With the passing of Wednesday’s deadline to sign an extension, it appears that St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols will test the free agent waters at the completion of the 2011 season.  Here are the teams most likely to add him with our corresponding odds:

CARDINALS (3-to-1) – There chances were much better when they weren’t competing with other teams. However, the fact they weren’t even close with Pujols suggests they won’t be near the top of being the highest bidder. The only thing that might keep him in St. Louis is loyalty.

CUBS (5-to-1) – The Cubs need to make a splash and could come up with the cash if needed. They are slowly getting out the hole of bad contract signings and the addition of Pujols would give the give team another draw aside from its stadium. Pujols would crack 50-plus homers a season playing at Wrigley Field.

ANGELS (8-to-1) – It has been a while since the Angels landed a marquee free agent, but they seemingly are always involved in the bidding. It could be the best fit in the A.L. when you consider salary, market, and need.

METS (10-to-1) – Despite the team’s current financial woes, they are only a couple minor investors away from getting back on track. Competing with the Yankees inside the market was tough enough. Now the Mets must match a Phillies’ team that has one of baseball’s best rotations of all-time and a killer offense.

DODGERS (12-to-1) – Assuming the dust settles on the nasty divorce between the team’s owners in time, the Dodgers could open up the check books. However, signing Pujols at a large contract could mean the departure of several of the team’s young stars who are nearing the end of their arbitration years.

TIGERS (12-to-1) – The Tigers are known for breaking out the wallet which makes them a player here. However, they currently have Miguel Cabrera playing the position, so that could lower their desire.

WHITE SOX (12-to-1) – They seem like a long shot, but they play in a market to support the move. Adding Pujols would help the break out of the Cubs’ shadow a bit and make them perennial contenders in the AL Central.

RED SOX (12-to-1) – It appears as if the team will lock up newly acquired Adrian Gonzalez. However, you can’t dispel the Red Sox from getting involved, especially if talks with Gonzalez break down.

YANKEES (15-to-1) – With Mark Teixeira locked up long term with a no-trade clause, it would be hard for the Yankees to get involved and with their rotation in shambles they need to focus on spending their money there for now.

GIANTS (18-to-1) – The Giants aren’t typically known for being big players in free agency, but their market and fan base can support the signing of Pujols and few teams on the list have a bigger need to add a big bat in the lineup.

RANGERS (20-to-1) – They were ready to break the bank for Cliff Lee and lost out. It’s going to be tough enough to keep Josh Hamilton around, so making a real run at Pujols is unlikely. However, they will likely at least strongly consider it.

ORIOLES (20-to-1) – A long shot to land Pujols, the Orioles need him more than any other team on the list. The team hasn’t been relevant in over a decade, but does boast great tradition. The franchise has some young talent and improving, but to compete in the AL East they need to make a big splash.

PHILLIES (25-to-1) – It is clear that Philly will shell out the cash, but with Ryan Howard locked up and no DH spot in the batting order they don’t appear to be a good fit.

BRAVES (30-to-1) – The team has several young pieces in place and resurfacing from a slight rebuild mode.  With Chipper Jones in the twilight, the club needs a new veteran to build around and lead the young team.  Pujols would be the perfect piece to put next to Jason Heyward for the next decade or so.

MLB st. louis cardinals, albert pujols, 2010 mlb offseason

A year after shocking the baseball world by winning the N.L. Central, the Cincinnati Reds spent most of their off-season locking up their future by signing their talented young players to long-term deals.

Elsewhere, the rest of the division made strides to make improvement. The Brewers acquired starters Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, and the Cubs landed Matt Garza and signed Carlos Pena and Kerry Wood, so the face of the division race changed considerably.

The Reds did add a few complimentary pieces, including signing free agent shortstop Edgar Renteria and former first-round pick outfielder Jeremy Hermida.  The one move that could pay the biggest dividends though and that came with almost no risk was the signing of free agent left-hander Dontrelle Willis.

It’s hard to imagine Willis returning to his old form. He was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2003 and won 22 games in 2005.  He hasn’t found that form in sometime. From 2007-10, he posted a 13-24 record with a 5.81 ERA before being traded to the Tigers prior to the 2008 season. Detroit inked him to a three-year, $29 million deal and Willis turned out to be a huge bust. Last year the Tigers dealt him to the D-backs, who released him after a month. The remainder of the season was spent in Fresno with the Giants' Triple-A affiliate.

The 29-year old has been working with Reds’ pitching coach Bryan Price already this offseason as the two both reside in Scottsdale, Arizona during the offseason. To this point Price has been impressed.

“He doesn't look like he lost anything. I'm scratching my head on why he struggled in Detroit,” Price told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon in a recent interview.

