Cardinals “looking for offense” … not Jake Peavy

By Jul 8, 2014, 7:58 PM EDT
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ESPN’s Jayson Stark and Gordon Edes reported Tuesday afternoon that the Cardinals were interested in acquiring veteran right-handed starter Jake Peavy from the last-place Red Sox, with Stark predicting that a trade could come together quickly.

But there are few baseball beat writers who are better plugged-in to the team they cover than Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and he just tweeted this …

Maybe that’s some form of posturing by the Cardinals front office — a common tactic in trade talks — but it’s true that the team doesn’t really have an open rotation spot with Kelly returning Friday to face the Brewers. Carlos Martinez, a highly-touted 22-year-old right-hander, has pitched well since transitioning from a late-relief role last month, posting a 2.45 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings over his first four starts.

St. Louis ranks second in the majors in starting pitcher ERA and second-to-last in offensive runs scored.

Nevada Senate vote on proposed A’s stadium in Las Vegas extended until next week

Associated PressJun 9, 2023, 11:36 AM EDT
MLB: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
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CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Senate adjourned Thursday without voting on a financing bill for a proposed $1.5 billion Las Vegas Strip stadium for the Oakland Athletics, extending the special legislative session into the next week amid negotiations over whether to contribute $380 million in public funding to the project.

The measure can still be amended by lawmakers, and if it passes the Senate it would still need approval from the Assembly before going to the desk of Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who has expressed support for it. Both the state Senate and Assembly are adjourned until Monday.

In a hearing that began Wednesday and stretched into the early morning hours Thursday, lawmakers peppered tourism officials and a representative from a firm partnering with the ball club with questions about the feasibility and benefits of financing such a deal.

Public funds for the stadium would mainly come from $180 million in transferable tax credits and $120 million in county bonds. Backers have pledged that the creation of a special tax district around the proposed stadium would generate enough money to pay off those bonds and interest. The plan would not directly raise taxes.

The A’s would not owe property taxes for the publicly owned stadium. Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, would also contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

A’s representatives and some tourism officials say a deal would further grow Las Vegas’ developing sports scene and act as an economic engine, but a growing chorus of economists and some lawmakers warn that the project would bring minimal benefits for the hefty public price tag.