Though agent Scott Boras took Matt Holliday into free agency one year ago, the outfielder returned to the St. Louis Cardinals via the biggest contract team history.
In some ways, it feels like it happened so long ago, the signing of then-free agent outfielder Matt Holliday didn’t actually occur during 2010. In reality, it did. The largest contract in St. Louis Cardinals team history was closed last January 5.
In my assessment, not only was the magnitude of the contract, $120 million, enough for the story to rank this high, so is the duration of the commitment of the two parties to each other – seven years, with an eighth-year option that could take the deal to $136 million. The option year would make it the longest contract in team history to go with it already being the top dollar deal. A no-trade clause helps ensure it will be completed.
Some wonder if the Cardinals weren’t bidding against themselves last winter, but they appeared to benefit from the wait as well. Early word from the Scott Boras camp was that Holliday was initially expecting to equal Mark Teixeira’s eight-year, $180 million deal with the Yankees from the previous winter. When all was said and done, he received substantially less.
Keeping Holliday was not an option; it was a necessity
It appeared obvious the Cardinals were in a position they needed to keep Holliday for a multitude of reasons.
Part of keeping Albert Pujols happy and hopefully in St. Louis for at least as long as Holliday will now be is to maintain a competitive team around him and specifically protection behind him in the lineup. That is clearly Holliday’s place.
Once Jason Bay officially came to terms with the New York Mets last January 4, there were no other free agents on the market of anywhere near Holliday’s quality to whom the Cardinals could have turned had he been lost to another club.
Further, it is reasonable to suspect that St. Louis’ “sunken costs” in Holliday played a factor in their aggressiveness in ensuring they kept him. They had paid a very high price when acquiring Holliday from Oakland in July 2009, three top prospects. Even with a pair of compensation picks had Holliday signed elsewhere, the Cards would have netted down one prospect and lost a number of important man-years of player development.
Holliday delivered
Holliday lived up to his part of the agreement in 2010, earning a National League All-Star berth, a Silver Slugger and the annual Darryl Kile Award selected by his peers for being “a good teammate, a great friend, a fine father and a humble man.”
The Cardinals cleanup hitter batted .312, fifth-best in the NL, tied for seventh with 103 RBI, tied for fourth in multi-hit games with 52, was third in hits with 86, fourth in total bases with 317, sixth in on-base percentage (.390) and extra base hits (.74) and seventh in slugging (.532).
In an impressive combination of power and hustle, Holliday led the Cardinals with 45 doubles, tying for second-most in the league, while also scratching out a club-best 12 infield hits.
Defensively, Holliday tied for ninth among all NL outfielders with eight assists and was first among left fielders. It was the first time a Cardinal led left fielders in outfield assists since Bernard Gilkey had 19 in 1993.
The Cardinals did not finish strongly, but don’t blame Holliday. In the final month, he put together the 2010 team-best 16-game hitting streak, the second longest in his career. During the period of September 9-24, Holliday batted .431 (25-for-58) with two home runs and 12 RBI. His .364 average during September/October was second-highest in the NL.
Despite early-season concerns by some about Holliday’s batting average with runners in scoring position, he proved his “clutchiness” with 17 game-winning RBI. That total was second on the Cardinals and tied for third in the NL.
Holliday appears poised to do it for at least the next six years as well. Will he do it alone or with Pujols batting in front of him?
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[...] 6. The Penny/Lohse injuries 5. La Russa and Duncan return 4. The Pujols decade 3. The big trade 2. Holliday’s signing [...]
The pressure was certainly on Mozeliak to sign Holliday. In ’09 he tried to channel the ghost of GM’s past (WJ) and became a wheeler-dealer. But 2/3rds of his big deals turned out bad… Khalil Greene for Gregerson & Worrell was a disaster; Mark DeRosa for Perez & Todd soured when DeRosa got hurt 3 days in; and Matt cost the team it’s #1 pick in 2008 (Brett Wallace), Mortensen and Peterson. Had Holliday gotten away, Mo would have traded 7 pieces of the farm little more than short-term rentals and some extra draft picks. Inking Matt saved Mo’s bacon.
