Per Bernie : Jocketty is OUT!!!

[Socnorb11]

Hope you don't mind me commenting on it.

1st, I think it's BS someone of the pedigree of Jocketty would be fired. There's no doubt, he'll land on his feet and be successful.

With that said, it was the best time to make a change at the top. I believe the Cards are in transition period where their core is too old and too many unsuccessful drafts/development has stunted the type of squads Jocketty liked to put together. There haven't been any high ceiling prospects worth hanging onto since Pujols, Barton isn't that type of player, hopefully Rasmus can be.

If the ownership group is unwilling to add payroll on a declining team, it is best to get the GM in line with scouting directors/cross checkers and the developmental aspect of the picture and look to build from within until some of those expensive declining players leave and free up salary, which is still a sellers' market.

It's just a shame for all of you, that it wasn't Jocketty who was not allowed to call all of his shots, despite the fact my philosophies on bulidng up a team differ from his (I'm more of a build from within 1st).

Do you think that Jocketty's way of "calling shots" would work in today's market? He hasn't "outsmarted" the other GM's for a few years now. The days of being able to con another team into giving up McGwire and Edmonds for chump change seem to be gone.

[mikechamp]

Am I the only one that would welcome Keith Law in open arms?

My arms would not be open to him.

[Radbird]

UK - do you have an opinion on Mozeliak and whether he will throw his hat in the ring? Be considered a serious candidate? Fits in with the build from within philosophy?

Also, who do you think from outside the organization would be a good GM match for what DeWitt is trying to do?

[thrill]

Am I the only one that would welcome Keith Law in open arms?

I like Keith and would be happy to give him a job in the organization, he may not have the pedigree to be a gm yet, but I'd take an Epsteinian chance on him before I'd retread an old guy.

[fulldeck]

Rebuilding years = losing. Pujols doesn't like losing. I don't like the thought of Pujols wearing pinstripes.

I sure hope the Cardinals brain trust is connecting the same dots I am here.

[Socnorb11]

That's just the point, Fan in NY; DeWitt is announcing a change in policy. Hold the line on the budget. Look, even if you say we'll just have to eat it next year, then we get 16 million freed up from Izzy's and Edmonds' contracts expiring, you still have the Pujols commitment, Rolen's contract, Carpenter's contract. This year, Ankiel is arbitration eligible; his agent is Scott Boras. Even if Boras takes it easy on us this year because Ankiel only played part of the year, what happens if Ankiel has the year we all hope he has next year. That means in 2009 we'll have:

--Pujols at about $14 million (I can't keep up with how the backloading works)
--Rolen's $12 million
--Ankiel (we'd be lucky if he didn't win $8-10 million in arbitration)
--Yadi (who'll be in arbitration as the best defensive catcher in the game and if he keep inproving offense $8 mil)
--Carp (what will it be, about $10 mill?)
--Other contracts we're stuck with: (Kennedy, Franklin--though I like him, Flores, Spezio--still, I think--combine
for another $10 million or so)
--Raises for Dunc, Ryan, Lud, etc., and a new backup catcher, plus bullpen--another $8-10 million.

We're already up around $74 million on estimates I think are pretty conservative (and depending on a lot of players (Kennedy) who didn't get it done this year. And we have to find 3 starting pitchers, some more relief, a SS, and an "impact bat." Not going to get done on the same $18 million we had this year.

Let's say all our young hopes come through. What happens in 2010 when:

Pujols looks to make $20 million.
Ankiel wants $15 million.
Yadi wants $12-15 million.
Wainwright is wanting $10 million in arbitration.
Duncan, Ludwick, Shoe, Ryan (even assuming him at SS) are all arbitration eligible.
We've replaced a 2B from the minors.
We've rebuilt the bullpen.
We still need 4 starting pitchers with mid-level people starting at $10 million. Even give that one of these people come cheap from within our system (don't see them now).
We still need a 3B.
The lineup is still weak; starting pitching is ???
We've still maxed out the budget; something's got to go. Albert? Ankiel?
Look; every team that's gone this "youth movement" thing has done the same: Kansas City could have been playing Dye, Damon, and Beltran in the outfield. Oakland could still have Hudson (who had one down year but came back strong this year), as well as Tejada and others.

I'm just saying that's where the Cards seem to be headed. If you like your baseball that way, fine. I'm happy with what Jocketty and TLR/Dunc have been giving us.

Legynd

Jocketty and TLR gave us 2007. And they couldn't change the "gloom & doom" theory that you've just posted. The Cardinals don't have Yankee/Red Sox money....... get used to it.

It's easy for you to spend hundreds of millions of dollars of monopoly money, but it's not realistic. It's always easier to spend other peoples' money........

[Socnorb11]

Rebuilding years = losing. Pujols doesn't like losing. I don't like the thought of Pujols wearing pinstripes.

I sure hope the Cardinals brain trust is connecting the same dots I am here.

Pujols is already locked in, whether the Cardinals win or lose. He's under contract.

[thrill]

Ankiel wants $15 million.
Yadi wants $12-15 million.

You got some long arms.

[cardinalkarp]

Ankiel (we'd be lucky if he didn't win $8-10 million in arbitration)

Ankiel wants $15 million

Yadi (who'll be in arbitration as the best defensive catcher in the game and if he keep inproving offense $8 mil)

Yadi wants $12-15 million.

All these statements are borderline crazy. Not in their wildest dreams will they be a player that makes that kinda dough.

[haltz]

I'm just saying that's where the Cards seem to be headed. If you like your baseball that way, fine. I'm happy with what Jocketty and TLR/Dunc have been giving us.

You could've done that with any team, any year. If Molina is going to make $8M then it's time to say goodbye. If Ankiel is legit, then it's time to wrap him up through a free agency year or two. Same with Wainwright. We're all scared of Pujols leaving, but that's a long time from now.

If everyone is going to be so expensive, that's all the more reason to be able to supplement from within. No matter how fun shiny new toys are, no team's payroll is unlimited, especially not the Cardinals. This is something that every MLB team has to deal with, but luckily we have a team that can support something at least around $100M for now. Even the Yankees are experiencing some philosophical changes in that regard.

This is all the name of the game. I also don't know how people can imply that DeWitt is greedy and doesn't want the team to be successful at the same time. I hope DeWitt loves money.

And half of your figures are absurd, of course.