Kuzul

As desperately as the St. Louis Cardinals needed Chris Carpenter to be the Carp of old on Friday night, he just couldn’t come through.  The Cardinals came in on a six-game losing skid and were looking to their ace to right the ship. 

Carpenter came out and gave up three runs in the first two innings, and the Cardinals found themselves playing from behind once again.  It seems the days of the dominant, Chris Carpenter slump-busting performances may be a thing of the past.

While Carpenter has had some tough luck in his 1-7 start to the season, the vast majority of his record is a result of him missing locations and not making quality pitches when he needed to. 

Since May 15, Carpenter has an 0-5 record in seven starts, 48.2 innings pitched allowing 55 hits, 25 earned runs (4.62 ERA) and opponents are batting .282 against him during that span. 

One thing that has always been a credit to Carp is that he doesn’t make excuses.  After last night’s game, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Carp had this to say,

“I’m not going to sit here and fret on what’s going on. I’m not scared to call myself out or question myself if I’m not doing what I need to do. There are all kinds of silly things you can analyze in a game, but if I sit there and do that, I’ll have no chance to pitch the next time. I’ll drive myself crazy.”

Hopefully, for the Cards sake, Carpenter can find the rhythm that brought him three All-Star appearances, three top-three finishes in the Cy Young voting and a Cy Young award. 

If he does, the Cardinals will have a great chance to find themselves playing into October.  If not, it could turn out to be a long summer.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder bat on opposite sides of the plate, Fielder’s voluminous frame on the left and Pujols’ chiseled figure to the right.

Fielder, 27, was born in Ontario, Calif., and was selected seventh overall in the 2002 MLB amateur draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Pujols, 31, hails from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and wasn’t bagged in the 1999 draft until the 13th round by the St. Louis Cardinals.

They look nothing alike, speak different native dialects and clearly subject themselves to contrasting dietary regimens.

On the other hand, both play first base for their respective ball clubs, and share an additional commonality that is to be the focal point of baseball media come the last out of the World Series this fall.

The pair will become the two highest sought after free agents in the offseason, and mutually swell from wealthy, to down right filthy rich.

Baltimore, Chicago (Cubs), Los Angeles (Angles), Colorado and Washington are all drooling at the thought of bolstering their respective lineups with either of the thunderous sluggers, but whom would they prefer? 

And what are the odds that either can be resigned by their current club?

Chances are greater that Pujols re-ups in St. Louis, than for Milwaukee to open up its checkbook for Fielder.

Milwaukee is locked into outfielder Corey Hart for two more seasons, second baseman Rickie Weeks for three, outfielder Ryan Braun until 2020 and has two star pitchers (Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke) who they would obviously love to sign to long-term deals in the near future.

Remember, the Brewers are financially a mid-market team, who rank 17th in payroll at roughly $85 million for 2011.

Adrian Gonzalez set the bar for first-base bombers when he agreed to a seven-year extension with the Red Sox for $154 million before the season.

Gonzalez was coming off a campaign in which he batted .298, with 31 home runs and 101 RBI for San Diego. Keep in mind Petco Park is widely considered the most difficult place to hit home runs in all of baseball.

At 29, Gonzalez fits between our two sluggers in age, and had a track record of four-straight seasons with at least 30 long balls.  He batted in at least 100 runs three of the last four seasons, with 99 in the other.

Aided by his unscrupulous super-agent Scott Boras, Fielder will presumptively be seeking to surpass Gonzalez’s arrangement in Boston. 

Currently leading the National League with 59 RBI, and second with 19 homers, Fielder is surely going to make the franchise that goes all in for his services pay through the teeth.

Four-straight seasons with at least 30 homers—he touched 50 in 2007, and became, along with his father Cecil, the only father-son duo to both reach that mark in an MLB season—headlines his resume.  Also worthy of note were the 141 runs he helped plate in 2009.

