Jan. 13 -- PLAYING THEIR CARDS

A few baseball notes before the Eagles game starts ...

* Surprisingly, the Phillies haven't found much of a market for Jon Lieber. One potential trade partner, the St. Louis Cardinals, fortified their depleted rotation this week by re-signing lefty Mark Mulder to a relatively modest two-year, $13 million contract. But if they don't re-up Jeff Weaver, the Cards still will need another starter to join Chris Carpenter, Mulder, free-agent addition Kip Wells and youngster Anthony Reyes. They could turn to former Phillies RHP Ryan Franklin, whom they signed this week for one year and $1 million. Or, they could move Adam Wainwright, who excelled as a closer in the playoffs, back to the rotation.

Of course, they could also trade for Lieber. And with their plethora of relievers, they may be a match for the Phillies, who remain desperate to acquire a reliable setup man who also could close whenever Tom Gordon needs a rest. Sounds like a job for Cardinals reliever Braden Looper. Just a thought.

* Baseball execs and agents will be busy this weekend, exchanging salary figures for players who have filed for arbitration. For the Phillies, that means Chase Utley, Brett Myers, Aaron Rowand, Geoff Geary and Ryan Madson. Don't totally discount the possibility of Utley getting a long-term deal. But for the others, look for a one-year contract with a salary bump from 2006.

* Good news for the Phils: Pedro Martinez dropped by a Mets mini-camp this week, and although he reported he's recovering from October rotator cuff surgery, he still isn't expected to throw a ball until March or pitch in a game until after the All-Star Break. Meanwhile, the Mets have interest in signing former Braves RHP Jorge Sosa, which may be more good news for the Phillies.

* Finally, as I wrote in Saturday's News Journal, Ryan Howard's new agent also represents Derek Jeter and Derrek Lee. But Casey Close's agency, Creative Artists, specializes in Hollywood actors, only recently branching into sports. Among its clients: Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, George Clooney, Tom Hanks and everyone's favorite Scientologist, Tom Cruise. If I'm Howard, I'm concentrating less on getting a contract extension from the Phillies and more on getting a date with Jen.