“I like what I see," Price added. "It's tough to evaluate just watching bullpens, but he is a dynamite young guy with a good approach. He's a unifying type of guy that brings people together with his great personality.”

Willis has only pitched in three games in relief out his 192 career appearances, but the Reds clearly signed him to compete for a bullpen spot. Aroldis Chapman and Bill Bray figure to have two of six spots locked up, leaving Willis to compete with Daniel Ray Herrera for a spot as the third lefty.

Left-handed hitters have only managed to hit .208 off of Willis compared to the .280 average righties have posted off of him.  His experience as a starter could be a deciding factor.

“We need guys that can provide some length. We have guys that we have limited in the past,” Price said. “We need at least one pitcher, if not more, that can give us two or three innings at a time -- in case of a bad start, a rain delay or an injury -- so we don't blow out our bullpen.”

Willis is definitely going to provide something to watch as pitchers and catchers report in just two weeks.

MLB cincinnati reds, dontrelle willis, bryan price, 2010 mlb offseason

The Cincinnati Reds will not go to arbitration with any players this offseason. The team secured that when they reach a one-year deal with right-handed starting pitcher Edinson Volquez on Sunday.

Though an official deal has yet to be announced, ESPN Deportes reported Saturday that the two sides agreed on a $1.6 million deal.

"We'll see if they're up for doing more later," Jocketty told MLB.com Sunday from a Reds Caravan stop in Lexington. "We tried to do a multiyear deal. They just wanted to concentrate on the one year now. [Volquez's agent] had a few cases and wanted to get the arbitration thing out of the way."

Volquez, who is under team control through 2013, posted a 4.31 ERA and 65/37 K/BB ratio over 62 2/3 innings last year after returning from Tommy John Surgery.

MLB cincinnati reds, edinson volquez, 2010 mlb offseason, walt jocketty

from ESPN.com's Buster Olney...

Other teams have asked the Cardinals about Albert Pujols in the past, making sure that if St. Louis ever thought about dealing the perennial MVP candidate, the inquiring team's interest was established.

The Cardinals have never really pursued any of that trade discussion.

But no matter what happens in the last days of negotiations before Pujols arrives at the Cardinals' camp in spring training, the slugger will not be traded.
 
The understanding within the St. Louis front office is that Pujols will not accept any trade going forward, according to sources. He has the right to veto any trade proposal, and would do so.

COMPLETE ARTICLE

MLB st. louis carindals, albert pujols, 2010 mlb offseason

The Cincinnati Reds continued to secure its future as they reached a four-year, $27 million contract extension with right hander starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, according to ESPNdeportes.com.

By reaching a deal with Cueto, the team avoided arbitration once again. They recently reached deals with Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, and relief pitcher Bill Bray.

Cueto had reportedly requested a salary of $3.9 million for 2011 and the team offered $3 million in arbitration.

The 24-year old Dominican posted a 12-7 record a year ago with a 3.64 ERA. He set career highs in wins, ERA, innings pitched (185.2) and walks allowed (56).

Through his three-year Major League career Cueto is 32-32 and has averaged over 30 starts per season.

Fantasy Baseball, MLB cincinnati reds, johnny cueto, 2010 mlb offseason

With the Cincinnati Reds signing 1B and reigning MVP Joey Votto to a three- year, $38 million deal Sunday, the Reds' overall offseason work now looks adequate.  Barely.  The Reds have largely remained inactive and unproductive this offseason.  They have failed to add a leadoff hitter, improve an average- at best- bench, and still do not have a hammer to go at the top of the rotation.  Here is a breakdown of their significant moves and a grade for each...

EXTENTIONS
1.  Jay Bruce signed to a six- year, $51 million contract with a $13 million option for 2017:  this was the Reds' best offseason move by far.  They locked up their next  superstar for two or three years beyond his arbitration years and probably saved money in the process.  Grade A+

2.  Votto's three- year, $38 million deal:  though there are many who question the length of deal, Votto was probably standing firm on just three years.  With that parameter to work with, the Reds figured that in return for giving him his free agency in three years, he could give them a discount on his salary over those three years.  Votto would have probably earned $8 million in arbitration this year so that means he is getting $30 million total in 2012 and 2013.  This is less than the $34 million that Ryan Howard earned in years five and six of his career and Votto is much better than Howard.  Grade:  A

FREE AGENT ADDITIONS
1.  Dontrelle Willis, LHP:  since he was signed to a minor league deal, Willis is really not much of a risk.  If he is effective as a left handed reliever in Triple- A, the Reds did very well here.  The key here is letting Willis prove himself at Triple- A and NOT in Cincinnati where he could really hurt if ineffective.  Grade:  B