Although 2010 was a down year for Prince, he still reached 30 home runs and 80 RBI while struggling to the tune of a .261 BA.  Boy, has he come back with a vengeance at just the right time.

Pujols is suffering from the inverse ailment: drooping statistically at precisely the wrong time—his walk year.

After two-straight 40 moonshot seasons—never launching less than 30 in his 10 years—Albert began the season ice cold.  Even with four round trippers and 10 hits in his last 10 games, he is still holding an uncharacteristic .275 BA and .491 SLG.

Before play began this season, there was little debate that Pujols was the top slugger in the game.  A career .329 hitter with a 1.041 lifetime SLG, there was little argument to be made for any other hitter even being in his wheelhouse.

Naysayers may claim that Pujols is reaching a breaking point where his prime years are behind him, and a gradual decline in production is inevitable.

On the flip side, Pujols has been an extremely resilient hitter for the Cardinals, and until now, never displayed even a hint of slowing down offensively.

By reputation, Pujols is stronger defensively than Fielder, but the various sabermetric tools contend the difference to be slimmer than believed.

Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) from Fangraphs.com places a run value on defensive efficiency, attempting to show how many runs a player saves or allows through fielding.

This season, Pujols ranks fifth with 1.7 runs and Fielder sits 12th at 0.4.

While many defensive calculations can be used to argue for or against either player, it is doubtful that much of the contract negotiations will stray from offensive contributions.

There are whispers that a team could attempt to lure Fielder into a designated hitter role in the American League, but this early in his career, it is speculative at best to think so.

Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is a sabermetric tool that attempts to quantify a player’s total contribution by comparison to an average minor-league or bench player. Without delving into the minutia of the calculations, a WAR of 0 simply means the player is on par with a “replacement level” competitor.

As we near the mid-point of the season, Fielder’s WAR is 3.2, third among all first baseman, while Pujols checks in at 2.3.

In 2010, Pujols was the top dog at his position by WAR ranking at 7.5.  Fielder, having the worst season of his young career, finished with 3.4 WAR.

And 2009 saw the duo finish first and second in WAR rankings amongst first basemen; Pujols was good for 8.9 WAR, and Fielder 6.4 WAR.

Length of contract shouldn’t be an issue for Fielder’s suitors; any franchise seriously considering an investment in his services will enter the sweepstakes knowing that seven years will be a starting point.

Cardinals GM John Mozeliak couldn’t come to terms with Pujols before spring training, and rumors of El Hombre seeking double-digit years in a deal were rampant.

St. Louis has already breached the $100-million mark for team payroll in 2011, and that includes just under $15 million for Albert.

His next contract will basically double his per-year cost, making it extremely difficult for St. Louis to shuffle its roster without skyrocketing payroll.

Unlike with Fielder’s negotiations, age will be an integral factor.  How many high-performing 40-year-olds are there in baseball?

So, if both players fail to resign with their respective team, who is the better pursuit?

Could either player be lured to the American League, or even to a designated hitter’s role in Fielder’s case? 

Is Pujols’ slow start just an aberration, or the first sign of a gradual degeneration for baseball’s most feared batter?

No matter what the future holds for the ball-crushing duo, only one thing is certain: they are both going to get paid.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Joe Halverson recently wrote a solid piece discussing how rumors of an Albert Pujols trade make no sense, much like those surrounded Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners.  Mr. Halverson links the two players and explains why Albert Pujols will not be traded this season. 

However, as a fan of baseball (not a Cardinals fan, nor of any team potentially linked to him in free agency this coming offseason) and someone who tries to look at the bigger picture of Major League Baseball, its economic climate and landscape, I am hear to dispute that.

Felix Hernandez will not be traded. There, I said it.  He is the best pitcher in the American League, won’t turn 26 until the start of next season and is under contract and team control through the 2014 season. 

For Seattle to trade King Felix, they would have to be completely overwhelmed in a trade—imagine two to three times the value Texas got for Mark Teixeira from Atlanta a few seasons ago.

