Comments on: Cardinals sign Allen Craig to $31 million contract extension

By: forsch31

forsch31 — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 06:09:29 +0000

Actually, he wasn’t old for his level for most of his minor league career. Craig got blocked while he was in Memphis for three seasons, from age 24 to 26, and was also trying to learn a different position, since he wasn’t a very good 3rd baseman (his original position). Craig racked at every level; it’s what kept him a real prospect despite his lack of full-time position.

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 00:32:36 +0000

The thing about using his MiLB stats is that he was old for just about every level he raked in. Obviously his MLB performance has been exemplary, but it’s not really fair to say his minor league performance projected this kind of success.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 00:22:14 +0000

Good luck with that….you see, even though MiLB stats have some flaws, if a guy maintains his performance among levels with the same underlying peripherals and then translates that to over 850 PAs at the MLB level….well, then you actually have a pretty large sample size.

Craig was drafted in 2006. He has raked every year since then, at every level, with similar K rates, BB rates, BABIP, and ISO. In other words, the guy he has been in MLB is exactly the same as the guy he was for 4 years before that as he moved up through the system.

By: tmhofficial

tmhofficial — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:03:00 +0000

I’m going to laugh when he regresses after the small-ish sample size. Though the money isn’t bad, all things considered, so even if he does flop they’re not out much.

By: stex52

stex52 — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:59:05 +0000

No sweat, SLB. We all throw stuff at the wall to see if it sticks occasionally. No one will remember tomorrow.

I’ve done worse.

By: okwhitefalcon

okwhitefalcon — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:54:37 +0000

If he were available (and that doesn’t seem to be the case) the asking price on Andrus would astronomical – he wouldn’t come on the cheap.

Start with at a combo of at least 2 of the high end pitching prospects and a position player and that might get them to answer the phone..

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:45:04 +0000

Jeesh! Lighten up people. It was a joke. Possibly a bad joke. But a joke nonetheless.
It’s Friday. We are fittin’ to get our weekend on!

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:31:22 +0000

Me too Paper. And I thought I would never say such a thing. Well…I didn’t say it. But you get the idea.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:17:45 +0000

So…..the Cardinals will get 6 years of Craig at 1B (including 2012) for the price of 1.25 seasons of Pujols at 1B. I’d take that deal.

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:16:47 +0000

Scoop this up for your fantasy league.
Sorry…that was un-called for.
Piss on your fantasy league.
Nope…still no good.
Good pick-up. Your fantasy league will get it’s just reward.
Now…only if it weren’t fantasy.

By: spudchukar

spudchukar — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:14:00 +0000

Correcto PL, and it was in Houston where the sorry-assed wall/fence extended into foul territory.

By: spudchukar

spudchukar — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:12:14 +0000

Just to add a little clarity, the dude can fucking hit!

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:02:17 +0000

This one time…at band camp. Hahaha! Just joking Blues. Great memory for sure.
Wish I could have been at Mike Shannon’s with you!

By: blues1988

blues1988 — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:06:22 +0000

i will never forget on game 7 of the world series in 2011 i was at mike shannons (a bar right next to busch) and we heard fireworks coming from the stadium before a pitch had even been thrown to craig. it took a moment, but then the whole bar realized that he had just homered to take the lead and we erupted before we even saw it on tv. we all watched and then erupted a second time. it was awesome!

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:35:23 +0000

I agree with Kevin in regards to Andrus. With Profar (and the Rangers) chomping at the bit to get him playing time Elvis might be attainable without breaking the bank and/or future prospects.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:35:15 +0000

I think they already asked about Andrus at the winter meetings and the response was, in no uncertain terms, “He is not available.”

By: paperlions

paperlions — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:31:31 +0000

Sorry, my troll detector is on the fritz.

By: stlsportsfan84

stlsportsfan84 — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:27:53 +0000

This is much more about getting the ducks in a row w/ Waino than anything else. Adams was only in the plan if OT could play CF (which i haven’t heard anyone say that is a good idea). Trade chip was the most likely path for Adams no matter what happened w/ Craig.

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:24:24 +0000

I know you guys have all been drooling over Profar, but isn’t Andrus much more realistic? Cards definitely have the depth to land him with gutting their system, and while he’s only under contract for two more years, they’re two more dirt cheap years.

By: bigleagues

bigleagues — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:22:49 +0000

You should know by now when I'm posting in tr0ll mode.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:17:09 +0000

Yeah, this has no effect on Adams at all. Craig was going to be a FA in 4 years….and wasn’t going anywhere in the meantime….this contract has no bearing on Adam’s status…just gave the Cardinals some cost certainty.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:16:08 +0000

Huh? What kind of pitching the Cardinals need? They don’t have enough spots for the guys they’ve got right now.

The Cardinals need a SS…..and that is pretty much it.

By: bigleagues

bigleagues — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:14:09 +0000

I agree. But its also worth noting that the Cards have a pitching need and Matt Adams could be a valuable trade chip to that end.

By: indaburg

indaburg — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:04:31 +0000

What do you think about his hitting?

By: paperlions

paperlions — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:59:59 +0000

Seriously?

Why do people think he has a problem staying healthy? Except for the one knee injury because of running into the wall, he’s always been fine….including through his MiLB days.

By: okwhitefalcon

okwhitefalcon — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:50:16 +0000

I’m a little surprised but not totally I suppose.

AC’s got to stay healthy, simple as that – if he does he’s worth the commitment.

As far as it “putting Matt Adams” on the market, not so fast.

They absolutely love the guy and see value in him a lefty off the bench (for now) and a very capable first base option if they decide to give AC a day off or AC moves to the outfield occassionally to spell the likes of Beltran and Holliday.

By: stlouis1baseball

stlouis1baseball — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:48:54 +0000

Dude can flat out hit. He has always hit. If there is one thing he can do…it’s hit.
Have I mentioned that he is a pretty good hitter? If not…well…he is a good hitter.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:44:42 +0000

That hasn’t really been an issue throughout his career. If he doesn’t slam his knee into the wall chasing a foul ball in 2011, he has no injury history at all…as that same injury led to lost time in 2011, and 2012 (since surgery was postponed until the off-season).

By: salvomania

salvomania — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:43:01 +0000

Not “staying healthy” is less Craig’s fault than it is the unpadded corner of the outfield wall in, what was it, Cincinnati? That’s how he hurt the knee that finished his 2011 and kept him out through April of last year.

By: sfm073

sfm073 — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:39:04 +0000

Craig can rake, he’s done it his entire professional career. The problem with him has been staying healthy.