January 12, 2008
Swapping Third Birds
Ken Rosenthal reports the Blue Jays and Cardinals are close to trading Troy Glaus and Scott Rolen.
The Cardinals and Blue Jays are closing in on an exchange of their third basemen, major-league sources say, but both former All-Stars must pass physicals before a deal is completed.
Those physicals are no small issue since Rolen is coming off surgery on his right shoulder and Glaus surgery on his left foot.
I don't know why the Blue Jays would make this deal. Glaus has been more productive over the last three seasons than Rolen, and his seasonal age is two years younger. I understand Glaus wants to play on real grass, but this looks like a step back for the Blue Jays.
Hat Tip, Baeball Think Factory.
Posted by David Pinto at
05:33 PM
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Rolen is better defensively than Glaus, but health may be the overriding concern for the Jays. It's not just that Glaus _wants_ to play on grass. The belief in Toronto is that playing on the FieldTurf actually aggravates his condition (which was identified towards the end of last season as plantar fasciitis, potentially a more chronic concern that the more acute diagnoses that were offered earlier in the year). In other words, Glaus may _need_ to play on grass to play anywhere near a full season.
If that is the case - and Ricciardi has such a track record of lying and obfuscating about injuries that I tend to believe the worst about any Jay's health until proven wrong - then the Jays' choice isn't between Glaus and Rolen, but between a Glaus/McDonald platoon (with the latter likely contributing 200-300 ABs of sub-.300 OBP) and Rolen, with only Rolen offering even the possibility of a fully healthy season.
Looked at that way - with Rolen representing not so much a move down from Glaus, but a move up from McDonald - the deal makes a bit more sense.
I still don't like it - given the increased offense the Cards are getting, I'd have liked to see a prospect of some sort coming the Jays way - but I can see a little bit of justification.
Strange deal, given that LaRussa locked the Cards into moving Rolen with his latest blast of hot air. Logic would dictate a deal that favors the Jays on talent or balance sheet. On the face this swap does not.
