Right-handed starter Sidney Ponson has agreed to a one-year with the St. Louis Cardinals, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick has confirmedTerms of the deal have not been announced, but the contract is believed to have a low base salary with plenty of incentives.

 

The Cardinals are expected to announce the signing Wednesday. Ponson will join Chris Carpenter, Mark Mulder, Jason Marquis and Jeff Suppan in manager Tony La Russa's rotation. St. Louis finished second to Toronto in a bid to sign free agent A.J. Burnett, and lost starter Matt Morris to the San Francisco Giants through free agency. Ponson was scheduled to make $10 million in 2006 before the Orioles voided his contract. He was entering the final year of a three-year, $22.5 million deal.

 

The agreement with Ponson comes just days after Ponson was released from a Baltimore jail after serving a five-day sentence for drunken driving.

 

Ponson also spent 11 days in an Aruban jail following an incident in which he punched a judge on a beach.

 

Ponson was released by the Orioles on Sept. 6 and the team voided his contract, prompting a grievance from the players' association, which is scheduled to be heard in March.

 

Ponson has a career record of 76-91 with a 4.81 ERA. Before being released by the Orioles, Ponson was 7-11 with a 6.21 ERA.

 

 

 

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Maybe going into the NL will help out... he is a big guy and can bring it, but needs to work on not giving up the fat pitches, he definitely has endurance though

Sure why not take a chance.. If anyone can turn him around it would be Dave Duncan.. The deal is 1 mil and 1.5 mil added on incentive stuff.. We're gonna give him a shot.. I think this free's up either Marquis (hopefully) or Reyes to a trade for an outfielder..

 

If he f's up, he's gone.. Plain and simple..

 

I'm puzzled on this deal to be honest but for the price of what they are gonna be paying him (low risk, high reward potential) and the Cards usually dont take on a lot of baggage like this, something has gotta be up.. Someone is getting traded and I dont know who.. Probably Marquis though..

Ponson pitched a lot of games with no O around him. I think this is a no-brainer easy sign for the Cards. What will he be, 3rd or 4th on the roation? Talk about no pressure... I like this signing, just keep him away from the Budweiser plant or get him a DD, will ya? :mischief

Just something about Ponson going to a stadium/team owned by a beer company just doesn't seem right.

 

Either way, it's a one year deal, so you have to love the signing, especially as the #5 starter.

 

I guess this means Reyes doesn't have a rotation spot?

He wont be required to be an ace in St Louis like he was in Baltimore. Could be a good move by Cards

Just something about Ponson going to a stadium/team owned by a beer company just doesn't seem right.

 

Either way, it's a one year deal, so you have to love the signing, especially as the #5 starter.

 

I guess this means Reyes doesn't have a rotation spot?

 

 

A beer company doesn't own the team or the stadium. Both are owned by a private investment group. Anheuser-Busch holds the naming rights to the stadium.

 

As far as Reyes....it could mean a few things.

Option 1) The team moves Reyes to the bullpen, because Tony LaRussa doesn't really like to put rookie pitchers into the rotation (he felt that way before Ankiel, but after Ankiel's meltdown, it really reinforced it for him).

 

Option 2) The Cardinals continue to try to sign anothe rbullpen arm, put Reyes in the rotation, and try to shop Jason Marquis for a corner outfielder.

 

Option 3) Same as option 2, but keep Marquis and try to shop Reyes. Reyes may be more attractive to more teams because he's younger, cheaper, and projected to be better. But the Cardinals would probably have to get more in return for him.

You'd have to attach Wainright to Marquis to get any corner outfielder that is good.

 

If it's Marquis alone, you'd get someone along the lines of a Jon Rodriguez, John Gall, or So Taguchi...whcih you already have plenty of.

You'd have to attach Wainright to Marquis to get any corner outfielder that is good.

 

If it's Marquis alone, you'd get someone along the lines of a Jon Rodriguez, John Gall, or So Taguchi...whcih you already have plenty of.

 

 

And how the heck do you know everything? Your just a regular person as any of us.. Some team may want Marquis or Wainwright or whatever and the Cards may just get a better OF than they currently have from that trade.. I always love how you say stuff like this constantly about St. Louis or any other team besides yours.. No surprise.. Ok so maybe you didnt say anything bad there but it's coming so I figured I'd say it for you..

 

SIDNEY PONSON IS A FAT BLOB THAT WILL SUCK AS A CARDINAL OR WILL GET LUCKY!!! THE CARDINALS ARENT GUARENTEED TO FINISH ANY MORE THAN 4TH IN THE DIVISION. BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!

You'd have to attach Wainright to Marquis to get any corner outfielder that is good.

 

If it's Marquis alone, you'd get someone along the lines of a Jon Rodriguez, John Gall, or So Taguchi...whcih you already have plenty of.

 

 

And how the heck do you know everything? Your just a regular person as any of us.. Some team may want Marquis or Wainwright or whatever and the Cards may just get a better OF than they currently have from that trade.. I always love how you say stuff like this constantly about St. Louis or any other team besides yours.. No surprise.. Ok so maybe you didnt say anything bad there but it's coming so I figured I'd say it for you..

 

SIDNEY PONSON IS A FAT BLOB THAT WILL SUCK AS A CARDINAL OR WILL GET LUCKY!!! THE CARDINALS ARENT GUARENTEED TO FINISH ANY MORE THAN 4TH IN THE DIVISION. BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!

 

All I am commenting on, is that every player you and your fellow cards fans have suggested trading Marquis for(Coco Crisp, Kevin Mench, Brad Wilkerson), that none of them would be able to be had for Marquis alone.

And all I mentioned is that Marquis could be traded.. Nowhere did I say by himself in a one for one trade or it would be enough to acquire one of those guys by himself.. but who's to say it wouldnt be enough? You dont know what other teams are thinking no more than I do..

Actually those guys straight up for Marquis are mentioned all over your own Cardinal board.

 

And IMO Marquis is not good enough, nor would teams be desperate enough, to add Marquis straight up for those guys.

He'll eat some doughnuts, then get cut in Spring Training.