2.  Jeremy Hermida, OF: Hermida is a virtual lock for the Opening Day roster because he is a left handed hitter.  He and Fred Lewis will probably be the only left handed hitters on the bench.  The problem is Hermida, once considered the Marlins' top prospect, has struggled mightily lately in the Majors.  In 222 at bats with Oakland (his fourth organization in the last 17 months- never a good sign) last year, Hermida hit .216/ .268/ .351 with a .619 OPS.  The good news is that this guy was batting third for the Marlins just three seasons ago and he is only 26 years old.  Maybe he's a late bloomer.  His talent says that he is worth a shot.  Grade:  C-

3.  Resigning Miguel Cairo to a two- year, $2 million contract:  Cairo had one of his best years in the Majors last year at the ripe age of 36.  He played every infield position and posted a .290/ .353/ .410 stat line in 200 at bats while doing so.  He was finally valuable again- the first time since 2004 when he was with the Yankees.  So what are the odds that he is valuable again for a second time since 2004 in his age- 37 year?  Virtually none.  Odds are that he will regress back to his normally awful .250/ .300/ .340 averages that he posted between 2005 and 2010.  And remember, he is signed for two years.  Grade: F

4.  Resigning Ramon Hernandez to one- year $3 million contract:  thank goodness it was only a one- year contract.  Hernandez's clock is about to strike midnight because catchers' clocks run a lot faster than everyone else's and he is already 34.  In fact, his clock may explode this year.  Due to ineffectiveness or injury, top prospect Devin Mesoraco may be in Cincinnati to replace Hernandez by July.  Grade:  C

5.  Edgar Renteria signs a one- year, $2.1 million contract:  Before his hot three weeks at the tail end of the 2010 playoffs, Renteria was talking about retirement.  He had been benched in San Francisco for his mediocre .276/ .332/ .374 offensive output as well as his lack of range at shortstop.  Then, the Giants' Kung Fu Panda proceeded to eat his way out of starting slots at third AND first base, and Renteria got another shot in late September.  Being a playoff or World Series MVP only means that the player was hot for a few games- what did he do the rest of the season?  In Renteria's case, it was hurt his team.  This is an awful signing.  Renteria's numbers the previous two years mirror 2010 (2009:  .250/ .307/ .328; 2008: .270/ .317/ .382) so he is clearly on a steady downhill spiral.  Is there any positive to this signing?  There are two; the contract is for only one year and this is not nearly as bad a signing as Orlando Cabrera was last year because Renteria is not slated to bat 500 times.  Grade:  F

6.  Fred Lewis signs a one- year, $900,000 contract:  Lewis is a good backup outfielder.  He can play all three outfield positions and he will be an average hitter at best... if he was a catcher.  Playing an outfield spot and hitting .262/ .332/ .414 in 2010 in what is considered a career year for Lewis is not impressive.  On a better note, Lewis does have a career line of .280/ .354/ .442 against right handed pitchers so a platoon in left field with Johnny Gomes is not a bad move, but its still league average production at best.  Grade D+

LOST FREE AGENTS
1.  The only free agent to depart the Reds that will have a negative impact on the Reds is left handed reliever Arthur Rhodes who signed a $3.9 million deal with Texas.  He put up some pretty amazing numbers last year (2.29 E.R.A. with a 1.02 WHIP in 55 innings) and there is nobody ready to replace him.  Grade:  D-

2.  Orlando Cabrera is still a free agent and will probably not get a major league deal this season because he was just plain awful is every aspect of the game last year.  Dusty Baker still wheeled him out there at every opportunity possible and the fact that nobody else wants him should tell you something about Baker.  Grade:  A; addition by subtraction.

3,  Laynce Nix is still a free agent also because he refused a minor league assignment by the Reds in November.  This was a mistake by Nix because 1.  the Reds were low in depth in the outfield and he still could have made the major league team and 2. he really is not that good.  Grade B; nothing lost here

LOW IMPACE ITEMS
1.  The Reds drafted nobody in the Rule 5 Draft.  The Rule 5 Draft rarely has players of any significance.  There is nothing to worry about here.  Grade:  INC

2.  The Reds changed their High-A affiliate to Bakersfield of the California League.  This may not be much to many Reds fans, but Bakersfield is largely considered the WORST facility in ALL of the minor leagues.  It is so bad that there is a movement to condemn the field.  The Reds need to explain this move and quicly fix this move.  Grade:  F

OVERALL: There was vitually nothing done to improve the club this offseason.  The additions of Renteria, Hermida and Lewis do not offset the moves of NL Central rivals Milwaukee (adding Shawn Marcum and Zach Greinke), St. Louis (adding Lance Berkman and resigning Jake Westbrook) and Chicago (trading for Matt Garza).  The rest of the division has caught up to the Reds, but all three teams are not nearly as deep in the pitching deparment as the Reds.  With a couple of solid moves, the Reds could have iced the pennent race in December, but instead, the Reds are banking that the great years from Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Bronson Arroyo and others were not career years, but just standard years.  This sounds like 1991 all over again.  Overall grade: D

MLB cincinnati reds, 2010 mlb offseason, offseason grades, joey votto, jay bruce

The Cincinnati Reds agreed to a new contract with first baseman Joey Votto on Sunday, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.

