Lance Berkman is a career .296 hitter with 327 career home runs and 1099 RBI's.
Berkman has been a stable of consistency at the plate until chronic knee problems limited him to just a .246 average and 14 home runs in 2010.
The disappointing season provided a window of opportunity for the Cardinals and Berkman to partner together in 2011.
"Even if I had been offered a two-year deal for the same money, I probably wouldn't have taken it," Lance Berkman told MLB.com's Matthew Leach. "Just because, honestly, I feel like last year was a fluke. I think I'm going to have a great year this year. And if I do, then statistically I'm going to be in a great spot. And if I don't, I'll want to retire. But if I had locked into a two-year deal, then I would feel like I had to honor the second year of that. So from a flexibility standpoint, and from just a financial standpoint, I feel like if I can go out and regain form, I'll be sitting pretty as a free agent next year."
But how long is Berkman going to be here? Is Berkman just a one year rental? Will Berkman fly the coup as part of the Cardinals largest free agency season in history?
Hopefully not and hopefully 2010 was a fluke and Berkmant returns to form.
And maybe Lance might want to stick around a couple more seasons with the organization he competed against for so many years as part of the Houston Astros.
He does seem happy to be here.
"It's weird," he said. "For most of my career, I couldn't stand the Cardinals. I basically hated the organization's guts -- in a good way. In a fun way. It's more just a healthy respect, I should say. But that was part of what drove me here, too. I think so much of this organization and so much of the people, from [manager Tony La Russa] to his coaching staff to the players that have been around and I've competed against for so many years. I couldn't think of a better place to be."
Berkman has been a stable of consistency at the plate until chronic knee problems limited him to just a .246 average and 14 home runs in 2010.
The disappointing season provided a window of opportunity for the Cardinals and Berkman to partner together in 2011.
"Even if I had been offered a two-year deal for the same money, I probably wouldn't have taken it," Lance Berkman told MLB.com's Matthew Leach. "Just because, honestly, I feel like last year was a fluke. I think I'm going to have a great year this year. And if I do, then statistically I'm going to be in a great spot. And if I don't, I'll want to retire. But if I had locked into a two-year deal, then I would feel like I had to honor the second year of that. So from a flexibility standpoint, and from just a financial standpoint, I feel like if I can go out and regain form, I'll be sitting pretty as a free agent next year."
But how long is Berkman going to be here? Is Berkman just a one year rental? Will Berkman fly the coup as part of the Cardinals largest free agency season in history?
Hopefully not and hopefully 2010 was a fluke and Berkmant returns to form.
And maybe Lance might want to stick around a couple more seasons with the organization he competed against for so many years as part of the Houston Astros.
He does seem happy to be here.
"It's weird," he said. "For most of my career, I couldn't stand the Cardinals. I basically hated the organization's guts -- in a good way. In a fun way. It's more just a healthy respect, I should say. But that was part of what drove me here, too. I think so much of this organization and so much of the people, from [manager Tony La Russa] to his coaching staff to the players that have been around and I've competed against for so many years. I couldn't think of a better place to be."
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