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St. Louis Cardinals Wiretap

Cardinals Aren't Interested In Edmonds

Free-agent outfielder Jim Edmonds is taking to two teams, but the Cardinals are not one of them.

The identity of the two interested clubs isn't known, but they are probably willing to pay Edmonds more than the minimum salary that St. Louis would likely have offered.

Edmonds announced on Jan. 17 that he wanted to return to baseball and he spoke with manager Tony La Russa about a roster spot with the Cardinals.

Via Globe-Democrat


Official: Boras Wore Down Cardinals On Holliday Deal

A baseball official told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that agent Scott Boras strong-armed the Cardinals during negotiations regarding outfielder Matt Holliday.

Holliday got a seven-year, $119 million deal with St. Louis.

"I don't understand the Cardinals," said the official. "Everybody knew there was nobody else there when they were at $16 [million a year] for six [years]. But Scott kept asking for $17 [million a year] for seven, and they just did it. So obviously, he just wore them down."

Holliday's deferred money places the present-day value of his contract at only about $16.2 million per year, but the same official asked a very valid question:

"If they did this for Holliday does [Albert] Pujols settle for less than the A-Rod deal now?"

Via ESPN


Report: Trainer Admits To Giving McGwire Steroids

A trainer that previously admitted to giving Jose Canseco steroids is now saying that he supplied Mark McGwire as well.

Curtis Wenzlaff, arrested in 1992 for steroids distribution, told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" that McGwire's goal was to get "bigger, faster, stronger," according to excerpts released Friday.

The full interview will air on Sunday.

Via Yahoo! Sports


Edmonds' Agents Insists He'll Play Somewhere In 2010

Jim Edmonds has been working out diligently this offseason and has instructed his agent, Paul Cohen, to see if MLB teams are interested in his services for 2010.

"I know they've talked," Cohen said of the Cardinals and Edmonds, and "we've talked to a few other teams.

"He's playing (in 2010). He's looking at a lot of different things. Obviously, if he went to St. Louis, they kind of have a starting outfield. If he's not going to St. Louis, he'd be thinking of platooning somewhere. St. Louis would be a different situation."

Via Post-Dispatch


Ludwick, Cardinals Agree To $5.45M Deal

The Cardinals have agreed to a one-year, $5.45 million contract with outfielder Ryan Ludwick.

The agreement allowed the two sides to avoid arbitration for the second straight season.

"We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Ryan," general manager John Mozeliak said. "Ryan has proven to be a steady run-producer for our ballclub for the past two-plus seasons."

Via ESPN


Cardinals Jan 2010 Archive