Many whined about the cost of the deal but it looks better every day, especially given the contracts being handed out this off-season to lesser talents. So long as Matt stays healthy & reasonably productive, by the end of his deal that $17M/year is going look like a bargain… much as Albert for $16M/year is now a bargain.
Matt bested AP (barely) in BA in 2010. Had he not been suffering from ‘new contract fever’ in April & May, I think it likely Holliday would have surpassed Albert in RBI as well. Not that he’s better, but teams religiously avoid Albert in clutch situations and put the onus on Matt. Had he hit anything at all with RISP early on, he’d have ended with 120-130 RBI. And I think he’ll have the same opportunity this year, aided by better protection behind him in the form of Sir Lancelot… And add to that, far better defensive play than advertised… or credited, following the missed catch in LA.
Oops, I had forgotten to add the poll. Thanks for the subtle reminder, HBT!
I agree on all counts HB. Signing Matt was a great move by Mo. Matt is class through and through and is equal to Albert in work ethic. He is a bargain.
Brian — You’ve got me scratching my head about what will be the #1 story. Only a few bases haven’t been touched… like Yadi & the bullpen, and I can’t see either of those topics being at the top of the list. What could be big enough to be the top story and yet not be obvious?
I’ll be looking for the answer to that mystery tomorrow morning!
Venturing a guess… #1 story will be not making the playoffs and the emergence of the Reds (and possibly the Brewers) as division champs/rivals.
That would be a nice way to sum up the series… looking backward AND forward… a nice bridge from the old year/season to the new!
There is an appearance here that Brian really had a great new years celebration. I recommend the dots………………………………… or is Brian being held hostage as someone else continues the countdown?
“A no-trade clause helps ensure it will be completed.”
At least negotiated anyway…………………… I believe he has always looked forward to a “new era”……….
If that does not come about, and he has what I’m guessing was a very “unsatisfying year”……….I bet he doesn’t resist a move that renegotiates that contract a bit………SB style………….
If the Cardinals do sign AP somehow………..and he is locked in……….. to a looser……….I’d want out.
No matter how you can conjure up magic potions Albert and Matt will be playing alongside each other for the next 6 or 7 years. I doubt you will have another +10 million dollar signing of a position player to go along with those two so they will be expected to do the heavy lifting for this next decade offensively. The farm will have to provide the filler for the lineup. I’m guessing your other big money guys will be in the form of pitchers that will be needed to win without much offense.
Not necessarily RC……….. So far, Holiday looks like an assembly line worker, lunch pail in hand, who can’t even remember what month it is………….. its my understanding that Gonzales’s contact is locked in, and all the hyperbole coming from his camp is by team and Selig design………… all in an attempt to help lure AP/Lozano into 2011 season without a contract, in search of the Big market dollar………… The Nationals have cash…….the Rangers now have cash. The 125/150 million dollar contract will be the next trend……..the mega deal gone forever. Just enough cash flapping around to avoid a collusion grievance and leave BD offer sitting conveniently in 2 or third place. A take it or leave it proposition. This will be especially poignant after a 3rd or even forth place finish………………………………………………… unless Colby shows up and hit 340 with 26 dongs……steals 25 bases and gets a gold glove…………… Holiday is secure here, but Boras knows BD doesn’t want to be paying both………….the no trade just puts Scotty in the drivers seat.
.340….26 dongs…..25 stolen bases…..and a gold glove?
Don’t hold your breath for those numbers.
I’m saying…….. .290……….8 jacks…………10 sb’s………better defense than in 2010. The swing is gonna be geared for line drives not HR’s.
I voted for 130+. With the new year I have sworn off tinfoil and so all the happy thoughts can get in. I figure Theriot will lead off all year, effective or not. Then the guy with bad feet followed by the guy with a bad elbow. Then Our Matt, and then the guy with bad knees. So assuming he hits over .200 with RISP, it looks like a prodigeous run producing machine.
I like your optimism bling. I may be down on the organization, but come ST I will be ready for a banner year. Bad feet, bad elbows, bad knees, bad manager and all.
