Cardinals bolster bullpen by re-signing Springer

~ St. Louis brought back one of its most effective right-handed setup men.

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals reliever Russ Springer, one of the bright spots for a team that won the World Series in 2006 but didn't make the postseason this year, agreed Wednesday to a one-year contract.

The 38-year-old right-hander was 8-1 with a 2.18 ERA and appeared in a career-high 76 games while limiting opposing batters to a .181 average. His ERA ranked seventh among NL relievers and his victory total was a career best.

St. Louis last week exercised an $8 million option on closer Jason Isringhausen, who went 32-for-34 in save chances. Ryan Franklin agreed in July to a $5 million, two-year extension.

"A large part of our bullpen's success last season can be attributed to Suss," interim general manager John Mozeliak said. "He, along with Izzy and Franklin, represent a solid trio at the back end of our bullpen."

Springer had a $1 million base salary last season and made $250,000 in performance bonuses. He had been eligible for free agency and said the Cardinals gave him a "nice bump" in salary, although he declined to reveal exact terms.

The Cardinals initiated talks only two days ago, clinching a deal when they assured him the franchise intended to contend next season.

"I was telling my agent to hang loose, see what happened and see what the market value was," Springer said. "They said they wanted to win, so I said, 'Go ahead and do it.'"

Springer was uncertain whether his manager would be back, too. Tony La Russa is deliberating a return for a 13th season, and told team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. on Monday that he wanted to know who the new general would be before deciding.

"Hopefully Tony is back, and I want him back," Springer said. "But if he's not, we'll deal with it."

Springer had the team's top two scoreless innings streaks at 17 2/3 and 14 innings. He allowed only six of 27 inherited runners to score and struck out 66 in 66 innings. A veteran of 12-plus seasons, Springer is 33-40 with a 4.70 ERA.

This year allowed Springer to redeem himself after an injury-abbreviated 2003 season in St. Louis. The day after the Cardinals' season ended, Springer said he felt he had some "unfinished business" in St. Louis. The new contract backed that up.

"The grass ain't always greener on the other side," Springer said. "I've switched teams a lot. I like it here and my family is happy here. So there's really no use going anywhere else."