Posted on January 12, 2008 at 1:35 PM
Filed Under:
St. Louis Cardinals
Via CCH, I see that Rosenthal is reporting a Rolen for Glaus swap is just about to happen. Now, blogs are great for the short-term, immediate reaction type of writing, and I immediately say: I hate the deal. I will also note again that I'm a Rolen fan, so I'm sure my bias will be showing.
First off, let's compare the lines from 2007:
Player |
Games |
AB |
R |
HR |
RBI |
BA/OBP/SLG |
Glaus |
115 |
60 |
101 |
20 |
62 |
.262/.366/.473 |
Rolen |
112 |
55 |
104 |
8 |
58 |
.265/.331/.398 |
Do you see a lot of difference there? Save home runs, I don't. Remember that Rolen played all year with a bad shoulder that sapped his power. If the surgery was successful this off-season, it's very possible he'll put up better numbers than Glaus does in 2008 even if you don't factor in the defense.
Glaus has never batted over .300. Heck, he's only hit over .260 twice, and one of those was .262. I know batting average isn't the be-all and end-all like it used to be, but it is still pretty useful. Now, if he's healthy, Glaus likely will put up 35-40 HR, so that is more pop than Rolen has shown in the last few years, but again, with a healthy Rolen, it's not as much of a gap as you might think.
Glaus is 31, Rolen 32, so we really aren't getting younger in the deal. The Cardinals will likely have to pay some of Rolen's salary, so we aren't getting financial relief. Glaus is a FA after '09, Rolen '10, but it's not like we have a hot 3B prospect coming up that we need to clear a spot for.
If the Cardinals were getting some salary relief or some prospects, like Adam Lind for example, then maybe this would be more palatable. But straight up? I really don't like it. LaRussa said they wouldn't trade Scott just to trade him, but that is really what this smacks of. It's better than sending him for a A ball prospect, of course, but it's not a trade that, in my opinion, measurably helps the club.
At least Rolen will be able to mesh with Toronto's new shortstop. It'll almost be like St. Louis North up there, with him, Eckstein and almost-Cardinal A.J. Burnett.
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7 Comments
I am ok with it.
Let's not forget Rolen DID NOT want to play for TLR and this presents big problems...
The last 3 yrs Glaus has out offensed Rolen by a considerable number.
I consider myself to be a baseball purist, which makes me uncomfortable with Glaus' connections to performance-enhancing drugs.
This will be a great move. Rolen for a bag of balls is a great move. Rolen has been whiny, worthless, contentious, and selfish. He hasn't produced, he hasn't been healthy, and he sure isn't willing to just take the hit, sit, get everything right and then see. Rolen says he's a "team guy" and just wanted to play through it, but it seems more likely that he wasn't willing to listen to doctors or have the necessary time off. Also note the silence of his teammates when TLR blasted Rolen in the media. (TLR was wrong - not the issue) I just think it's time to chalk up Rolen as a failed move and count anything in return for him as found gold. PS Kozma may be ready in a year to two, even if his offense isn't up to Rolen at his best, his defense maybe and his arm definitely look like equals to Rolen. BA already has him in the Card's top 10 prospects after 1 yr., so there is a spot that may need to be opened when FA time comes for Glaus or Rolen.
LaRussa is the one doing the complaining and making the rift public knowledge, Rolen glove may be the best in baseball. Billy Martin couldn't get along with everyone but he was still able to win with players who didn't like him. Glaus has been linked to performance enhacing drugs St. Louis has seen enought of this. I hope Rolen stays both have question marks, Rolen has more of a up side.
I'm one of the biggest Rolen fans around. I hate to see him go, but I understand that it had to be done. Let's just hope that Glaus can try to fill Scotty's shoes.
Anyone that can't work with the boss needs to find other employment. It doesn't matter how big a jerk he is.
I will say that the whole TLR/Rolen thing probably did need to be resolved.
That said, I believe management allowed their personal fondness for TLR to override the right thing to do and brought him back with perhaps even more control that he's had in the past.
The better choice was to let TLR walk at the end of last year then keep Rolen, in my book. And I say that as a fan of both men.