1. Theriot.
2. Freese.
3. Albert.
4. Matt.
5. Berkman.
6. Rasmus.
7. Yadi.
8. Pitcher.
9. Skip.
This is how you see it Bling?
That’s how I see it RC. That’s how Tony sees it, I should say. He’d like Lance and that OBP in the two spot, but, you know Tony’s a realist and this isn’t 2004.
Colby won’t be running much, unless he’s gonna hurdle guys. More like, he ought to strap a keg of brandy around his neck and brush up on his CPR.
Things will get interesting once the DL starts filling out.
And he better get some air under those liners or he’ll be pickin off those high dollar guys.
Yea, I’m anxious to see if he can really do what he says he wants to do and hit more than half of every ball he puts in play this year to the left side. Its definitely gonna be a different look, thats for sure. Wide stance, no step, and a lot of hands. I’m excited to see him put it to the test in spring training.
Think what you want RC. Hope he does well. My thinking is like this. From 09 to 2010 Colby’s BA went up a good bit. So did RBI, OBP, SLG, OPS. His walk rate almost doubled. The cost for all that was more Ks. So, looking at that, to say he needs to go back to square one and roll out a whole new style and appoach is complete bullsh!t.
All Mo and his Buddy Jeff have to show is Colby and a handfull of utility guys and middle releivers, so Colby is going to be a part of this team. But he is going to carve out a share of the glory over TLR’s dead body. So now there is Lance to add pop behind Matt and round out the middle of the order.
Putting him down there where he can clean up the crumbs and get doubled up by Yadi is sick. But that’s how its going to be. At least untill the DL fills out. Colby will get his shot at some point this year. He hasn’t been real good at grabbing the spotlight, but maybe this is the year.
Freeze isn’t going to be 2………….its likely going to be Skip or Theriot in rotation.
It should be Theriot/Colby/ Holiday/Pujols /Berkman/ Freese/ Skip/Yadi/ P
Cut this lineup for AP crap…….and start running……….. Pitcher 8th destroys 7th…… let them walk Molina to get to the pitcher……they hit better than him anyway.
Earth to Westy, Tony is filling out the lineup card. If Theriot is healthy, he will lead off. If Freese is healthy he will be second, except for when Tony puts Skip there. Albert will be third unless Tony wakes up with monkeys flying out of his you know what. Same with Matt fourth and Berkman fifth. Colby will be 6th, except when Tony hits Skip second against certain righties, then Freese will be 6th and Colby 7th. Initially at least, Tony will not want to be seen as thinking we will have trouble scoing runs, so the pitcher will be 9th.
We’ll see………..he won’t use Freese there. It will be Rasmus the slap hitter, or the new skip.
Tony is well known to like a bit of pop in the two spot. Skip will get some turns but for everyday it would be a choice between Freese and Colby. Tony likes Freese, and liked him in the two spot. Remember Westy, the spot ahead of Albert is the best spot in baseball, guaranteed to help a guy’s career. Unless Colby grew a pair of kneepads, he will do his slapping from down in the order. Until Freese blows out an ankle.
I’m guessing that was a bad comparison by me, even though I really like Skip’s approach at the plate, as that has gotten beaten to death about the slap hitter.
The way I see it is if Tony wants to use Colby at number two then Colby will without a doubt have to revert back to a more power oriented hitting style. The more I think about it the more I believe all he is doing is going to be changed upon the first weeks of Spring Training. And if so hopefully all of the oppo work will help when all is said and done.
The ever shifting sands.
From a technical stand point, your delineation between styles, bat control vs power, worries me a bit RC…………………………….Colby will earn swings at pitches in different combinations if he handles the off speed and the slider away………………… if he sets a pitcher up and expects something on the hands, or off speed Inside, he can use his hands 2010 swing. He is a professional player. Good hitters take more options to the plate. Great hitters find ways of disguising this fact………. respect pitchers…………that will earn you a more grounded “realistic expectation”…………..still love Chase Utley’s 2009 playoffs…………… that was not a long swing that hit those HR’s.
I like that lineup Bling. Not a lot of K’s in 1-5. I believe Freese will be a great candidate for number 2.
I know, Colby used to work on getting jumps with our kids in the off season for years but last year he stopped and this year he said I only get the hit n run sign, never a steal so there is no need to waste my time working on getting jumps.
