St Louis interested in Burnett

[RynMan]

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals may be positioning themselves to make their biggest splash in free agency in quite some time.

St. Louis general manager Walt Jocketty and manager Tony La Russa traveled to South Florida this week to meet with right-hander A.J. Burnett and his agent Derek Braunecker, who confirmed the meeting Thursday. Burnett, 28, is widely considered the top prize among starting pitchers in this year's free agent class.

Most of the Cards' major acquisitions in recent years have come via trade. They haven't signed another team's free agent to a contract longer than two years or with a total value of more than $6 million since bringing in Jason Isringhausen and Tino Martinez before the 2002 season. Burnett is reportedly seeking a five-year deal.

Braunecker said that specific contract terms were not discussed. Rather, the meeting was more of a chance for the player and team to get to know each other. Still, with Jocketty flying in from St. Louis, and La Russa coming east from his home in California, it's safe to say that the Cards' interest is significant.

"I think what they're trying to do is get a better assessment of the person the player is, and vice versa," Braunecker said. "We're just trying to get a better sense of who potentially is interested to the degree that we'll further the dialogue with them. And they certainly appear to be one of those clubs."

Jocketty was unavailable for comment, and assistant general manager John Mozeliek declined to comment on discussions with any specific free agent. La Russa would not specifically confirm a meeting with Burnett, but said that he and Jocketty had traveled to South Florida to meet with free agents. Burnett, who spent the first seven years of his Major League career with the Marlins, makes his home in Miramar, Fla.

"We made a trip to talk to some free agents," La Russa said. "I think it's always smarter, Walt's philosophy of flying under the radar screen is more effective."

The Cardinals have four members of their 2005 starting rotation under contract or under club control for 2006 -- Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter, Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan and Jason Marquis. All but Marquis are actually signed, with Marquis eligible for arbitration. Right-hander Matt Morris is a free agent and has drawn interest from several clubs.

Top prospect Anthony Reyes is expected to compete for a job in the starting rotation, so if the Cardinals were to sign Burnett -- or any free agent starter -- they would likely need to make a trade, both to clear payroll space and a spot in the rotation. Dollars are a concern for St. Louis, but the Cards might be able and willing to bend a bit under the right circumstances. La Russa said that pitching is the Cardinals' top priority, despite having three openings in their everyday lineup.

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Burnett's raw stuff is as impressive as just about any pitcher in baseball. He has shown improved command in recent years and has become an extreme groundball pitcher. He ranked 12th in the National League in ERA, seventh in strikeouts and fifth in groundball/flyball ratio in 2005.

The right-hander hails originally from Little Rock, Ark, which is about a six-hour drive from St. Louis. Braunecker said that being close to home held some interest for Burnett, but that it wouldn't be the determining factor in a decision.

"I'd say the greater appeal is just simply that they have a history of winning, and they've got all the necessary ingredients to continue to win," Braunecker said. "The geography is probably ... some appeal certainly, but it's really more a matter of what that organization represents." - MLB.com

Wow. Imagine a rotation headed by Carpenter, Burnett and Mulder. Impressive.

If that happened can we expect Marquis to be a prime trading chip to plug one of their holes in the field? How about for Kevin Mench? Reyes is ready to be in the rotation and they have re-signed Suppan....Marquis is the odd one out.

[go_jays_go]

Yep, I would imagine that Marquis would be the odd one out. Wasn't it him that ticked LaRussa off in the playoffs this year? Anyways, even still. I can't imagine them getting rid of Suppan after they re-signed him and I doubt Reyes is going anywhere.

[j_d_mcnugent]

i have heard for quite some time that stl wanted to upgrade starting pitching this offseason, and that they were interested in burnett, but i never really believed it. burnett would need to take a big time discount, or cards mgmt would have to increase payroll which they already said they wouldnt do. there are too many other wholes left to fill, imo. i would love to see it though.

[RugbyD]

any opinions on whether or not Burnett and Giles will be mutually exclusive options for the Cards? (ie, one or the other but not both)

[j_d_mcnugent]

any opinions on whether or not Burnett and Giles will be mutually exclusive options for the Cards? (ie, one or the other but not both)

if the cards are serious about keeping payroll in the low/mid 90s then its one or the other. i dont see how they could add both at roughly 20 mil and get a 2b, address the bullpen, and fill out the bench. if they would go to 100 mil then they might could swing it.

[wrveres]

Wow. Imagine a rotation headed by Carpenter, Burnett and Mulder. Impressive.

If that happened can we expect Marquis to be a prime trading chip to plug one of their holes in the field? How about for Kevin Mench? Reyes is ready to be in the rotation and they have re-signed Suppan....Marquis is the odd one out.

I see we think a like ..
As I was reading that article, that was the first thing that came to mind, they can trade an arm to Texas for a sorely needed outfielder.

Great pickup for the Cards if this happens.
Wonder where Morris ends up. Seattle?

[wrveres]

any opinions on whether or not Burnett and Giles will be mutually exclusive options for the Cards? (ie, one or the other but not both)

if the cards are serious about keeping payroll in the low/mid 90s then its one or the other. i dont see how they could add both at roughly 20 mil and get a 2b, address the bullpen, and fill out the bench. if they would go to 100 mil then they might could swing it.

I think they are going to fill 2B cheaply, like they have done seemingly for the last decade.

[JTWood]

This would indeed be big news here. I was certain that Giles would be their number-one target this year. Maybe they're going with two number-ones in case one doesn't pan out.

Oh, and Marquis is definitely gone if the opportunity presents itself. He's a headcase, and LaRussa/Duncan have historically been very impatient with players who won't listen to them.

[j_d_mcnugent]

apparently tony skipped out on a rolling stones concert to visit with burnett. stl appears to be more interested than i thought.

and yeah, i'd imagine marquis would be the one shipped out. maybe for an outfielder if giles doesnt sign.

[j_d_mcnugent]

any opinions on whether or not Burnett and Giles will be mutually exclusive options for the Cards? (ie, one or the other but not both)

if the cards are serious about keeping payroll in the low/mid 90s then its one or the other. i dont see how they could add both at roughly 20 mil and get a 2b, address the bullpen, and fill out the bench. if they would go to 100 mil then they might could swing it.

I think they are going to fill 2B cheaply, like they have done seemingly for the last decade.

i could live with hector luna if burnett, giles, and dotel are signed