St. Louis
Cardinals

News: The Red Sox are believed to be interested in Matt Holliday, according to the Boston Herald.
Impact: The club will reportedly consider the elite outfielder as an alternative if they do no re-sign Jason Bay. The Cardinals would also like to keep him in St. Louis.  

News: The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that the Giants will not pursue free agent outfielders Matt Holliday and Jason Bay. Giants GM Brian Sabean said that the team is only interested in players who have a genuine interest in coming to San Francisco.
Impact: Teams are dropping like flies in the Holliday pursuit, and it was thought that the Giants would have a major interest in a big bat this winter. San Fran likes some of the second-tier talent out there, so expect a guy like Xavier Nady to be on their radar. 

News: Updating an earlier item, Angels owner Arte Moreno confirmed on Thursday that the team has no plans to pursue free agent outfielder Matt Holliday, according to Fox Sports.
Impact: "We are not looking at Holliday at all," Moreno said. "He is not going to be an Angel." Quite emphatic. The Cardinals remain the early favorite, while the New York teams and many others could become players depending on the fate of Jason Bay. 

News: At least a dozen teams have inquired about signing DeRosa, including the Cardinals, Mariners, Nationals, Giants, Phillies, Orioles, Rangers, Yankees, Mets, Twins and Braves, the L.A. Times reports.
Impact: It looks like DeRosa is set to receive a large multi-year deal if there truly are that many viable bidders for his services. Small payroll teams like the Twins may not have much of a chance to sign him as a result. 

News: The Phillies might consider DeRosa (wrist) for their open third base position, the Phillies' official site reports.
Impact: DeRosa's representatives suggested that his surgical procedure went well. "Mark underwent successful surgery on his left wrist," Dr. Gary Lourie said in a statement released late last month. "The procedure was completed with no complications, and I expect Mark to resume full baseball activities well before baseball season begins." 

News: Glaus is unlikely to return to the Cardinals, the team's official site reports.
Impact: At least, he wouldn't be signed as a full-time third baseman. He demonstrated an inability to stay healthy in 2009, and it would be too big of a risk to rely on him going forward. 

News: Angels' general manager Tony Reagins shot down a rumor that the team is interested in free agent outfielder Matt Holliday, according to the LA Times. Reagins said the team is focused on re-signing pitcher John Lackey and infielder Chone Figgins.
Impact: Cross another team off the Holliday list. The demand for the outfielder is looking to be getting smaller by the day, and the Cardinals may be in the best position of anyone right now. Assuming Jason Bay returns to Boston, St. Louis might have the inside track. 

News: The Mets, in search of an innings-eater to stabilize their rotation, are particularly intrigued by Pineiro, according to a team insider, the NY Daily News reports.
Impact: While tossing a career-high 214 innings, Pineiro won 15 games, produced a 3.53 ERA, struck out 105 and walked 27. His 1.14 walk-to-innings ratio was the best in the league, and Pineiro also ranked first in the majors with a 2.73-to-1 ground ball-to-fly ball ratio last season. Pineiro would be fine as a 4/5 starter, but given the question marks surrounding the remainder of the staff, including Johan Santana, who is coming off elbow surgery, the team would need more than just him to boost the staff. 

News: ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the New York Yankees do not intend to sign free agent outfielder Matt Holliday.
Impact: A school of thought has been emerging lately that Holliday might actually be most likely to stay in St. Louis, and if the Yankees are truly not interested, they would almost have to be the favorites, provided the Red Sox keep Jason Bay. That being said, it has also been reported that Holliday has no intention of giving the Birds on Bat any sort of a discount, and it is still going to take a huge amount of money to land him.  

News: According to MLBlogs.com, you can add the Nationals to the list of teams interested in free agent, super-utility man Mark DeRosa.
Impact: The versatile DeRosa spent most of his time at the hot corner last year, but he can play all four infield positions and both corner outfield spots. The Nats don't need a third baseman, so they're likely considering the former Cardinal for second base or right field. Still, there are a lot of other teams interested in him, and the Nats are likely last on his wish list. 

News: MLB.com announced the award winners for the NL Silver Slugger. Cardinals' first baseman Albert Pujols, Phillies' second baseman Chase Utley, Marlins' shortstop Hanley Ramirez, Nationals' third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, Brewers' outfielder Ryan Braun, Dodgers' outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, Braves' catcher Brian McCann, and Cubs' pitcher Carlos Zambrano all took home the award.
Impact: If there is a NL award, Pujols will most likely be going home with it this season. Both Dodger players were very good this season, and should be for many years to come.  

