around. He’ll likely set up Marinez (hopefully). DK believes in him and thinks he could make strides this year. Randy Niemann has been tasked this this. He sarcastically responds with “thanks”.

RH RP Joseph Scanio - 23 years old
18th round pick out of a small college in Louisana in 2012 - he has turned some heads with good numbers in the lower minors. He went 3-2 with a 2.96/1.13 and 32 K in 27.1 IP last year at LoA. The plan is to get him up to Springfield right now to see how he responds. DK isn’t impressed with his profile and doesn’t really know how he’s done so well so far. He has just a fastball and curve. Throws four-seamer 90-92 with good movement. Has a ways to go with the curve but it can improve. Another Niemann project. We’ll be tracking him closely this year.

RH RP Jordan Swagerty - 24 years old
The organization was hoping “Swag” would be a bit further along at this point, but he just hasn’t done enough to warrant it. He missed the 2012 season due to TJS. Came back last year with a 1-4, 4.81, 1.63 WHIP year at Springfield. Shildt likes him, as does Niemann but he just looked a bit tentative. He’s still on our radar and we’ll also be looking at his progression in an important year for him.

LH RP Kevin Siegrist - 24 years old
Due to a lack of organizational depth for starting pitching (as referenced above) he was forced into being a starting pitcher - which we all agree he is not. We’ll put him where he belongs in the bullpen this year. The former 41st round pick is already a success story to make it to this point - but we don’t think we’ll ever see him in St. Louis.

LH RP Dean Kiekhefer - 24 years old
Earned the closer’s role in Palm Beach after a 2012 season that saw him post a 2.24 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and nail down 14 saves. He stayed in that role in 2013 and his ERA ballooned to a 5.18 - cutting short any chance of a promotion. He did save 19 games and was victimized by a .355 OppBABIP. He’ll get the chance to move up to Springfield this year and gives Shildt another left-handed option out of the bullpen.

RH RP Casey Mulligan - 26 years old
Live arm but struggles with consistency. He pitched in 35 games for Springfield last year, strick out more than one an inning (54 in 48 ⅓ IP), but walked 25 and couldn’t get the key outs. He made a brief appearance at Memphis and did well in 7 ⅓ innings. He’ll be around this year and a candidate to fill a void if one appears in Memphis and DK actually put up a rather spirited argument that Mulligan should be the first guy promoted if he performs well and a spot opens up. He likes his make-up. Shildt agrees that he was one of his better options - and more so than just the 96-98 MPH fastball.

RH RP Christopher Corrigan - 26 years old
Spent all of last season in Palm Beach and J-Rod used him a lot. He went 4-1 with a 5.12/1.40 with 60 K’s in 58 innings pitched. He is a decent pitcher who is more of an ODP guy but both J-Rod, Vuch and DK agree he deserves a shot at Double-A before pulling the plug.

LH RP Justin Wright - 24 years old
Spent last year at Palm Beach and went 7-3 with three saves to go with a 5.32 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. He did strikeout 85 in 71 IP, which is exciting. J-Rod mentioned he has great stuff and just needs to harness it. Being left-handed is a bonus. He’ll get a shot in the Springfield bullpen this year. He dominates left-handed hitters and could be a specialist in time.

Shildt did an awesome job last year rallying the troops after a sub-par regular season but snuck into the playoffs and actually took home the Texas League crown after an exciting 7-game series with the San Antonio Missions. The goal is the same this year. Here is a look at some of the specific goals for the 2014 season in Springfield:

*Win the Texas League North division in both halves of the season.
*Make the Texas League playoffs
*Repeat as Texas League Champions
*Lower the starters’ ERA from 5.69 to under 5.50
*Raise the overall team batting average to over .265 (.260 last year)
*Develop young players and help resurrect the careers of the new signings.

Another great meeting and room for optimism in Springfield. We will meet with Johnny Rodriguez and the HiA-Palm Beach staff after the holiday. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! One of my New Year’s resolutions will be to keep this going and make it the best dynasty report it can be!

