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**BigRedChief** · 01-08-2015, 11:30 AM

Ken Rosenthal: Could Hamels, Price or Scherzer be answer to Cards' rotation needs?

The St. Louis Cardinals say they like their starting rotation. But that is not preventing them from pursuing a major upgrade.
The team is exploring trades for left-handers Cole Hamels and David Price and the possibility of signing free-agent right-hander Max Scherzer, according to major-league sources.

No deal appears close on any front, and it’s possible that the Cardinals will simply decide that the acquisition cost in each case is too high.
However, the Cardinals’ interest in adding another starter reflects, at least in part, concern about their rotation beyond right-hander Lance Lynn.
Staff ace Adam Wainwright is coming off surgery last October in which he had cartilage trimmed from his right elbow. Michael Wacha pitched only 107 innings last season due to a stress reaction in his right shoulder.
John Lackey is entering his free-agent year, while Carlos Martinez and Marco Gonzales are unproven as starters. Jaime Garcia, the sole veteran left-hander, underwent surgery in July to correct thoracic outlet syndrome in his shoulder and has pitched only 99 innings the past two seasons.

The Cardinals’ preference, according to sources, is to add another left-hander; hence, their interest in Hamels and Price. Scherzer holds a different appeal — he is a native of St. Louis and the best pitcher on the free-agent market. However, sources say he is seeking $200 million, and his agent, Scott Boras, generally is not inclined to grant hometown discounts.

Hamels and Price would be expensive in other ways.

The Phillies want premium talent for Hamels, who is owed $90 million over the next four years. Teams usually balk at trading top prospects while taking on expensive contracts. The good news for the Cardinals is that they could acquire Hamels without his permission; they are not on his no-trade list.

If anything, Hamels would welcome a deal to St. Louis, sources say. His wife, Heidi, is from the St. Louis area, and all of her family lives in Missouri, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.
The Cardinals’ biggest problem, perhaps, would be satisfying the Phillies.
To secure Hamels, the Cardinals likely would need to part with Martinez or Gonzales as well as an outfielder such as Randal Grichuk or Stephen Piscotty (the Phillies have long coveted Peter Bourjos as well, sources say).

Such a price could be prohibitive.

Rest of the article here:
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/s...-morosi-010715

01-08-2015, 11:30 AM	#29
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills BigRedChief's Avatar Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water	Ken Rosenthal: Could Hamels, Price or Scherzer be answer to Cards' rotation needs? The St. Louis Cardinals say they like their starting rotation. But that is not preventing them from pursuing a major upgrade. The team is exploring trades for left-handers Cole Hamels and David Price and the possibility of signing free-agent right-hander Max Scherzer, according to major-league sources. No deal appears close on any front, and it’s possible that the Cardinals will simply decide that the acquisition cost in each case is too high. However, the Cardinals’ interest in adding another starter reflects, at least in part, concern about their rotation beyond right-hander Lance Lynn. Staff ace Adam Wainwright is coming off surgery last October in which he had cartilage trimmed from his right elbow. Michael Wacha pitched only 107 innings last season due to a stress reaction in his right shoulder. John Lackey is entering his free-agent year, while Carlos Martinez and Marco Gonzales are unproven as starters. Jaime Garcia, the sole veteran left-hander, underwent surgery in July to correct thoracic outlet syndrome in his shoulder and has pitched only 99 innings the past two seasons. The Cardinals’ preference, according to sources, is to add another left-hander; hence, their interest in Hamels and Price. Scherzer holds a different appeal — he is a native of St. Louis and the best pitcher on the free-agent market. However, sources say he is seeking $200 million, and his agent, Scott Boras, generally is not inclined to grant hometown discounts. Hamels and Price would be expensive in other ways. The Phillies want premium talent for Hamels, who is owed $90 million over the next four years. Teams usually balk at trading top prospects while taking on expensive contracts. The good news for the Cardinals is that they could acquire Hamels without his permission; they are not on his no-trade list. If anything, Hamels would welcome a deal to St. Louis, sources say. His wife, Heidi, is from the St. Louis area, and all of her family lives in Missouri, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. The Cardinals’ biggest problem, perhaps, would be satisfying the Phillies. To secure Hamels, the Cardinals likely would need to part with Martinez or Gonzales as well as an outfielder such as Randal Grichuk or Stephen Piscotty (the Phillies have long coveted Peter Bourjos as well, sources say). Such a price could be prohibitive. Rest of the article here: http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/s...-morosi-010715
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