Report: Rolen traded to.......

[PlugginTheGap5]

Toronto for Troy Glaus.

FOX Sports on MSN - MLB - Cards, Blue Jays set to swap third basemen

Not sure what to think.

BTW - this is my first post on this site. I used to post on another site a while back.

Go Cards,
PTG5

[tulcard]

PlugginTheGap5....

If the trade does materialize would be good for both sides....personally I'd have Rolen for the balance of his career if his attitude and relationship with TLR were different....he's the best defensive 3B I've seen since Brooks Robinson and Graig Nettles....Glaus is not as stout defensively and he does strike out a lot, but for a "calmer" clubhouse Rolen does need to move on....

[ArRedbird]

We needed another RH bat that can hit pesky lefties, imo.

Glaus could be that hitter.
He has a very good SLG% year-to-year vs. LHP.

[PlugginTheGap5]

I'm wih you Tulc. All things being equal, I would choose Rolen over Glaus. But Scotty's relationship with TLR make things far from "equal". The article mentions Glaus's foot problems as the possible result of playing on artificial turf. If thats the case (and he is otherwise healthy), when combined with Rolen's unhappiness, I'd say It's a decent trade. Of couse, only time will tell. I Assume he would hit behind Albert......

Go Cards,
PTG5

[BleacherBum593]

According to a source that I have in St Louis, this may be only the tip of the iceberg. There could possibly be several other players involved in this trade, including RHP A J Burnett. As Grandpa Boog used to say "Stay Tuned".....

[bedir than average]

that makes this interesting

[BleacherBum593]

From Matt Leach on the Cards website:

Glaus-Rolen deal near completion - No-trade clauses would need waiving in swap of third basemen By Matthew Leach and Jordan Bastian / MLB.com

[Nighthawk]

I concur with everyone else....if he could stop whining and stay healthy, Rolen is the more desirable player. That said, Glaus isn't a bad classic RH power bat (career ERA+ around 122) to put behind Albert and his eye has been slightly better the last few seasons. Health, though, is a big concern....if we trade a broken Rolen for a broken Glaus, that's not exactly progress.

[Coop]

Same here. In the Rolen trade, I didn't want Polanco traded, but Rolen came in with talent and played team baseball. I became a fan.

Now, he is making it necessary to move him out because he will disrupt the team with Tony there. Tony is going to be there.

I wish Scott well in his future, elsewhere.

[PlugginTheGap5]

ESPN is reporting that no cash wil be exchanging hands in the deal. I like that the Cards aren't picking up any of Rolen's contract. Also read that Glaus was required to excercise his (player) option for 2009 before the Cards would do the deal.

I must admit I was hoping (and still am I guess) that there might be some more players involved in the deal. One of which would be a pitcher coming to St. Louis.

Go Cards,
PTG5

[GoCrazyFolks]

If it happens, we will live to regret this trade.
We have, potentially, traded the best defensive third baseman in baseball, not to mention one of the last truly good role models in sports. I am so glad we decided to bring TLR back. He'll definitely help us win a lot more games than Rolen would have. For the first time in years I'm not counting the days until Spring training (since the work stoppage)
Sorry for the negativity, but I was already disenchanted this off-season and this is the proverbially straw.

Nighthawk,
If you think Rolen is to blame for the falling out and is just whining, then either you haven't read the reports of what transpired, or you simply would side with management no matter what happened. If TLR and the medical staff hadn't mislead Rolen and subsequently mishandled first injury then his health may not still be an issue.

[Nighthawk]

If you think Rolen is to blame for the falling out and is just whining, then either you haven't read the reports of what transpired, or you simply would side with management no matter what happened.

Alternately, I have evaluated the sequence of events and come to a different conclusion than you, GCF. If you haven't paid attention over the years, I have considerable disdain for the Cardinals leadership (our other long timers will back me on this, I suspect....Tino Martinez, anyone?) - I certainly will let them hang on their own rope when is necessary. This may not be one of those times.

If TLR and the medical staff hadn't mislead Rolen and subsequently mishandled first injury then his health may not still be an issue.

