Cards Interested in Punto? OH YEAH

[Formerly Snayke]

I seen this at my old stomping grounds. Call off the NL Central if it's true.

 

Joe Strauss: Punto is a popular name within some quarters of the organization. The Cardinals remain interested in acquiring another left-side IF and a No. 6 starting pitcher. They prefer to get there by offering a free agent with major-league experience a non-guaranteed contract. I question whether Punto falls that far. He made $4M last season while hitting .238 with minimal power while displaying plus defense at three infield positions. He fits well here in the same role Jon Jay may play in the OF. Punto also has appeared in two postseasons with the Minnesota Twins. Punto missed most of the last two months with a severe hamstring strain.

 

Minimal power! "Plus" defense! Postseason experience because he had the good fortune of playing with Joe Mauer! Punto!

 

http://weareoffthemark.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/68.jpg

 

.247/.321/.322

 

Not that I think baseball teams need a Latin, Asian or black quota, but jeez, 22 white players?

[Post Count Padder]

They got rid of Brendan Ryan so they needed to get more grit.

 

DEAR GOD, could you imagine that middle infield of Theriot, Ryan, Punto and Miles if they kept Ryan? Bring back Eckstein and they'd have the worst infield ever. Would negate the runs Pujols creates.

 

But at least they'd play the game the right way.

[Formerly Snayke]

They aren't even making their desire for more grittiness (La Russa describes it as "smart") hidden. They are actively acquiring every player who La Russa deems "smart" so he can prove that last year's team lost because of attitude.

[17 Seconds]

can't wait until he gets a standing ovation after he comes back to busch with another team in 2012

[Andy]

And yet they'll still somehow finish ahead of us this year.

[imb]

yeah albert, you see how he treats you? you don't deserve this. you're too good for this, you deserve to be spoiled.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Whats the deal with Jim Hendry and untalented, light hitting middle infielders? Your paying both Barney and Baker next to nothing, both who have a ceiling, and your interested in the poor mans Aaron Miles? Just as I was thinking that wed had a productive offseason without any nauseatingly bad moves. Then again, we need to find some way to counter the Brewers aquisition of Yuniesky Betencourt.

[nolanwood]

Whats the deal with Jim Hendry and untalented, light hitting middle infielders? Your paying both Barney and Baker next to nothing, both who have a ceiling, and your interested in the poor mans Aaron Miles? Just as I was thinking that wed had a productive offseason without any nauseatingly bad moves. Then again, we need to find some way to counter the Brewers aquisition of Yuniesky Betencourt.

 

Cards...not Cubs.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Whats the deal with Jim Hendry and untalented, light hitting middle infielders? Your paying both Barney and Baker next to nothing, both who have a ceiling, and your interested in the poor mans Aaron Miles? Just as I was thinking that wed had a productive offseason without any nauseatingly bad moves. Then again, we need to find some way to counter the Brewers aquisition of Yuniesky Betencourt.

Keep up the good work.

[Sammy Sofa]

I wonder what kind of rampage he went off on due to this mistake.

[mookie]

LOL. Excellent detour!!!

[Formerly Snayke]

It just occurred to me that he thought I was talking about the Cubs.

[javy knows my name]

Come back, LLF, so we can flame youuu

[TruffleShuffle]

Whats the deal with Jim Hendry and untalented, light hitting middle infielders? Your paying both Barney and Baker next to nothing, both who have a ceiling, and your interested in the poor mans Aaron Miles? Just as I was thinking that wed had a productive offseason without any nauseatingly bad moves. Then again, we need to find some way to counter the Brewers aquisition of Yuniesky Betencourt.

 

how did i miss this awesome post?

[Formerly Snayke]

CARDS SIGN PUNTO! CARDS SIGN PUNTO! CARDS SIGN PUNTO!

 

Central Division, you belong to St. Louis.

[cheapseats]

It's done.

 

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=3333&ft=311565

 

:clapping:

[Formerly Snayke]

It's done.

