is silly talk. If that deal is done there would have to be an agreement for an extension, and there’s no way Holliday and Scott Boras agree to that.

As for the first round draft pick, Wallace is way more valuable, and there’s a 50% we’d end up with a second rounder and a supplemental as picks 1-15 are protected. Best case scenario you get a pick in the late teens, and that won’t get you a Walrus.

The guy is just not that valuable and he is getting paid big money, and his team is reluctant to trade him. Why not shoot for one of his teammates (Willingham, Dukes, Kearns) who are cheaper and more valuable players who the team would likely be more interested in dealing? About Willingham, screw his RBI totals and RISP numbers (which are predictive of nothing), and look at his improved batting eye and power. Because this season looks to be a career year for Willingham, there are plenty of other players out there who we wouldn’t have to overpay for as well. We could free Matt Murton or pay Kearns remaining salary. I just can’t understand the attraction of Dunn compared to the other options.

but Wallace for Holliday is simply retarded…..especially if Boggs for WIllingham is a possibilty.

do it mo!

Wallace for two months of Holliday, as several above have pointed out, makes no sense unless you plan on this being “our year” and the last good chance for a title run.

As most of the roster, at least the most important parts, are signed/under teams control next year, that is patently not the case.

The other options…. I’m not sure. Halladay, sure, I’d love to have him but at the cost of how many of our top prospects? Dunn I’m not excited about, Willingham more so, if the price is not too high.

Overall, I’d rather see a move for a pitcher to take Welly’s place right now than another bat. Rick, despite his 2 1/2 month long slump, seems to be improving the last week, DeRosa has finally started to hit, Lugo should help against lefties…. I just think a pitcher that gives us a better than 25% chance of winning every fifth day is more valuable to the team right now. (Of course, if we could make Lohse/Piniero that pitcher by having a three-headed monster at the top of the rotation, I’d be OK with that too!)

Would love to hear what the Nats want for Willingham, though. Seriously, cough him up, Nats. It’s not like you’re doing anything worthwhile with him.

for willingham

Susan Slusser first reported the story here. and when ESPN 101 in the STL interviewed her today, she said the only reason the A’s & Cards are talking is because MO has previously said Walrus was not going to be traded. SFgate.com also blogs here noting how unhappy VEB is right now with Tony. interesting.

Buster Olney then ran with it, but didn’t really say anything we haven’t heard before.

i want to go back to what ms slusser said on the radio today & what LB said here two weeks ago about Walrus. up till now he’s not been on the market. the only logical reason the Cards would trade him is if they think he cannot play 3rd or LF. so now that MO is in talks with the A’s for Holliday, it’s not too big of a stretch to believe now the Cards do not think Walrus has a place on the Cards in the future. i’m honestly bummed about it. i had the visions of him, Colby & Albert in the heart of the order for many years to come. but if his D really is that bad, i guess the Cards almost have to trade him now while his value is high, so they can get the most for his services.

i just hope MO calls JP Ricciardi now that Walrus is on the block. that way he will be getting the most out of him. i know the team needs a big bat, but come on, it’s Roy F’ing Halladay.

that this immediate heating up of the Holliday trade talks is Mo’s way to placate LaRussa after the blowup over Duncan?

I know it sounds crazy, but Don Tony carries that kind of weight, as we all know. We also know that LaRussa has been clamoring for this player for two years. Just wondering if y’all think this is a real possibility beyond the baseball sense because of this.

to get a deal ‘Dunn’ with the Nats?

if the front office wants to keep payroll at 90M or so, there isn’t much room for a big acquisition.

There is currently 63.65M already dedicated to the players under contract for next year under the current roster (assuming .5M/player for the 13 players to make around league min). This does not include a salary bump to Ludwick through arb. This still leaves openings for a Corner OF, 3B, SP, SP, Loogy, Backup C, and a RP (assuming the position isn’t filled from the minors).

Assuming you spend 3M to fill the Loogy, Backup C, and RP positions, that leaves approximately 20M available to fill the Corner OF, 3B, SP, and SP openings.

By acquiring Holliday, you are basically using up all of the available money on just one of those openings (if you plan to re-sign) and removing our top prospect from the organization.