Colby in the 2-hole, Frosty-Freese in the 6-hole.
I still don’t get the logic behind the overwhelming push here for Freese at #2. WC seems to be the only one with a dissenting view but I agree with him.
bb says, “Tony likes Freese, and liked him in the two spot.” Where did he like him in that spot? In the minor leagues somewhere?
Again, here are the facts. Freese has exactly 304 plate appearances as a major leaguer in TLR’s lineup. NONE of them were batting as the #2 hitter. ZERO. NADA.
Does that mean TLR can’t change his mind and try Freese there in the future? Of course not, but I have not seen a quote that even suggests TLR is considering it.
Is RC in favor of it because he really likes Freese there or because he knows there can’t be two players in that spot?
We all know a young player who is being asked to make some changes to his approach at the plate. Don’t those changes seem to line up with what is traditionally asked of a #2 hitter? While I admit that I have no more knowledge that Rasmus will bat #2 than Freese in 2011, I do know this. Rasmus has more PAs batting second in his career (405) than at any other spot in TLR’s batting order.
The batting order that RC and bb support leads off with four RHH and bunches together the only two SH/LHH in the lineup with any punch. Why would TLR do that and be vulnerable to LH relief late in the game to turn Berkman around to his worst side and then clean up on Rasmus, too?
I just don’t get where you guys are coming from. Or then again, maybe I do…
Brian — We need to put in a call to RC’s grandaddy… again!
I hear ya HB, If you get in touch with him let him know I’m in need of his counsel. For I have been without if for almost 15 years now since his death. But I am still scared of him if it makes you feel any better.
RC — I have connections, but none that reach beyond the living. Sorry about the loss of your grandaddy… wasn’t trying to be insensitive about it.
Can you suggest another who might be available when a good whuppin’ is in order?
HB, Man I hate that. I was hoping you had some big time connections.
I miss the old guy and he surely saved me from a long life in jail but its part of living isn’t it? Dying that is.
You know HB, I don’t do much of anything well in this life, but taking a whipping is the one thing I do worst. That may be the only thing I am still good at.
Well Brian, I personally believe Lance should bat in the two spot, but Tony has already stated that he likes Lance in the 5 spot.
Colby was not real good if I remember correctly in the two hole and was better in 5.
Colby has shown that he will not walk if he bats in front of Albert so putting Colby there will make for a lot of swings and no walks which may not be all that good of a thing.
I do agree that the new approach fits at 2 but I don’t believe Colby is all that comfortable there.
All that added together with Freese ranking right up there with Albert on Tony’s like scale makes me think that Tony will put either Freese at 2 or Skip at 2.
I don’t have a horse in this race nor have I stated what I would do if I was the manager since that seems irrelevant. I am simply looking at what the indications signal to me may actually happen and I don’t weight player preference very heavily (except at #3!). The answer will start to become clear in March…
Of course, I concede on Freese having hit second, my mistake.
I can’t imagine TLR puting Colby in the prime spot ahead of Albert if he thinks he has a choice. That is my main consideration. He might actually try Berkman there, but I think it will be Freese.
Given Freese’s high OBP and near complete lack of HR power, it wouldn’t be crazy to bat him second depending upon who was playing each day.
IF Freese doesn’t show more HR power this team probably goes no where anyway.
Freese has HR power but if you watched him he really had an opposite field approach and really punched balls with 2 strikes so he was obviously sacrificing power for contact and average.
Brian’s analysis is good. The variables that make RC suggest Colby won’t take a walk in front of Albert are the real issues………………………. All will likely be decided by spring training injuries…….
You have one 3rd baseman………you don’t throw him into the pit of the situational hitter, in front of AP……………… as it appears AP will be in camp……..and pressing………..you looking for a doubles hitter to hit second? ………………he will Rotate Skip and Theriot depending on pitching keeping a lefty in play………….. that will likely break down……….and thats when you see Berkman arrive at 2……….
If Colby were smart he would clear his mind………..and leap at that spot…….his success there will pressure AP………one way or the other………..thats where the treasure is buried.