The St. Louis Cardinals are closing in on a deal with free agent reliever Troy Percival.
The bullpen has been one of the Cardinals’ strengths this season, and the team apparently wants to strengthen it further as it attempts to climb back into the NL Central race.
Percival threw 88 to 90 mph in a workout on Tuesday, according to two scouts in attendance, and showed no signs of the right-forearm injury that has kept him out of the majors since July 2005.
Free-agent left-hander Mark Mulder, opting for continuity as he recovers from shoulder surgery, has reached agreement on a two-year, $13 million contract with the Cardinals. The contract includes an $11 million option for 2009, and could be worth as much as $45 million over three years if the Cardinals exercise the option and Mulder realizes all of his incentive bonuses.
Mulder, 29, will receive a guaranteed $5 million in ’07 and $6.5 million in ’08 with a $1.5 million buyout if the Cardinals decline his option. He can earn as much as $6.525 million in incentives based on his number of starts next season. That number then would be added to his guaranteed salary in ’08, and he also would receive incentives in ’08 for every start he makes between 21 and 35. His option for ’09 would be worth at least what he earned in ’08.
Mulder rejected similar offers from the Rangers and Indians to remain with the defending world champions, who lost free-agent right-hander Jeff Suppan to the Brewers and are still trying to retain free-agent right-hander Jeff Weaver.
Mulder, 103-57 lifetime with a 4.11 ERA, tied Angels right-hander Bartolo Colon for the major-league lead with 88 victories from 2001 to ’05. However, he struggled with his mechanics in his two seasons with the Cardinals, then underwent surgery in early September.
Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed Monday to a five-year contract that guarantees the 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner about $65 million.
Carpenter had been signed through 2007 as part of an agreement that called for a $7 million salary next year. The Cardinals exercised his 2008 option at $9 million as part of the new agreement and added guaranteed years for 2009, 2010 and 2011 plus a club option for 2012. If the new option is exercised, the deal would be worth about $77 million.
The Cardinals, bringing back one of their former prospects, are on the verge of signing free-agent second baseman Adam Kennedy to a three-year, $10 million contract.
Kennedy, 30, will replace free agent Ron Belliard, whom the Cardinals acquired from the Indians last July for infielder Hector Luna.
The Blue Jays, who also had been interested in Kennedy, remain in need of a second baseman or shortstop.
Kennedy, the Cardinals’ first-round pick in 1997, made his debut in ‘99, then was traded to the Angels along with pitcher Kent Bottenfield for center fielder Jim Edmonds on March 23, 2000.
A career .280 hitter, Kennedy spent the past seven seasons with the Angels, and was the starting second baseman for the team’s World Series championship club in 2002.
Scott Spiezio and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a $4.5 million, two-year contract Thursday, keeping one of the team’s top reserves with the World Series champions. The deal includes a club option for 2009.
Spiezio, 34, revived his career with the Cardinals last season. He signed a minor league contract and made the team as a utility player, making 61 starts and playing five positions. The switch-hitter batted .272 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI in 119 games.
Edmonds’ average salary in the deal is expected to be comparable to the $10 million he would receive if the Cardinals exercised his option for 2007. The Cardinals have until Saturday to pick up Edmonds’ option or pay him a $3 million buyout. If the team declines the option, Edmonds will become a free agent.
Edmonds, 36, played sparingly in the final six weeks of the regular season due to post-concussion syndrome and an injured left foot, but rallied in the postseason to help the Cardinals win their first Series since 1982.
Edmonds batted only .250 in three playoff series, but produced a .371 on-base percentage and drove in 10 runs in 52 at-bats.
Jorge Sosa was designated for assignment on Sunday. Just before Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline passed, he was dealt to the Cardinals in exchange for Minor League right-hander Rich Scalamandre.
Sosa struggled both as a starter and during a short stint as the Braves’ closer this year. After going 1-8 with a 5.53 ERA in 13 starts this season, he was moved back to the bullpen, where he converted just half of his six save opportunities. In 13 relief appearances, he posted a 5.19 ERA. Most of his problems stemmed from the fact that he surrendered 20 homers in just 87 1/3 total innings. All of these struggles came just one season after he posted a National League-best .813 winning percentage and collected a career-best 13 wins, with a 2.55 ERA.
Scalamandre, who will be assigned to Triple-A Richmond, has been used solely as a reliever since being drafted by the Cardinals in the 23rd round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. The 25-year-old right-hander has struggled with his control throughout most of his professional career. But in 48 2/3 innings with Triple-A Memphis and Double-A Springfield this year, he’s registered 48 strikeouts and issued just 18 walks. With Memphis and Springfield this year, Scalamandre has gone 7-0 with a 4.55 ERA and two saves. During his Minor League career, he’s gone 22-5 with a 4.26 ERA.”
Indians second baseman Ron Belliard is expected to be traded to the Cardinals if he makes it through Sunday’s game healthy. Belliard, 31, recently missed six games with a hamstring injury, but returned to the Indians’ lineup Saturday. The Cardinals want to make sure that he is fully recovered before completing the deal.
Belliard entered Sunday’s play batting .289 with a .335 on-base percentage, eight homers and 44 RBIs. He figures to be an upgrade over Aaron Miles, who has batted .224 since June 1. The Cardinals rank next-to-last in the National League in on-base/slugging percentage at second base.
The Los Angeles Angels traded disappointing right-hander Jeff Weaver to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night for minor league outfielder Terry Evans.
Weaver, 29, was designated for assignment by the Angels last Friday after going 3-10 with a 6.29 ERA in 16 starts this season. He signed an one-year, $8.3 million contract with Los Angeles as a free agent during the offseason.
Jeff Weaver went 14-11 with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, his second with the club. St. Louis will be his fifth league team following earlier stints with Detroit and the New York Yankees. He has a career record of 81-97 with an ERA of 4.55 in 225 starts.
Weaver allowed 114 hits, including 18 homers, while walking 21 and striking out 62 in 88 2-3 innings this season with the Angels. Opponents had a .309 average against him.
Evans, 24, was hitting .311 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in 21 games with Double-A Springfield. He began this season with Class A Palm Beach, hitting .307 with 15 homers and 45 RBIs in 60 games.
Ponson, 29, will give the Cardinals additional depth in their starting rotation, increasing the chances that the team will trade a starting pitcher for a second baseman or corner outfielder. The Orioles terminated Ponson’s contract after he was arrested for driving under the influence on Aug. 25.
He had a 6.21 ERA in 23 starts last season.