Izzy's big problem is his cutter isn't sharp at all and that has been his best pitch the last couple of years. The velocity and curve are still there, but the cutter has either gotten pounded or got him behind in counts. He straightens it out and he will move back into the closers role.

Izzy is D O N E !

Could Yadi get suspended?

I'll say it again, we need to move Izzy while he still has some value.

He doesn't have any.

No team is going to take on that salary for a middle reliever. When he's saying he doesn't want the ball, not only is his stuff gone, now his mentality is gone, too.

Hey! We could always send him to the minors as a center fielder and hope that some day he will become the best hitter in the minors and then we can bring him back up. The Cards have weird luck like that...you never know!

He might to the Braves.

Yes, because the team leading the NL in pitching needs a below average $8 million arm. I think our bullpen will be just fine ... it actually already is and they're about to get three "solid" arms back.

John Smoltz, Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano could make a huge impact on any bullpen. The Braves will get them all back around the same time.

Thanks for proving you can't have an intelligent baseball conversation though. I guess that's where we differ. I follow baseball and you follow the Cardinals and feel you need to talk down on anyone that doesn't. The Braves had nothing to do with anything I've said, but I pointed out your washed up pitcher that can't handle the ball in pressure situations any more has no trade value and you feel like you're going to touch a sore spot with me?

Not happening. I'll take the best pitching staff in the NL. Thanks.

are you sure he didn't at least bump that sour spot? wow!

hey man, I grew up just the opposite. Everyone in my fam were Braves fans, so I picked someone else!

The Braves have a good staff, but the Cards are having a much better season to this point. We want to figure out something to do with our problem spot right now and that seems to be Izzy at the moment. I would honestly like to see him go to Houston since I hate the Astros and we would get to be the ones bashing off of him for the next several seasons. The Braves don't really register with me since we aren't even in the same division, however, if I ever say anything bad on here about them it would get to my fam somehow and I might be stuck at the kids table come Thanksgiving. Why do they get to keep their mascot by the way? Weren't they the same tomahawking type people as ASU?

Mac, Just wanted to push your buttons a little and it looks like it worked. By the way, I didn't know you were trying to have an intelligent conversation about baseball. I follow a whole lot more than just the Cardinals and you better do your research, Soriano's elbow may be more damaged than originally diagnosed. You need to lighten up a little and learn to recognize when people are just trying to be a little humerous.

Why would you say is stuff is gone? His cutter is failing him right now, but he was still hitting 93-94 on the gun in Colorado.

Just the conclusion I drew from this post:

As I said, I haven't really watched him, but I'm assuming that cottonhog has and that's where I got the idea that his stuff isn't there. He says the mentality hasn't changed, but if he doesn't want the ball in the 9th with the game on the line, it's obvious that it has.

Wellemeyer looked sharp last night and Glaus is starting to heat up with the bat. It's looking like the NL Central is going to be quite a battle this year. I just hope the Cards can stay close until Carpenter and Mulder get healthy. I still think the Birds need one more bat and a strike out type of closer who can shut the door to be able to win the division.

I wouldn't count on either one this year, especially Mulder. He may be done.

I agree. Anybody counting on Mulder is completely fooling themselves. He has not shown anything in the minors. Now he's shutdown again. I just don't ever see him becoming a productive picture in the major leagues ever again. With Carp, I am hoping for possibly a bullpen contribution this year. I don't want to rush him back this year even if it would mean a playoff berth. He's on the payroll for several more years, a half year this year is not that important in the grand scheme of things.

I said it before the year started, I'll give you this year. Every game we are still competing in the standings is gravy to me. We should really concentrate on getting ready for 2009, nothing we do in 2008 should jepordize our future.