But Felix Herandez and the Seattle Mariners are in a much different position than Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals.

First let’s start off with the simple explanation most fans give as to why Albert Pujols will not be traded: Pujols himself has publicly stated that he will veto any trade the Cardinals present him with.  Therefore he is not going anywhere, will remain in a Cardinal uniform through the end of the season and then we’ll see what happens in free agency.  So there’s really no point in this article, is there?  

Well, there is.  How many athletes with veto power—whether as a 10 and 5 player or its written into their contract—have stated “I won’t accept a trade anywhere” and then turn around do that very thing when it suits them? 

Albert Pujols publicly stating he won’t accept any trade has little value until the Cardinals actually present him with a trade destination and he turns them down.  Until then, it’s just mindless media chatter.

Why would the Cardinals considering dealing the game’s best player, their most popular attraction, and the best right-handed hitter the game has seen in decades? 

For a number of reasons. 

Before the St. Louis Cardinals—or any other professional sports team—are a baseball team, they are a business.  The object of that business is not to win World Series and throw parades in the streets, but to put people in the stands, sell tickets, jerseys, beers and commercial spots or TV and radio broadcasts. 

The object is to make money first; winning comes second.  (This point is indisputable; anyone who wants to try claiming such and such team chose winning over making money and “lost” cash to try to do it—please come with facts, that is the actual financial accounting of said team, not just some speculative report in the media from a source that has as little access to the clubs inside financial information that you or I do).

Albert Pujols is an investment in that business and has paid off handsomely for the Cardinals.  Their return is as good as it gets in professional sports.  Pujols has been the game’s best hitter since Barry Bonds retired, won a batting title, a couple of home runs crowns, two gold gloves, been a major cog in two World Series runs and is among the offensive leaders in practically everything every year.  And Pujols has been paid very generously for those services as well.  He’s made over $100 million in his 11 brilliant seasons with the Cardinals.

Speculation is that Pujols will be looking to more than double that figure in his next contract, with the possible starting point in negotiations even triple that. 

Can the St. Louis Cardinals, Major League Baseball or even Albert Pujols, himself, expect that a player turning 32 before the start of next season to be worth up to three times the amount of money he made the previous eleven seasons when he was younger and had less wear and tear on his body?  

No, it is not realistic.  Pujols is a tremendous player.  He’s had one of the finest first 11 years of a career that baseball has ever seen.  However, it can almost be written in stone that his next 10 or 11 seasons will not be nearly as productive, not when he’d pass the 35 and 40 year milestones during that time. 

Paying Pujols $30 million dollars (or more) per season when he’s 30 years old, the most feared hitter in the game and constantly leading many offensive statistical categories can be seen as reasonable by many fans and teams.  However, paying a player that amount at age 38 or 39 when he is a shell of his former self will be disturbing. 

The St. Louis Cardinals are a first-class organization.  Housed in a relatively small market they have been run profoundly well for decades, never far away from competing for championships nor disappointing a loyal fan-base.  Why would a team so efficiently run risk investing upwards of $300 million in a player they know will not be as productive as the one they spent $100 million one from 2001-2011?  They wouldn’t, and that’s most likely why contract extension talks broke down this spring.  

Pujols has a number in mind, wants to get paid what he feels he’s worth and will get it—either from the Cardinals or someone else.  Because in professional sports us fans must have learned by now that it’s not about loyalty to the fans, to teams or even about winning.  It’s about the almighty dollar, and that is what drives both players and teams to make the choices they do. 

Of course there are some exceptions, but they are few and far between.  And never about enough money—percentage-wise anyway—to be taken seriously.

The Cardinals know they will not be able to keep Pujols after this season.  Oh, they may very well be capable of affording his $30 million-plus annual salary as Joe Halverson pointed out.  He has cited Forbes for income-related issues, and while they do not have full-access, nor 100 percent accuracy, to the clubs finances, it’s an excellent starting point. 

