Kyle Lohse Signs With Cardinals

Kyle Lohse, the man apparently no one wanted, finally found a team for 2008. He signed a one-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. The contract is reportedly worth 4.25 million dollars. Why the Phillies didn't want to sign him at that bargain price will remain a mystery.

While Lohse is not a star pitcher, it would have been nice to see the Phillies sign some insurance for their rotation. While Lohse wouldn't have won 15 games for Phillies, he wouldn't have lost 15 either. He is an average pitcher who would put up an ERA near 5.00 and end up with a record around 12-12. Those are solid numbers for the back of a rotation, and numbers the Phillies would be lucky to get from Adam Eaton, their likely 5th starter to begin the season. Eaton finished last season 10-10 with a 6.29 ERA.

The Phillies seem to be banking on Kris Benson stepping into the rotation at some point in the season. That is the only explanation they could have as to why they didn't sign Lohse. GM Pat Gillick has said in recent interviews that since the Phillies have been impressed with Benson and his progress, they weren't even considering Lohse as an option. Another theory is that when the Phillies were forced to dole out an extra 3 million to Ryan Howard, they didn't have any money left over to sign anyone else. Their self-imposed budget kept them from strengthening their rotation.

Kyle Lohse figures to have a mediocre season with the Cardinals. The Cardinals don't look like a strong team, so he figures to finish with a record below .500. Phillies fans would still take him over Adam Eaton any day. The Phils seem to be putting a lot of their hopes on Kris Benson; hopefully it doesn't backfire in the end.