Renteria Says Now Isn't Time To Talk Contract
Joe Strauss Of the Post-Dispatch
August 12, 2004
Pending free agent shortstop Edgar Renteria appears likely to
enter the
market this November after recently rejecting overtures by the
Cardinals to
re-start talks about an extension.
Renteria, a two-time Gold Glove and Silver Slugger recipient who
last season
batted a career-high .330 with 100 RBIs, left open the chance of
re-signing with
the club as a free agent but admitted his attitude toward negotiations
changed
when the club moved sluggishly earlier this season.
"Earlier, I wanted to talk about it, but nothing," Renteria said
before
Wednesday's game against the Florida Marlins. "Now, we're close (to
free
agency). If they want to talk to me later, I'll talk. Right now I just
want to
play. I don't want to complicate things."
Renteria's agent, Jeffrey Lane, recently relayed the stance to
Cardinals
chairman Bill DeWitt.
DeWitt emphasized on Tuesday that retaining Renteria is an
organizational
priority. However, Renteria expressed disappointment in early May that
the issue
had not already been addressed. "I'm surprised it's gotten this far,"
he said
then.
Keeping Renteria "is not something we take lightly," DeWitt said.
"He's a
very important part of this team, and we want to keep it that way."
After a sluggish two months to open the season, Renteria has
enjoyed an
offensive rush in recent weeks. He entered Wednesday hitting .292 with
eight
home runs and 49 RBIs with a .749 combined on-base and slugging
percentage
compared with last season's .874. The league leader in average against
lefthanded pitching, Renteria has seen his RBI total hurt because he
has
consistently hit in the No. 2 slot contrasted to hitting sixth or
seventh in
2003.
Renteria said he is not slamming the door on the club; however,
he wondered
earlier this season whether the club's reluctance to negotiate was tied
to his
lagging numbers.
"The big thing now is we're six weeks away (from a likely playoff
appearance)," he said. "That's what I'm thinking about now. I want to
be ready."
Renteria, 29, is making $7.25 million this season and projects as
one of the
most attractive position players in the offseason market. Chicago Cubs
shortstop
Nomar Garciaparra is also a pending free agent, but his former team,
the Boston
Red Sox, is acutely interested in Renteria. The Cubs are among the
other clubs
believed to have Renteria on radar.
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