His next contract may fit within their financial structure and they may still profit—cutting costs elsewhere, perhaps—but the investment makes no sense even if they can afford it.  Giving Pujols the contract he speculatively wants is bad business, and the Cardinals are not likely to do it.

What choices does that leave?  Rolling the dice, keeping Pujols through the end of the season, and then offering him arbitration and hoping to re-sign him at a rate they feel works for them?  Getting a couple of draft picks if and when he signs with another team?  Or trade him to a team that gives them more value than a potential draft pick(s) can?

Exploring trade options makes the most sense for the team.  Yes, they are in first place in their division and playing well.  A trade of their best player would signal waving a white flag and throwing in the towel on another season in which the Cardinals are among the game’s best. 

However, even Tony LaRussa and upper management must realize that even if the Cardinals hold on and win their division, they simply do not have the pitching to compete with the game’s best teams in October. 

With Kyle Lohse anchoring the rotation, they stack up unfavorably against the Phillies, Giants, Braves, Yankees, Red Sox, etc.  More than likely they’d lose any series against the top teams in baseball and then have to watch Pujols walk away for only draft picks.

I’m not underrating draft picks here, either.  They are a great way to build a franchise.  Tampa Bay and Minnesota have shown what teams can do when equipped with ammunition in the June draft. 

However, those teams spent many years drafting near the top of the board, something St. Louis is not used to, nor would get the chance to when and if Pujols signs with another team.  The not so guarded secret is that when a Type-A free agent signs with another team, the team losing their player is not guaranteed a first round pick. 

If the signing team picks in the top half of baseball’s annual draft, their slot is protected, and instead only give up a second-rounder, along with baseball kicking in a compensation round pick between the first and second rounds.  There is a big difference between the 10th pick in the draft and the 35th pick. 

When Tampa Bay and Minnesota began building their franchises, they did so with top of the round picks like David Price and Joe Mauer—each Top 5 selections.  A team can get lucky in the draft—Pujols in the 13th round for instance—but those are few and far between. 

Most of the game’s best players are picked in the top half of the draft, and the Cardinals will not receive a choice there.  The Cubs are rumored to be the front-runners for Pujols’ services after this season and if they do sign him, the Cardinals will be given their second round selection, not their first.  Two picks in the draft after 58 of the best 60 players are taken just doesn’t sound fair for a player of Pujols’ caliber, does it? 

That is why exploring a trade for Pujols makes the most sense for the Cardinals.  They will take a hit—both on the field and with their fans.  However, St. Louis is probably the only city that could get away with dealing their best player.  They have arguable the best and most loyal fan-base in sports and have the luxury of having a team that that is constantly in contention. 

Trading Albert Pujols, while an unpopular choice, will only continue the winning ways St. Louis has exhibited in its long history in baseball.  The haul they will ask for—and be able to get—will more than outplay what they will receive as draft picks when Pujols inevitably leaves next winter.

There will be many teams lining up to trade for Pujols, even if its just a two-month rental.  The Giants, Braves, Marlins, Yankees, Rays or Indians come to mind.  All are in contention, all are in need of an extra push to help them to a possible World Series championship.  Why would they risk the potential windfall a World Series Championship can bring them by deciding to hold on to prospects who are just that—prospects that may never pan out.

Pujols may very well spend the season in St. Louis, they may win their division and shock baseball (again) and win another World Championship and Pujols is convinced to stay in the only major league city he’s ever played for. 

He may very well mean it when he says he will veto any trade, and the Cardinals may mean it when they say they have no intention of trading him. 

However, until the trading deadline comes and goes without Pujols being moved, clubs can be expected to call St. Louis and inquire about his availability—it behooves the Cardinals to at least listen.  No one knows what will come of those conversations until they come to an end.  

Then the baseball world will know whether or not Pujols will be a Cardinal the entire 2011 season.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I like to joke with my old college roommates that the St. Louis Cardinals have but four good players:

Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter.

