With the Cubs imploding and the Brewers still in desperate need of pitching, the road to a playoff return for the St. Louis Cardinals is looking more and more wide open. The Cardinals see this opportunity themselves.As such, they have begun keeping tabs on A's slugger Matt Holliday should Oakland decide to move him before the trade deadline, a major league source told FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher. St. Louis is cautious because of the size of Holliday's paycheck -- $13.5 million this year -- and his sagging performance in his first season away from Coors Field, but the team is interested in getting perennial MVP candidate Albert Pujols some help in the middle of the order.
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch also reported that the team is stepping up its efforts to bring Holliday back to the National League for a stretch run.
The Cards were interested in Holliday when the Rockies were shopping him in the winter, but couldn't agree on an appropriate multi-player package for Holliday. Now, Strauss says the Cards are looking to offer the A's Ryan Ludwick, a young reliever (Jason Motte, Chris Perez, or Kyle McClellan) and an unnamed prospect to make a deal they could've made back before 2008 ended.
Ostensibly, the deal would be to get a bat to protect Albert Pujols in the Cards' lineup. Holliday is disappointing people in Oakland right now, but his .274/.372/.433 line in Oakland is better than Ludwick's .226/.300/.421 line, and he's hitting in the tougher league.
I'm not sure this package will be enough for Oakland to make the deal, though. Holliday will be a free agent at the end of the seasons and he's made it clear that he's not happy in Oakland, so if the A's don't get the offer they want for Holliday, they'd probably be plenty happy with offering him arbitration at the end of the season and taking the first-round draft picks that would come with his departure, since he'll likely be a Type-A free agent.
Ludwick is 30 already and he's only hit well for a total of about a season and a half of his career. McClellan and Perez are pretty good young relievers, but they're just relievers. I suppose this deal may hinge on the prospect the Cardinals offer, though the Cards don't have a lot to offer other than Perez and Brett Wallace, who I'd assume would be untouchable. Holliday may head to St. Louis eventually, but I'm not sure that Billy Beane is going to be in any sort of rush to send him there.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
To bad Matt holiday used steriods and cheated the game and know he sucks, welcome to the big leagues matt its a scary place without your FRIEND THE CREAM. thatS what you get for cheating the game just like big papy and many, jiambi, and just like puhols too even tho the media's IS too scared too admit the truth. The cards are never gona get enought help for there juiced up slugger to win another championeship, not holiday NOT no one. GO PIRATES!!! STEELERS RULE!!!
Wow. You are an idiot. Why don't you get some evidence before shooting off your mouth. It's about what I'd expect from a fan of one of the perennial worst teams in baseball, though. Great spelling too, by the way.
another crybaby pissburg fan with barrybonzdenial issues. ALBERTDONTCHEAT look at the stats they are the same from day one
Wow, seriously, dude? Don't be pissy with the Cardinals because you traded away your damn outfield the past two years and haven't gotten anything good in return. Find some evidence to back up that Holliday used steroids. Then maybe we'd believe you. Besides, A Pittsburgh fan that has the screen name related to Joe Mauer? Accusing Pujols of using steroids would be the same as accusing Joe Mauer of using them. So come back when you learn how to spell and when you learn some common sense about the game.