The new three-year deal does not lock up the reigning N.L. MVP similar to the one the Reds struck with right fielder Jay Bruce earlier this offseason to lock up the young slugger for the next seven seasons.

Nor is the deal comparable to the one that the Rockies just inked with Carlos Gonzalez, who finished second in this year’s MVP race and like Votto is considered one of the game’s young stars.

What the $38 million deal does do for the Reds is that it keeps them from having to go to the arbitration table with Votto over the next three seasons.  Under this new agreement Votto would be due to become a free agent after the 2013 season, the same year he would have been without the agreement.

Votto has been reluctant to commit to anything beyond the five-year time frame.  If the Reds are going to keep him they will have to pay top dollar and compete with the big market teams and budgets to retain their superstar.

Fantasy Baseball, MLB cincinnati reds, joey votto, 2010 mlb offseason

The Cincinnati Reds continued to add depth by signing free agent outfielder Fred Lewis on Tuesday as well as making official the signing of Edgar Renteria.

Lewis, 30, is left-hander bat that can be placed at the top of the order and is capable of playing all three outfield positions.

The team desperately needed someone that has proven success in the leadoff role.

During his stint in Toronto last year, Lewis hit .262 with a .332 on-base percentage and 17 steals. Since beginning his career in San Francisco in 2006, the veteran has 199 starts from the leadoff spot - and is batting .271 with a .343 OBP and 38 steals. 

"Fred fits the category of what we were looking for,” Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty said on with Lance McAlister on 700WLW on Monday night, “He’s a left-handed hitting outfielder that can run, play all three outfield positions, leadoff and steal some bases."

The signing now leaves the Reds outfield with Jay Bruce in right field and Drew Stubbs in center with Lewis, Chris Heisey and the recently acquired Lewis battling for time. Don’t be surprised to see Lewis and Gomes work into a platoon situation in left.

It appears the Reds are done at adding free agents with the 40-man roster now at full capacity and most of the team’s needs addressed. However, don’t rule out a trade as the Reds have many young arms at their disposal.

MLB 2010 mlb offseason, hot stove baseball, cincinnati reds, fred lewis, edgar renteria, walt jocketty

After deciding not to pick up the option on shortstop Orlando Cabrera earlier this offseason, the Reds filled his spot on the roster on Thursday as they reached an agreement with 34-year old free agent Edgar Renteria.

ESPNChicago.com’s Bruce Levine is reporting the one-year deal could be worth up to $3 million with incentives.

Renteria played on the World Series champions, the San Francisco Giants, last season but was disappointed with the team’s $1 million offer to resign.

The Reds will be the seventh team Renteria will suit up. He started with the Marlins and won the World Series MVP in 1997.  After leaving Florida he played for six seasons in St. Louis during current Reds’ GM Walt Jocketty’s run with the Cardinals.  Since leaving the Cards, Renteria has also played for Boston, Atlanta, and Detroit.

Renteria, a career .288 hitter, had a .250 average with .307 OBP for the Giants a year ago.  Once known for his speed, he has only managed 13 stolen bases over the past two seasons. 

Expect Renteria to work into the mix with Paul Janish at shortstop with the younger Janish getting the bulk of the starts. The youngster has much more range and is stronger defensively than the newly acquired Renteria. Don’t be surprised to see Renteria also spell Scott Rolen some at third base along with Miguel Cairo.

Renteria’s right-handed bat could prove to be valuable of the bench and his veteran presence should have an impact on the Reds’ young clubhouse.

Fantasy Baseball, MLB cincinnati reds, 2010 mlb offseason, hot stove baseball, edgar renteria

From MLBTradeRumors.com...

The Reds agreed to sign Jeremy Hermida to a minor league deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The move fills out Cincinnati's outfield and leaves Fred Lewis and Scott Podsednik with one less suitor. Career Sports represents Hermida, who turns 27 this month.

Hermida joins Drew Stubbs, Jonny Gomes and Chris Heisey in a primarily right-handed outfield. Hermida bats from the left side and has a career .267/.342/.432 line against righties, so he could provide manager Dusty Baker with an alternative starter most days. The former first rounder hit .216/.268/.351 for the Red Sox and A's last year, playing left and right.

MORE REDS RUMORS (MLBTradeRumors.com)

cincinnati reds, jeremy hermida, 2010 mlb offseason, hot stove baseball