That number was quickly reduced to three with the preseason injury to Wainwright that required season-ending Tommy John surgery. Carpenter’s terrible start (one win and a 4.58 ERA as of May 27) all but takes that number down to two.

Throw in a contract year for Pujols and an appendectomy or two for Holliday, and we’re fast on our way to seeing that number reach zero!

The Cardinals are 31-21 right now, good for first in the National League Central. Can this be maintained? The answer is absolutely not, and I’ll give you four reasons why.

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Baseball’s 2010 American League MVP Josh Hamilton was injured the first week of the season. 

Joey Votto, who won the 2010 National League MVP, is still doing his thing.

There are other players in both leagues who are off to fast starts and pushing for 2011’s top spot. The MVP tracking system will keep you entertained all season long.

Join me for this edition of the MVP Whisperer… 

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I’m a St. Louis Cardinals fan. All of my friends know this. I have been since the day my favorite player, Mark McGwire got traded to them in 1997. The next year Big Mac broke Roger Maris’ age old HR record.

In 2001, a third baseman with a bright future made his debut with the Redbirds in McGwire’s last season—Albert Pujols. As we all know, since 2001 Pujols has undeniably become the best player in baseball. Even Cubs fans admit that (at least they’re right on something).

Last offseason, the Cardinals failed to sign Albert Pujols to a contract extension. And since the day spring training started, all I’ve heard from all my friends is how next year Pujols is going to be wearing Yankees pinstripes, Dodger blue, or god forbid, a Cubs uniform.

Or they say that the Cardinals are going to trade him to a contender this season. I’ve got news for you haters. He’s not going anywhere. Yet. So until this season is over, let’s stop talking about where Albert Pujols is going to be next year.

Throughout his career, Albert has respected the game. Always. He has refused over the course of his career to consider contract negotiations while the season is going on. This means that from the first pitch of spring training until the last pitch of the Cardinals season, he doesn’t talk dollars and cents. He wants to focus on his game, and on the team.

In my opinion, that’s how sports should be. Let the GM’s talk trades and transactions, but don’t talk to the player about extensions. So I respect Albert for asking his agent not to negotiate during the season. But in no way has Albert EVER insinuated that his refusal to negotiate in-season is an indication that he will not be playing under the Arch next year in St. Louis.

I understand my friends. They love to see me writhe in pain as I consider Albert playing in a different uniform. I’ve said that if Pujols leaves, I’ll burn his jersey. To me, Albert means ALMOST just as much to St. Louis as Lebron James did to Cleveland.

He played high school ball in Missouri (closer to Kansas City), was drafted by the Cardinals, and came up through their farm system. But just because he has opted to become a free agent at the end of this season doesn’t mean he wants to leave. Albert’s agent said that “The expiration of today’s deadline does not eliminate the possibility of Albert returning to the Cardinals in 2012, but simply delays negotiations until the conclusion of the Cardinals’ season.” In no way does that imply that he wants to leave.

I’m telling you. There is no chance in hell that the Cardinals decide to trade Pujols this season. If it happens, I’ll buy you a beer. And after the season, the Cardinals have negotiating rights to Pujols for five days. The team and its star player are not at an impasse over whether Albert wants to remain a Redbird, they are at a roadblock due to money.

Albert means too much to this team. He is the iconic figure in the city. If the team loses Albert, they lose their identity. But I’m not ruling out the possibility that Albert could head elsewhere. He may think he’s worth more than what he is, or the Cardinals may think he’s not worth what the market dictates.

But until Albert actually hits free agency five days after the World Series ends, let’s stop talking about it. Nothing’s going to happen until then, and I want to enjoy watching the man play in the Cardinals’ uniform. Because I’m going to have a heart attack if I think of him stepping to the plate in Busch Stadium for the Cubs one more time.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Several teams have very good players in their three, four and five holes in the batting order. However I don’t think any are as good as the St. Louis Cardinals this season. Matt Holliday, Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman are as good as it gets.

