When Ruben Amaro Jr., took over as Philadelphia Phillies general manager shortly after his team’s World Series victory, the thought of trading Jimmy Rollins probably hadn’t crossed his mind.
But somehow Rollins became the subject of trade rumors, including one that wasn’t reported in St. Louis that involved the Cardinals, according to a Philadelphia sports journalist buddy of mine and several blogs.
In St. Louis, it was only reported that the Cards were said to be pursuing Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday and the Redbirds were first in line for a possible trade. The key to a deal was Cards’ outfielder Ryan Ludwick. From the start, this deal sounded ridiculous to me. Thank goodness it fell apart and Holliday ended up with the Oakland A’s.
While I don’t think Ludwick will come near his impressive 2007 season next year, he gives you excellent bang for the buck.
Holliday, who is a much better offensive player in the thin air of Coors Field than he is on the road, will be in the final year of his contract in 2008 and will be making about $14 million.
But what was also being bantered about possibly behind closed doors at last week’s general managers’ meeting in Southern California was a three-way deal that would have sent Rollins to St. Louis, Ludwick to the Rockies and Holliday to the Phillies.
The Rockies were interested in outfielder Skip Schumaker and right-handed pitching prospect Mitchell Boggs.
The other players involved were Kyle Kendrick, a pitcher who has yet to show he is a solid Major Leaguer, and Adam Eaton, a bust at best who was demoted earlier this year and barely made the Phils’ postseason roster.
As excited as I would have been for a deal involving Rollins, Amaro Jr. called rumors about a trade “ludicrous.”
I’d take Rollins in a trade but not Holliday.
Rollins, who just won his third Gold Glove for defensive excellence, is one of the best leadoff hitters in either the National or American League.
He has five years left on his deal at a bargain-basement price of $40 million. He is scheduled to make $8.5 million in 2009 and $8.5 million in 2010.
If he were to become a Cardinal, the team would hold an $8.5 million option for 2011.
Don’t get too excited though, Cardinal Nation.
“Jimmy Rollins is our shortstop, for now and the future,” Amaro said.
“That rumor is unequivocally false.”
So what should the Cardinals do?
Well, for one, they should do something n anything.
It’s almost Thanksgiving and the free-agent bidding season is quickly warming up as the temperature falls. It’s hard to believe that spring training is just three months away.
I’m not alone is getting the sense that the Cardinals are following a familiar script.
It’s the one that reads “Well, fans we tried really hard. But we couldn’t get it done. In the meantime, we’re bringing in (Edgar Renteria or another washed-up player of your choice). Happy?”
There is still time to adequately fix what ails the Cardinals.
But there are so many symptoms that led to another season with the playoffs, that GM John Mozeliak doesn’t have a day to lose.
The Holliday deal is dead, and a deal for Rollins was never really on the table.
Mid-November is a late date to be back at square one. Let’s hope something else is going on that we don’t know about.
