MVN: Most Valuable Network

The Cards are in the market for lefty relievers. That's a fact. But they missed what might have been the best catch in the sea, certainly the top bargain.

They should have chased LHP Jeremy Affeldt, who signed with the Giants yesterday at a fairly bargain rate of 2 years, $8 million. There could be a lot of reasons the Cards passed on Affeldt, and I suspec the fact that he's not a typical LOOGY might have something to do with it. Against left-handed hitters last year, Affeldt allowed a modest .269 AVG but a stingy .301 OBP.

But that's a case of how you frame it. Affeldt's numbers against righties were about equal, giving him an overall line of .260/.324/.410 and an ERA+ of 135. In short, he's a lot better than just a simple LOOGY. He was better than Ryan Franklin last year; in fact, his ERA+ would have ranked as the second best regular Cardinal bullpen-er, behind only Springer's 183 ERA+.

Here's a great profile of Affeldt's emergent 2008 season at Fangrpahs, and why even ESPN's Keith Law ranked him as the second best free agent relief pitcher on the market this year. He may not have been the answer at LOOGY, but he could have been a good set up man for the Cards or even the regular 7th inning guy. After watching the bullpen eat it so many times this season, the sight of a Franklin, Affeldt and Perez in the last three innings would have been a nice pill to help us forget the ignominious end of the Izzy Era.