News: The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that Cardinals remain interested in free agent outfielder Matt Holliday, but won't enter into a bidding war with big market teams.
Impact: Cards GM John Mozeliak met with super agent Scott Boras this week, but still plans to set up a face-to-face meeting with Holliday himself. Still, when the Cards do make an offer, they likely won't have a lot of wiggle room. "I think it's fair to say when we present an offer, that's pretty much going to be our position," Mozeliak said. "We're not really interested in becoming involved in a long, drawn-out back-and-forth." The Cards are still very much involved, but if the slugging outfielder is going to follow the dollars and make his decision purely on who offers the most, St. Louis will have a hard time keeping up. If that situation comes to fruition, expect the team to focus on shoring up the rotation and finding someone to man the hot corner. 

News: MLB.com is reporting that the NL Gold Glove award winners were announced on Wednesday. Cardinals' catcher Yadier Molina, pitcher Adam Wainwright, Padres' first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers' second baseman Orlando Hudson, Phillies' shortstop Jimmy Rollins, Nationals' third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, Phillies' outfielder Shane Victorino, Dodgers' outfielder Matt Kemp, and Houston outfielder Michael Bourn were announced as the winners.
Impact: No huge surprises here, although Hudson struggled to find playing time for the Dodgers in the second half of the season. Cardinals' shortstop Brendan Ryan could have an argument at short, but Rollins finished with a ML best .990 fielding percentage, sealing his third straight award. 

News: The New York Post is reporting that the Mets have opened talks with the agent for outfielder Matt Holliday. Mets' GM Omar Minaya met with Scott Boras for nearly 45 minutes on Tuesday night to discuss a price for the slugger.
Impact: The Mets still haven't decided if they will go after a high-priced free agent this winter, but this meeting was likely to gauge what Holliday will be looking for. Don't expect anything to happen on him until later in the winter, but expect the rumors to run rampant until he does sign. 

News: According to Jon Heyman on Twitter, the Mets are interested in free agent starter Joel Pineiro.
Impact: Pineiro had a career year with the Cardinals in 2009, going 15-12 with a 3.49 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and the best groundball rate in the majors. He'll likely command Jeff Suppan/Brader Looper type dollars ($30 million for three or four years), but don't be surprised if his production replicates that of Soup and Looper as well when he's separated from Dave Duncan. It's an obvious and disappointing trend. 

News: Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Cardinals would love to retain Matt Holliday, but they are also ready for the possibility that he will go somewhere else.
Impact: Sherman also reports that the team doesn't expect to get anything done with Holliday before Christmas. No real contenders for Holliday's services have emerged yet, but the usual suspects, the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets, have all been mentioned as possibilities.  

News: Smoltz intends to pitch again next season, Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports.
Impact: Smoltz officially informed his agents on Tuesday that he would like to pitch again next season. He's spoken with the Cardinals about returning to St. Louis, and if the two parties can't come to a deal Smoltz figures to pitch somewhere in the National League. 

News: Greene filed for free agency, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Impact: It will be interesting to see what kind of market develops for his services after his struggles with symptoms associated with social anxiety disorder and after a poor year at the plate (he hit just .200/.272/.347). 

News: LaRue filed for free agency, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Impact: He'll find a backup catcher job somewhere this winter. 

News: Smoltz filed for free agency, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Impact: The Cardinals and Smoltz have talked about him returning next season as the team's fourth starter, so the two sides could reach contract terms in the next week. 

News: Glaus filed for free agency, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Impact: Glaus played in just 14 games last season due to shoulder and oblique injuries. He should still find a market for his services as a starting third baseman, however. 

News: DeRosa (wrist) officially filed for free agency, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports.
Impact: DeRosa will be out until mid December after surgery to repair a completely torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. He'll still have many suitors despite the injury, however. 

News: Ankiel field for free agency Thursday, the Associated Press reports.
Impact: Ankiel hit just .231/.285/.387 with 11 home runs and lost playing time in the second half. It's not clear if the Cardinals want him to return. 

News: Holliday filed for free agency Thursday.
Impact: He'll be among the top sought-after free agents this winter. 

News: Scherer was removed from the Cardinals' 40-man roster.
Impact: He was serviceable out of the bullpen at Triple-A Memphis with a 50:18 K:BB ratio in 73.2 innings. He'll turn 27 in January, so the future ceiling appears to be very limited. 

News: Thurston has been outrighted to Triple-A Memphis.
Impact: The move clears up a space on the 40-man roster. Regardless of where he lands, Thurston isn't likely to see much action beyond a limited utility role in 2010. 

