December 8, 2004
St. Louis Wrap UP
By Ray Mileur
It's over and yet it's just beginning. It's midnight and the arbitration deadline has come and gone and here is the St. Louis Cardinal Wrap Up from the Birdhouse Newscenter.
The Good & The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- St. Louis offered arbitration to Gold Glovers shortstop Edgar Renteria and catcher Mike Matheny
- Cardinals sign utilityman John Mabry to a 1 year deal
- Signed right-handed reliever Cal Eldred
- Declined arbitration to Ray Lankford
The Bad
- Declined arbitration to second baseman Tony Womack
- Declined arbitration to Steve Kline
- Declined arbitration to right-hander Woody Williams
The Ugly
- Signed Matt Morris to a 1 year deal
Mixed reviews so far with the moves made by the Cardinals, while I'm very happy to see arbitration offered to Renteria and Matheny and with the signing of Mabry & Eldred, I just don't see bringing Matt Morris back for any other reason than give Cardinal fans the opportunity to catch souvenir baseballs hit out of the ballpark by out opponents.
Mixed emotions with Steve Kline, I would have kicked his butt a few times over the past two seasons, but I'm also a big believer in forgive and forget. Kline will be missed.
The Cardinals will be very hard pressed to replace Woody Williams, it looks like if the season started today the rotation would look like this, Chris Carpenter, Jason Marquis, Jeff Suppan, Matt Morris and Dan Haren/ Rick Ankiel. I would expect the Cardinals are still looking for that staff ace, I certainly hope it isn't Matt Morris.
