Khalil Greene($6.5M) and Glaus ($12M) salaries are gone. Glaus might catch on with another team, if he is healthy come spring. Ankiel hasn't progressed, and Rasmus beat him out of a job. I'm rooting for him, but I doubt that they bring him back. There's Mather, as well as kids in AAA (Jones, Jay) that might make the opening day roster as the 4th OF. This all changes if Holliday moves on...DeRosa was playing hurt. If healthy come spring he'll push to keep his job over Freese at 3rd. I'd think they'd resign him, he's one of those players that TLR loves because of his ability to play many positions. Pineiro should be resigned. Wellemeyer is probably gone. He and his mechanics just aren't getting the job done. They may offer him a minor league contract, but he'll probably end up somewhere else...Hawkesworth and/or Garcia will get a chance to make the rotation...Smoltz? Who knows...He didn't have the velocity upon returning from the DL. By spring he might get some back with a winter to work on his conditioning...I'd be more concerned with wrapping up Holiday. They can afford to meet his demands. They have to save face after giving up quite a bit to get him, letting him walk would bring back the Wayne Gretzky rental nightmares for me...Larue should be resigned, he's got a decent bat and a good catcher for this pitching staff...He's always ready when called upon, and not many, even at this level, are good at that. Ludwick should be resigned, and Schumaker (only making 430k a year ago) is in line for a nice pay raise. He stands to make $3-4M per season after his fine '09 campaign.
Oquendo is probably in line to take over once TLR calls it quits. I'd think he'd at least make their short list of candidates...He has had success in Winter Ball, is highly regarded, and not just locally...
I don't see where they need to panic. Carp/Waino/Lohse are as good a starting 3 as any. The offense should be capable. I'd like to see them swing a deal for a true leadoff hitter with the ability to steal some bases like say, Carl Crawford...Maybe a guy like McGwire could get him to be patient and more selective, and a guy like that improving his BB/K ratio would be of great benefit to the top of this lineup...
They should be as good or better than they were a year ago. Rasmus got a year of experience, Ryan is reasonably planted at SS, Schumaker is the 2b, and El Hombre should be healthy by the start of camp. The bullpen is decent, and we have a couple of established LHR's, something we've lacked since King/Kline were here...Franklin returns, knowing his role, and Motte hopefully finds himself. He's still a work in progress.
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