MLB NEWS
Bonds or Holliday Hitting Behind Pujols?
Published by MoonDog on July 17, 2008
With the All-Star break complete and play set to resume Thursday, the final push toward the finish line begins in earnest. The next significant event in Major League Baseball is the July 31 trade deadline which, we’ve come to learn, isn’t really a deadline.
Trade rumors will fill the airways and guys like Buster Olney, Peter Gammons and Steve Phillips will bombard us with the seemingly endless possibilities. Among the many teams that will look to improve their clubs in hopes of making the playoffs, the St. Louis Cardinals are one of the perceived “buyers” in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline.
The Cards’ are currently 4.5 games back of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central and have outperformed everyone’s expectations. It’s been one of the best, if not the best managerial jobs Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has done since his arrival in St. Louis.
Considering the starting rotation has been makeshift, the bullpen is in shambles and the disabled list is littered with more Cards’ than any team in the majors, it’s amazing how they are currently 10 games over 500.
La Russa has made it clear he would like to see GM John Mozeliak acquire a left-handed reliever, a bat to protect Albert Pujols and a starting pitcher. La Russa has also indicated he would love to see Barry Bonds fill the role of protecting Pujols in the lineup.
Bonds’ situation, as we know, is well-documented. Out of baseball since the end of last season, Bonds is under federal indictment for allegedly lying to a grand jury. The 10-page indictment stems from his December 2003 testimony surrounding the Balco investigation in which Bonds told the grand jury he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs.
Before Cards’ fans or anyone else starts to ponder the 1-2 punch of Pujols and Bonds in the same lineup, let me make this abundantly clear - it isn’t going to happen. Ever.
You may wonder how I can make such a definitive statement. Look, this is St. Louis, not the Yankees or the Red Sox. The Cardinals are an organization that wants the right kind of media attention, not the frenzy signing Bonds would create.
Bonds’ legal issues aside, he simply isn’t a good fit for the Cardinals or any National League team. His diminished defensive abilities would be a liability and the Cardinals defense would take a step back if Bonds were playing left field.
Just as spring training got underway this year, St. Louis released utility player Scott Spiezio after he was arrested for driving under the influence, hit and run, aggravated assault and battery stemming from an automobile accident in Irvine, CA in December 2007.
Spiezio has never been linked to the steroid scandal and isn’t under federal indictment. If the Cardinals released Spiezio under those conditions, do you really believe they would want Bonds and all of his baggage?
In addition to the talk of acquiring Bonds, St. Louis has been linked to trade talks involving the Rockies’ Matt Holliday. Unlike the Bonds scenario, Holliday is a real possibility the Cardinals could pursue. However, I don’t believe he’ll end up in St. Louis.
Holliday would clearly fill the role La Russa envisions as protection for Pujols. The Cards’ have plenty of trade bait with the likes of Colby Rasmus, Bryan Anderson, Chris Duncan and Anthony Reyes. But the key to a potential trade for Holliday doesn’t involve a player, it centers around Holliday’s agent, Scott Boras.
Boras is widely regarded as being one of the most zealous advocates of free agency and seldom, if ever, do his clients sign extensions. With Holliday set to receive $13.5 million in 2009, the Cardinals would have to pay that and his prorated 2008 salary of $9.5 million.
$23 million is a lot of money to spend on one player for less than 1.5 years of service. Moreover, the Cardinals are interested in signing starting pitcher Kyle Lohse to an extension beyond the one-year deal he signed during spring training.
While Lohse has indicated he’d like to remain in St. Louis, he too is represented by Boras. I find it unlikely the Cards’ would want to negotiate with Boras for two players in consecutive years.
So if Bonds and Holliday aren’t options, who is?
There has been some talk of the Cards’ trading Colby Rasmus to the Pirates for either Jason Bay or Xavier Nady, but again I doubt that will happen. Neither fill the role of protecting Pujols and considering Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel have each hit more home runs than Bay and Nady, what would be the point of trading your most prized prospect for either of them?
Not to mention, the Pirates reportedly want two top prospects and a second tier prospect for Bay, and two top prospects for Nady - I don’t think so.
Perhaps the Rangers’ Milton Bradley is an option, but given his potentially explosive personality his presence in the Cards’ clubhouse could be problematic.
I believe the Cardinals will make a few deals, but I don’t expect them to make an impact move that will effect the team’s future. I see St. Louis acquiring a left-handed reliever and perhaps a second-tier starting pitcher.
Whatever happens between now and July 31 remains to be seen which means I get to write a few more articles on what may or may not happen. Stay tuned.
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ShooterB on Thu, 17th Jul 2008 12:16
I don’t think any NL team should consider Bonds. Not only has he become a liability, but I think playing in the outfield everyday hurt his production last year. He needs to be a DH. Unfortunately, most contending AL teams already have that role filled. Look at the Yankees, who basically have 3 or 4 aging stars fighting for that spot.
As for trades, I think the Cards are more likely to raid the Pirates’ bullpen rather than their outfield. I expect Damaso Marte to be traded before Bay or Nady.
The Bucs don’t have any 2nd-tier starters, but if you’re looking for hurlers on that 3rd or 4th tier…
MoonDog on Thu, 17th Jul 2008 12:35
Shooter - Marte and Fuentes of the Rockies are the two most mentioned names the Cards are looking at for left-handed relief. I agree they need pitching before they need bats.
Bonds isn’t going to play this year unless a team is really desperate. I agree that any NL team isn’t a fit because of his knees. The A’s would be the best fit for him, geographically at least, and perhaps the Angels.
The Pirates asking price for Bay and Nady is way too high. Besides, I’d rather have McClouth than either of the other two.