I really don't understand this signing. The Cardinals are usually smarter about these signings. He hasn't been a full time SS for years & when he has he's been below average at best.

 

Now they are going to give him 12 mill a year to play SS into his late 30's a year removed from being suspended for PEDs?

 

All I can say is wow, I'd take Pedro Florimon & great D at 800k & invest $ for a bat into non essential defensive positions. WTH are they thinking?

He hasn't been a full time SS for years & when he has he's been below average at best.

 

2009 and 2010 were the only years he wasn't a full-time shortstop (still playing 1/3rd time there), while the last 3 years have all been full-time at short. Statistically he has graded out pretty well defensively the last few years as well.

 

I wouldn't call 35 "late" 30's either, which is what he'll be when the contract is done.

 

I don't see too much of a problem with that deal. They had a need at short and were aggressive in addressing it. Maybe they gave him a year more than they needed to, but it's pretty reasonable dollar wise per year.

Huh? I no longer want the Twins to model themselves after the Cards.

I've said it before... I'll say it again.

 

SS's are expensive.

 

Look what Iglasias cost Detroit to acquire. Look what Gregarious cost Arizona to acquire.

 

Florimon looks great in comparison.

Peralta isn't worth this deal imo but St Louis just suffered through 450 PA's of Pete Kozma. One of the other options for the cardinals was a forced trade of one of their top young pitchers for a SS. I might not be a fan of Peralta but I completely understand this move by the Cards.

In the last three years there have been two shortstops that are both above league average hitters and above average defensively. Troy Tulowitzki and Jhonny Peralta. Last year was the first time he played in less than 140 games since 2004. Peralta has been worth 11 fWAR the last three years and that's including being suspended for 50 games.

 

Assuming it's $6M per win on the FA market, he only has to be worth 9 WAR over the four years to be worth the contract. The Cards didn't have to give up prospects or a draft pick to acquire him. It's not a steal, but I think they did just fine.

When you are one piece short, you go get that piece......that's what the Twins should model if they ever get there again (unlike earlier this century, when Rick Becker was the DH).*

 

*I have no idea if he was really the DH, but the fact I can't name the DH kind of makes my point

 

As for Peralta, he's been a good to very good SS for several years. They have the money. They have plenty of pitching. They are pretty much loaded as a team. I'm not sure howt his can be a bad deal on its face, like some are saying. It doesn't matter "what he's worth" if they have budget room and need.

Steroids issue illustrated perfectly. I can take them, risk suspension but increase my chances of getting contract that sets me up for life. Its a no brainer. I would be taking them too. That said, I agree with Mike. The signing seems nuts but that is because we are looking at it from 90-loss perspective. The Cardinals have few holes.

He hasn't been a full time SS for years & when he has he's been below average at best.

 

This is where sabermetricians are going to shake their finger at the "average" fan. Peralta has been a full-time, everyday shortstop for virtually his entire career, and the metrics have shown him to not only be an average to above average shortstop, but to be improving year by year. For what they paid, Peralta is certainly a "smart signing".

 

The PED issue is a whole other issue with Peralta's signing and the reportedly hot market for Nelson Cruz. Last offseason, everyone was crowing about how PEDs killed Melky Cabrera's value, but perhaps teams simply care less about them than we thought and teams simply saw what most any Yankee/Braves fan could tell you about Melky - he just isn't that good.

One thing it does is keep the Cardinal's young pitcher's cost-controlled. They have 10 quality SP with more from the minor leagues on the way. They have Wainwright, Lance Lynn, LH Garcia coming back from surgery, Wacha, Carlos Martinez, Siegrist (in the BP), Shelby Miller, Joe Kelly, closer Rosenthal (who could start), and Tyler Lyons.