Comments on: Luhnow still optimistic about signing Russell

By: the red baron

the red baron — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 04:23:02 +0000

just give these players whatever they want. I’ll sign any kind of petition anyone wants to put together.

The cost of signing draft picks, even given the attrition rates of prospects, is far lower than trying to get the same quality players after they’ve been in the majors for 6-8 years and they’ve got you over a barrel. Six years of control, for whatever the bonus is, is an absolute steal when you compare it to the salaries of free agents.

By: Picklefork

Picklefork — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 21:10:04 +0000

The Commish wont sign off on such big over slot signings until later in the process, so it wont provide more fiction between Clubs and Agents.

We will see a bunch of teams like the Dodgers, Yanks and Redsox start to give up 750K here, 1M there and so on……starting around the 5th of August.

Good teams, let me rephrase that…smart teams understand its better to pay now a little for the future instead of paying a alot down the road.

Better to invest an extra 500K on a guy like Russell then bring in another Ponson or Spivey hoping the luck of the Irish strikes Cardinal Nation.

By: DJ87

DJ87 — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 19:39:58 +0000

If the Cards are really committed to developing a better farm system and developing players from within shouldn’t they be willing to invest a little extra money in guys like Russell, Henley, Stutes, and Zawacki. Obviously they don’t just want to throw money around, but it seems like signing all of our top draft picks would go along with the whole investing more in player development thing.

By: Brak60

Brak60 — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 18:39:59 +0000

I found this blog update from a Texas newspaper. http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/longhorns/entries/2007/07/17/russell_suttle_undecided.html

The interesting thing is the final couple of lines: “Russell and Suttle, both All-Americans, are asking for seven-digit salaries according to sources close to the Texas baseball team.

The earliest they could sign for that amount would be Aug. 1. ”

Is there some kind of restriction on giving $1 million in bonus money to a player not drafted in the first round? This is the first I’ve heard of it, and it seems odd that the writer put it in these terms. I’ve emailed for an explanation, but I thought I’d ask here as well.

By: fewgoodcards

fewgoodcards — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 15:10:56 +0000

with the success chris duncan is having this year luhnow needs to try and sell jocketty and dewitt on russell being a more athletic chris duncan

By: Picklefork

Picklefork — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 14:50:40 +0000

I would feel much better about Russell if Luhnow was also in charge of signings and bonuses, but he isnt. I am not sure Jocketty is going to ok his budget of 900k to 1M for a guy with swiss cheese in his swing.

But one thing seems pretty sure, Luhnow has a man crush on Russell and lets hope that leads him to persuading Billy D of doing the unthinkable….opening up his wallet.

Fingers crossed, but prepared to be let down…….again!

By: b.j.

b.j. — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:39:24 +0000

you should start a page here on the site that’s sort of a petition thing - saying something about how the undersigned, as cardinal fans, hereby promise to not complain about the festering cesspool that is the major league club for a month (or maybe just a week) if we are informed that the cardinals have signed russell. then you get a bunch of names on the page, so at least we’ll feel like we’re doing … something.