La Russa: Cards, Holliday getting close!

Slugging outfielder's deal reportedly will be for seven years.


ST. LOUIS -- One way or another, it appears the long courtship between the Cardinals and Matt Holliday is coming to a head.

Manager Tony La Russa said in a radio interview on Monday that he believes the saga is approaching a "conclusion," ESPN.com reported Monday evening that the club and Scott Boras, Holliday's agent, are "close to a deal" and that the team has "centered on" a seven-year framework.

Re-signing Holliday has been the team's top priority since the season ended. General manager John Mozeliak left baseball's annual Winter Meetings having made some progress, and negotiations picked up some steam after the meetings ended.

"Plan B" options have continued to come off the board, with third baseman Adrian Beltre reportedly agreeing to a deal with the Red Sox on Monday. Yet if that has increased pressure on the Cardinals, it's likewise true that possible landing spots for Holliday have also begun to dry up.

Mozeliak acknowledged on Monday that public chatter regarding a possible agreement has increased, but downplayed the notion that a deal is imminent.

"Rumors abound," Mozeliak wrote in a text message, "but quiet."

Boras was unavailable for comment on Monday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, former Reds and Nationals general manager and current Sirius/XM radio personality Jim Bowden wrote on his Twitter account that team and player were "closing in on" a $98.5 million contract. However, by early evening, that tweet had been taken down.

Still, there's little doubt that some resolution is in the offing. La Russa made that much clear in a radio interview on Sirius/XM's "MLB Home Plate" channel on Monday afternoon.

"I just know that I think it's coming to a conclusion," La Russa said. "I think that our ownership, Bill DeWitt, and our general manager, John Mozeliak, I mean, they've been pushing it and pushing it and it's at the time where it's going to happen, or if it doesn't happen, you go to Plan B. But I just know that they've been very aggressive trying to make it happen, and I just don't think it's going to last a lot longer without having some kind of resolution."