News: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that the Cardinals have opened contract talks with outfielder Matt Holliday. The team reportedly opened discussions with a six-year, $98 million deal.
Impact: These talks are just preliminary, but that doesn't appear to be nearly enough to lock Holliday up. Scott Boras has said he will use Mark Teixeira's eight-year, $180 million as a benchmark, so the Cards better get that offer increased if they want to keep the slugger.  

News: Franklin defied the odds with 38 saves and a 1.92 ERA with the Cardinals in 2009.
Impact: Franklin has found a second career with St. Louis, and even with Jason Motte and other future closers on the roster, Franklin will probably get the ball in the ninth again in 2010. 

News: Wellemeyer followed up a decent 2008 campaign with an awful 2009 for St. Louis. He had a 5.89 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in 122.1 innings.
Impact: Wellemeyer doesn't strike out enough batters to be so hittable. He had just 78 strikeouts, but opposing hitters hit him at a .328 clip. The Cardinals will probably part ways with him as they have better options for 2010. 

News: Smoltz was 1-3 with a 4.26 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in seven starts with the Cardinals in 2009.
Impact: The Cardinals picked Smoltz off the scrap heap in August after an abysmal eight-start tenure with the Red Sox. Smoltz had an excellent 40:9 K:BB ratio in 38 innings with St. Louis, so it looks like he has a little left in the tank for 2010. 

News: McClellan had four wins, three saves, and 15 holds with the Cardinals in 2009.
Impact: McClellan has turned into a solid-if-unspectacular reliever in his two years in the league. He improved upon his rookie numbers to post a 3.38 ERA and 1.35 WHIP this year, though his 51:34 K:BB ratio was a decline from the previous year's 59:26 ratio. 

News: Reyes led the Cardinals with 75 appearances and 18 holds in 2009.
Impact: Reyes split the lefty specialist role with Trever Miller in 2009, but Miller pitched much better and will probably have a bigger role with the Cardinals than Reyes will in 2010. 

News: Miller was 4-1 with a 2.06 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 70 appearances with the Cardinals in 2009.
Impact: Miller was fourth on the team with 13 holds and pitched much better than the other lefty specialist on the team (Dennys Reyes). He had a 46:11 K:BB ratio in 43.2 innings pitched. He'll be a big part of the St. Louis pen again in 2010. 

News: Hawksworth was 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 30 appearances with the Cardinals in 2009.
Impact: Hawksworth was quietly one of the better relievers in the St. Louis bullpen, but with a .225 BABIP and a 20:15 K:BB ratio in 40 innings on the year, expect his sophomore season to be a bit rockier. 

News: The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the Cardinals have outrighted infielder Joe Thurston and reliever Matt Scherer to the Triple-A Memphis roster.
Impact: The Birds just wanted to clear space on the 40-man roster and had to do a little housecleaning. Thurston was a career minor leaguer who finally got a shot to get it done at the big league level last season, but he managed to hit just .225 in 267 at-bats with one homer and 25 RBI. Don't expect him to crack the roster again next year. 

News: DeRosa had surgery to repair a completely torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Impact: DeRosa will be a free agent this offseason. He's expected to spend 5-to-6 weeks in a cast, but be ready for baseball activities at the start of spring training. 

News: Pending what the Cardinals do this offseason on the free agent market, both with external players as well as their own free agents, Garcia could contend for the fifth starter's job, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Impact: Of course, any sort of speculation this time of year should be considered with a metric ton of salt. That said, Garcia is one of the top Cardinals' pitching prospects, albeit one whose health is a concern, as expressed by pitching coach Dave Duncan. "With Garcia coming'' back from injury," Duncan continued, "can you count on him giving what you hope from a fifth start? You're hoping 180 innings. I don't know if he has shown the ability to handle those innings and pitch effectively." 

News: Smoltz and the Cardinals have expressed a mutual interest in him returning as their fourth starter next year, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Impact: We'll see if a deal gets done, but the odds have to be in favor of him returning. As it currently stands, only the top three spots in the rotation are set, between Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and Kyle Lohse. 

News: Bud Selig announced on Sunday that Albert Pujols won the Hank Aaron Award for the National League, according to TSN. The award is voted on by fans for the most outstanding offensive performer.
Impact: Pujols hit .327 with a career-best 47 home runs, 135 RBI, 124 runs scored, 45 doubles, and a team-high 16 stolen bases this year. He led the league in homers, runs, on-base percentage (.443) and slugging percentage (.658), while ranking third in RBI. 