As I write this article, Holliday is the National League’s leading hitter, and Berkman is in second place, both batting over .400.

In OBP, Holliday is in first place and Berkman in third.

Pujols is perhaps the best player in MLB, having won three MVP awards (and being runner up in four more), and averages .330/.424/42/128 per 162 games for his career.

The Milwaukee Brewers have great third and fourth hitters, in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder but Casey McGehee is not on the same plane as Berkman.

Since Braun moved from third base to left field, he has become one of the best rounded hitters in the game today.  Entering his fifth MLB season, he is averaging .309/.368/37/118.  He led the NL in hits in 2009 with 203.

Prince Fielder, who joined his father Cecil in the 50 HR club in 2007 with 50 round-trippers, has averaged 37 HR and 105 RBI over his six years in the major leagues.

The New York Yankees, who should have the best team money can buy, can’t match the trio that the Cardinals put on the field, even with the 10th player.

Robinson Cano who is undoubtedly the best second baseman in the junior circuit, had a career year in 2010, finishing third in MVP voting.

His two high-profile teammates that should be mentioned in a list such as this are third baseman Alex Rodriguez and first baseman Mark Teixeira.

Rodriguez, a three-time MVP winner, is currently sixth on the career HR list with 618. Since coming to the Bronx in 2004, he is averaging 43 HR and 134 RBI. These stats are actually a shade above his career numbers meaning he has had no noticeable decline in his productivity.

The only time Teixeira has had fewer than 30 HR or 100 RBI was his rookie year of 2003 with the Texas Rangers. He led the AL in HR, RBI and TB in 2009.

The only other team that I believe has a comparable 3-4-5 hitting combo is the Boston Red Sox. Adrian Gonzalez (acquired this offseason from San Diego), Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz are clearly a fearful sight to opposing pitchers.

The durable first baseman Gonzalez has averaged 161 games over the past three seasons. During that period he has averaged 36 HR and 108 RBI.

“Big Papi” Ortiz has the power and run productivity of the others, but his .281 career average is sub-par in comparison.

Third baseman Kevin Youkilis, who has played a lot of first base for the Bosox, is not the offensive threat as others mentioned in this article, but is a menacing threat to pitchers.

Can any team in MLB  match the power and batting prowess of the St. Louis edition of “Murderer’s Row”? Not in my opinion.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s been a troubling year so far for 38-year-old Ryan Franklin.  The appointed Cardinal closer saved 38 and 27 games in 2009 and 2010 respectively, blowing just a total of seven combined over the two seasons. 

2011 has been a different story for Franklin.  He’s blown four out of five possible save opportunities.  That’s four more games the Redbirds should have in the win column. 

During the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Washington Nationals, Cardinal fans booed Franklin after he gave up a home run.  Franklin reacted—something that professionals should always refrain from.

“They’re supposed to be the best fans in baseball.  Yeah, right,” said Franklin, according to NBC Sports.

Franklin later apologized for his words, but his frustration can clearly be seen. 

Tony La Russa, the manager who is said to have invented the closer role, has removed Franklin from closer duties in an attempt to try to get the veteran to regain some confidence.  Until then, he’s looking at young guns Mitchell Boggs and Jason Motte as potential closer candidates. 

My take?  Save it, Tony.  Why try and tinker with the bullpen to appoint a set closer?  Why not pitch to matchups?  If Jay Bruce has gone 0-for-6 against Trever Miller with three strikeouts, why not look to Miller in the 9th if this were the situation? 

Listen, I’m not a pessimist here.  I’m not some closer-hating, old-fashioned baseball critic.  But I’ve seen the great closers in baseball history; guys like Eckersley (a TLR student), Rivera, Hoffman.  I’ve seen what makes these guys special, and, unfortunately, no one on the Cardinals has it. 

