Cardinals re-sign Edmonds to two-year contract

[MajorMike]

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Cardinals agreed Friday to a two-year, $19 million contract with center fielder Jim Edmonds, their first major move since winning the World Series.

The 36-year-old Edmonds had filed provisionally for free agency on Nov. 2, awaiting a decision by the team on its $10 million option, which carried a $3 million buyout.

St. Louis had until Saturday to exercise its option on the eight-time Gold Glove winner. Instead, the sides agreed to a new deal that calls for an $11 million salary next year and $8 million in 2008. St. Louis will defer $3 million of his 2007 salary, paying it in equal installments from 2010-19.

The deal reflects the Cardinals' satisfaction with Edmonds' strong performance in the postseason on the heels of an injury-plagued season that was his worst this decade.

"Jim has been a great Cardinal and one of the best players in the game since he's been with us," team chairman William DeWitt said. "We are pleased to have him back for the next two years."

Edmonds shook off physical problems that dogged him throughout the regular season, leading the Cardinals with 10 RBIs in the postseason. He went a month between starts due to post-concussion syndrome and also had shoulder and foot injuries, batting .257 with 19 homers and 70 RBIs -- his lowest totals since 1999.

General manager Walt Jocketty said the Cardinals would like to have Edmonds finish his career in St. Louis.

"It wasn't a difficult decision," Jocketty said. "We wanted to make sure he was OK. Obviously, he was in the month of October."

Edmonds batted only .156 against left-handers, leading manager Tony La Russa to ponder at one point whether to platoon him in the playoffs. During the postseason, Edmonds needed a daily numbing injection in his left foot related to a problem caused by a bunion, and may also need minor offseason shoulder surgery.

In the last six weeks of the regular season, he made only four starts.

None of that held him back in the postseason. Edmonds homered twice in the NL championship series and his two-run double off lefty Nate Robertson provided the first runs in the Cardinals' 5-0 victory over the Tigers in Game 3 of the World Series.

Edmonds also made several nice plays in the outfield, topped by a spectacular catch at the wall in Game 5 of the NLCS to rob the Mets' Jose Reyes of extra bases.

Jocketty said Edmonds was "extremely happy" with the contract extension.

"He came back strong physically and played well," Jocketty said. "The two-year extension is something we felt we wanted to try and do."

Since joining the Cardinals in a trade from Anaheim, Edmonds has ranked in the top five in slugging percentage, home runs, RBIs, doubles and batting average among all center fielders. He has batted .288 with 229 homers, fourth on the franchise career list, and 660 RBIs in 988 games with the Cardinals.

Edmonds won a Gold Glove in each of his first six seasons with St. Louis. His injury-plagued 2006 ended that run.

[T Park]

Eh, overpaid him a bit, but good that hes coming back.

All that BS talk about him and LaRussa not getting along can now be shelved.

Now to sign Luis Gonzalez, resign Weaver and Suppan, resign Mulder, call it a winter.

[MajorMike]

The free-agent shopping season officially opens Sunday.

Rarely have the Cardinals been closer to the front of the line.

The filing period for free agents concluded Saturday, freeing teams to talk money with players previously with other clubs as well as their own. Coincidentally, major league baseball's general managers meetings convene Sunday in Naples, Fla. Player agents also will have a significant presence.

Only 16 days after clinching their first world championship in 24 years, the Cardinals find themselves in a most unfamiliar place. A franchise more accustomed to trading for starting pitching must use the market to renovate its rotation.

"It's not an especially deep market, but it's one we expect to be a part of," general manager Walt Jocketty said. "It's difficult to say how quickly it will come together, but we've said all along pitching is our priority, starting pitching."

The Cardinals rarely have paid significant dollars for starting pitching during the past seven years that have included six postseason appearances. Faced with the filing of four of their starting pitchers — Jason Marquis, Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan and Jeff Weaver — the Cardinals have no choice but to alter course.

"You look at who we have as free agents and are they going to come back or not. Right now, who knows?" pitching coach Dave Duncan said. "We've just got to look at everybody who's available and proceed from there."

The need for several starters may argue against aggressively pursuing marquee names Barry Zito and Jason Schmidt, though the Cardinals have expressed interest in both. The second, less pricey tier including former Cardinal Woody Williams, Gil Meche, Vicente Padilla, Adam Eaton, Mark Redman and Randy Wolf might offer more possibilities to the Cards, who have incumbent Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter under a bargain contract through 2008 if he pitches at least 61 2/3 innings next season.

"I think there's enough available," said Duncan, who gave his thoughts during two days of meetings immediately after the team's celebratory parade. "We should be able to hopefully do something. It's too early to say what. But I think you've got to start positioning yourself and see where you stand."

Besides Carpenter, only Anthony Reyes is projected as a given for the 2007 rotation.

Jocketty has discussed parameters of an offer with the agents for Mulder, Suppan and Weaver. The club has little interest in returning Marquis after excluding the 14-game winner from their postseason roster for the National League Championship Series and World Series.

Mulder, who underwent surgery in August to repair a torn rotator cuff, is not expected to return until June at the earliest. Suppan, the NLCS Most Valuable Player, is expected to command more than $8 million a season, especially if the New York Yankees compete for him as expected.

Jocketty also insists the club is actively seeking an impact hitter to play either second base or a corner outfield position. Alfonso Soriano, who could play at either spot and may command a package worth as much as $17 million per season, is among the Cardinals' targets.

This course is a relatively new one for the Cardinals, who have not signed a free-agent starting pitcher from outside the organization to a multiyear deal since acquiring Suppan for $10 million over three years in December 2003.

Barring a washout within the market, the club has decided to keep playoff sensation Adam Wainwright in the closer role next spring.

"I think it's a real plus for us to have out there," Duncan said. "I hope our pitching staff is strong enough that Wainwright can be our closer. If that's the case we'll have a pretty good pitching staff."

Closer Jason Isringhausen, 34, is not expected to be available on opening day after undergoing surgery Sept. 21 to shave bone from his arthritic hip.

"I don't think it's realistic to think we can have him at 100 percent at the start of the season based on what I know," Duncan said.

With Wainwright and lefthander Tyler Johnson establishing themselves last season, the bullpen appears solid with Braden Looper, Brad Thompson, Randy Flores, Josh Kinney, Josh Hancock and Ricardo Rincon under control. The club must decide whether to offer a contract to Jorge Sosa, whom it acquired July 30 from the Atlanta Braves.