News: Pujols said in a radio interview that he wants to play for the St. Louis Cardinals for the rest of his career, clearing up remarks from he made earlier this month.
Impact: In the interview a few weeks ago with a Dominican radio station, the two-time NL MVP had said he was in no hurry to sign a contract extension. He has one year left on his contract plus an option year and said then he wanted the Cardinals to concentrate on signing Matt Holliday and other free agents first. 

News: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that Cardinals' first baseman Albert Pujols wants to remain with the team for the rest of his career. "The fans know and the Cardinals know that I want to be a Cardinal for my whole career," Pujols said. "I love this city."
Impact: Pujols wanted to clarify remarks he made to a Dominican radio station a few weeks ago in which he said he was in no hurry to sign an extension with the team. Pujols said he still has two years left on his deal, and he wants the team to focus on signing their free agents, specifically Matt Holliday. That sound you just heard was the collective exhale of everyone in the city of St. Louis. 

News: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that the Cardinals and pitcher John Smoltz have privately discussed their mutual desire for Smoltz to return next season. The Cardinals plan to use Smoltz as their number four if he comes back, and they will likely fill the fifth spot from within.
Impact: It is sounding more and more like Smoltz will be back in the Gateway City in 2010, which could be a good thing for both sides. The Cards have come pitchers in the organization ready to fill the fifth spot, but the most likely candidate is Jaime Garcia. If the rotation ends up taking shape as listed above, they would be one of the best in baseball heading into next season.  

News: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that Cardina;s' first baseman Albert Pujols has been voted the NL Most Outstanding Player by the MLB Players Association. Pujols hit .327 with 47 homers and 135 RBI for the Cards this season.
Impact: In other news, the sky is blue and the world is round. Pujols figures to walk away with any award pertaining to being the most outstanding player in his league, so it's good to see the MLBPA got it right. Expect another MVP award to be up on his mantle in a few weeks as well. 

News: MLB.com is reporting that Cardinals' hurler Adam Wainwright has been named the NL's most outstanding pitcher by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Wainwright was 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA this season.
Impact: Waino was selected by his peers as the top pitcher in the NL, and this award is usually a good indication of who will win the Cy Young. It's a three-horse race in the NL, and now Wainwright looks to have a leg up on Tim Lincecum and teammate Chris Carpenter. 

News: As expected, retired slugger Mark McGwire has been named as the Cardinals' 2010 hitting coach, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Impact: Perhaps the greatest hitter of the "steroid era" will now join forces with the best hitter of the "post-steroid era." It should make for an interesting season, no doubt, and the famously clammy McGwire might end up doing more talking about the past than he, or the team, would like.  

News: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has confirmed that manager Tony La Russa will be returning to manage the Cardinals for a 15th season in 2010. It is a one-year deal.
Impact: The word came straight from GM John Mozeliak's mouth. It is also believed there is a mutual option for 2011. Now all that waits for the Cardinals and their coaching staff is confirmation that Mark McGwire will join the team as its new hitting coach. 

News: ESPN's Buster Olney reports that Tony LaRussa's new deal with the Cardinals is for one year with a mutual option for 2011.
Impact: So Tony will stick it out for one more season in St. Louis before he invariably decides to create more drama next offseason about whether he'll hang around or fly the coop. The mutual option for 2011 means that either party can cut ties and walk away. No telling what to expect now, but LaRussa's tenure in St. Louis has been good to him, and the Cardinals. 

News: According to Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse, the Cardinals have hired Mark McGwire as their hitting coach.
Impact: The man who wanted to leave baseball behind him is now back in the spotlight. The Bash Brother has a great relationship with Tony LaRussa and trains with several of the Cardinal players in the offseason, so this move isn't as shocking as many would think. We know he doesn't like to talk about the past, but he's not on the golf course anymore and will likely have to address some of his past foibles.  

News: ESPN is reporting that the Cardinals plan on firing hitting coach Hal McRae with designs on replacing him with famed slugger Mark McGwire.
Impact: The report comes on the heels of word that manager Tony La Russa is returning to St. Louis. McGwire has long been a favorite of TLR's, and while seemingly out of nowhere, would make a good deal of sense. More as it develops.  

News: ESPN reports that manager Tony La Russa has agreed to a new "multiyear contract" with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Impact: While La Russa himself fueled it, speculation that he was leaving St. Louis appears to have been quite overblown. Now all the teams thinking they had a chance at him either this offseason or next can stop dreaming. 

News: Long-time Cardinals manager Tony La Russa again insinuated on Friday that he is leaning toward returning to the team for a 15th season in 2010, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Impact: La Russa has been mulling his future ever since the Cardinals were unceremoniously swept by the Dodgers in the NLDS a few weeks ago, but most signs have him returning to St. Louis.