[OOTPRealTime]

@KenRosenhaus Source confirms that the #Cubs are putting the finishing touches on a deal to secure Mike Morse. I'm told its a 4-year deal.

@JohnHayman Morse to #Cubs. Can play 1B, LF or RF for them. Power needed in this lineup (10th in NL in HR LY).

...

@CotsContracts Mike Morse deal with #Cubs very backloaded: '14: $5.7 '15: $9.1 '16: $12.5 '17: $16 (player option)

MIKE MORSE SIGNS WITH THE CUBS
MLB.com - by: Matthew Lurch

Mike Morse has a new address and it's back in the National League. The slugging first baseman/outfielder signed a four-year deal worth a total of $43.4 Million today with the Chicago Cubs. Morse, 31, spent last year in the vast expanse of Safeco Field in Seattle and hit 23 long balls (10 of them at home), drove in 81 runs and finished with a respectable .254 batting clip. This was done with 142 strikeouts on his card as well. Translated: When he puts the ball in play, he does so with authority. The Cubs hope Morse can replicate his 2011 season in Washington when he hit 31 bombs and hit .303 in his age 29 season.

The deal is back-loaded and includes a player option for the final year at $16 Million in 2017. The Cubs hope he has to think about whether to take it or not. Morse can play first base and both corner outfield spots, giving manager Dale Sveum some options when making out his lineup card. This off-season the Cubs have addressed needs in the bullpen (trade for Bobby Parnell; signed Joel Hanrahan) and now the power issue with Morse.

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As time goes on (only one day), I've become more and more enamored with the potential signing of Nelson Cruz. I really think he's a great fit for what we need and can be a key piece to the development of Oscar Taveras. I'm actually thinking about reaching back out to his representatives and upping the offer just a little to help speed things up. I don't want another team to jump in (especially an American League club) that could offer him more in terms of guaranteed playing time. I won't do this today but if I don't hear anything back from them by tomorrow - I'm going to up the ante.

Just a quick recap of the current offers that we have to players as we turn the calendar to 2014:

RH RP Joba Chamberlain - 2 years; $6.72 Million - offered: 12/11/13
OF Nelson Cruz - 2 years; $5.6 Million - offered: 12/31/13
RH RP Rafael Dolis - 1 year; $550,000 - offered: 12/31/13

Minor League Offers to:
SP Dellin Betances
SP Daniel Bibona
1B Aderlin Rodriguez
SS Freddy Pagan
RP Jhan Marinez

We hope that we will hear back soon (positively) from these players. The 40-man is at 36 right now and if we lock up Joba, Nelson and Rafael - we'll be at 39 heading to Jupiter. It's unlikely we'll make any other moves in free agency. But, we'll never close the door on trade opportunities if they arise.

Happy New Year!

[OOTPRealTime]

VETERAN DOTEL RETURNS TO HOUSTON
The Astros sign 40-year old to one-year deal
By: Jason Brooks - Astros.com

Just when you thought the ageless wonder Octavio Dotel has had enough, he comes back and saves 22 games for the Detroit Tigers in 2013 and earns one more contract. He'll be heading back to Houston, where he enjoyed four and a half fine seasons from 2000-2004. He became the closer in that 2004 season and closed out 14 games before a trade to Oakland as a part of a three-way deal that sent Carlos Beltran from Kansas City to Houston.

Dotel's journey began when he signed as an international free agent with the New York Mets on March 20, 1993. He was considered a starter when he made his MLB debut for New York in 1999, starting 14 games (of 19 appeared in) and posted an 8-3 record with a 5.38 ERA. He was traded that off-season to Houston in a deal that landed the Mets both Mike Hampton and Derek Bell.

982 1/3 innings pitched later, he's still at it. He boasts a 3.73 career ERA and 131 saves in 15 seasons with 12 different organizations. Instead of making it lucky number 13 - he comes home to Houston.

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We had some bad weather in St. Louis and it delayed the flights of our Palm Beach staff, so we pushed back the meetings with the Hi-A ball staff. We hope they can make it in tomorrow and we can take a closer look at the Palm Beach roster and outlook.