View from the cheap seats

Swashbuckled?

Reportedly interested in signing with the Cardinals a few days ago, Matt Clement has apparently balked at the prospect of taking a minor league deal with an invite to spring training, according to reports out of Boston where he most recently played. He is said to have decided that, if he can't get a guaranteed deal elsewhere, he'd just as soon pitch for a team close to his western Pennsylvania home: The Pirates or the Indians...

It's one thing when the Cardinals can't convince players to come to St. Louis over offers from the Yankees or the Red Sox. But when players decide that, all other things being equal, they would rather play for the Pirates... Well, you've got problems, mister.

Does Colon have anything left?

Add Bartolo Colon to the list of rehabbing or otherwise damaged pitchers that the Cardinals are considering as a short term solution for their depleted rotation.

Colon, once a top American League pitcher, was the 5th highest-paid player in the senior circuit last year. He earned $16 million in the final season of a $51-million, four-year deal with the Angels. But his streak of five years in a row with at least 208 innings pitched came to a halt in 2006 due to persistent arm troubles. And he hasn't been the same since.

He was 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA, 157 strikeouts and 43 walks in 2005. But he managed only 56 1/3 innings in 2006 and 99 1/3 in 2007. During that span he was 5-11 and turned in ERAs of 5.11 and 6.34.

After the Mitchell report

I have to admit that I was way off base when it comes to the Mitchell report.

I thought it was going to offer real evidence of big name players using illegal performance enhancers and that it would change the landscape of baseball by shaming aging stars into retirement while crippling teams by sending their superstars off for lenghty suspensions.

While it looks like little if anything will happen to the players, the real shock is the reaction of the public to baseball's biggest black eye since the Black Sox scandal.

No love for Lieber in St. Louis?

The Mets continue to chase former Phillie Jon Lieber as an addition to their starting rotation. And the Astros, Reds, Royals and Rangers are also in pursuit, according to the New York press...

Lieber missed the second half of the 2007 season after having Achillies tendon surgery. But he seems to be ready to go. I'm not certain why the Cardinals have shown little or no interest in a guy who has been a pretty servicable starter over the years. He's 129-121 with a 4.28 ERA in 13 seasons. A guy who will turn 38 the first week of the season can't want too many years for the Cardinals tastes, could he?

Prior post mortem

Now that the dust has settled in the Mark Prior situation, the former Cubs hurler told the San Diego press that the Cardinals, Astros, Mets and Rangers were the most aggressive teams to pursue him. But, in all, 13 major clubs at least called Prior's agent to kick the tires.

Prior said the Cardinals made a "lucrative" offer, which I'm assuming must have been a multi-year deal. It wouldn't have made any sense at all for the pitching needy Cardinals to give Prior a big one-year contract. If he is unable to recover from injury, it would be a huge waste of money. If he is back to form, it would have put the Redbirds in a situation where they spent a lot to benefit from Prior for a maximum of four months before he would be back on the free agent market at a premium.

Rumor Mill: Fitting Rolen for a halo?

The deal to send Scott Rolen to the Brewers may be dead. But interest from the Angels in the disgruntled third sacker may be heating up.

According to the Cali press, the Angels have been trying to pry Adrian Beltre away from Seattle. But the Mariners are reluctant to trade with someone within their division. That leaves Rolen as the best third baseman available.

Can the Cardinals really afford to deal Rolen? Not in the same kind of swap that sent Jim Edmonds to the Padres for a dubious prospect. They would have to get something for the former all-star and Gold Glover that would help the team now to even consider it.

Rumor Mill: Winter of our dis-Clement

Apparently the Cardinals are close to making former Padres, Marlins, Cubs and Red Sox hurler Matt Clement the new Kip Wells.

A lifetime 87-86 pitcher with a 4.47 ERA, Clement didn't give up a single hit or run in 2007. That's because he was out the entire season following shoulder surgery.

The Cardinals think they can rebuild Clement and revitalize his career. You know the words to that tune, so everybody sing along!

Hot stove update: Prior signs with Friars

As expected, Mark Prior chose his hometown Padres for his 2008 comeback effort.

While the Cardinals certainly would have loved to have the Prior of 2003 to bolster their starting rotation, the pitcher on the open market isn't that guy right now. And a lot of baseball people think that he will never be that guy again.

Prior chose to take a one-year deal, betting on the idea that he will make a strong return in the second half of the year and then cash in in 2009. If he wasn't willing to sign a deal with an option, he had little value to the Cardinals at all. Why put the time and effort into fixing up a damaged player so someone else can reap the benefits.

The Yankees pulled another ex-Cub off the re-hab pile a few years back and, after writing off his first season in pinstripes, Jon Lieber became a pretty decent pitcher. But this time the Yankees decided to let someone else do the dirty work while they wait to see what Prior can remake out of himself.

Where's my cap?

I felt bad because the Cardinals have signed a couple of infielders released by the Pirates and the Nationals and a backup catcher cut loose by Kansas City.

But, apparently, the real victims of the off season are Mets fans who are buring up the New York airwaves with complaints that their team hasn't added the likes of Johann Santana or Alex Rodriguez to what already projecs to be a $125 million-plus payroll.

While Chris Duncan, who probably won't get close to the $1 million mark in 2008 is the dean of Cardinals starting outfielders the Cardinals haven't even signed anyone to replace Kip Wells in the starting rotation, here's how the poor Mets have had to scrimp by:

C  - Brian Schneider, $4.9 million

1b - Carlos Delgado, $16 million

2b - Luis Castillo, $6 million

3b - David Wright, $5 million (annual salary doubles in '10 and triples in '12)

ss - Jose Reyes, $4 million

lf -  Moises Alou, $7.5 million

cf -  Carlos Beltran, $18.5 million

rf -  Endy Chavez, arbitration eligible, $1.75 million in '07

After Christmas sale

Merry Christmas to all.

There's little on the hot stove front during the holiday season. Just a couple of loose ends to tie up:

The Cardinals still may make a little bit of a splash on the free agent market, but not in the pitching market, as originally figured. The little bit of the buzz that they're currently generating comes with finding a right handed hitting corner outfielder to take the place of Rick Ankiel, since he'll be taking over center field after the trade of Jim Edmonds to the Padres.

It would seem that the Cardinals aren't sold on the idea that Colby Rasmus is ready to play at the major league level.