 

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=3333&ft=311565

 

:clapping:

 

Why are you excited? You realize the Cardinals just added the final piece, right?

 

This was a savvy move by a GM and manager who recognize that this team lacked backbone last season.

[NonProfitCow]

God, the Cards are [expletive] depressing.

[Little Slide Rooter]

My bad, guess I misread it but "flame" away if you must. The fact of the matter is I never understand why teams would go out of there way to sign a Nick Punto or Aaron Miles when they could just as easily pull an equally productive player out of their farm system, and if not, just wait it out until either just before ST and willing to take a minor league deal with an invite or the end of spring training because such a player is sure to be DFAd. Given a chance to play a full season, Id bet that Bobby Scales could probably give a team the same thing that Punto or Miles could.

[dew1679666265]

My bad, guess I misread it but "flame" away if you must. The fact of the matter is I never understand why teams would go out of there way to sign a Nick Punto or Aaron Miles when they could just as easily pull an equally productive player out of their farm system, and if not, just wait it out until either just before ST and willing to take a minor league deal with an invite or the end of spring training because such a player is sure to be DFAd. Given a chance to play a full season, Id bet that Bobby Scales could probably give a team the same thing that Punto or Miles could.

 

There's a couple of reasons, I think:

 

Managers and GMs largely want to limit doubt as much as possible. With unproven young players, there's doubt as to whether they can perform at the ML level. With a Punto or Miles, you have certainty. You know you're not going to get great numbers, but you also feel comfortable that you know the level they'll produce at and, therefore, eliminate doubt from that position. If you fill that position with an unproven player, you question whether he'll produce worse, the same or better than the veteran and for a GM/manager (especially one whose job is in doubt) that's a bad thing.

 

Second, many managers value intangibles because they provide security. "Winner", "gritty", "plays the right way", "smart", "does the little things" are all comments you'll hear from managers describing players like Punto and Miles. It can't be proven that those intangibles exist, but you also can't prove they don't exist either, so it's easy for a manager/GM who has been brought up believing in those things to fall back on them when they sign an unproductive player. Since many fans also buy into those as legitimate attributes, those moves become highly popular among the fanbase and upper management (who also largely believe in those things), thus providing even more security for the manager/GM.

[Illini Iceman]

At least you have Phil Rogers on your side.

 

Infielder Nick Punto is a good signing for the Cardinals. He's not the most talented player but his max-effort approach makes him another piece the Twins will miss

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-110122-mlb-whispers-rogers,0,327922.story

 

Brilliant analysis.

[Formerly Snayke]

It is brilliant. Punto was one-half defensive insurance to what will be the worst infield defense in MLB and one-half character guy that La Russa seriously believes the team lacked last season. Only a Genius could look at an offense that was Pujols, Holliday, Rasmus, Flotsam and Jetsam and figure that they tanked because they didn't have enough guys getting their jerseys dirtied up.

 

With that said, I'm almost certain now that they win 92 games, La Russa gets vindicated and we get the same team in 2012.

[Little Slide Rooter]

It is brilliant. Punto was one-half defensive insurance to what will be the worst infield defense in MLB and one-half character guy that La Russa seriously believes the team lacked last season. Only a Genius could look at an offense that was Pujols, Holliday, Rasmus, Flotsam and Jetsam and figure that they tanked because they didn't have enough guys getting their jerseys dirtied up.

 

With that said, I'm almost certain now that they win 92 games, La Russa gets vindicated and we get the same team in 2012.

 

I really dont know how the Cards will be able to extend Pujols and build a major league baseball team around him and Holliday. Are Carpenter and Wainwright due for FA any time soon?

[dew1679666265]

I really dont know how the Cards will be able to extend Pujols and build a major league baseball team around him and Holliday. Are Carpenter and Wainwright due for FA any time soon?

 

Carpenter has a $15 mil club option for 2012, after that he's a free agent. Wainwright has 2012 and 2013 club options for $9 mil and $12 mil respectively.