Look out Jeffy and fellow Cards fans...

[actionjackson]

Watch out for Scott Boras Cards fans, it appears "The Mystery Team" has reared its ugly head again in the Matt Holliday negotiations according to this link. Don't let him force you to lose El Hombre. If I were a Cards fan, I'd be quite concerned right now. An 8 year $128 million commitment to Holliday is, well...not something I would expect a smart, steady, winning organization like the Cardinals to get sucked into, but the pressure on them is huge, in terms of needing to prove to Pujols that they can continue to contend...I think they can, but Pujols' opinion is all that matters. Cards fans?

[Jeffy25]

Well Pujols did say that whatever Matt decides is independent of his desire to renegotiate a long term contract with St. Louis.

Boras does this every year doesn't he? So why would it be a surprise?

Moz will hold firm with maybe minor tweaks on his offer. He and his mentor Jocketty never seem to be willing to budge or overpay for a player in their minds.

For example, Brian Fuentes last year, Edgar Renterria a few years back etc.

They seem to say, "this is what we think this player is worth, and this what we are willing to pay them." and it never seems like they budge much from that.

In fact, I read an article in the post dispatch several years ago about Jocketty never really budging on negotation amounts with players and was steadfast at getting a player at the deal he wanted. He said that if he couldn't get the player for the amount he wanted, then he didn't want them. That if he didn't feel the player was a 'good deal' then he would end up hating the player and the contract eventually.

I realize Moz isn't Jocketty, but they seem to work just the same.

In summation, I don't think competing teams will matter much to Moz, and that he will pay what he has offered, and not budge. That's what I think at least.

[rschusta24]

I heard today that Holliday was offered the same amount that Lackey got by the Red Sox.

[Alloutwar]

I think we need the Mystery Machine and the Gang to uncover th Mystery Team causing all this fuss.

::Fred takes the monster mask off, once the guy is tied up::

"Scott Boras! It was you all along! You were making the whole thing up, just to get more money!"

"And I would've gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for you meddling kids!"

[KowboyKoop]

"Team Mystery emerging as factor in 2010 American League race"

Sacramento, CA -- Robert Zimmerman

With growing interest in free agent slugger Matt Holliday, Team Mystery is poised to take a big step towards contending for the American League pennant in 2010. Holliday had previously been linked to the St. Louis Cardinals, however Team Mystery has put forth a very significant contract offer, according to Holliday's superagent Scott Boras.

"My client has been offered a contract in the ballpark of 150-200 million dollars over 6-10 years from Team Mystery. We're going to give the Cardinals a chance to match it, but as it looks right now, Holliday could be headed to uh...um, up north somewhere to be playing his games for a long time."

Team Mystery, which finished last season 9 games back of the division leader, or maybe 5 games back, doesn't really matter, could use the bat of Holliday to make up for the free agent they narrowly missed out on last year, Manny Ramirez, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for two years and 45 million dollars, just clipping the offer of Team Mystery by a million dollars, or maybe five million dollars...yeah something like that.

"We made a serious run at Manny last year, but he chose at the last second to sign with Los Angeles. It pretty much doomed our team last season. Same with Mark Teixiera and Andruw Jones the year before last," said Team Mystery GM John Smith, yeah Smith.

According to Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak, they have noted the bid from Team Mystery and will respond in a matter of days.

"We have been informed several times by (Boras) of the offer. Boras notified me yesterday afternoon, and in the evening when I was reading to my kids, and at 3 am when I was asleep, and he texted me and left seven messages on my facebook. Due to the obvious urgency he is expressing, we will step up our offer. Things are getting serious now," said Mozeliak.

Despite the offer made by Team Mystery, history is not on their side, as they have not been able to sign a free agent of any magnitude in their twenty seven year history, forcing them to field local players cut from their Amerian Legion and high school teams.

"Yeah, Boras has been trying to negotiate with us for twenty seven years now," said the 55 or 65-year old Smith. "I just wish we could figure out how to sign one of these guys someday," lamented Smith.

[Alloutwar]

awesome. KK with the funny.

[Jeffy25]

haha