A little history lesson here: the “closer” role has been seen regularly for about 30 years, give or take.  Here’s a look at some of the first ever real “closer” seasons in baseball history:

The four players mentioned above were some of the first ever relief pitchers to be seen mainly in 9th inning situations alone.  This took place when little was actually known about the closer role. Many managers were taking a chance with their respective ballclub to appoint one pitcher as the set, go-to guy in 9th inning situations.  Compare these guys’ numbers with Franklin’s season so far (7 G, 0-2, 9.45 ERA, 1 SV).  Granted, these four played a full season whereas the 2011 season isn’t even one-fourth of the way through, but still, tell me that one save versus four blown isn’t an eye opener. 

Furthermore, it’s not like La Russa hasn’t seen a quality closer in his time as a manager.  The guy coached the greatest closer in baseball’s history for crying out loud!  La Russa saw one of the best seasons ever for a closer. 

In 1990, Dennis Eckersley recorded 48 saves with an 0.61 ERA and 0.616 WHIP for the Oakland A’s.  La Russa saw the whole thing from the dugout.  So why is it that he fails to realize that any of these relievers in the Cardinal bullpen just aren’t ready to be a closer yet (or simply just doesn’t have the stuff)? 

I said it earlier and I’ll say it again: PITCH TO MATCHUPS.  I realize that there will be days when starters can only go five to six innings, but all you need is someone like youngster Eduardo Sanchez or a vet like Miguel Batista to throw two to three strong innings. Then, in the ninth, depending on who’s due up at the plate, TLR can go a variety of ways: Miller, Boggs, Motte, Franklin (doubtful), Fernando Salas.

It’s amazing that the Cardinals have still managed 11-9 with closer woes, including four blown saves.  I’d like to see what they can accomplish with smarter pitching decisions when it comes to the ninth.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After tossing a shutout last night, I’m sure Kyle Lohse is a popular waiver claim. What’s not to like about a guy with a 3-1 record, a 2.01 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP? You should know he’s been a fast starter for most of his career.

He got bombed last April (0-1, 6.55 ERA), but look at his recent April performances:

2009:  3-0, 1.97 ERA
2008:  3-0, 2.36 ERA
2007:  1-1, 2.88 ERA

That’s a total of 7-1 with a 2.41 ERA in April over those three years. Considering he went 23-27 the remaining months of those seasons, it’s easy to be skeptical. Factor in a 4.79 ERA over that stretch and the alarms really start going off. That does not mean you should either drop him or avoid him, but be realistic with him.

Lohse is 32 years old with a 91-99 record and a 4.73 ERA. He had a brilliant 15-6, 3.78 ERA season in 2008, but that was the only time his ERA was below 4.00 for the year. In his first ten seasons he only finished with a .500 record or better three times. Two of them came in 2002 and 2003, making them a distant memory. His career high is 130 strikeouts.

Feel free to use him while he’s pitching as well as he is, but be ready to eject when things start going sour.

Also check out:

• Today’s Streaming Pitcher Option
• Yesterday’s Box Score Breakouts
• Can Maicer Izturis Sustain His Hot Start?
• Fantasy Baseball Free Agent Pool:  RBI Guys, Volume One 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Overall, the upcoming MLB free agency class for the 2011 offseason is fairly weak.  Unlike 2010 when baseball fans anxiously watched to see where pitcher Cliff Lee and All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford would end up, 2011 will figure to be a quiet offseason.

Yet, among the 2011 free agents, one name stands out.  For the first time in his career, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols will be on the open market.  Given how he is only 31 years old and already has a career batting average of .330, 414 home runs and 1,242 RBI, he will surely command big money.

The Cardinals attempted to negotiate a new contract with Pujols this past offseason and into spring training.  Pujols actually set February 14 as the deadline for a new deal, otherwise negotiations would end.  No deal was reached, so it’s clear that Pujols’s next contract will set a new standard for free agents in future years.

Here are 11 potential free agents whose next contracts will be shaped by the conclusion of the Pujols saga.

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