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Will the Cards do something? I heard many rumors about a deal for Anthony Reyes....
I believe we need a better 2nd baseman than Kennedy and I think we need some pitching prospect.

I could see maybe Reyes being moved. But I'm not really sure, if were in the race, which means buyers I could see him being moved more, but if were not I could see him just given a spot in the rotation to show what he has over all the other current journeymen starters.

Now I hope we trade Izzy and Franklin. Although Franklin just signed a recent extension, so I doubt we do trade him. The reason for me wanting the Cards to trade these 2 is because in my opinion both have been quite lucky this year, and I think there truly about 4 ERA relievers. Also, teams seem like there always wanting bullpen help, and it seems it's the perfect time to sell high on these 2 and get some good prospects.

I would say I would be down to trading Rolen, but as of right now, his value is at an all-time low, so we might as well keep him and hope he improves.

I agree that we need a better 2nd baseman but theres no way we will be trading for one. One reason is because we still owe Kennedy 8.75M over the next 2 and a half years. The second reason being Jarrett Hoffpauir who is currently tearing up the minors leagues this year. Although he isn't as good as his numbers this year, because he is repeating AA, and has a pretty bad track record, but we can hope for the best.

Now that Buehrle has been signed I haven't really heard any rumors lately though.

But if we trade Izzy, we will be without a closer. In that case, we'll use Wainwright as our full time and future closer? It could be a good move, but in my opinion the right time to trade Izzy will be in the off-season. Now I'll trade him only if I'm sure that Carpenter and Mulder are back on the field very soon.
There are any news about the player we have to send to Detroit for Mike Maroth?

The whole closer tag is overrated to me. I would be fine with Percival, Springer, or Flores as "closer". Wainwright would stay in the rotation.

And the player in the Maroth trade is suppose to be some crappy prospect, because Detroit just wanted to get rid of Maroth's salary.

I'm with you all the way on the "closer" thing. It's reached the point of absurdity. Come on now, it's three outs (usually) that you are talking about. Three outs in the ninth inning are no more important than three outs earlier in the game--sometimes they are less important if it's the sixth, seventh or eighth inning when you get into a jam and/or the other team's best hitters are due up.

Starters are WAY more important. Guys who consistently get you 21+ outs >>> guys who get you 3 outs.

If we fall out of the race--and maybe we have already--then I hope we do trade Isringhausen while the trading is good. He'll never have another season as good as this one. Sell high. Buy low. Basic common sense.

Hell, trade any of the bullpen guys if we can sell high. Guys who can give you a good inning or two aren't all that hard to find. The Cardinals have proved that over and over again.

Wainwright back to closer? Not a chance, he's been an ace the past 2 months of the season.

I absolutely love how Wainwright has progressed this season. I was hoping Reyes was going to do the same. And hoping Carp would be back. And we would have a pretty sick rotation. But if there is any silver lining to this season, it's been Waino.

Okay, the Padres just got Will Inman (around the 50th best prospect in the game) for a reliever that isn't that good (Linebrink).

If the Pads got that for Linebrink, we have 4 relievers who I would consider better at this point in Franklin, Izzy, Springer, and Percival. Hopefully Jocketty can trade all 4 of these guys and just stock up on prospects. He seriously needs to get on the phone if relievers are getting that much now. Especially since this season is over for us.

TRADE IZZY

Realistically, we are looking at 2009 before we are going to be a contender again. In 2008 we will have (1) no Chris Carpenter (2) limited money to spend because of paying the last year for Edmonds, Encarnacion, Looper, and Mulder (3) no one significant up to the majors from our craptastic farm system.

By 2009, though, we'll have a lot more money to spend, perhaps Carpenter will be back and still will have something left, and mayyyyybe some of our top prospects will be ready for the big leagues (Rasmus? Garcia? Other?)

It's a big gamble to assume Isringhausen will still be a top closer in 2009 given his age and injury history. And he is only under contract through 2008 anyway.

So trade him now. His value will never be higher. And he is by far our best trade asset, since Pujols, thank God, is not for sale. Let's go get some good young pitchers/middle infield prospects.

I'd actually be willing to trade Pujols, which is crazy to say. But if we're going to rebuild I don't think he would like that and I would like to go full out (Marlin style). But saying that I would want I huge bounty for him, like King Felix, Jeff Clement, and Adam Jones from Seattle for him. Or to Arizona for Justin Upton and Brandon Webb. But this will never happen because Albert is the Cardinals.

One Rumor:

Heard an interesting rumor last night after our final deadline for the 50-cent edition. The Phillies dispatched major-league scouting director Gordon Lakey to St. Louis to watch Anthony Reyes, the Cardinals' down-on-his-luck right-hander who was making his first start since returning from triple-A. Reyes gave up two runs on two hits and struck out four in six innings against the Brewers to earn his first win in his 13th start. It's possible the Cardinals could be interested in Michael Bourn.

http://www.delawareonline.com/blogs/200 ... -hope.html

I personally wouldn't like this trade. We don't really need anymore outfielders, like at all. Bourn is a speedy guy and could steal a good 50 bases a year for us, which we haven't had in ages. But I think speed is overrated anyways. I feel in this trade we would be trading away one of ours needs(SP) for something we don't need (OF).

No, don't trade Reyes. The thing the Cardinals need more than anything else is starting pitchers, and Reyes has talent. Be patient with him, Cardinals.

I expect no major moves by the Cardinals at the trade deadline. We haven't done enough this year, and don't have the resources anyway, to be significant buyers. And our front office is not likely to "sell" anyone significant either when we are just six games out and it is still July.

Best "acquisition" we are likely to make is just to add Reyes back to the big-league rotation and hope he pitches significantly better than Maroth. Which anyone with a pulse could hardly help but accomplish.

Edit: Thanks for listening to me, front office, with me as your GM the Cardinals will go far:

Reyes back in the starting rotation

Percival: Cards are shopping him and the Indians are interested. Jason Isringhausen is also available, but would demand his new team exercise his $8M option for 2008 for him to waive his no-trade clause. The Tigers like Izzy. Russ Springer is not available.

These are the latest news....

Famous last words, but I doubt either Izzy or Percival is going anywhere.

Trading Izzy is throwing in the towel on 2007, and I can't see our front office doing that when we are six games out with sixty left to play. "Plenty of time left," Jocketty was quoted as saying in so many words in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Besides, Isringhausen is saying that he will veto any trade, and his no-trade clause gives him the ability to do that. It's possible he is just saying that to force another team to pick up the club option for 2008, but I tend to think he really doesn't want to leave, that he really does feel loyalty to his St. Louis teammates.

Ditto Percival, who came out of retirement to play for the Cardinals mainly for the chance to play again with several former Angels teammates/friends. You don't turn around and trade a respected veteran against his wishes a few weeks after he agrees to come out of retirement to play for you. Especially when he is probably not going to fetch much in trade anyway--too old, and has pitched only a handful of innings since coming back from a multi-year retirement, so he's a pretty big gamble and most likely no one is going to offer up a very promising prospect for him.

Although I'd like to see the Cardinals make some smart moves with an eye to the future, I don't have a problem with them hanging onto Isringhausen and Percival. In the long run it pays to reward loyalty. That's how you build a real team as opposed to a collection of mercenary talent. And IMO it's one of the main reasons that this year's team is still hanging around somehow despite a starting rotation that stinks on ice.

http://www.realgmbaseball.com/src_wiret ... om_boston/

We've got Pineiro....I can't say if it's a good move or a bad move.