Goodness, there's nothing at all wrong with this post. We thrash this sort of thing around all the time. 
Number of open cards: Some people just really, really like to have a lot of open cards. 
Maybe lots of them are store cards, and they like to shop, and they're getting rewards on those cards. I have 10 open cards, and I'm trying to figure which 2 to close, because I'm bored keeping track of them.
If someone allows balances to report, and they're high-ish balances, it can help to open additional cards, because it lowers the reported util by increasing the total CL. Banks aren't dumb, though, and if they see that balances aren't dropping and total CL is increasing, they sometimes hit you for "pyramiding debt." Same with those who use repeated BTs in a shell game of moving debt around and never actually paying it off. Juggling raw eggs in the backyard is entertaining; not so much with personal credit.
I have a BofA card similar to your Citi card. Mine does have rewards, but they're kind of eh, but they like to wave 0% BT's at me, and every now and again I use one to take some money off my HELOC balance or something, if the terms are right. Have you worked out your payment schedule on your BT so that it will be paid off by the end of the 0% period? Citi probably doesn't do this, but be aware that some lenders will hit you with interest for the entire amount borrowed/ BT'd if you don't pay it off in time. At any rate, I think the most important thing you could do is to make certain that that BT is paid off and gone forever by the end of the 0% period and not let it become a permanent fixture in your finances.
Looks like your reported util is in good shape. Those cards are reporting $0, right? They're not just $0 after you get the statement and then pay it?
In the meantime, what kind of rewards would be good for you? (cash vs points, groceries/ gas/ hotel nights/ airline miles/ all purchases/ restaurants/ books/ etc etc. Depending on what you're looking for, the PenFed Platinum Visa is good, and anyone can join. But they hate lots of new apps, and they're absolutely death on what they perceive as pyramiding debt.
I'm with you --I think the AmEx Blue is pretty much a dud, and I'm planning to get an AmEx Costco card in January (maximizing the back-dating.) I don't think that you can PC (product change) to a Costco, though. Even so, a new AmEx card would avoid the new account ding, because it would take on the opening year of your first-ever AmEx card, whenever that was. The Costco card includes the $50 membership fee for Costco, so it might not make sense if you don't have a Costco nearby or shop at one, unless you work it to death for its rewards.
With the Best Buy store card, all you have to do is buy some blank CD's or even gum at the checkout counter every 4-6 months to keep it alive. (It doesn't shut down immediately like HSBC bank cards often do.) I can usually use it enough for holiday and birthday shopping to keep it going without a problem.
Wow, lots of good stuff there hauling:
To answer a few of your thoughts/questions.
1)Yup, the Amex and Capital one have zero balance (Actually the Capital One has 88$ credit- as I made the min payment because I didn't know if the transfer would go through by the time my payment was due to capital one). I have about 16k in miles at capital one, which I can redeem for a 100$ gc
2)Oh my goodness, I knew about the Amex Costco card..are you saying that if I opened it, it wouldn't be a credit ding? Would I be able to keep my same avail. balance? We go to costco tons now for diapers and formula
3)I've had been paying about 400$ a month between my capital one and my amex. So looking at that formula, I shjould be able to pay off my balance at the citi in about 10-11 months. Citi had a 3% transfer fee, which ends up being around 140$, but I was paying 40-50$ a month in fianance charges..so by doing this I would save hundreds.
4)I'm looking for cash back or rewards that focus lots on gas and meals/resturants. We eat alot ( I know, not good when trying to manage funds).
@Anonymous wrote:Wow, lots of good stuff there hauling:
To answer a few of your thoughts/questions.
1)Yup, the Amex and Capital one have zero balance (Actually the Capital One has 88$ credit- as I made the min payment because I didn't know if the transfer would go through by the time my payment was due to capital one). I have about 16k in miles at capital one, which I can redeem for a 100$ gc
2)Oh my goodness, I knew about the Amex Costco card..are you saying that if I opened it, it wouldn't be a credit ding? Would I be able to keep my same avail. balance? We go to costco tons now for diapers and formula
A new Costco card should show the month that you opened it + the year of your first-ever American Express card. There will be a hard inq, but no new account ding, and if the first AmEx is older than your AAoA (average age of accounts), it will actually increase your AAoA. I * puffy heart * AmEx for this alone. Whether you can shift the CL is another question. I think I've read that the Costco card is different from other AmEx cards, because it's co-branded with a different business (Costco), so you can't monkey around with it as much as other AmEx's. Still trying to do research on this one.
3)I've had been paying about 400$ a month between my capital one and my amex. So looking at that formula, I shjould be able to pay off my balance at the citi in about 10-11 months. Citi had a 3% transfer fee, which ends up being around 140$, but I was paying 40-50$ a month in fianance charges..so by doing this I would save hundreds.
4)I'm looking for cash back or rewards that focus lots on gas and meals/resturants. We eat alot ( I know, not good when trying to manage funds).
Check the Costco link. It's a good gas + restaurant combo card, although there are plenty of other restaurant cards as well. PenFed Plat Visa is 5% gas, 2% grocs, and 1% everything else, plus frequent 3% deals on special stuff like computers and what-not, if you start doing a lot of home cooking.
eta: and since you already shop at Costco a lot, you might improve your chances for a good CL by applying at the store with a full shopping cart. Although with your obviously good history with AmEx, it might not make a difference.
Here's my thread about dithering over getting the card Oh, never mind, I see you already found it.