I doubt seriously the Cardinals staff was advising Rolen in 1999-2000 on his balky back. Ah, you mean the shoulder? Well, mayhap he was misled or mishandled, mayhap not. Obviously there are a few schools of thought on that. Nevertheless, that isn't the problem now...regardless of how the injury was sustained, treated or otherwise handled the problem is with Rolen's behavior and how it affects the team. TLR, whom I can't stand, is saying precisely the correct thing here - if Rolen shuts up and plays fine, he'll play. If he whines and moans, he won't. Sounds good to me. I was a huge proponent of getting Rolen, and until 2005 he was exactly what we needed. This trade has been propelled entirely by his demands, not from the front office. Part of being an adult (and a good role model) is to learn when and how to air your grievances, and Rolen has run himself out of town with the way he chose to do so.

By my analysis, a healthy Rolen is overall better than a healthy (clean) Glaus. I'd be thrilled to have a healthy, happy Rolen back at 3B. He was one of my favorite players. He also has made it next to impossible to bring him back. If he goes to Toronto and bounces back, then yes, we'll be hurt, but if he's pouting here on the bench with an OPS+ of 89, are we really better off than with Glaus? For $12 million, I'm not sure we are.

[BrotherBri]

On the whole, this is making the best of a bad situation. I'd much rather have bid goodbye to the manager than the MV3, but c'est la vie.

If healthy and firing on all cylinders, an order with Ankiel, Pujols, Duncan and Glaus in the middle will indeed score some runs. And in this context, the Izturis signing makes much more sense, since we'll need the increased range. We get a comforting shift of the clubhouse -- TLR has removed question of control with the big veterans gone, and it's now Albert's team, no questions asked. And if, as I hope, this is TLR's last year (and the second year of the extension is just to keep the press off of him about a new extension), it all fits with the transitional process.

I'm not in agreement with trying to force Glaus into exercising his player option for '09 prior to completing the deal (I'd prefer converting it into a mutual option, thank you). Although we clearly get payroll relief after '08 for Izzy and the remainder of Jimmy (and Mulder, too, IIRC), we will also have to sign longer term deals for Yadier, Ankiel and Duncan if they show themselves healthy and productive. In that situation, the reloading would certainly be MUCH easier without the $12 mil for Glaus. Of course, that would mean we'd have another hole to fill ... but if we're going young, let's go young!

All in all, though, it seems the next logical step in the reloading of the franchise. With the righty bat now solved, perhaps we can trade the rest of our spare assets for Bedard ...

[Nighthawk]

Toronto reporting that we'll get about $1.8 million in cash (pending commish approval) and the deal is done assuming the doctors from both teams sign off.

TheStar.com | Sports | Only time will tell who won Rolen-Glaus trade

[GoCrazyFolks]

Nighthawk,
I apologize. In a moment of frustration I allowed myself to get a bit more personal than I usually do. I still disagree with your evaluation of the Rolen situation, but I wish I would have articulated my argument better than I did.
Now to address the points you raised.

Well, mayhap he was misled or mishandled, mayhap not. Obviously there are a few schools of thought on that. Nevertheless, that isn't the problem now...regardless of how the injury was sustained, treated or otherwise handled the problem is with Rolen's behavior and how it affects the team.

Rolen believes he was mislead and mishandled. I believe his account of the events. To me they just make more sense. Also, the Cardinals have never denied or contradicted his account. I don't know how Rolen's behavior impacted the clubhouse or team. I do know this, it never hurts the clubhouse to see a perrenial all star who runs out ground ball outs. He and TLR had a very public falling out. Most of the public portion was driven by TLR's comments to the press. I don't hold Rolen responsible for TLR's actions.

I'd be thrilled to have a healthy, happy Rolen back at 3B. He was one of my favorite players. He also has made it next to impossible to bring him back.

Agreed, with a caveat. The Cardinal's Management made it next to impossible for him to be back when they re-signed TLR. So the way I see it this next year we get TLR and stand to lose; Anthony Reyes, Scott Rolen, and Jimmie Edmonds. Anthony Reyes isn't gone yet, but he probably won't break camp with the team. Edmonds' departure may be completely unrelated, but it was reported last year that he and TLR were on the outs. I just don't see what sense it made to bring TLR back.

BTW FWIW Globesports is reporting the Cardinals will also send $4 million to the Jays in the trade. ($3 million net after the accounting gets done, whatever that means)