By keeping Wallace, he or Freese will be slotted to play 3B, removing 1 costly position that needs to be replaced. By acquiring Willingham and paying him approximately 4-5M to fill the corner OF spot, still leaves 15M to fill the remaining 2 SP spots. If one of those spots is filled from within (Garcia/Boggs/Mortenson), then that leaves 15M that can be spent on a top of the rotation arm (or Derosa is re-signed to play 3B and you have 10M to spend on that arm).

If you trade for Holliday, you lose Wallace and about 12-15M (if Holliday is re-signed) of the available 20M. Even if you fill 3B with Derosa (5 M?), you will have to fill the two rotation spots from within or with Ponson type players (I think we are all tired of that).

If you trade for Roy Halladay, you lose Wallace and 16M are gone from the available funds for next year. You would still need to fill 3B (Freese) and LF (4M FA/Mather/Craig/Stav) and then the final rotation spot from within.

If you stand pat, you keep Wallace and have the full 20M to spend at your leisure next season. You would have to fill 3B (Wallace/Freese), LF (Wallace/FA), SP (FA), SP (within). If the team knows Wallace can’t stick at third, he had better start shagging fly balls this season to prepare for next.

Mo should approach the trade deadline by reviewing these scenarios and determining which scenario puts the team in the best place to win this year AND in the years to follow.

My opinion is that by acquiring Willingham, the team puts itself in position to win this season and for the following years without costing itself in financial flexibility and prospects.

Idle thought on perusing rotoworld: kelly johnson just came off the dl. Has he been completely replaced? Does he still have a spot at 2b or LF? Is he on the block? Could be risky just off the DL. But maybe another name in the mix?

that Tony doesn’t give a damn if we trade Wallace (or the rest of the farm) because he doesn’t plan on being around after this season?

That should be, like, a rule of the site or something. PLEASE STOP.

why not inquire about dukes. they have a super crowded outfield with dunn morgan willingham kearns and dukes i think dukes might be the cheapest of the lot has power defensive versatility and might have the highest ceiling considering dunn has reached his ceiling. I like career year willingham but he was not all that super in florida before this year. dukes might be the cheapest because of some percieved attitude issues anyone think pujols would keep him in his place?

and VEB readers/posters is just hilarious. 70% of VEB readers were against a straight up Wallace for Holliday trade, Whle 67% of stltoday.com readers were supportive of trading wallace/mortenson/peterson for Holliday. Hopefully those STLTODAY-ers don’t find this site.

Here’s a question . . .

wouldn’t it be nice to do a little selling now?

I can’t help but think that Glaus has absolutely zero place in this roster this year now that LF is taken and obviously 1B is taken. Might be a good idea to look for an AL team that needs a DH and pick up a prospect or two.

And then there’s Wellemeyer, who I’d love to see us ditch for a bag of balls purely on the gut feeling that Boggs could be having a way better season than him.

But then going back to that Glaus idea, maybe Mo’s idea for next year is to sign Glaus to a 1 year re-proving deal. That way we’d have a year to find another 3B, and it would also give us a decent bat in the meantime.

Who knows, my mind is moving in circles after the deal today . . . and hey, Holliday steals a base!

In order to judge what we should receive for Glaus, I think we need to address what our biggest need is at the moment. I think either a back end starter or another bullpen guy would make sense. Would the Giants trade Sanchez for him even after the no hitter? Maybe Detroit would trade Porcello for him. I think this would be a great oppurtunity for replenish the farm system after Holliday has emptied most of it.

You know, thinking outside the box, maybe we could perhaps get lucky and take Kazmir from the Rays if they are so interested in unloading him? I’m sure Duncan can work some magic and get that arm working again.

From the link posted by gocards62 above.
Jays, Reds talking possible Rolen deal

The Reds and Blue Jays have had discussions within the past several days about a trade that would send Toronto third baseman Scott Rolen to Cincinnati, major league sources told FOXSports.com on Saturday.
As of late Saturday night, it wasn’t clear which players would go to Toronto in the proposed deal, although third baseman Edwin Encarnacion was expected to be among them. One source cautioned that the rigidity of the Reds’ payroll could stifle the deal.

Jess Todd Goodbye, we hardly knew ya.

The Padres may now be shopping their closer Bell. What would it take to get this guy? I think he would solidify our 8th inning/closer role, but may cost a bit. MLBTR says the Pads would want a catcher to build on, maybe Bryan Anderson? What would it take to get him?

Going to Seattle – Jack Wilson, Ian Snell

Going to Pittsburgh – Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, 3 RHP’s from minors (I think)