Holliday, Cardinals nearing a deal
Posted by Anthony Stalter (01/04/2010 @ 5:00 pm)
According to FOXSports.com’s Jim Bowden via his Twitter page, the Cardinals and free agent outfielder Matt Holliday are closing in on a $98.5 million contract.
The Holliday may be over for most, but not St.Louis……Cards – Holliday closing in on 98.5m dollar deal
What’s interesting about the number figure Bowden references is that Holliday and agent Scott Boras were seeking over $100 million. “Settling” wouldn’t be the right term considering the free agent would still land $98.5 million, but it is interesting that with Jason Bay off the market that Boras couldn’t land Holliday a contract in excess of $100 mil.
Get the deal done already – Holliday is a perfect fit for St. Louis.
Report: Cardinals offer Holliday $100 million
Posted by Anthony Stalter (12/30/2009 @ 6:15 pm)
According to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney, the Cardinals offered free agent outfielder Matt Holliday over $100 million.
Scott Boras, the agent who represents Holliday, has been doubling back to teams that had previously touched base on the outfielder, citing a possible salary figure of $18 million. Boras is believed to have an offer in excess of $100 million from the Cardinals, and club officials with other teams sense he is shopping that offer.
Outfielder Jason Bay reached agreement on a four-year, guaranteed $66 million contract with the New York Mets, pending a physical. If Holliday were to finalize a six-year or seven-year offer for about $17 million a year with the Cardinals, he would sign for a package in the range of $102 million to $119 million, the largest contract of this offseason.
Earlier this offseason, the Red Sox offered Holliday a five-year, $82.5 million contract, but sources say Boston’s offer was rejected. The Red Sox then used that money to sign veteran right-handed starter John Lackey.
Unless the Yankees want to open up their wallets again, I doubt that Boras and Holliday will see an offer higher than the one the Cardinals offered (that is, if Olney’s report is accurate and St. Louis did offer that amount).
I wonder what Plan B is for the Cardinals if they can’t re-sign Holliday, because no matter what, they need a decent bat to protect Albert Pujols in their lineup. One would think that Holliday will sign with someone soon now that Jason Bay is off the market.
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Posted in: MLB
Tags: 2009 MLB rumors, Cardinals offer to Matt Holliday, Headlines, Matt Holliday, Matt Holliday $100 million offer, Matt Holliday Cardinals rumors, Matt Holliday free agent rumors, Matt Holliday MLB rumors, Matt Holliday rumors, St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Cardinals offseason moves
Report: Cardinals to go after Holliday
Posted by Anthony Stalter (06/29/2009 @ 9:00 am)
According to a report by the St. Louis Dispatch, the Cardinals are “redoubling efforts” to acquire A’s outfielder Matt Holliday, who is 29 and will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Even though the club acquired utility man Mark DeRosa from the Indians over the weekend, St. Louis manager Tony La Russa still wants to add a bat to serve as protection for Albert Pujols, who is essentially exposed in the Cards’ lineup with nobody hitting around him.
Holliday certainly isn’t setting the world on fire with his bat (he’s hitting just .274 with 8 HRs and 39 RBI) this season, but he could certainly get hot in the second half, especially if he winds up back in the NL were he’s used to the pitching.
The Cards actually tried to acquire Holliday last fall, but weren’t unwilling to part with the prospects that the Rockies wanted in order to complete the deal. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch speculates that the Red Birds would be willing to include Ryan Ludwick and either reliever Jason Motte or Kyle McClellan, plus a prospect.
St. Louis already has enough offense to battle the Brewers in the NL Central, but if they could acquire Holliday to go along with the addition of DeRosa, the Cards might be able to create some separation in the division.
