6:04pm: The deal is official - four years, $41MM according to the AP. Lohse also gets a full no-trade clause. It's a bit better than the Silva price.
10:19am: According to Derrick Goold and Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals plan to finalize a four-year extension for starter Kyle Lohse this morning. Sources tell Goold and Strauss the deal will be similar to Carlos Silva's four-year, $48MM contract.
It may be tempting to call this a loss for Scott Boras, since his client chose not to test the open market. Lohse settled for $4.5MM in March this year after turning down a three-year, $21MM offer from the Phillies. However, Boras still comes out a winner as the Cardinals are not getting any kind of discount. Plus, taking the Phillies' offer would've been a mistake.
I'm with Viva El Birdos on this one - there's no upside to signing Lohse at this price. What are the odds this deal looks solid even halfway through?
Goold and Strauss say the Cardinals earmarked about $15-16MM for the rotation this winter. That means Lohse is the big signing and the other pitcher will be a bargain buy. The Cards will use another $15MM or so to fill other needs. Brian Fuentes and Orlando Hudson could be considerations.
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