Cardinals rumors

I apologize for the delay between posts. I have been very busy after getting a new job, while keeping the old one. For about the past two weeks, I worked about 55-60 hours per week. I will try and get back to a post a week or better. Also, congratulations to the Phillies. It's nice to have a National League team win again. Now, on to the blog.



The Cardinals are apparently interested in bringing back Edgar Renteria to play shortsop after the Tigers declined his option, choosing to give him a $3 million buy out instead. Renteria played very well in his six seasons in St. Louis, and the two worst years of his career are probably the two he spent in Boston and Detroit (both in the AL). That being said, I don't think that it was just the AL pitching or playing style that slowed him down. Even though Renteria is only 33, he's been playing short for 13 seasons now, and that's bound to take a toll on a guy's body. Even Cal Ripken Jr., who never sat out for any reason, eventually ended up switching to third base.



Third base is starting to become like the outfield for the Cardinals, too many bodies, not enough space. For the 2009 season, we have Troy Glaus, who had a teriffc season last year when it comes to power, and the guy has never hit for average with a career high of .284 in 2000. In 2008, he hit .270, which was the second highest of his career, with 27 home runs and 99 RBI. The Cardinals also have their first-round pick from last season, Brett Wallace, and the prospect that they received for Jim Edmonds in David Freese as successors for Glaus. Wallace will almost certainly start this year in the minors, and Freese would have to have an amazing spring to make the big club as well. Add Renteria to the mix, and we're paying a guy more at third that can probably do less. That's what the Yankees have been doing for years, and it finally caught up with them missing the post-season this year.



A better option at shortstop would be the Padres' Khalil Greene. If the Cardinals acquired Greene, they would probably be able to pay him less than Renteria (Greene's scheduled to make $6.5 million next year), and would get a lot more bang for their buck. In 2007 Greene hit 27 home runs and 97 RBI. If the Cardinals get even get 18 home runs and 65-70 RBI out of him, that would be a huge improvement over 2008. The closest thing the Cards had to an everyday shortstop last yaer was Cesar Izturis, who only batted .263 with one home run and 24 RBI in 135 games. He would've played more if not for an injury in late June that held him out until early July.

Greene could also benefit from playing at Busch Stadium. Even though it's more of a fair park than a hitter's, it would still be an improvement on pitcher friendly Petco Park (oddly enough, Izturis hit his only homer of the year to the deepest part of that park). Even if Greene came down to 20 home runs, 70 RBI, and a .270 average from 2007, he would be a massive improvement on Izturis. 

The Cards should also take a look at both of the Braves middle infielders. Shortstop Yunel Escobar is a solid defender, and hit 10 home runs with 60 RBI and a .288 average. He's a career .303 hitter in his young career. He would be cheap and an upgrade on Izturis, providing more offense and similar defense. If the Braves don't acquire Jake Peavy from the Padres, which is said to only happen if he or second baseman Kelly Johnson is included. The Cardinals could also get more offensive production from the middle infield by adding Johnson. 

Johnson hit  .287 with 16 home runs and 69 RBI for the Braves in 150 games. That kind of production for a second baseman would be the best the Cardinals have had under this ownership. It would be ideal if the Cardinals could work a deal where they send malcontent Adam Kennedy to Atlanta for one of these players. They could get either Johnson or Escobar on the cheap for a few years, and sign either second baseman Orlando Hudson or shortstop Rafael Furcal with left over cash to fill the other void.

As for Peavy, the Cardinals are no longer in the running. It's between the Cubs, Braves, and Dodgers. The Cardinals' strength is in the outfield and the Padres are looking to get younger in pitching. Trading Adam Wainwright is not an option, as that would create another hole in the club. That hole would be filled by Peavy for even more money. After getting Wainwright locked up to a reasonable contract through 2011, with options to keep him through 2013, trading him wouldn't make any sense.

A similar rumor involving the Cardinals is a trade for the Rockies' Matt Holliday. The rumored deal would have the Cardinals send Ryan Ludwick, Skip Schumaker, and Mitchell Boggs to Colorado for Holliday. I wouldn't even do a straight up Ludwick for Holliday deal. Holliday's contract is up after 2009 and will easily make $6 million more in 2009 than Ludwick. After that, Holliday is a free agent, not to mention a client of Scott Boras. Boras certainly will want him to test free agency. 

Also, Holliday's splits between cozy Coors Field and his road games are not encouraging. In the last three years, he's been a .361 hitter at home, but a much more average .296 hitter on the road. Is .296 bad? Certainly not. Is it worth trading two solid major leaguers and decent pitching prospect for a one-year rental? I highly doubt it.

I hope that the Cardinals will think better of this trade, and look for more offense in the middle infield instead.