Cards/Lohse 4 year/$48 mil extention?

[Clem Fandango]

The Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox would like tothank the Cardinals for officially putting every respectable free agent pitcher out of every teams price range but their own.

pretty sure we're on that list too.

and the Angels, Dodgers, Phillies, and Rangers

 

The Rangers? Really? You sure about that?

[laurens]

The Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox would like tothank the Cardinals for officially putting every respectable free agent pitcher out of every teams price range but their own.

pretty sure we're on that list too.

and the Angels, Dodgers, Phillies, and Rangers

 

The Rangers? Really? You sure about that?

 

Yeah, I doubt it. Right now they're 22nd on the list of payrolls, with $66,312,326.

[mul21]

Wow, full no trade clause, too. What a stupid move.

 

Maybe we can call thie new age of Cardinals baseball, "New Age of Stupid." There is no way Lohse should had gotten that contract. And the Cards are going to regret it when Lohse becomes the new Kip Wells.

 

I don't think it's all that bad of a deal if they think Duncan figured him out and has him on the right track. He seems to be a classic Duncan guy who pitches to contact down in the zone and doesn't get a ton of Ks. The way they structured the deal, he won't kill them even if he does regress to a little above league average in the last couple years of the del assuming the price of pitching continues to go up.

[SouthSideRyan]

Wow, full no trade clause, too. What a stupid move.

 

Maybe we can call thie new age of Cardinals baseball, "New Age of Stupid." There is no way Lohse should had gotten that contract. And the Cards are going to regret it when Lohse becomes the new Kip Wells.

 

I don't think it's all that bad of a deal if they think Duncan figured him out and has him on the right track. He seems to be a classic Duncan guy who pitches to contact down in the zone and doesn't get a ton of Ks. The way they structured the deal, he won't kill them even if he does regress to a little above league average in the last couple years of the del assuming the price of pitching continues to go up.

 

A dangerous assumption IMO.

[biittner77]

This is an encouraging sign. The strength of the Cards organization used to be letting guys like Lohse walk or trading them for max value.

[RedFlash]

Wow, full no trade clause, too. What a stupid move.

 

Maybe we can call thie new age of Cardinals baseball, "New Age of Stupid." There is no way Lohse should had gotten that contract. And the Cards are going to regret it when Lohse becomes the new Kip Wells.

 

I don't think it's all that bad of a deal if they think Duncan figured him out and has him on the right track. He seems to be a classic Duncan guy who pitches to contact down in the zone and doesn't get a ton of Ks. The way they structured the deal, he won't kill them even if he does regress to a little above league average in the last couple years of the del assuming the price of pitching continues to go up.

 

What about Carlos Silva? The Cubs lucked out that they have gotten 2 league average to above leage average yrs out of Lilly (because I remember people that it was a "quetionable" signing considering he wasn't even that good in Toronto. Or what about Adam Eaton? It's a gamble even for the Cards, and while they may see it as a worthwhile gamble considering their catcher, their pitching coach, and their defense, the simple fact is that 2008 was the first time he's had a ERA under 4. For the most part Lohse has stayed in the mid 4's or higher in his career. So I don't think he has figured it out. This was basically a career yr, and I expect him to give the Cards Jason Maruis (who coincendently Lohse is compare to) for the next 4 yrs. Not bad, but they could have used that money on help at 2nd/SS, OF, top of the line pitching, etc, etc.

[mul21]

What about Carlos Silva? The Cubs lucked out that they have gotten 2 league average to above leage average yrs out of Lilly (because I remember people that it was a "quetionable" signing considering he wasn't even that good in Toronto. Or what about Adam Eaton? It's a gamble even for the Cards, and while they may see it as a worthwhile gamble considering their catcher, their pitching coach, and their defense, the simple fact is that 2008 was the first time he's had a ERA under 4. For the most part Lohse has stayed in the mid 4's or higher in his career. So I don't think he has figured it out. This was basically a career yr, and I expect him to give the Cards Jason Maruis (who coincendently Lohse is compare to) for the next 4 yrs. Not bad, but they could have used that money on help at 2nd/SS, OF, top of the line pitching, etc, etc.

 

The only issue with this is that they had to have guys who can eat innings, something that Lohse does very well. Considering they got him for ~$2MM less per year than Silva got and he's never hurt, I think they could have done a lot worse. Very similar to the Lilly signing and for about the same money and he fills a huge need for them because really, who else do they have? Wainwright was dinged up this year, Carpenter is an unknown, Wellemeyer doesn't give them more than 6 IP/game, Looper won't be back, Pineiro is back but not very good, and their minor league guys are nothing to write home about. They were painted into a corner and took what will probably turn out to be the best option available. Unless they make a blockbuster deal in the off season with the excess outfielders they've got, they're up a creek if they don't do this.

[haltz]

Very similar to the Lilly signing and for about the same money and he fills a huge need for them because really, who else do they have? Wainwright was dinged up this year, Carpenter is an unknown, Wellemeyer doesn't give them more than 6 IP/game, Looper won't be back, Pineiro is back but not very good, and their minor league guys are nothing to write home about. They were painted into a corner and took what will probably turn out to be the best option available. Unless they make a blockbuster deal in the off season with the excess outfielders they've got, they're up a creek if they don't do this.

It's similar in money, but Lilly is a better pitcher. He actually strikes people out and you'd expect him to get a bounce coming from the AL East.

 

Even if they do something about the middle infield, the Cardinals won't have enough if something happens to Carpenter and/or Wainwright. Lohse doesn't make a difference there. What the Cardinals need are better players, not to be spending $40m on league average or worse pitchers because that's what they think the market dictates. Innings eater is just another way to say a pitcher sucks but hasn't gotten hurt yet.